Social Drinking is it Okay? (1)

1
Social Drinking is it Okay?
2
We all have social commitments, whether it be an
engagement party, a birthday party or a work
party where the alcohol is flowing, but will
social drinking really affect your weight loss
journey? You may have already answered that
question in your own mind, but lets delve a
little deeper and look at the calories in
alcohol, the impact of alcohol on our bodies and
the right choices to make when it comes to a
little tipple.
3
Social drinking and making the right choices Here
at PGPT we arent drill sergeants we understand
that there are times when you will have a drink,
all we ask is that you make the right choices
when it comes to alcohol. For example a pint
of Guinness contains 220kcals where as a bottle
of beer has 140kcals. So pick a bottle of lower
strength beer over a pint. A single Gin and Tonic
contains 56kcals, whereas a Jack Daniels and Coke
is 139kcals. Drinking two Gin and Tonics can
reduce your calorie intake by 166kcals in one
night over drinking a dark spirit with a Coke.
The figures speak for themselves, so opt for a
clear spirit and a slim line tonic.
4
Alcohol and weight gain So why does alcohol
hinder our weight loss? Well, not only is it full
of empty calories with no nutritional value, it
is also one of the first things to be metabolised
by our bodieseven before fat! Our bodies cannot
store alcohol so it metabolises it right away.
This means that other fats and sugars are put on
a back burner and stored in our bodies, adding to
a constant gain in weight and in theory slowing
down our bodies fat burning ability over
time. Alcohol also contains 7kcals per gram
compared to carbohydrates which contain 4kcals in
every gram. That means alcohol contains just
2kcals less per gram than pure fat!
5
Effects of alcohol on the body You only have to
google this subject to see the devastating
effects alcohol can have on peoples lives and we
all know that alcohol has many adverse effects on
our bodies whether it be physical or mental,
although most of these are related to excessive
drinking, so we wont touch on these. Social
drinking can still wreak havoc with our blood
sugar levels when it is consumed, even in small
quantities. When we drink alcohol, insulin is
produced, in order to lower the steep rise in
blood sugars. An overproduction in insulin can
actually lead to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar.)
Alcohol also attacks our vitamin and mineral
stores we require these to be at the correct
balance in order for our bodies to function
normally. Regular or excessive drinking can
really can cause an instability in your hormone
levels which need to be released at the right
time, to the correct tissues in our bodies.
Alcohol can impair the functions of the glands
that produce and release hormones.
6
Conclusion Of course it is normal to have a
social drink and I know that most people enjoy
it, just make sure youre aware of the amount
that youre drinking. For every alcoholic drink
you buy, get a bottle or glass of water. Sip your
Gin and Tonic, then your water before buying
another. We all know that drinks are often
accompanied by snacks. But dont go for
traditional bar snacks likes crisps or salted
peanuts, think out of the box and get some
olives, feta cheese or sundried tomatoes.
7
Contact Details
 peter_at_pgpt.co.uk 020 8203 8657