Remarkable liaison between weight loss and Alcohol (Healthy Alcohol choices)

In this blog you find Interesting relationship weight loss and Alcohol. Consuming less is main mantra for healthy life. Alcohol and weight loss are adversaries, but an occasional drink can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many experts note the potential health benefits of consuming a single drink per day, including a reduced risk for high blood pressure If, however, you are exceeding one drink daily, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.

How Alcohol digested in our body

Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are slowly digested and absorbed within the gastrointestinal system. However, this digestive process changes when alcohol is present. When you drink alcohol, it gets immediate attention (because it is viewed by the body as a toxin) and needs no digestion.

On an empty stomach, the alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall quickly and can reach the brain and liver in minutes. This process is slower when you have food in your stomach, but as soon as that food enters the small intestine, the alcohol grabs first priority and is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.

As the alcohol reaches the liver for processing, the liver places all of its attention on the alcohol. If you drink very slowly, all the alcohol is collected by the liver and processed immediately—avoiding all other body systems. If you drink more quickly, the liver cannot keep up with the processing needs and the alcohol continues to circulate in the body until the liver is available to process it. That's why drinking large amounts of alcohol (or drinking alcohol quickly) affect the brain centers involved with speech, vision, reasoning and judgment.

When the body is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, these calories are converted into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage on your body.

Nutrition info about alcohol

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value.

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes water loss and dehydration

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans

Skipping a meal to save your calories for drinks later is a bad idea

Many foods that accompany drinking (peanuts, pretzels, chips) are salty, which can make you thirsty, encouraging you to drink even more.

What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine.

Try some Health Alcohol Choices

Even if you are careful about your alcohol consumption, all drinks are not created equal on the dieting scale and some choices are better than others. Here's a short guide to the calorie contents of different types of alcohol

Beer: Raise Your Glass with Care

Beer	Calories	Carbs	Per 12-oz Serving
"Light" Beer	9	0.5 g	108 calories, 6 g carbs
Draft Beer	12	1.1 g	144 calories, 13.2 g carbs
Lager	14	1.1 g	168 calories, 13.2 g carbs
Ale	18	1.1 g	216 calories, 13.2 g carbs

Wine: The Most Diet-Friendly Choice

 

Wine	Calories	Carbs	Per 5-oz Serving
Chardonnay	20	0.4 g	100 calories, 2 g carbs
Pinot Grigio	20	0.4 g	100 calories, 2 g carbs
Zinfandel® White Wine	20	0.4 g	100 calories, 2 g carbs
Cabernet Sauvignon	20	0.8 g	100 calories, 4 g carbs
Merlot Red Wine	20	0.8 g	100 calories, 4 g carbs

  

Hard Liquor: Easy on Your Diet

 

Hard Liquor	Calories	Carbs	Per 1.5-oz Serving
Vermouth	32	0.2 g	64 calories, 0.4 g carbs
Coconut Rum	51	5.3 g	77 calories, 8 g carbs
Beefeater® Gin	65	0 g	98 calories, 0 g carbs
Rye Whiskey	69	0 g	104 calories, 0 g carbs
Scotch Whiskey	69	0 g	104 calories, 0 g carbs
White Rum	69	0 g	104 calories, 0 g carbs
Vodka	69	0 g	104 calories, 0 g carbs
Cognac	69	2 g	104 calories, 3 g carbs
Tequila	69	5.3 g	104 calories, 8 g carbs
Gilbey’s® Gin	79	0 g	119 calories, 0 g carbs

If you budget your calories carefully, you can safely afford to have a drink or two on a special occasion. But beware—drinking loosens your inhibitions and may make you eat without thinking. From a health standpoint, calories aren't the only thing to consider. Practice moderation (no more than one drink daily for women and no more than two drinks daily for men) and consider other potential health benefits of different types of alcohol.