Everyone nowadays practically knows that Coca Cola and soda is not good for you. Associated with a host of side effects:
- Weight gain
- Fat storage and belly fat
- Metabolic dysfunction
- Type 2 Diabetes
- No essential nutrients
- Addictive
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Higher risk of cancer
- Bad teeth (due to phosphoric acid)
- Increased risk of dementia
(Gosh, that sounds like an infomercial).
The FDA and even the beverage industry have tried to ‘get on board’ to promoting healthier options by: Listing the calorie content of beverages on the front of vending machines; Promoting the intake of more water through the ‘creation’ of water brands underneath the soda company; and trying to promote at least more ‘low calorie’ beverages through their Diet Soda options (even though these are not the best either).
However, despite all the hype and awareness around the soda industry…there is another epidemic that is rarely, if ever, discussed in nutrition and dietary circles:
Alcohol.
Or rather, NON-alcoholic alcoholism.
Houston, we’ve got a problem: An addiction to alcohol…actually…an addiction to the sugar in alcohol—especially wine fruity cocktails, margaritas…
When it comes to making dietary changes for a health goal or reason, one of the most challenging things I find people struggle with is: Giving up or cutting back alcohol.
“I am not an alcoholic, buttttt….”
Or,
“I can’t give up my wine…”
Or,
“No alcohol?! No way!…”
They hold onto it, they justify it, they fight (tooth and nail) for it—whatever it takes to keep their baby bottles as close to them as possible.
“I’ll do everything else (i.e. eat greens, bone broth, juice my own vegetables, buy organic), BUT give up my…” (happy hours, cocktails, glasses of wine every night after work, my beers, my weekend drink fests, etc.),” they say.
And while there is NO JUDGMENT around this (ultimately, to each his own!), when people actually listen to themselves talk about alcohol, repeat back to themselves their reasons and excuses for holding on to alcohol…they recognize that…hmmm…maybe there’s something more to this…Why do I neeeeeed it?
“Because it tastes good…it helps me feel relaxed…it’s just what I do…it’s a habit…it’s how my friends and I hang out…”
Whatever the reasons, an underlying reason that most people are completely unaware of is that they are hooked on the SUGAR in alcohol, and obviously how alcohol makes them feel (more calm, less stressed, etc.)
Just like America’s sugar addiction to soda, sweets, cereals, refined grains, granola bars, and snack crackers (i.e. simple carbs=sugar), regular and frequent alcohol consumption falls right within that category: a temporary boost of sugar to the system, and a temporary relief to an otherwise stressed-out and dysfunctional hormonal and blood sugar balance (i.e. adrenal glands).
After all, there are absolutely ZERO- other nutrients that alcohol provides, with the exception of excess calories and carbohydrates (i.e. sugar), so physiologically, it’s really only meeting two primary needs (sugar boost, a stress management).
Consequently, when our bodies become trained to crave and run primarily off sugar at particular times of day (our regular Happy Hour cocktails, our wine with our popcorn, our beer after work), just like with caffeine, we become creatures of habit—needing that stimulant (coffee), sugar or ‘tranquilizer’ (alcohol) on a frequent basis, without even thinking about it.
Alcohol does some FUNKY things to your blood sugar levels in general—thrusting you into a vicious cycle of highs and lows.
Alcohol consumption actually PREVENTS your liver from producing glucose (necessary for energy), and a consequence of that typically presents as HYPOGLYCEMIA after a night of drinking (a sudden drop in blood sugar). In turn, in order to ‘regulate’ your blood sugar, your body will crave more sugary foods or fast-acting sources of energy (carbs, sweets, etc.) for a quick boost, only sending your blood sugar into a ‘roller coaster’ of emotions (highs and lows, highs and lows).
It’s complicated, but the bottom line?
Alcohol not only throws your judgment off, but it also disrupts your metabolic function—big time.
Recently, I consulted with an individual who was addicted to this sugar monster.
Happy Hours and wine were a regular part of his weekly routine—most nights of the week.
His health goals?
“I want to lose about 30 lbs. and just feel more confident going without my shirt at the pool,” he said.
Simple goals indeed.
However, when we got down to talking about diet…the death grip came out when the topic of alcohol came up.
“I’m not an alcoholic…I just really like it.”
Nevertheless, after some discussion, I challenged him to think about his alcohol consumption in terms of an 80/20 split of adhering to a clean diet: 20% of the time, his non-clean eats could be devoted to one or two nights a week to a drink or two.
“Deal,” he said.
Not even a week, he was back in my office and his skin was…glowing!
“Your skin…it looks amazing!”
“You are like the fourth person who’s told me that,” he said… “I am beginning to think that it’s from cutting out the alcohol. I also have way more energy, I am sleeping way better, my joints hurt less, and my digestion…I’ve noticed a big difference. I’ve already dropped about 3 lbs.,” he said.
Goodbye inflammation!
This particular client began to find great success with a new outlook and perspective on alcohol.
He began to recognize that moderation with his alcohol consumption (limiting it to 1-2 nights per week) began to do his body wonders, while still allowing him to feel ‘somewhat sane’ while working towards his goals.
Even if weight loss is not your goal, perhaps ‘making healthier choices’, or a healthy lifestyle are important to you.
I recently stumbled across this post from Elite Daily, comparing the average weekend (or in college, nightly) consumption of alcohol, to the same amount of food (calorically) you can get for all that beer, wine or Captain Morgan…
Get this:
1 Bottle of Red Wine=3.5 Chocolate chip cookies
4 Vodka Cranberries= 18 California Sushi Rolls
1 Bottle of Champagne= 6 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
A 6-Pack of Fall Woodchuck Cider= 5.3 Chocolate Glazed Donuts
And more: 8 Bud Lights= 3 Cheeseburgers
4 Pina Coladas=6 Hershey’s Bars
All this, just from drinking alone.
We all have our vices in life and our diets (for some, it’s greens and chicken, for others it’s cookies and cakes, for others it’s Diet Soda or coffee, and still, for others, it’s alcohol).
I’ll say it again: To each his own…but what are you really getting from that alcohol?
And if you’re goals are to…Break out less, sleep better, stop feeling constipated or experiencing indigestion, boost your metabolism, lose some weight, or build some healthy weight or muscle, improve your gym performance, have more energy…alcohol may very well be a limiting factor.
#FoodForThought
Need a good transition drink for decreasing your alcohol-dependence?
I’ve always loved to recommend Robb Wolf’s NorCal margarita, free from:
- Agave
- High fructose corn syrup
- Citric acid
- Sugar
- Corn starch
- Sodium benzoate
- Sodium citrate
- Yellow #5
- Blue #1
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Juice solids
The average margarita will provide you with somewhere around 250-300 calories, over 30 grams of sugar, and more than 33 grams of carbohydrate; making this one a better option:
Ingredients
- 2 shots Top shelf tequila (preferably resposado or anejo, see tequila descriptions below), 3 shots if you’re feeling frisky
- The juice and pulp of one lime
- Club soda to taste
Directions:
- Shake it up
- Serve on the rocks
As for those nights you “did too much” (and you need a hangover-cure), I have my own little cocktail of inflammation-fighting and liver-supportive supplement aids that may just do the trick—serving as a buffer to the blood sugar roller coaster (i.e. the crash and burn after fun and games).
THRIVE Recovery Cocktail
Before your drinks: 2-3 Hydrozyme Aids in the digestive process, supporting your pancreas, liver and gallbladder, while also killing off fungus, yeast and bacteria. It’s like adding some armor to your stomach!
After your drinks: 2-3 Beta TCP (Supports the liver and gallbladder to produce bile, a yellow-greenish liquid of waste products. When you drink, the liver is forced to work extra hard to recycle through wastes—and without support to process and send bile-wastes-to the gallbladder, you end up with wastes and toxins in your bod, and an impaired digestive system. This supplement comes to the rescue).
With breakfast the next day: 1-2 Bioglycozyme Forte (Helps promote blood sugar regulation and ward off hypoglycemic episodes and adrenal distress post drinks)
BOOM!!!
Meal Prep Friday
For those of you who are prepping this weekend—or need some food to better digest your alcohol—here are some recipes cooking in the kitchen this weekend (with a fall flair).
No-Oats Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 ripe banana
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp of ground flax meal
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Optional Toppings:
- Nut butter
- Sunflower Seeds
- Slivered Almonds
- Fresh Berries
Directions
- Peel banana, cut in chunks and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds
- Mash banana, add 2 eggs, whisk together until well combined
- Add almond milk, flax and cinnamon and mix together
- Heat coconut oil in pan
- Pour banana egg mixture into pan
- Use spatula to constantly mix egg mixture around the pan as it cooks
- Stir egg mixture until completely cooked should look like the a mixture of the texture of scrambled eggs and oats
Chicken Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee, grass-fed butter, or EVCO (extra virgin coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely shaved
- 2-3 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 can tomato sauce, no salt added
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2/3 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 limes, juiced
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or pan. Add the shaved fresh ginger to the hot butter and stir until fragrant – this will take about 2-3 minutes.
- Dust the cubbed chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and ground pepper. Toss them in the hot, ginger butter and cook until slightly browned on all sides and they’re all mostly cooked through.
- Add the pumpkin puree, tomato puree, curry powder, and remaining teaspoon of sea salt. Stirl to thoroughly incorporate, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Just before serving, add the coconut milk and lime juice. Let the curry come back up to temperature then remove from heat.
- Serve over cauliflower rice or jasmine rice.
Cinnamon Spiced Beef & Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, cut in half
- 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
- 2 small onions, sliced 1 reserved
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds
- Place face down in a glassware dish with 1/2 inch of hot water and bake for 30 minutes
- Add 1 of the sliced onions and celery to the pan and then add the meat
- Season with salt and pepper (to taste) and cinnamon
- Continue stirring until the beef is finished, remove from heat and place in a bowl
- Remove the squash from the oven, when you can handle it scrape out some of the guts, leaving ~1/4 inch of squash, add squash to bowl with meat
- Mix well and then stuff your squashes with the beef mixture and place back in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes
- While your squash are baking, add your reserved onion to your sauté pan and cook it over low heat with your balsamic to caramelize
- Remove squash from oven, top with caramelized onions