YOUR ENEMY THE ALCOHOL

YOUR ENEMY THE ALCOHOL

Many people are amazed to learn that up to 20% of the calories in the average Western diet come from what we drink. It is so easy to dismiss beverages as if they ‘don’t really count’ but of course, when it comes to weight loss or staying fit, beverages absolutely do count as much as solid food. The trick to successful weight loss is to honestly take into account everything that you put in your mouth – so you can’t simply forget about all the liquids! If you are interested in getting your body into the best possible condition, think twice before reaching for the alcohol, if this is something that you often do. 

Alcohol is extremely high in calories and it supplies what nutritionists often refer to as empty calories, in other words calories without nutrition. One 175 ml glass of red and white wine contains around 120 calories, champagne contains around 130 calories and 12oz serving of beer contains around 150 calories. Alcohol essentially has 7 calories per gram versus sugar which has 4 calories per gram. Think about this fact next time you are wondering whether to have a glass of wine after work – you will be drinking something more calorific than an equivalent sugar solution. Amazing, and not in a good way!

If water hydrates, alcohol on the other hand, has the opposite effect. Drinking alcohol constantly doesn’t just cut down on your mental processes, but it also prevents your body from experiencing deep sleep. And we all know deep sleep is what’s needed for the body to fully recharge and recover from the day to day stress. If you don’t experience deep sleep during the night, you’re more likely to wake up with less energy the next day. Of course, you are no doubt very aware of the effect that too much alcohol can have on your liver.

Also, crucially, alcohol can seriously slow down your ability to burn calories through exercise. Our bodies try to get rid of alcohol as quickly as possible, which can get in the way of other processes such as burning fat and absorbing nutrients. When you drink, alcohol is the first fuel to burn . While that is happening, your body will not burn fat, which delays weight loss. If you want to burn fat efficiently, lay off the liquor!

You do not have to go without it every day but choose light beers and stick to 11% wines like Chablis and Beaujolais on the occasions that you do want to drink alcohol. The rest of the time, drink a lot of water and green tea, as discussed in previous chapters.