It is a warm Spring day in Durham, NC (or your hometown) and your friends, coworkers or honey has invited you to hang out at [fill in the blank], your favorite hip place to sit outside and enjoy a microbrew, glass of wine or signature cocktail. There is no shortage of opportunities to enjoy a “cold one” when the weather gets nice. It seems like it is what you DO this time of year. You may enjoy one after working up a sweat in a boot camp class or sip some wine after a refreshing yoga session.
As a wellness enthusiast, you may have wondered, can I drink alcohol and still be healthy?
If you are a client or follower of Well Balanced Nutrition, you know that we focus on holistic health and wellness that goes beyond simple nutrition. When we answer the question, is drinking alcohol healthy for me, we must look at it from all sides – or as many as possible. I wish that it was a simple answer – “yes, it’s nutritious” OR “no, steer clear.” It’s more complicated than that and it is very personal. Let’s dive into the research, look at things you should consider and how this can all be brought back to your personal wellness journey.
Research suggests moderate drinking is heart healthy.
In 2016 an international consensus statement came out stating that moderate amounts of drinking can benefit your heart by preventing the occurrence of disease and deaths caused by heart disease. That’s a pretty big deal considering heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Cheers to that, right!?
First, let’s stop and define what “moderate drinking” means. In order to potentially see this heart health benefit, a man must stop at 2 drinks per day and women must stop at one drink per day. Before you wine-lovers get too excited, this does not mean pour an entire bottle of wine into one wine glass. (Have you seen those hilarious memes!?)
But before we raise our glasses, a newer study says maybe we should drink even less to reduce our risk.
A newer study updated in 2018, suggests that a better guideline for current drinkers (both men and women) is to drink no more than 7 drinks per week. In their review of the evidence, researchers found the lowest risk of premature death was in those consuming this amount or less.
The heart health takeaway: One 12 ounce beer, 5 oz glass of wine or 1.5 oz shot per day can be protective against heart disease and keep us at low-risk.
While moderate alcohol consumption may benefit our hearts, other evidence suggests that, when it comes to cancer, there is no safe amount.
While heart disease is the number one killer, cancer is right there in second place. It appears that even light to moderate drinking can increase our risks of some cancers. This is true for esophageal, head and neck, and breast cancer.
Other important things to consider
There are many other things to consider when deciding if drinking alcohol can be part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. If you are a pregnant woman or planning to become pregnant, a recovering alcoholic, a person with liver disease, under the legal drinking age or taking one or more medications that interact with alcohol, drinking alcohol poses substantial risks and should be avoided.
The reason you choose to drink matters.
Have you ever thought, “I’m so stressed. I just need a beer (or glass of wine).” If this is a nightly ritual for you, perhaps it is time to think about other more nurturing ways to take care of yourself after a long day or stressful event. The trouble with continuously numbing your pain with a drink (or food) is that it leads to numbing all emotions – even the good ones that you don’t want to miss out on.
Alcohol and Weight loss
For a few reasons, alcohol could be sabotaging your efforts to eat well and lose weight. First, when you drink, your liver will prioritize metabolizing the alcohol and this will put a halt to any fat loss and may even increase fat storage. Also, alcohol increases your appetite and lowers inhibitions making it hard to say no to those pretzels, late night pizza or sweets. Lastly, alcoholic beverages can be high in calories. If you’re serious about losing weight, it’s best to put alcohol aside – or at the very least cut back and choose wisely. Below are calorie counts for alcohol, which vary.
Beer — 250 calories
Red or white wine — 120 calories
Daiquiri — 259 calories
Vodka and club soda — 64 calories
Champagne — 84 calories
Rum and Coke — 91 calories
Cosmopolitan — 230 calories
Bloody Mary — 140 calories
Sangria — 167 calories
Plain Martini — 69 calories
Margarita — 270 calories
Alcohol and Sleep
Drinking alcohol can interfere with a good night’s sleep. While it may make you drowsy initially, drinking alcohol will make your sleep less restorative, more likely to be interrupted and lower in quality, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Alcohol and IBS
If you have a sensitive digestive tract, you may already know that alcohol is a gut irritant. It often causes flare ups for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Everybody is a little different. Some might find that they can tolerate a gin and tonic or glass of dry wine, while beer may really trigger symptoms. Not overdoing it and listening to your body will help keep your gut happier.
I get by with a little help from my friends
If you are going to drink, drinking an alcoholic beverage as part of a healthy meal that you enjoy with good company, may quite possibly be the best way to do it. The benefits of drinking alcohol for heart health may not be much alone, but when you pair it with quality social time and/or nourishing food this combination seems to be a key for living a long healthy and happy life. In the pockets around the world with the highest life expectancy, people drink moderately and regularly. As the researchers who study these communities put it…
“The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you can’t save up all week and have 14 drinks on Saturday.” – Dan Buettner, Power 9®
Bringing it back to you and your personal wellness journey.
Now that you know what the research says about your risk, who should avoid alcohol and the many other things to consider, let’s bring the focus back to your individual story. It comes back to figuring out what is right for you. What is your personal and family health history? What are your goals? How does alcohol make you feel? What role does it play in your life? Does it help you live your best life or does it get in the way?
➡️ Let us know in the comments below ⬇️ what your biggest takeaways were from reading this or tell us how alcohol does or doesn’t fit into your healthy lifestyle. Want to improve your habits, but not sure how to get started? We can help. 🙂
Still curious about this topic? Check out these additional resources:
I’m usually pretty good at this but recently I fell apart.
It was crazy at my house for a few weeks in a row as we scrambled to get our house ready to be put on the market. The stress in my home was palpable and the to-do lists were endless between work, home, and kids. Our comforting routine was all out of sorts, which left me floundering.
Luckily, all the hard work paid off and the house was under contract before we knew it! That meant when we were away in Florida for vacation, we didn’t even need to worry about dealing with an open house or incoming offers. What a relief!
Bring on the relaxation
Warm weather, family time, and a blank to-do list had me feeling like….awhhhhhhh. I think I relaxed a little too much because, toward the end of the vacation, I wasn’t feeling too stellar. My diet was off track, my sleep was lacking (my kids always have a hard time sleeping in new places) and my physical activity level was embarrassing. I fell apart.
I knew I didn’t have to make it up, just make it back on track. On the way home from Florida I reflected on the lessons I learned and the expertise I could share with those who’ve been in a similar scenario or want to avoid getting thrown off track completely while away. This builds on the wisdom Lucy shared in part one about being picky and sticking to what works well for you.
Fun foods are fun, but only if they don’t stop the fun for YOU.
I reminded myself of what we remind the tribe all the time. Your diet doesn’t need to be perfect. Annnnd there is a little more room (in my book) for fun foods while on vacation, because, well, it’s vacation! However, it doesn’t serve you to have so many fun foods that you feel terrible or wreck your goals. It can be a slippery slope here and only you can decide what feels like enough. Tapping into your intuitive eating skills can come in handy here.
I’ll give you an example. I went out to eat one night in Florida and I wanted to enjoy a cocktail. So I did. Unfortunately, cocktails can include a lot of juice or flavored syrups that make me feel sick. The one I ordered was delicious and fruity – but definitely loaded with sugar. That night when we got back to the house, I was offered another sugary adult beverage. It sounded fun at the time but I declined. I knew that it might be enjoyable for a little bit but not for long. The next day I’d likely have a headache and an upset stomach. That’s no good when you are headed to the beach!
Your body will usually tell you when you are overdoing it.
Sometimes we don’t end up saying no to that second drink or the dessert. That’s okay. Nothing to beat yourself up about, it happens. If your body responds in uncomfortable ways like feeling bloated, having indigestion, or not being able to sleep well, for example, don’t ignore those symptoms. Take those into consideration next time.
I know a few people who just push through those things and completely zone out from their body’s cues. Ignoring these signals can lead to health problems, weight gain and throwing off our well-being. Go ahead and tune in, take note, and know where to draw the line next time.
Veggies, veggies, and more veggies.
You know we love veggies at Well Balanced Nutrition and this will likely come to no surprise when I say…. you’ve got to find a way to fit in those veggies when on vacation. It is often the missing link!
Veggies give us fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Without enough veggies you can be left with constipation and/or a big dose of excess calories. So here is all the ways I made vegetables a priority:
We had some greens in the refrigerator that we took with us in a cooler so they wouldn’t go to waste while we were gone. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A, I carried in my stash of arugula and paired a small order of nuggets with it. Sorry, not sorry! It was the light and yummy meal I needed to get me through the car trip.
Once we were there, my husband picked up a veggie tray from the grocery store. It was a simple way to make sure we had veggies that were easy to incorporate. Raw veggies and dip can be a great snack or round out lunch.
Make an egg casserole for breakfast. I love egg dishes because you can make them ahead and sneak veggies in at breakfast. We made this breakfast casserole and even my dad who doesn’t dig most veggies, enjoyed it.
Get an order of veggies on the side. I splurged on a pasta dish that was creamy and indulgent one night. From my experience, even when the description lists an array of vegetables in the dish, the ratio of pasta to veggies is sad. So I asked for a side of steamed veggies that I tossed into my pasta to bulk it up with veggies.
If veggies are just really hard to find or get, focus on fiber-rich fruits like pears, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Make it back!
Vacations are awesome! If you come back from a vacation feeling worse than when you left, maybe it’s time to visit some of your habits while away. Being an intuitive eater, splurging in a smart way and fitting in those veggies, may help you come back refreshed and balanced.
How about you?
Do you remember a time when vacation got the best of you?
What tricks do you use to stay balanced while away?
It is an evidenced-based, mind-body philosophy comprised of 10 Principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. In Evelyn Tribole’s words, “Essentially, Intuitive Eating is a personal process of honoring health by listening and responding to the direct messages of the body in order to meet your physical and psychological needs. [This] includes physical activity for the sake of feeling good, rejecting the dieting mentality, using nutrition information without judgment, and respecting your body, regardless of how you feel about its shape.”
With intuitive eating, you call the shots.
Intuitive eating involves using your natural ability to be tuned into your mind and body. Only you know what hunger, fullness, and satisfaction feel like. Only you know your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Therefore, as the expert of your own body, you may be empowered to call the shots about what, when and how much you eat.
Intuitive Eating is not a diet or food plan.
A dieter relies on outside cues and rules, whereas the intuitive eater relies on inner cues to eat as much or as little as they need. A dieter may label foods as bad or good, whereas intuitive eaters find a balance of choosing foods that feel good and foods that provide nutrition the body needs.
Will I lose weight if I use intuitive eating?
Some people will lose weight when they start to eat intuitively. Perhaps this is because when using intuitive eating they eat for emotional reasons less often and no longer have negative emotions around eating that can lead to overeating. However, intuitive eating is not designed for weight loss. It was designed as a weight-neutral approach. The goal of intuitive eating is gaining a healthy relationship with food and your body.
Why we like intuitive eating.
At Well Balanced Nutrition, we work with you to ditch the diet and become an intuitive eater. Diets do not lead to long term change, but paying attention to what your body needs, learning about nutrition, respecting your body, and implementing more self-care habits can leave you happier and healthier in the long term.
Ready to get off the diet roller coaster? You got this! Take the first step.
Have you ever wondered… how do I lose weight fast?
You aren’t alone. Many people are searching for the magic pill or a secret sauce that can help them get the body they want – like by tomorrow. Unfortunately, drastic weight loss that is kept off is seldom attainable. In fact, if we look at research studies on weight loss (from various diets and methods) we find that roughly 80% of people who shed a substantial portion of their body fat will not maintain that degree of weight loss for 12 months.
What is a safe rate of weight loss?
The general recommendation is 1-2 lbs per week.* Slow and steady wins the race. Even at a slower rate, it is important to be wise about your approach and make changes that are more likely to last. Unfortunately, many people will regain some or all of weight loss regardless of how quick or slow it came off.*
What amount of weight loss is realistic and appropriate for health outcomes?
Research indicates that for people who are in the overweight or obese BMI category, a weight loss of 10% of their body weight over a 6 month period is appropriate.* This amount is likely to bring about improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. It’s debatable whether it is the weight loss or the healthy habits that one adopts to lose weight that really impacts health.
The best approach is wellness-focused not weight loss focused.
At Well Balanced Nutrition, we don’t recommend any trendy diets that promise to help you drop weight fast, but we do have a solution to help you feel better about your body. Our solution, the Well Balanced approach, is not just about the food you eat or the number on the scale. We want to see you healthy and happy, and we know you don’t have to drop 4 pant sizes to achieve that. By accepting yourself, improving your habits from a place of self-compassion, working on attainable action steps, embracing the journey and having some fun along the way, you’ll no longer need to strive for unrealistic ideals or fall for another fad diet attempt. Are you looking for solutions? Take the first step today.
For Super Bowl weekend I was looking forward to eating chicken wings with celery, blue cheese dressing, and sweet potato fries. Then I woke up Saturday morning with a pit in my stomach knowing it was going to be “one of those days.” I can often tell when I wake up if I’m going to have and upset tummy that day. Typically, it starts with a lame bowel movement (sorry if that’s TMI) then it’s followed by low-grade discomfort and occasional nausea.
How do I know it’s a flare-up?
For me (Lucy), it’s been years of learning to listen to my body, tune in to my symptoms, and make adjustments. Most people feel awkward talking about their bowel movements (aka poop); however, that can often be a good indicator of how things are going in your digestive system.
Did you ever watch when Oprah would feature Dr. Oz who introduced Americans to what our intestines look? I’ll never forget, I was a sophomore in college and my mom called me geeking out because Dr. Oz was on TV talking about poop. At that time, this had become a regular topic of conversation because part of learning about food and nutrition is also learning about what comes out the other end.
Anyway, after 2012, and the unfortunate stomach virus, my digestive system changed and so did my poo. Also, one of my initial symptoms included sharp stabbing pains in my gut after I ate almost anything (thank goodness for oatmeal). Nowadays, in a flare-up I feel puffy, bloated, and extremely full after eating even a small meal. Sometimes I get a low-grade headache and nausea. Mostly, it’s just plain uncomfortable. It may take away the desire to eat regular meals and snacks.
By the way, IBS cannot be self-diagnosed. It is a functional disorder that primarily effects the bowels and includes various symptoms including irregular bowel movements, bloating, and/or nausea. There are also tests that can eliminate other potential diagnoses, such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
Every body is different.
The other day while discussing IBS-like symptoms my client, Susan*, talked about the “ickiness” of discussing this problem in public. Susan had decided to do the low FODMAP diet to find out which foods were triggering her symptoms. She recognized most people don’t want to talk about what’s happening at the other end of your digestive system. Susan mostly referenced the pain and discomfort that comes with eating trigger foods. She also talked about her own symptoms, which are different than mine, and included a “gurgle-y stomach,” which was her first indicator that something that did not sit well in her gut.
Start with noticing
If you are suspicious about irregularity or other pain and discomfort in your digestive system we recommend starting to notice when, how often, and what the symptoms are. If you’re so inclined, I always recommend food and symptom journal to start to give you a better idea and understanding of how food and symptoms may be connected.
If you’re tired of feeling crappy and ready to find out ways to get on the path of healing contact us. We’re happy to help 🙂
You know that little internal conversation you have when staring at the buffet table, open bar or other indulgent food (or beverage) choice? There’s often opposing voices or thoughts going through our minds such as “it’s not that bad, “or “you know, you really don’t need that…”
You are normal
The good news, you are not crazy if you are hearing voices too! In fact, most of us have an inner helping and sabotaging voice. I think of it as friends versus an accomplice. Our friends help us when we feel down by saying comforting words that are uplifting and encouraging like this exchange with my best friend, Gretchen:
Me: I have a craving to quit my job, eat icing out of a plastic tub, and drink a margarita. Apparently, I’m feeling stressed… G: Is it weird that we have all the same stress things? LoL Me: Hahaha no, makes me feel less strange. And probably just confirms the soulmate best friend thing 😛 G: What’s got you so stressed? Me: It’s the story I’m making up around people canceling or rescheduling last minute (clearly appointments with me don’t matter… Yada yada yada) G: I’m sorry babe. I know that gets to you. You are amazing and important. Everyone overbooks and overdoes this time of year. That’s all it is.
See how Gretchen affirmed my feelings and gave me a chance to process through my negative thoughts? On the flip side, my thoughtful office mate, Richard, is more of an accomplice. When I told him that I was stressed out and craving sugar and/or booze he offered me animal crackers with icing and a beer or wine from the mini fridge. Not that he was purposely trying to sabotage me! On the surface, it sounds like those external stimulants or numbing agents are the cure to our problems, but we typically feel worse about ourselves after using comfort foods to “feel better.”
The answer is in you
I can tell you in moments of stress nothing outside of us can make what’s going on inside feel better. Sure, the chocolate may light up some happy hormones in your brain which could temporarily take away the sadness. However, often when we turn to food or a drink to deal with negative feelings those choices cause guilt or shame, which leads to the downward spiral of making more unhealthy choices.
Recently, while speaking with the client, she mentioned when she eats ice cream with her son in the evening or on weekends her sabotaging voice will say “it’s OK, you’ll do better tomorrow.” I asked, “what does your helping voice say in opposition?” She responded, “I tell myself ‘you know you’re already gaining weight and you don’t really want to gain more weight’.”
Did you notice her helping voice sounds super judgmental?
Is that helpful?
Instead, I asked, if her friend called and explained she was feeling upset and was about to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream “what would you say to a friend you know is trying to lose weight?” She had much more supportive words for her friend that did not include justifying or shaming her choice to eat ice cream.
Food for thought
What kind of stories is you’re sabotaging voice telling you? When do you notice yourself reaching for food or a drink to soothe your negative emotions?
How can you respond to these cravings as a friend instead of an accomplice?
Looking for a friendly dietitian to help you sort out your food cravings? We can help🙂
