30/10/2023
What do we need to know about alcohol?
A lot of us like a drink from time to time. But how bad is it really for us?
Lets start with some facts.
Alcohol is 7kcal per gram which makes it the 2nd most energy dense macro, after fats (9kcal per gram). It's common that people forget alcohol contains calories but it's something important to remember, especially if your goal is weight loss.
We know that liquid calories aren't very filling plus alcohol is typically consumed in conjunction with sugary mixers, juices etc (who doesn't love a Pornstar martini eh?!).
Alcohol also lowers our inhibitions, meaning that we are more likely to make poor choices....who goes out for an evening of drinks with friends and comes home and fancies a salad?! More like a Domino pizza..... a kebab maybe (and to be honest, this is actually a pretty decent option unless you dowse it in certain high calorie sauces....and you could always just eat the meat!). Both though are high in salt so that along with a hangover = 🤮 the next day.
You don't need to swear off alcohol forever but you should know how to account for the calories you are consuming. A study showed that as a whole we are notoriously bad at compensating for the number of calories in the drinks we are consuming.
If you get it right, there are some health benefits that are associated with light to moderate drinking. One study found a lower risk of heart disease in men who consumed alcohol at least 3 to 4 days per week! Although we cant accurately explain the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects, a sensible conclusion would be to just consume alcohol in moderation.
A standard drink contains about 10g of alcohol - the amount your body can process in an hour. But a standard drink is much smaller than you may think.....the average glass of wine served in a pub (not home measures lol) contains about 1.5 standard drinks.
What happens to our body when we consume alcohol (the science!)?
When we drink alcohol it enters the bloodstream and is metabolised in the liver. It is then broken down into acetaldehyde and the acetate. Fat burning is suppressed whilst acetate enters our blood, therefore most of the fatty acids in your blood are stored.
70-80% of the acetate will be used as fuel in other tissues, such as muscle. Acetate takes priority over other fuel sources in our body, hence the storage of free fatty acids.
In other words, the metabolism of alcohol affectively blocks fat burning until the alcohol is out of our system.
Does that mean alcohol causes fat gain?!
No. Unless alcohol consumption puts you in positive energy balance (consuming more calories than your body requires), it wont lead to fat gain.
In short, if you keep your calories in check, you wont gain weight from having a couple of drinks here and there!
The challenges to Energy Balance
Alcohol may indirectly affect our energy balance through its effect on appetite and energy expenditure.
Its important to be aware of these effects, especially if you dont plan to be calorie tracking for the rest of your life!
Alcohol can affect our food choices (not only on the evening of the event - think 'hangover food'!).....but we are allowed a night out! Energy balance is regulated over a longer time period than just a single day and it's ok to consume a bit more on some days than others.
The main issue is that we typically fail to compensate for the additional calories later. By making informed choices you are in a better position to more accurately compensate, preferably through proactive choices rather than reactive ones.
E.g.
1)Limiting dietary fats on the day. Your body has a much harder time at converting carbs and protein to fat than dietary fats themselves. Plus, fat contains more calories per gram so its an easy way to regulate your calorie intake.
2)Plan ahead....set yourself a limit on the number of drinks you'll have.
3)Choose diet mixers.
4)Bank some calories leading up to the day so you have more calories to play with on the night.
....and my go-to is
5)Bring a protein bar with you incase you get the munchies OR leave one out on the kitchen worktop for when you get home.
Cheers!🥂
