Alcohol 🍷
I have started autumn feeling energised after a few weeks away from work and my laptop, doing plenty of outdoor activities I love – hiking, sailing, paddle boarding and yoga on the patio. I also managed to exercise constraint on the alcohol front while on holiday, as I have come to the realisation it really does affect my sleep. And not in a good way! So I didn’t drink every day and avoided excess glasses of wine on most occasions when I did.
So what is the deal with alcohol when it comes to eating a real food, lower carb diet? Are we compelled to continually sip sparkling water as a ‘treat’? Here are the key things to know about alcohol that I hope help you think through what role it plays in your life.
Key things to know about alcohol
Alcohol is used first by the body
Alcohol is the body’s first priority to deal with when it comes in, seeing it as a toxin and putting it ahead of all else. The body starts to process it straight away so anything you have eaten (especially carbohydrate or sugar) along with your glass of wine will be turned into fat, while your liver deals with the alcohol. The problem with this is that depending what else you do and eat, that fat may continue to be stored longer term rather than being used for energy…
Slows fat loss
Aside from the carb/sugar content of some drinks (I think of beer as liquid bread!) the hormonal response to alcohol puts your body into fat storing mode, rather than fat burning mode. This is not good news if you want to lose your excess fat. If you find your weight loss has stalled, despite following a lower carb diet, it may be due to alcohol. It can also raise cortisol, the stress hormone, that can contribute to weight gain.
Impacts the liver
Alcohol is processed in the liver, much like fructose, and too much can lead to fat building up in the liver as well as progressive inflammation and damage of this vital organ. Too much fructose can also have this effect (think high fructose corn syrup found in many carbonated drinks) and one of the issues is that you may not be aware this is happening until it hits a tipping point e.g. being diagnosed with prediabetes.
Munchies!
You can get a blood glucose drop after drinking as the body stuffs excess blood sugar away as fat while it deals with the alcohol, making you feel hungry a short while later. Hence why it is a great aperitif if you want to tuck into a hearty meal! And alcohol reduces your self-control - when else would anyone eat a dodgy kebab or oily pizza late at night?
Sleep
Whilst alcohol can make you feel sleepy, especially with a large meal, and in small amounts can help you relax it has been linked to poor sleep quality and duration. This seems to get worse as we age ☹ and particularly affects women in peri and post menopause as it exacerbates hormonal fluctuations. I certainly experience this now – more than a couple of drinks and I really do sleep less well and feel less refreshed in the morning. Sleep deprivation is also strongly linked to weight gain over time.
Keep hydrated
I am sure you already know this but it is even more important when eating lower carb as a ketogenic diet can increase urination and fluid loss. Many people find the morning after feeling can be worse on a lower carb diet, something I noticed when I changed my diet… Another reason to cut down on drinking!
Have at least one day off a week
Experts agree this is a good idea, although there is little evidence for more than one day! Assuming you can drink moderately. It does seem that generally a couple of drinks a few times a week is not detrimental to health but you should consider stopping drinking all together if you can’t stick to this as heavy or binge drinking is not good. There is also no international consensus on what are recommended ‘safe’ drinking levels so take it easy and listen to your own body.
Appreciate the social benefits
Sharing a drink with people is great for bonding, building emotional connections and therefore improving mental health. It can really make us feel good! And if you like red wine you can also reassure yourself that it seems to have a positive effect on the gut microbiome 😉
Choose low carb options
some drinks have a LOT of carbs and sugar in. Do you know which are the lower carb options? The top 5 lower carb drinks are shown below but note that some fizzy wines and prosecco can be on the sweeter side so not always the best options. Brut Champagne is a winner for those special occasions 😊 For gin and vodka try watering down or replacing your low/no sugar tonic with sparkling water to reduce the carbs. And I would certainly try to just have one drink if you are drinking tonic.
I am slowly working on changing my habit of reaching for a glass of wine the minute I finish work on a Friday night, to signal my weekend, by going for a walk and gossip with a friend instead. I also have a completely alcohol free weekend once a month and generally don’t drink during the week. Becoming a very light, sensible drinker is certainly a work in progress, as we all are, but it feels good to have a figured out a strategy for changing my behaviours.
What is your approach to moderation?
Contact me to arrange a chat if you struggle to sustain weight loss or are worried about diabetes or prediabetes to discuss how I could help you make sustainable changes to your diet that fit with your lifestyle, helping you improve your long term health. I can help you find your waist again.