Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can help your overall health and reduce your risk of stroke.
You may have been advised to make lifestyle changes following a stroke, including cutting down on alcohol. Or maybe this is a personal choice. Either way, this page explores things you can try to cut down and how to know if you need to.
Tips to help you drink less
If you’re having a drink, you can help keep the short-term health risks at a low level with some of our practical tips:
1) Set yourself a daily alcohol limit and stick to it
Work out when you do most of your drinking and see if there are obvious times when you can cut back.
2) Ask for support.
Tell your family and friends that you’re cutting down. They can help you reach your goals.
3) Avoid drinking on an empty stomach
Eating something slows down the rate that alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream.
4) Have several alcohol-free days each week
This will help avoid becoming dependent on alcohol
5) Alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water or a soft drink
This can help you cut down on the amount of alcohol you’re drinking and avoid becoming dehydrated.
6) Avoid buying rounds if you’re out in a group
This can encourage everyone in the group to drink more.
7) Try alternatives to alcohol and experiment with flavours
Add slices of fruit to bring extra zing to soft drinks, or try non-alcoholic versions of your usual drinks such as alcohol-free wines and beers.
8) Go for smaller sizes
This could be a bottle of beer instead of a pint, or a smaller glass of wine. A standard pub wine measure is often 175ml, but you can ask for the smaller measure of 125ml. When you drink at home, try to pour smaller drinks than you would get in a pub or restaurant.
9) Keep a range of non-alcoholic drinks at home
Try making smoothies or non-alcoholic cocktails. Or you could serve drinks that are lower in alcohol, like spritzers or fruit punches.
'It hasn't always been easy. Only having soft drinks at the pub and no crisps or nuts raised a few eyebrows among my friends, but explaining what I was doing and why made it easier. Three years on, I still don't drink much alcohol. If I do, I stick rigidly to the guidelines - no more than 14 units in a week, and not too many in one go'
Dave, stroke survivor
Read more about Dave’s experience of recovery and making lifestyle changes in Stroke News
Do I need to cut down?
It’s not always easy to know if you are drinking over the recommended alcohol limit. Your usual drinks may contain more units than you realise. Or you might have a few drinks after work every day, adding up to more than you think.
First, you need to work out how many units you’re drinking. You can find out by keeping a drinks diary. For a couple of weeks, at the end of each day, make a note of what you drank and count up the units. If you find you’re regularly drinking more than the recommended weekly limits, or are drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time (binge drinking), some of the tips above may help you cut down.
Ask your GP for advice and read our information about organisations, websites and apps that can help you.