It should come as no surprise that this issue is far from black and white, as there are a multitude of factors involved. With that said, the truth is that you can, in fact, drink alcohol without derailing your fitness goals. You also may be wondering why some of your friends can drink like Keith Richards and still remain thin. That’s because alcohol has a higher metabolic rate than food, meaning you actually burn more calories processing it than you do anything else. It’s an all-too-familiar story: You spend all week carefully monitoring your diet and making good choices, and come Friday night you go out for a few drinks and next thing you know you’re going face-first into a plate of french fries (so long, diet). And lest we forget, alcohol itself does contain calories (7 per gram, which is less than fat but more than carbs and protein). A shot of clear liquor will run you about 80 to 90 calories on average, while fruity drinks or heavy beers like IPAs can exceed 200. Alcohol also contains more sugars and carbs, which can be harmful for those who have gluten intolerances and those with candida and yeast overgrowth (healthy cocktails do exist though. Here’s how to make them). In the end, alcohol isn’t necessarily the problem—drunk (and hung over) you is the problem. For those people who have poor detoxification, hangovers may be worse and harder to get over than the average partier. All of these negative effects are only exacerbated the more you drink, so as long as you’re doing it mindfully and controlling your intake, there’s no reason you can’t toss a few back every now and then. Speaking of alcohol: Is your love of wine the one thing standing between you and optimal health?
