Can alcohol be part of a healthy lifestyle?
For most people, when consumed and enjoyed in moderation, alcohol can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle. It’s all about balance, right?
THAT SAID, if you decide to consume alcohol (and personally, we love a good glass of vino 🍷), here are some things to keep in mind:
Alcohol doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits.
You know that one study that said a glass of red wine is just like going to the gym? Just forget it. Get it out of your brain. It’s essentially what you hear people call empty calories.
You’re drinking these calories, not eating them.
This tends to make you feel less full than you would be if you’d eaten that same number of calories (i.e., you’re still hungry). Oftentimes, that then leads to overconsumption for the day.
Alcohol messes with our judgment and decision-making.
So even with the best of intentions to sticking to our nutrition game plan… after even just a beer or two, it becomes that much harder to resist the pizza sitting out at the party or the pint of ice cream in your freezer.
If your main goal is just to look and feel good in your body, then some drinks on occasion are likely no issue and you can still achieve that outcome. If you’re intensely focused on body composition and/or athletic performance, however, the potential impact of consumption on your goals is much greater. Those elite athletes you see on your Instagram feed? Most of them are having one drink every few weeks - if any at all.
So how do you find the right balance for you and your goals?
Here are just a few concrete, practical tips that you can start implementing right away!
Plan ahead.
If you’re planning to drink in the evening, plan ahead and fill the first part of your day with lean protein and lots of veggies (i.e., give yourself some “room”).
Stay hydrated.
Commit to drinking 12 ounces of water between each alcoholic beverage you consume. I almost guarantee no one around you will even notice, but this does two things - 1) it helps slow down your alcohol consumption, and 2) it keeps you hydrated. A win-win!
Set a clear and specific goal.
If you do well with concrete rules/guidelines, give yourself a goal like X drinks per week. You want the goal to be achievable, meaning you can actually hit it, but still something challenging based on your current behavior that pushes you to grow. With this strategy, you have to choose when drinking is “worth it” to you (e.g., your fiancé’s birthday party) - and when it isn’t (e.g., while Netflix-ing on a random Tuesday night).
Ditch the ‘all or nothing’ mindset.
So you overdo it on a Friday night. Oh well! That does not have to set the tone for the entire weekend. Every day, every meal - every bite, even - is a new opportunity to make a choice that’s aligned with your long-term goals.
We love working with clients on how to fit the things they love and enjoy into a nutrition plan that makes them progress. :) Are you ready to take that next step?
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