Alcohol Consumption and the Affect on Your Metabolism

Download this video>>“Can I still drink alcohol if I want to get into better shape?” This is the most commonly asked question from clients when they first start a workout regimen to help them get into better shape. Alcohol is so socially acceptable that if you do not have an alcoholic drink while you are among your friends or out to dinner you may be looked at as an outcast. That may not be the case because maybe that person is simply putting their overall wellness over less important things such as alcohol. Now let’s take a look at why someone may want to shy away from alcohol if they want to get into better shape. When it comes to alcohol and calories, alcohol contains empty calories and has no nutritional value. Your body can’t store alcohol, so it must metabolize it right away. So take this for example: if you are out to dinner and have a drink with your meal your body will start to metabolize the alcohol first since it cannot be stored in the body. It takes roughly an hour before your body can fully metabolize 1 alcoholic drink (12oz beer, one and ½ half ounce of 80 proof of liquor, 5-ounce glass of wine). So the food that you ate with your beer is sitting in your system just waiting to be broken down and metabolized for a full hour before your body gets to it, and that’s only if you have one drink. Two drinks equal two hours, so on and so forth. Doing this continuously can be a big cause of weight gain. When it comes to your blood sugar levels, alcohol can take a huge toll on it. When you drink alcohol, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is one of the first elements of metabolism that is affected. Alcohol inhibits your body’s ability to make glucose and to maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. Heavy drinkers can develop glucose intolerance and over time can even become diabetic. So I am not saying that you should completely give up drinking if you want to get into better shape mostly because realistically that will not happen with 98% of people who drink. All I am saying is to be smart when it comes to alcohol consumption. By cutting down on your drinking, along with a balanced diet, tied in with a regular workout routine with lots of cardio you can still enjoy the occasional drink here and there and still be in great shape. Self control will be essential and after your body gets into a routine of not taking it in as often you won’t crave it at all.