her wellbeing
Bottoms Up Does business in New Zealand have a drinking problem?
LIKE IT OR NOT, drinking and business have become intimately linked. Boozy lunches, client meetings over drinks, bottles of champagne as corporate gifts, the list goes on. When you really think about it many of our most significant business dealings revolve around alcohol. A couple of after-work drinks with your team is harmless – in
fact it is a positive thing. However, a problem develops when we find ourselves drinking almost every night of the week – not so difficult when you are establishing or running a business and attempting to network with colleagues, celebrate milestones and entertain potential clients. Many of us associate the harmful effects of alcohol only with
chronic alcoholism, however this is simplifying the issue. We know that drinking more than two standard drinks a day, or 14 per week, is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, liver dysfunction and many cancers, especially breast, stomach and bowel cancers. Alcohol also makes weight management considerably more difficult as it contains a large number of empty calories – not to mention how much more tempting it makes a quick stop off at the Golden Arches. On a more immediate level, alcohol is known to affect cognition, decision-making and
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performance – all of which are critical in a business context. Given these obvious concerns, we must question the role of
alcohol in the business setting and potentially look at alternative means of networking and thanking our clients. Often, it is not so much that alcohol is a real issue rather that we have not yet thought of a new way of doing things. Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives. For client meetings
and entertainment options consider the following: • Breakfast meetings rather than boozy lunches or after work drinks • Alcohol-free lunch-time functions instead of cocktail 'dos' • Activity-based social functions such as quiz nights, paintball, team-building activities • Adopt a policy of only serving alcohol-free beverages such as herbal teas, fresh juices and diet soft drinks
For corporate gifts try these options: • Hampers of healthy food Gift Vouchers
• •
Samples of your business services or products
Jessica Bell www.yournutritionyourhealth.com
