5 Reasons to Avoid Alcohol When Dieting
There is a lot of conflicting information about the role of alcohol in weight gain. There is an opinion that alcohol helps to lose weight, but some think quite the contrary.
A famous American nutritionist and fitness consultant Harley Pasternak (whose clients include Kim Kardashian, Hilary Duff and Amanda Seyfried) has published a post about alcohol’s interference with weight loss.
1. Alcohol Prevents the Body from Burning Fat
The energy that we spend when there is alcohol in the body is taken from the alcohol itself, and not from other carbohydrates or fats. And this has been confirmed by U.S. researches. For example, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published the results of such researches. They show that people who consume even a little alcohol decrease their body’s ability to burn fat by as much as 73%!
2. Alcohol Weakens Will Power While Dieting
Many people say they give up their healthy eating habits under the influence of alcohol. When you consume alcohol, some reactions turn less acute, for example, the feeling of satiety. There is a British study, which demonstrates that people who drink at a party consume 30% more calories.
3. Alcohol Drinks Are Calorie-Rich
Alcoholic drinks contain almost 2 times more calories per gram. And these are empty calories – they are not nutritious. Some cocktails can contain more than 700 calories! But even if you exclude the sweet ingredients from the cocktails, it won’t save the situation, as calories with no nutritional value will still remain.
4. Alcohol Doesn’t Let The Body Absorb Nutrients
Alcohol prevents vital nutrients from being absorbed.
When you drink alcohol, your body is busy resisting its harmful effects. So, it spends all its energy and “forgets” about other vital functions, such as vitamins and minerals processing, the maintenance of blood sugar levels and metabolism.
5. Alcohol Prevents Good Sleep
Alcohol affects the quality of sleep; it leads to the inflammation of the digestive system. And, as you know, lack of sleep is directly related to health and weight loss results.
