Dieticians frequently advise us to avoid booze if we're serious about shifting the pounds, but what difference will a few drinks really make?
The science bit
Empty calories are defined as those that provide energy without nutritional value – something that alcohol, with its high calorie count and corresponding nutritional deficit, has in spades. The large (250ml) glasses of wine favoured by most bars these days, for example, contain an average 170 calories per serving. Drinking one of those a day (which is, incidentally, well within the recommended safe drinking levels for women) adds up to a whopping 61,880 extra calories per annum.
It takes approximately 3,500 calories to create 1lb of body weight. While that might sound like a lot, it pays to bear in mind that those calories are likely to be extras over and above what you're consuming in food. With unused energy being stored by the body as fat, that single glass of wine could cost you an extra 18lbs of weight in one year alone.
Kidding ourselves
Most of us have managed to absorb the basic lessons of good and bad nutrition when it comes to the things we eat. We understand that a portion of chips straight out of the deep-fat fryer is going to have an adverse affect on our waistline, but somehow we fail to apply the same rules of cause and effect to booze.
Part of this is probably psychological – how can something that isn't actually a food be so bad for us, calorie-wise? But this is denial, plain and simple: if we can understand that sugary, fizzy drinks are high in calories, why would we believe alcohol to be any different? To help maintain an alcohol-related reality check, remember the following guide when you place your next order at the bar. (Hint: the lower the alcohol content or smaller the measure, the fewer calories in the glass.)
Beverage Approximate calories Glass of white wine (125ml) 85 Gin and tonic 140 Rum and coke 145 Pint of lager 190
Twist in the tale
It's not only the drinks themselves that can put on extra pounds: alcohol stimulates the appetite. Whether it's an extra packet of cheese & onion over a few after-work wines or going for a calorific pizza/curry/kebab-fest to round off a night on the tiles, the plain truth is that we're more likely to eat more (and more unhealthily) after a drink or two.
And there's not just your waistline to consider. Alcohol wreaks havoc with an otherwise carefully maintained youthful glow. It dehydrates the skin and slows down circulation, leaving complexions looking dull and dry. Not only is booze a nutritional black hole, but it depletes the body of vital vitamins and minerals that contribute to healthy skin. Long-term drinking can lead to broken capillaries and aggravate or cause eczema or psoriasis, while sluggish liver and kidney function emphasises bags under the eyes.
It's not all bad news, of course. Studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for aspects of our health. But it's important to be realistic about the potential effects of alcohol on diet and lifestyle. Start by considering alcohol as a dietary treat (in the same way as you might consider chocolate to be) rather than a well-earned right after a hard day. Your waistline – and overall health – will thank you for it.
