How bad is alcohol for you?????

So for the month of September I decided to cut out alcohol out of my diet. Its not like I have a drink everyday, but I do like to have a glass of wine once in a while, and on weekends tend to have a little more (just being honest lol).  I always get asked from clients what alcohol beverage is best....really the answer to that is no alcohol in general.

A major factor in successful weight loss is about burning more calories than you take in. I believe in having a whole foods diet thats healthy, easy-to-follow  and an exercise plan that helps clients live life normally. In addition, I believe having  supplements to help prevent the nutrient depletion that can happen when calories are decreased on a weight reduction plan and optimize the body’s metabolic functions, further enhancing the weight loss process.

While many of my clients  have consumed alcoholic beverages on a regular basis, its not recommended on a weight loss program and could actually be a hindrance to weight loss.

Alcohol Calories

In general, calories provide the energy for our bodies to function and we get them from carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol. For each gram of these energy sources, there contains a set number of calories, as follows:

Carbohydrate – 4 calories per gram
Protein – 4 calories per gram
Fat – 9 calories per gram
Alcohol – 7 calories per gram

The vitamin, mineral and water content add to the nutritional value of each of these energy sources but they don’t provide any calories. A food is considered to be a source of empty calories when there are no other nutrients in the food except for the nutrient that provides the calories. Alcohol is considered to be a source of empty calories because it provides extremely small amounts of vitamins and minerals. In addition, alcohol often takes the place of nutrient-rich foods and interferes with the body’s absorption, storage and use of nutrients.

Different alcoholic drinks contain varying amounts of alcohol. The various sources of sugar used in manufacture of alcoholic beverages result in different forms of alcohol and the technique used to make the beverage will determine the alcohol content. Generally, a 12-ounce glass of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine and a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor all contain a half-ounce of pure alcohol and are considered to be one drink.

Alcohol’s Role in Weight Gain

When it comes to alcohol’s role in weight, the prevailing thought is that the “beer belly” is caused by excess calories being stored as fat. However, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are converted into fat. The main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat the body burns for energy. Rather than getting stored as fat, the alcohol calories consumed get converted into acetate, a type of fuel that the body burns quickly. As a result the alcohol calories are burned off before fat is used, replacing fat as a source of fuel.

Alcohol also provides many calories in a small volume and this can end up being a source of unwanted extra calories and weight gain. For example, 1 can of beer contains 210 calories and 4 ounces of red table wine contains about 90 calories. Studies have also shown that there is an increase in the amount of calories eaten at a meal when alcohol is consumed before the meal. These additional calories can easily contribute to weight gain over a short period of time. It has also been shown to increase feelings of hunger, causing people to eat more food when alcohol is consumed.

Knowing these stats, make a healthy choice to eliminate or reduce your alcohol intake as part of achieving your weight loss and health goals.