Since I think that Monday is the most appropriate time to discuss the topic of alcohol, I couldn’t resist but to publish it on a Friday night before many of you will probably spent your weekend partying it up.
At 7 calories per gram, alcohol is the second most calorie dense nutrient behind fat. Not only is alcohol high in calories and provide absolutely no nutritious value, but because alcohol is metabolized by the liver, the alcohol is not converted directly into body fat. This is not as good as it may sound at first.
Tom Venuto explains it, in his book “Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle”:
The body has no storage capacity for alcohol like it does for carbohydrates and fats. Since alcohol must be detoxified as quickly as possible, the oxidation of the alcohol takes top priority over the oxidation of other macronutrients. So while the liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and protein has to be temporarily suppressed. The burning of fats is suppressed the most, because it’s at the bottom of the oxidative hierarchy. Hence, the consumption of alcohol will almost completely impair the body’s use of fat for fuel. Essentially, alcohol puts fat metabolism on hold. It’s not your friend if you are trying to stay or become lean. When alcohol is in your system, your body will simply convert more of the food you normally eat into body fat. Regardless of whether the calories come from food or drinks, if you consume more calories than your body needs, the excess will be stored as body fat. Since most people usually consume their alcohol in addition to food instead of as a substitute for it, the accumulation of body fat is usually the result”.
Not only is the above pretty depressing, but alcohol in addition depletes the body of vitamins and minerals from other foods you eat. It is a toxin – which is why you feel like “hungover” or energy depleted the next day if you consume “too much” – it’s essentially a poison that must be detoxified by the body. Finally, alcohol decreases natural testosterone production, which is one of the main anabolic (muscle building) hormones. Not a good combo in other words, if getting toned and muscular is your goal.
How can one then include some alcohol while still leading a relatively healthy lifestyle? The first thing you must do, is always factor your alcohol calories into your daily intake. So while it is not ideal to trade in that healthy non-fat yogurt or your afternoon snack of hummus and celery for a big glass of Chardonnay, this is what has to happen to stay within your calorie allotment and not go into surplus. Secondly, it’s important to stay hydrated, as alcohol is a diuretic. Make sure to drink an extra glass of water for each alcoholic drink you consume. Limit your consumption to two drinks per sitting and don’t binge drink.
If you’re looking to create a lean physique, especially conquering the mid-section, then you will need to put the wine glass down, decline the opportunity to take shots, and refrain from the beer funneling.
HealthyLiving4Life
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