Sugar, Alcohol, & Weight Gain

It’s hard to resist a summer cocktail or alcoholic beverage when you’re gathering with friends on a warm summer evening. But when you’re also trying to lose weight and make healthier choices, you can find yourself imbibing in a few too many of the wrong type of alcoholic beverage. This adds calories and raises your blood sugar which is no good if you’re looking to limit carbs and keep your weight at a healthy range. Not only is the sugar content of the mixer ingredient itself important, but alcohol converts to sugar in the blood as well. So once you start drinking, you will begin to raise your blood sugar levels. This will cause your pancreas and liver to work overtime trying to process the sugar and remove it from your body. Your body knows what’s up, and it’s now making you hungry so you can get some substance into your system to help you process the alcohol and sugar in your blood.

So let’s get back to the challenge of trying to find a weight loss friendly, health conscious choice in an alcoholic beverage to sip on this summer while enjoying outdoor activities with friends.

First let’s look at beer. Those who did Weight Watchers back in the day may remember that a light beer totaled about two points. This meant that you would have to

sacrifice another type of food if you wanted to continue drinking and stay within your total points safe range for the day. There are low carb beers such as Michelob Light, but remember that beer is basically liquid bread. Beer contains all the ingredients of bread but with alcohol added because of the fermentation. So if during non-libation hours your goal is to limit bread, then it really doesn’t make sense to start drinking beers at your next social event.

The general rule of thumb is that if you are a huge fan of beer and insist on drinking it this summer, then you will really want to stick with the low carb and also limit the number of beers you consume which is difficult once you start drinking beer. Drink beer less often, and when you do drink beer, drink just one or two.

You might also look to show your body some kindness by eating a modest portion of food that contains protein and fiber. This will help to slow down your body’s processing of the sugar present in the beer and alcohol. You might even opt to trade out some of the bread that you planned to eat, replacing it with the liquid bread that is beer.

So if you were going to have a bun with your burger and now you are drinking a light beer, you might decide instead to pair that burger with a small serving of a healthy grain, for example brown rice or pasta. Now your total carbs include the serving of rice or pasta, plus one beer. Again, it’s a good habit to eat some protein with your beer to slow down your body’s processing of the sugar.

What about wine? Those who count carbs know that there are less carbs in a dry wine than a sweet wine. A glass of wine pairs well with a tasty piece of beef seared on the grill. However, in keeping with your smart eating choices, you will want to limit the portion size of meat that you are consuming as well as control your consumption of wine which means about two glasses. It’s worth mentioning that dry red wine gets the nod from keto experts. So, if you’re having some wine in moderation (two glasses, not a bottle and not a jug), you’re probably safe.

Now that we have the beer and wine basics covered, let’s get into cocktails, and the best choices for people who are being health and weight conscious this summer. Not all cocktails are created equal especially if you are looking to limit calories and restrict sugar intake.