Consuming alcohol

A new friend asked me not long ago, "Bro, do you drink alcohol much?"

I gave a cunning smile and answered, "Like a fish! I mostly drink wine. Go check out my blog at mrflabbyless.blogspot.com and you'll know...and that's not even half of what I drink!" *chuckle*

Yes, although I'm health conscious and I workout regularly, I'm also a big wine fan (beer and whisky too...with the right crowd of course). I'm blessed as I've a friend who's an avid and knowledgeable wine connoisseur and he has generously shared his wine collections (including his many wine experiences, stories etc) with me. I'm truly blessed!

There are a few key things that we need to be mindful about when it comes to alcohol:-

1. Alcohol is "fattening"- 1ml of alcohol contains about 11 calories, while 1g of fat contains about 9 calories. This means it's technically less "fattening" (calorie wise) to consume fat than alcohol *guffaw*

2. Alcohol is high in empty calories- Alcohol offers no nutrients whatsoever and does not satisfy hunger.

3. Alcohol slows down your metabolism level- Alcohol slows down your metabolism level and consequently reduces the body's ability to burn fat into energy.

4. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to higher BMIs- Alcohol is more dangerous to the body if consumed excessively in one sitting. The level reduces significantly if consumed in small quantity even if frequency is increased.

5. Alcohol makes you eat more- When you drink alcohol, chances are you'll be snacking on sinfully delicious finger food (just like me!). The more alcohol you drink, the lower your self-control and discipline thus resulting in consumption of way too much sinful snacks (yes, this is the reason why I'm not ripped to the core! *ROFL*).

6. Alcohol dehydrates your body- Do you notice you feel very thirsty in the middle of the night after you've consumed alcohol? Well, that's because your body is dehydrated and needs water to flush alcohol out of your system. Try drinking lots of water before, during and after consuming alcohol.

The key word here is "moderation". I try my best to limit alcohol consumption to maybe once or twice a week and I try not to go overboard whenever I drink (challenging I've to admit but I try my best nonetheless).We need to enjoy responsibly ;-P