Some of us have mentioned alcohol recently. Tidey’s Midsummer celebrations will probably involve beer and aquavit. There’s been Jack’s vodka-spiked watermelon. Tiki likes Piesporter. Ilene enjoys a glass of wine with friends. MrsJim had something like a strawberry daiquiri.
As I’ve said before, life is not a heavy-duty pilgrimage but I just thought it might be a good time to discuss alcohol. What place has it got in a clean eats diet? Have its effects changed as you’ve got fitter? or older? Are you in a group where drinking is expected?
Background: today is the second day of what I think will be a three-day hangover. It was caused by two delicious glasses of Alsatian wine, gewurztraminer to be exact. Just two glasses, with food, and I feel atrocious. Q: How could it happen? A: I might have been a bit dehydrated after a day out at the beach with friends. It was my period – I should never, ever drink then. I had more than one glass – that’s risky for me. And there we are. Bingo. The head and the tummy and the short temper. Not the darkened room though.
I used to be able to drink more than this, I think. As I’ve got older and fitter, more and more drinks have gone onto the banned list. All white spirits (gin, vodka) are out. Other spirits (whisky, brandy) might be OK, depending. Definitely not lager. Possibly real ale from a good pub. Cider was OK until it got too strong. Wine around 12 or 12.5% alcohol is all right. Not 13% and certainly not 13.5% or 14%. Cocktails – I don’t think so.
I’m sensitive and seem to be getting more so. How about you?
I have noticed that I feel the effects of even one drink the next day. I used to be able to drink a whole bottle of wine in an evening (not that I have ever been one to drink regularly). I don't think the alcohol hits me any harder while I'm drinking -- I don't get tipsy sooner, really, although I have a feeling "drunk" would be a lot sooner that it used to. But, two drinks and I feel some regret the next morning. Three drinks and I have a true hangover. I never drink without food, either. I rarely drink anything besides white wine or vodka tonics, so I don't have any data on different kinds of alcohol.
I've just put it down to the fact that, while I am still overweight, I AM 140 pounds lighter than I used to be! Decreased body weight definitely affects alcohol metabolism, and I would bet that decreased body fat % -- even if weight doesn't change -- would do the same.
I find that I'm much more sensitive to alcohol, but there are a lot of factors:
I don't drink very frequently, I weigh 55 pounds less that I did 3 years ago, with eating clean most of the time, my body is a lot more sensitive to everything, not just alcohol.
Beer of any kind is NOT a dieter's friend, no matter how good it tastes. At this point, I generally stick to 1 or 2 glasses of red or white wine, then switch to water. When I don't make that switch, I'm REALLY sorry the next day
The other problem with drinking, is that after 1 or 2 drinks, I'll also put any kind of food in my mouth without much regard for what it is. Chips and salsa really don't count as a good carb and vegetables, and there's not much protein in cheese dip
I'm more sensitive to alcohol too. I rarely drink any more (maybe once every three months or so) and have to be very cautious, for three reasons. First, I'm a lot smaller than I used to be so alcohol packs a huge wallop for me. And also like Mel said, it's probably because I eat so clean most of the time (sugar packs a huge wallop too). Second, it's 7 calories per gram and I hate to spend any of my precious calories on anything that I drink, even alcohol. I'd much rather EAT something. But third -- the biggie -- is the way that drinking completely tears down all my food inhibitions. All of a sudden it doesn't make any sense not to eat everything in sight. So the end result is the scale being up the next day and me being mad at myself and I really hate that.
Wine!!! Nectar of the Gods! here private joke between my g/f after a bit of spirits... This is what is written on a bottle of Campofiorin (sp?) that we always drink... Wine along with a meal doesn't bother me much... I can drink a litre of red or white dry wine with with someone else and I won't feel it the next day at all... I drink a glass or three of wine almost every Saturday night, whether it be with my 2 single wild g/f's with a meal, or with hubby watching TV... BUT, don't give me Kahlua and milk, or something sweet like that *blech* just one of those will give me THE worse hangover! I have a beeeeg head the next day....
Generally speaking I am MUCH more sensitive to alchool than I was in my wil crazy days... Specially with clean eats...
Im very sensitive to alcohol and generally avoid it like the plauge (in all forms, wine and otherwise). If we go out, I dont usually drink unless someone buys it for me, and I usually only drink malibu and pineapple juice.
Drinking is a big cultural thing in sweden, so Im always the odd one out, but thats ok. My decsion not to drink has nothing to do with my diet and everything to do with that its just not worth it (headache, groggyness, gerenal feeling of ICK! the next day no mater how much water i drink)
I had a spell last year where I was really sensititve to alcohol - anything more than 2 drinks, and I would feel it big-time the next day. However, I seemed to have built up my tolerance again - now I can have 3, maybe 4, and will be fine. I pretty much only drink on Friday nights, which is always one of my "free meals", so my carbs are usually higher at the same time. I think it hits me harder if I'm eating a cleaner meal than if I'm not - all those carbs help to absorb that alcohol.
I enjoy wine, but I'm much more of a cocktail drinker - margaritas, cosmos, tom collins, gin and tonic... And always white spirits - so it's interesting Silverbirch that you're more sensitive to them...
Cindy
Hmm... I've never had a hangover, regardless of what I drink (usually something sweet like a White Russian or Amaretto Sour, or occasionally wine) - BUT I've never had more than 2 drinks at a time. I've also only had one glass of wine since getting under 180 lbs, so who knows how it might affect me now? I might want to be careful in the future.
Alcohol and clean eats
here private joke between my g/f after a bit of spirits... This is what is written on a bottle of Campofiorin (sp?) that we always drink... Wine along with a meal doesn't bother me much... I can drink a litre of red or white dry wine with with someone else and I won't feel it the next day at all... I drink a glass or three of wine almost every Saturday night, whether it be with my 2 single 
wild g/f's with a meal, or with hubby watching TV... BUT, don't give me Kahlua and milk, or something sweet like that *blech* just one of those will give me THE worse hangover! I have a beeeeg head the next day....
