Alcohol and I have quite the love hate relationship. I love it for the social dynamics it offers and the reprieve it can provide after a stressful day. On the flip side, I hate it for the mental and physical disruption it also can cause.

I have tried eliminating alcohol out of my life entirely, which proves to be personally difficult. When I abstain, I become a recluse as I avoid most social situations. As a social person, this doesn’t work well for my headspace.

Additionally, the minute I tell myself I am not going to drink, I feel restricted and my desire to drink becomes stronger and more often. Once I “cave” and have a drink, I spend the rest of the day tormenting myself with guilt and shame for making my body a toxic wasteland and ruining my sobriety.

Where’s the health and wellness in that?

After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that drinking or not drinking does not need to be the determining factor to weather or not I myself, can lead a healthy lifestyle. As with anything we consume and the passions we follow, the key to ultimate health and wellness is BALANCE.

Keep in mind, we’re all very different. Some folks can handle a few drinks and some simply can’t. Knowing who you are allows for you to make the best decision for your well-being.

Whether or not to drink should be a decision made based on you, your lifestyle, and your particular goals.

If you do decide that you’re going to partake in the libations, there are a few things you can do in preparation to maintain your health and wellness.

THE NEED TO KNOWS ON ALCOHOL

When alcohol is present, your body’s main priority is metabolizing said alcohol. It will hold off on digesting any protein, fat, or carb until all the alcohol is processed. If you are going to eat while drinking, keep food quality high. You’d much rather have have your body store chicken and veggies over a honey butter chicken biscuit (yummm.)

Alcohol can effect our hormones by lowering testosterone which can negatively impact our ability to build muscle. Depending on your goals, skipping the booze maybe best if trying to build muscle and get shredded.

We can think of alcohol as the opposite of fiber whereas it slows down our metabolism and interrupts our bodies normal processes.

Finally, expect to see some scale fluctuations due to alcohol being a diuretic. For example, you may be lighter right after drinking due to it’s dehydration effect, however as your body works toward homeostasis, you may retain water for a few days after, reflecting in a higher weight.

PREP FOR THE NIGHT OUT

• Get in a a good workout so your metabolism is active
• Set a limit to your consumption before you head out
• Keep daily food intake protein/veggie-heavy
• Count alcohol calories toward your daily carb goal
• Skip beer, sugary mixers, and pre-made drinks like frozen margs (sad face)
• Stick with soda mixers and add fresh lemon or lime to your drink. The citrus helps your body become more insulin sensitive.
• Drink water in between drinks.
• Prepare for late night snacking with high protein/veggie healthy options.

Alcohol can be totally fun or totally destructive. It’s up to you on how you want your relationship with alcohol to look like. Start by asking yourself why you want to drink, what are your goals, and how do you react under the influence. Your ultimate decision should be only around the enhancement of your life.

The World Health Organization currently recommends that daily added sugar intake should be no more than 25g for women (6 teaspoons) and 38g for men (9 teaspoons.) Seems totally reasonable, right?

Unfortunately, the majority of folks following a typical North American diet are crushing on average 136 g of sugar per day. That’s equivalent to 34 teaspoons DAILY!  (Insert jaw drop here)

Why is sugar so bad?

Let’s start by stating that sugar and furthermore, carbohydrates are not evil. Our bodies require carbs and sugar molecules to function. The issue arises when we have a constant supply of sugar to the bloodstream.

When we eat sugar, it is quickly absorbed into our bloodstream. To bring down our blood sugar, the body releases insulin, a hormone that shuttles the sugar molecules from our blood into our cells for energy. However, our cells can take in only so much sugar before they are full. Any excess sugar molecules that cannot be shuttled into the cells are then stored as fat or left lingering in the bloodstream.

A chronic high-sugar diet is dangerous as it wreaks havoc on our body in the following ways:

• Reduces our ability to handle carbs
• Reduces insulin sensitivity
• Increases insulin response to meals
• Promotes excess fat gain due to high insulin levels (love handles & upper back)
• Causes borderline or full-blown diabetes
• High levels of sugar molecules can bind to blood protein which can cause premature aging, cancer, altered vision, Alzheimer’s, vascular disease, erectile dysfunction, kidney disease, and joint pain / Arthritis.

To make matters worse, studies have shown that sugar can be more addicting than cocaine as it stimulates the brain’s reward centers even more robustly than the drug itself. So even when we know we shouldn’t eat that sugary piece of cake, our bodies tell us we need it.

How are sugar intakes so high?

Most folks wouldn’t consider themselves to be sugar addicts. They don’t add sugar in their coffee, they don’t drink soda, they opt for salads for lunch, and save desserts for special occasions. So how could they possibly reach daily sugar intakes upwards of 100+ grams?

One of the main factors for our extreme sugar consumption is our unknowingness of which products contain added sugar. By simply eating a cup of flavored yogurt topped with granola for breakfast and a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce at lunch, one can easily hit their daily quota.

Common foods and their sugar content.

Food	Sugar Content
2 slices of white bread	3 teaspoons
1 bowl of cereal	4-5 teaspoons
1 bagel	4-5 teaspoons
½ cup dried fruit	4 teaspoons
½ fruit juice	3-4 teaspoons
1 can of soda	9 teaspoons
1 cup of chocolate milk	6 teaspoons
1 bowl of ice cream	23 teaspoons
1 packet of light balsamic vinaigrette	2-3 teaspoons
2 tablespoons of Ketchup	2 teaspoons
1 tall caramel frappe from Starbucks	12 teaspoons
1 serving of strawberry Yoplait yogurt	4-5 teaspoons

Condiments and processed foods are notorious for containing high levels of sugar. We must become more mindful of sugar consumption by reading the labels and recognizing all different names for sugar.

Keep in mind, sugar is sugar. So even if it’s “organic” or from natural sources, it will still absorb quickly in the bloodstream and cause an insulin reaction.

The many names of sugar.

Sucrose	Fructose
Glucose	Maltose
Dextrose	Maltodextrin
Hydrolyzed starch	Invert sugar
Corn syrup	Honey
Cane Sugar	Agave Nectar
Sugar Beets	High-fructose corn syrup
Maple Sugar	Molasses

What about artificial sweeteners?

You may believe that artificial sweeteners are a “healthy” choice considering their lack of calorie content. However, even though the overall calorie count may be lower there are other major concerns that deem these sweeteners “unhealthy”.

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugars that are chemically designed to stimulate our taste receptors. They are much more potent than regular sugar so it only takes a little sweetener to deliver a big taste. One of the major concerns here is that our taste receptors can actually become desensitized when consuming artificial sweeteners. This means that healthier food options that once tasted sweet like fruits, no longer provide the same flavor, and that less “sweet” food like vegetables become intolerable. The end result becomes a diet that craves processed, non-nutritious foods over whole, nutrient-dense foods.  

Finally, the biggest concern is the true lack of knowledge on the long-term effect that these chemicals can have on our body. Studies have already shown that “daily consumption of diet drinks was associated with a 36% greater risk for metabolic syndrome and a 67% increased risk for type 2 diabetes.”

By becoming more aware of our consumption patterns, we can drastically reduce our sugar consumption and increase our wellbeing. It takes a little time to get the hang of it, but with a little practice and mindfulness, it’s possible.

Your grandma was really on to something when she’d tell you to eat your veggies. Vegetables and fruits contain loads of micronutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber which pack a powerful punch.

For example, veggies and fruits help the body:

• Prevent malnutrition and deficiencies (vitamins & minerals)
• Reduce risk for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease (phytonutrients)
• Reduce free-radical damage (antioxidants)
• Balance dietary acids from proteins and grains (alkaline quality) which also reduces osteoporosis risk
• Improve blood sugar control, reduces appetite, increases digestive health (fiber)

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

To gain the most benefit, your goal should be to consume 8-12 servings of veggies and fruit daily. If you are not currently crushing the veggie game, it’s best to start with 4-6 servings a day for a week, then increase a serving per week until reaching your ultimate daily goal. 

A serving size is considered to be:

• 1 cup raw leafy greens
• ½ c chopped veggie or fruit
• 85 g (get a food scale!)
• 1 medium sized fruit

Fruits are great sources of fiber, antioxidants and micronutrients, however they also contain high levels of sugar. If you’re interested in fat loss, you will want to eat more veggies than fruit, keeping a ratio of 5:1. If you’re interested in muscle gain or to support performance, you may have a 3:1 veggie to fruit ratio.

Hitting your veggie goal can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you aren’t accustomed to so many greens. To ensure you hit your veggie goal, aim to include at least 2 servings per meal.

Check out this daily example

• 1 cup of diced green and red peppers +  1 handful spinach with breakfast omelette (3 servings)
• ½ cup berries with morning snack (1 serving)
• 1 cup spinach, ½ c tomato, ½ medium avocado with lunch salad (2.5 servings)
• 190 grams (approx 1 cup) chopped celery and cucumbers with PM snack (2 servings)
• 1 cup chopped brussels sprouts with dinner (2 servings)

Notice any uncomfortable gas or bloating with your increase of veggie intake? That is pretty normal while your body adjusts to the increase of fiber. Try steaming your veggies to ease discomfort. If that doesn’t help, notice which veggies cause more bloating and try replacing them for other options.

PREPERATION AND CONSUMPTION

When deciding how to prepare your veggies, you’ve got tons of options. You can eat them raw, steamed, roasted (MY FAVORITE), stir-fried, and sautéed.

Juicing and smoothies can also be a source for veggies, however it’s best to to stick with whole food options.

Why?

When juiced, all the fiber from the fruit and veg is removed. This means that the sugars from fruits and veg will hit your bloodstream immediately since there is no fiber to slow down their digestion. A spike in blood-sugar will then result in an insulin reaction, something we aim to limit. 

Smoothies are a better option because they include the whole fruit and veg (fiber included.) However, keep in mind when we blend our food, we remove the need to chew and speed up the digestion process. The issue then becomes a possible shorter period of satiation (feeling full), making us hungry sooner.

Additionally, by blending the food the nutrients are more bioavailable. Our bodies are able to absorb more of the fruit and veg macronutrients which also means we absorb more calories from the same amount of food.

If choosing a smoothie source, opt to have it alongside a whole food to help keep you feeling fuller longer.

SUPPLEMENTATION

Finally, you may supplement your veggie intake with a vegetable powder. This is a great option  if you have limited access to fresh veggies, for travel days, or when you’ve realized you haven’t hit your daily servings.

THE PERFECT ROASTED VEG

• Preheat oven to 400
• Rinse and trim veggies
• Cover with 1 T olive or avocado oil
• Sprinkle with pink salt and pepper to liking
• Roast for 15 min, stirring halfway
• Broil for 3 min to crisp.
• Veggies should be vibrant in color and al dente

GREEN DRINK SMOOTHIE

• 3 ice cubes
• ½ c almond milk
• 1 c leafy greens (spinach or kale)
• 1 stalk celery
• ¼ cucumber
• ½ medium avocado
• ½ fresh squeezed lemon
• ½ T fresh ginger
• Optional: add MTC oil, seeds, protein powders