If you know me personally, you've probably seen me day drink at the lake like a champ, sip whisky neat with dinner, or maybe do shots of tequila at a club like a true heathen. I've never done those 3 things on the same day... because I don't hate myself.
It's fun to booze it up every now and then, am I right?!
I'm not talking about getting Frat-Dude-Chad wasted, but having a few drinks to loosen up every now and then is awesome. Getting giggly with the gals over Sunday mimosas, having a few porch beers with family during the summer, and doing a movie night with a good wine is always a rad time.
Let's be honest though, we get our drink on far too often in this society. And I'm not just talking about the super bro's or young twenty somethings chasing a good time. I know Moms whose children are a 2 bottle of wine a night job and grown men who can't wind down at the end of the night without a few shots of whisky. It's too much alcohol consumption to then expect your body to function properly.
***I won't get into the dangers of alcohol dependency.... that's for someone with credentials that far outshine mine. This article is just about the physical health factors.
Booze filled nights need to be more sporadic!
There are so many health implications when we drink that we completely take for granted. We chalk up "the day after" as a simple hangover. Nah, bro. A hangover is literally your body trying to come back to life after you straight toxi-fied the hell out of it. When you drink alcohol in excess, your body stops focusing on things like digestion efficiency, cellular repair, hormone regulation, and sleep regulation. Meaning that when you are constantly drinking, your body has a harder and harder time bouncing back to its regularly scheduled programming.
The most important functionality that alcohol jacks with is our immune function. You know, the MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN THE HUMAN BODY. And considering 80% of our immune system is in our gut, it goes without saying that bombarding our digestion with something as harsh as alcohol is going to be an issue.
Here's how booze fucks with our good ol' pal, Immunity, from inside the gut:
- It causes malabsorption of nutrients that are essential for immune health
- It disrupts the gut barrier allowing bacteria and viruses to pass into the blood stream
- It destroys good bacteria and digestive enzymes that essentially serve as our front line defense against viruses and bad bacteria.
- It impairs immune cell function within the digestive system.
Now, if you're feeling cocky about your ever so powerful immune system and booze just doesn't touch you in that regard, then good for you... you goddamn wizard.
But as strong as your immune system is, there's no running from the metabolic effects of alcohol. Muahahhahahahaha.
Like I said, when you drink, your body's main focus is officially turned to detoxification and all other jobs are being put on hold. That includes MUSCLE GROWTH AND FAT LOSS. Boom!
Muscle growth is going to slow down because your body is like "fuck tissue repair, we've been poisoned!". And it's not going to burn fat because it's like "who cares about excess adipose, get the fucking poison out of us!". It's not impossible to gain muscle and lose fat if you're drinking... but it's going to be a much slower process.
So, when clients ask me about the fastest way to lose fat and tone up, I always suggest nixing the booze altogether. That includes vodka sodas and whatever low calorie drinks that were made famous by Jersey Shore. If you have a deadline or even a competition you're prepping for, it's in your best interest to do the sober thing for a while. It's easier than you think!
Final note:
Booze is not the devil. We (society as a whole) just lack self control. When a little is good, more must be better, right? We do not need to drink as much or as often as we do. All I'm saying is practice moderation and space out your drinking days. Not just for your health, but to prove to yourself that you don't NEED alcohol. You need food. You need water. You need sunshine and human interaction. YOU DO NOT NEED BOOZE.