Alcohol comes second only to fat when it comes to high calories. Whereas each gram of fat contains 9 calories, each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. But it’s not all bad news!

One unit a day may of any kind of alcohol actually be beneficial for the heart, especially in menopausal women. The polyphenols in red wine are also thought to lower risk of heart disease. So it seems that a little of what you fancy can do you good.

The rules for healthy drinking are that women should have no more than 2-3 units a day and men should not have more that 3-4 a day. Ideally with at least one or two days a week alcohol free. From a health point of view, you are not supposed to save up all your drinks for the week and have them all in one go. It’s unlikely this would be good for your weight loss efforts either!

An excess of alcohol can lead to dehydration and low blood sugar which in turn will lead to increased appetite �?which is quite likely to be followed by the classic binge eating session (curry and doner kebabs spring to mind!)

Although approximate guidelines are that 1 unit is a small glass of wine, half a pint of beer, lager or cider or a small 25ml measure of spirits, the reality is that many alcoholic drinks are much stronger than they used to be �?and they are served in larger measures, so do find out what size your pub serves.

A 250ml small can or bottle of wine is a good way of limiting your serving to 2 "small" glasses. An average bottle of wine counts as 6 servings.

Use sparkling water to spritz your wine and make it go further.

  Enjoy your slimming....