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.
