A Holiday Toast

When partaking in holiday festivities, it’s common to consume alcoholic beverages.  Of course, the regular words of wisdom are to not drink and drive, and to find a safe ride home.  That’s the most responsible thing to do, but when we think about making a holiday toast and drinking the many drinks to make the holidays happy, the last thing on the mind is calories and burning fat.

I’m not the type of person that believes that all alcohol is bad, and have been known to have an occasional glass of wine.   However, there are little known effects of alcohol that can not only add calories to your overall diet, but can alter the way fat is metabolized in the body.

Eh, a few drinks here and there can’t hurt my diet, can it?  Well, in fact, alcohol has 7 kcals/gram and is a source of energy.  Think about the fuel that is put in a car.  Ethanol, aka Alcohol is now added to most gasoline and fuels vehicles.  Vehicles use whatever is put into them, just like our bodies, so keep this in mind as we move forward.

What happens to your body when alcoholic beverages are consumed is that there is an immediate source of fuel that needs to be processed and consumed, so it goes through the liver and is turned into acetate, what the body can use.  Now since the body has no other choice but to use the energy or store it as fat, all other fat burning is halted, or severely slowed, and the alcohol immediately burned for energy.  YES, it’s true!

Furthermore, alcohol can actually cause a person to want to eat more, and so it is especially important to take caution during the holidays when the wine, liquor and beer flows along with the cookies, pies and what not.

Below are a few tips to still have a cheery holiday, and save yourself getting too drunk to drive, and the likelihood to eat more than expected:

Water: Yes, water.  Before, and in between drinks, whether it’s beer, liquor or wine, have two (8 oz) glasses of water.  This way you will fill up your tummy, and be less likely to over eat on all the holiday treats.

Carbonated Water: If you don’t want others to know you’re not guzzling down the drinks like they are, ask the bartender for a cup of sparkling water on ice, or just bring along your own bottle of your favorite to the party.  No one will be the wiser if you tell them you’re having a vodka/gin tonic.

Drink Slowly:  Nurse that baby.  Take it slow.  Just because everyone else is getting buzzed, doesn’t mean you have to.  Sure drinking might make you feel relaxed and feel better in a social setting, but doesn’t mean you have to get drunk off your butt and alter the way your body deals with all the holiday calories.  Isn’t hard enough without the alcohol?

Take a snack along: Hah! Some people might laugh at me for suggesting this, but if you don’t want to end up overindulging on the holiday snacks after drinking a little too much, you might want to take something along like an apple, banana, or even some tortilla chips to help satiate any craving you might have.

Now after the holiday drinking binge, sometimes the holiday hangover is soon to follow, but drinking some fruit juice (any kind) or even some Gatorade, can help replace the electrolytes that were lost.  Most importantly, be sure to stay hydrated with plenty of water.

In any case, I hope your holiday goes well and is safe, and is filled with plenty of joy and festivities.

Cheers!

~Hale Mom

*Disclaimer-This is information on this website is simply for informational purposes and should not be used to diagnose, or identify any symptoms of illness or disease and should not replace advice from a professional.  This website is also not responsible for what any reader uses this information.

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