How alcohol affects metabolic health
Why Alcohol isn’t part of a metabolic weightloss and wellness wellness plan .
I have been a coach with Ideal Protein for almost 18 years. There is a question I get repeatedly from the “professional dieters” who want to fight to keep alcohol in their lifestyle. Hey, I get it. I was once that way too. I thought I could keep it in and get the results I was looking for, like, less bloat, defined muscles, constipation relief, reduced internal body fat percentage, lasting true fat burn, and weight loss. Seemed like every time I was on my path nailing my food, but decided to enjoy a cocktail or two, my head would explode to see what happened to my weight, digestion, and motivation!
So in 2008, I locked it in and removed alcohol from my life for 8 weeks and embarked on the Ideal Protein Protocol for fat burning and muscle sparing, to combat underlying inflammation. My results were astounding. I experienced this firsthand myself. I was blown away by the leanness I achieved, the vascularity, energy, and personal records in my running and lifting. You’re not a good coach if you don’t have first-hand knowledge? The proof was in the pudding to so say. This was like finding the golden ticket. I then became a coach to share this incredible method with so many. I couldn’t be quiet and here I am almost 20 years later, still coaching for IP and a full wellness practice where this nugget has saved so many people’s health frustrations. If they would only try it. So along with behavior modification practices through coaching so many have understood this deep in their souls.
I get this question all the time. It’s amazing how many folks would hammer me and question why they can’t have alcohol on the protocol when all ketogenic diets allow some. Here is my response and i thought it might be helpful for us all to have a reminder of what we are doing and why alcohol is not compatible with protocol.
1. Alcohol encourages fat storage. If you are trying to burn fat, on a fat-burning, muscle-sparing protocol, I have found it works better when it is a NO. Muscle sparing means, keeping great muscle while burning fat. Not losing any muscle weight. The goal is to work on burning two types of fat: 1. Subcutaneous what we can see and weigh on a scale and 2. Visceral, is the fat we measure through body fat percentage. This is the fat that you can’t see. Things like plaque in the arteries, in the heart, and the liver. This is why there are skinny people with blood pressure issues fatty liver, high cholesterol, and clogged arteries. I refer to those folks as. “TOFI”- thin on the outside and fat on the inside.
2. One molecule of alcohol attaches and stores three molecules of fatty acids. Alcohol encourages fat storage, think fatty liver.
3. When working to burn fat, the goal is to use your fat for fuel, to burn. Not to store. This is called becoming metabolically adaptive, being in Ketosis, which is perfectly natural and what happens when you switch your fuel source from being a sugar burner to a fat burner. Again becoming metabolically adaptive.
4. Alcohol is a poison for the body. A metabolic disruptor. Meaning it interferes with your metabolic processes. It is a toxin which your body must work super hard to remove.
5. When working to heal a dysfunctional pancreas and liver, restore healthy glucose and A1C levels and to restore the body to HOMEOSTASIS (balance), the less the pancreas has to work the more it can heal, regulate glucose levels, mend and restore insulin levels and super charge your mitochondria.
6. You are doing more than being in ketosis. You are healing the pancreas, restoring and healing the body.
7. ALCOHOL IS NOT A FOOD GROUP. Despite what may be said regarding resveratrol in wine etc it is not beneficial when trying to restore blood sugar levels, reverse type 2 diabetes, and reduce weight.
8. Alcohol is inflammatory to the body. Inflammation is the root cause of all disease.
9. Alcohol dehydrates you. Good cellular health is having hydrated cells. Hydration is needed to recharge the mitochondria. The mitochondria are like little batteries in each of your cells. This is what gives us energy.
10. Again alcohol is a stressor. When the body is in stress it can not heal. Reducing stress to heal and restore the body to its natural state through the lowering of the sugar impact. All alcohol is sugar in the end. Even is you’re drinking straight liquor. Glycerol, which is alcohol, is a form of sugar.
11. Alcohol breaks down muscle. It is critical to keep muscles vital. Especially as we age. This is evident when we see the body fat number go down we know muscle is being maintained. The weight being lost is true FAT. Not muscle weight.
The bottom line alcohol consumption is contradictory to a healthy fat-burning muscle-sparing metabolic protocol. You may lose weight, subcutaneous fat, and lose muscle but not the deep embedded body fat, the visceral fat. This is evident when folks drink and keep their food perfect, we see the body fat percentage go up.
I hope this helps. If you are still trying to compare it to all the Ketogenic Hoopla out there and you still question it maybe you should try it and see for yourself if you’ll burn fat or not. Sometimes the only way to be convinced and accept and to learn something is to try it oneself. I know that’s what worked for me. However, this takes discipline. I can now say that I have freed myself from the scale game and trying to find results. What I have achieved is mental freedom! It’s just science after all!
If you are ready to find your freedom and gain metabolic health and restoration let’s schedule some time to chat about your goals and how coaching either with the Ideal Protein Protocol or my mentorship program may be just the fit for you!