By Adrien Cotton

I just returned from spring break, and in years past that would have meant it’s time to party. But now that I’m older and wiser, I know that partying causes more stress inside the body than you can imagine. Even just a glass or two of wine creates a confluence of chemical events inside our bodies to respond to the alcohol we’ve consumed.

Our body sees alcohol as a toxin and wants to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Alcohol negatively affects our metabolism, weight, sleep quality, workouts, stress resilience, and ultimately, our health and wellness. First, the body is being sent a signal that what we’ve put into it is dangerous. Second, it wreaks havoc on your muscle building and fat burning, both of which are important to those of us who want to look and feel our best. Third, it disrupts our sleep and stress resilience.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I urge you to get the facts before drinking that pina colada by the pool or beer at the bar.

1. Alcohol primes us for fat storage.

It is not about the 300 calories in your two glasses of wine; it is how your body responds to alcohol that is more dangerous and wreaks havoc on your body.

When we drink alcohol, like anything we eat, it creates an entire chemical chain reaction. The beer or wine or cocktail causes the body to build up Acetyl-CoA. One of the results of this is that it tells your body (sends a signal) that it doesn’t need food. This is because the Acetyl-CoA tells our body we don’t need to burn calories for energy. So, when we eat while drinking, food gets stored as fat because your body is being sent a message that you don’t need it. Any burning of fat or sugar comes to a halt.

Alcohol increases our appetite and causes us to crave fat and carbohydrates, which don’t get metabolized because the body is working hard to detox from the alcohol. It also stops fat loss even without any snacking while we eat. In order to balance the rise in blood sugar from the alcohol, we need to eat protein and vegetables, yet let’s admit it, that’s not exactly what we crave when we drink.

Alcohol also causes the hormone dopamine to rise, which fires up reward pathways in our brain causing us to crave even more sugary foods or another glass. Our brain is relaxed and calm, so we are less inhibited from stopping the snacking madness, leading to more fat storage and weight gain.

2. Alcohol reduces quality sleep.

While you may think you fall asleep quicker after a glass of wine or two, the quality and quantity of deep, restful sleep drastically decreases. Alcohol lowers melatonin and serotonin, two important hormones which help us sleep. Without them, we feel restless or have increased night awakenings. Alcohol also causes blood sugar and cortisol (our stress hormone) swings, making it difficult to get that quality, uninterrupted sleep our bodies need.

3. Alcohol disrupts muscle building and muscle repair.

Exercise is vital for our overall health and wellness. Yet when we drink alcohol, our exercise does not give us what we intend, like increased muscle, muscle recovery, and the actual energy to engage in it. Additionally, muscle repair is negatively impacted from alcohol, leaving us unable to properly recover from workouts. Alcohol dysregulates our production of glycogen, a stored form of carbohydrates and a source of fuel that is crucial for energy production. Glycogen is the energy source we need for our workouts, and it is not produced when we drink alcohol. Without it, or even with less of it, our bodies don’t get the full benefit from our workout. Of course, being dehydrated (a direct result of alcohol consumption) doesn’t bode well for our muscle growth either. This means all your hard work in the gym may not produce the intended results, and it could take you longer to reach your fitness goals.

4. Alcohol is detrimental to our stress resilience practice.

When we are deprived of quality sleep, we cannot manage daily stressors as capably as we would with a good night’s rest. Our bodies release the stress hormone, cortisol, when we drink and this obscures what we perceive as “normal.” Cortisol combines with the brain’s reward or pleasure systems which can lead to increased consumption because it “feels good.”

Another reason to work on your stress resilience by prioritizing sleep, movement, viewing food as fuel, and saying ‘no’ to commitments that don’t serve you, is the higher your stress levels, the more likely you are to drink. Studies show:

37% of adults reported using alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress

individuals experiencing daily stress were 3 times more likely to drink heavily that day compared to those with low stress levels individuals with chronic stress were twice as likely to develop alcohol dependence compared to those with low stress levels experiencing major life stressors increased the risk of developing alcohol use disorder by 44%.

I understand that you may be on vacation or you may be enjoying a celebration, so here are my top five tips to combat the negative effects of alcohol for when you choose to have a drink:

-Stay hydrated all day

-Get your sleep (at least 7-7.5 hours each night)

-Fine tune your stress resilience tools

-Watch out for munching “empty” calories while drinking alcohol

-Push back the first drink time

Focusing on how we fuel our bodies for all they give to us is part of our wellness journey. By limiting alcohol – or toxins – we take in, we allow our metabolism to do what it’s best at: burning energy and recovering so that we can enjoy our busy, beautiful lives.

About the Author: Adrien Cotton believes the greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of wellness. She excels in shifting mindsets and helping her clients create small habits that yield lasting results. As a transformational wellness coach, speaker and creator of MASTER Menopause NOW!, an online resource for perimenopausal and menopausal women, Adrien leverages her holistic proprietary approach to help women feel renewed well-being, strength, and confidence in their bodies and their lives. Learn how you can uplevel your wellness with Adrien, in-person or virtually, at adriencotton.com.