Drinking alcohol makes major changes in your body. The body can’t store alcohol, so it must be metabolized immediately, and that can have a detrimental effect on other metabolic processes. Alcohol can bring on malnutrition because the high levels of calories in many alcoholic drinks account for a large percentage of the body’s daily energy requirements. It also impairs your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat as your body metabolizes the alcohol.
Blood sugar. One of the key functions of your metabolism is to maintain adequate blood sugar levels. Drinking alcohol makes the body rush the alcohol toxins out of its system, and blood sugar levels are ignored.
Sugars and fats. When you’re drinking, your body doesn’t metabolize sugars and fats as well as it did before. That can contribute to weight gain.
Energy. Your body can’t store calories from alcohol for later, the way it does with food calories.
Beer belly. Studies show that alcohol especially decreases the fat burning process in the belly area.
Food. It’s actually more important to eat right than to eat less if you’re going to be drinking. Before going out, have a dinner or snack with protein, fiber and healthy fat.
More food. It’s not unusual to get hungry when you’re drinking. After a certain amount of alcohol, you will give up and dive into the high-calorie food, which will feed your metabolism immediately ignoring other calories in your body.