4 tips for those looking to balance alcohol and diet

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

After a hard day, enjoy a glass of wine or a glass of beer with friends. But would this be appropriate if you are on a diet? Learn how to drink to keep from gaining weight.

Those who follow a healthy lifestyle and drink only moderate amounts of alcohol need not worry. But sedentary people prone to obesity should be careful with Alcohol Consumption, Weight Gain, and Risk of Becoming Overweight in Middle-aged and Older Women.

Drinking a lot of alcohol adds hundreds of calories to your diet and slows your metabolism.

“The body immediately begins to process alcohol, neglecting nutrients from food. As a result, everything you recently ate turns into subcutaneous fat,”says Pamela Peeke, MD and author of books on nutrition.

Regardless, there are some tips to help you balance alcohol and diet.

1. Eat before drinking alcohol

It's better to have a healthy snack than counting calories and skipping food altogether to make room for drinks. The appetite will wake up anyway. And after a certain dose of alcohol, we are ready to indulge ourselves in order to order a steak, fries or our favorite chocolate dessert.

“Eat a meal rich in fiber, protein and healthy fats before you start drinking. These substances even out blood sugar levels and do not slow down the metabolism,”says Karlene Karst, a qualified nutritionist.

If you are going to drink in a cafe or restaurant, check the menu on the Internet and choose the dish in advance.

2. Choose pure alcohol

If you are worried about your figure, remember this simple rule: the simpler the drink, the better. Sugary cocktails increase hunger: blood sugar rises higher than when you drink wine, beer and other pure alcohol, and then drops sharply, increasing your appetite. Avoid liqueurs, juices, lemonades, tonics, and syrups.

One gram of alcohol contains an average of 7 kcal. This is slightly less than pure fat (9 kcal per gram).

Drinking a glass of vodka, we get 100 kcal. And if you add more syrup and cola, then the energy value will increase several times.

“If you are going to drink, choose pure alcohol. Any wine or beer in moderation will do,”advises Pamela Peak.

Instead of heavy red, it is better to take a rose or white wine. And vodka, gin or bourbon can be diluted with soda: it does not contain calories and sugar.

3. Do not drink more than 1-2 glasses

One to two glasses a day is a moderate dose of alcohol for women and men. But if you don't drink all week and hang out on weekends, then this cannot be called the norm. “This is the worst thing you can do for your figure and overall health,” says Peek.

Three to four glasses force the body to work on hundreds of calories from alcohol, not food. Your blood sugar rises, you become hungry like a wolf, and your prefrontal cortex tells you that one serving of fried cheese or toast will be nothing. In this case, you can not dream of a slender waist.

4. Don't overeat during a hangover

Hangovers are another challenge for people on a diet. The day after drinking alcohol, you have to fight the urge to eat something high in calories and fat. One of the reasons for this passion for the harmful is dehydration. It makes us more hungry.

“After a party, your body needs a lot of energy to process all the alcohol you drink. Therefore, fatty foods look very attractive during a hangover,”says Dr. Jason Burke.

To avoid overeating, remember to:

• after drinking an alcoholic drink and before going to bed, drink a glass of water;
• grab a meal rich in fiber and protein before and after the party.