Survival guide to drinking beer

Adam MacDougall’s 10 Minute Man promise: get fit, be healthy and live a happy life in just 10 minutes a day. As a dual-premiership and former state and national representative rugby league player, he knows what it takes to succeed. And as an MBA graduate with certification in the fields of strength and conditioning, psychology, nutrition and exercise, he’s qualified to help you map out a pathway to a happier, healthier life.

As MacDougall puts it, no matter how busy, how unfit, how old – or how lazy! – you are, you can’t go wrong when you simply do what works. And the good news is, you don’t even need to give up the beers. Straight from the pages of The 10-Minute Man, here’s MacDougall’s Survival Guide to Drinking Beer:

Beer, and alcohol in general, often gets blamed for us being overweight, but it’s really only the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It’s all the other things we do before and after we have that beer that do the real damage. The fact is that most of us sit on our arses too much, don’t exercise enough and eat crap food, yet everyone points the finger at beer, like it’s the devil. Well, it’s not. In most cases, alcohol just reinforces a lot of our already established bad habits, such as overeating greasy, crappy food (kebab shop, after the pub) and not moving enough (because you’re so hung-over the next day). It’s easy to blame someone or something, so poor old beer usually cops it, but really, having a few beers or a glass of wine is no problem if you eat well and keep active in your daily life...

5 Smart Ways to Have Your Beer and Drink It Too:

1. Start out well hydrated
If in doubt, have a glass of water before you crack that tinnie.

2. Drink a low-carb beer
There are some good ones on the market now. If spirits are more your thing, use diet soft drinks or water instead of sugary mixers.

3. Fill up on protein and fibre
Eat before you drink so you don’t overeat later when your willpower – your insulin sensitivity – is low.

4. Keep up the H₂O
Aim to drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage so you don’t get dehydrated and mistake thirst for hunger.

5. Avoid sugary, salty snacks
Not only do they make you thirsty but they play havoc with your blood sugar levels.