The effects of alcohol...

[DartmoorDumpling]

An interesting article I read regarding alcohol and calories:

Does alcohol turn to sugar in your body? It’s a frequent question that seems widely accepted as truth. But is it?

Sugar and carbohydrate-rich foods raise your blood glucose level, while alcohol actually has the opposite effect — it makes your blood sugar drop.

Here’s how it works: Your liver is in charge of turning foods into energy for our cells, usually in the form of glucose. Alcohol has to be specially processed by the liver — and since it is considered a poison by the body, it gets priority in the processing line up.

So the moment alcohol hits the blood stream, your liver drops everything else and detoxifies the alcohol.

Ever felt especially hungry the day after you had one too many? Depending on how much you drink, your liver could be occupied for several hours with processing alcohol – all while your blood glucose levels drop (your body continues to consume energy on a regular basis), allowing for hunger to set in.

Your blood sugar will drop even when you eat foods that are high in sugar or processed carbohydrates – so boozing and then eating are a crazy combination that can quickly lead to overconsumption of calories!

[kantara71]

Interesting DD. So did the article say that the calorific content of alcoholic drinks do not contribute to your total calories? I always counted the calories and carbs in a bottle of wine towards my total intake.

Do you have a link to the article.

John

[DartmoorDumpling in reply to kantara71]

I googled "is alcohol a sugar" and chose the response under this heading:

skinnychef.com/blog/does-alcohol-turn-to-sugar-in-your-body

There are other interesting responses which I haven't read yet but it is a subject I would like to know more about!

[kantara71 in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

I suppose the liver deals with the alcohol content of the wine, (about 10.5%), as a toxin and then eventually the carbohydrate and sugar content is dealt with as it would normally do after it has dealt with the nasties in the alcohol?

I was just trying to get some crumb of evidence that tells me that drinking wine is good for me and does not add to my calorie intake and in fact will help me lose weight as it contributes to my five a day!  

Off on holiday tomorrow for 5 weeks, last weigh in I was 15 stones 5lbs and there is a 5 litre box of wine chilling in the fridge for me  

Fingers crossed that I continue to watch what I eat, at least I don't have to worry about the wine, now I know it won't make me put weight on lol!!

I will miss you all, be good and onwards and downwards to you all

John

[DartmoorDumpling in reply to kantara71]

Wine is fine - but in small quantities only...  otherwise it lowers the resistance to temptation too much!  

Hopefully you will be feeling fit enough to keep active on holiday, and that will use up any holiday excesses on the food and wine front. 

Have a great holiday John - you have earned it!

[kantara71 in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

spoil sport!! 

I will do my best to continue the good work, like you said, I have put too much into losing 35lbs to throw that away! 

[suzybenj]

That explains a lot

[IndigoBlue61]

Interesting 😊 And agree, drinking too much is fatal for any healthy eating plan 😕

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Really interesting. I had to seriously cut down alcohol to start losing weight. It's good to be reminded it's a kind of poison, didn't realise the body processes it ahead of everything else though. Thank you for this DD 😊

[Smiley68]

Just read your article very interesting.Was so going to have a glass or two this evening so glad I haven't.

[Redx1995]

Really interesting, thanks DartmoorDumpling  I must admit that I'm quite partial to white wine spritzers, but with tonic water as opposed to the usual soda water. Hopefully this helps to reduce the alcohol/calorie content, especially on holidays in the sun.