Have you ever had a heavy drinking session and not been able to stop eating the whole of the next day? And you just crave lots of fatty foods like a full on English fried breakfast? If so you are definitely not alone and in fact there’s a reason for that craving.
A joint study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)* found that those who drink more alcohol tend to eat less fruit and vegetables, make poorer food choices in general, and consume more calories from a combination of alcoholic drinks and unhealthy foods. By itself, Alcohol is laden with calories. A small glass of white wine will set you back about 90 calories; a regular beer about 150 calories and a small marguerita a whopping 450 calories and that does not include the nachos.
So why do we crave food after a binge drinking session?
1. People who drink heavily, tend to eat less omega-3 fatty acids, which are fats that are essential for our brains to work properly. These fats are found in fish like salmon and tuna. However, alcohol also actively reduces these omega-3s from your body. When your body has too few omega-3s, with too many omega-6 fatty acids, (the everyday fats you find in a typical American diet), it causes an imbalance which increases the craving for alcohol and food, together with an inability to feel satiated.
2. Alcohol is also high in carbohydrates and as you drink, these carbohydrates are turned into sugar, which goes into your bloodstream and raises your blood sugar level. Your body then automatically responds by producing more insulin to lower your blood sugar level. This low blood sugar level is also the reason you can feel weak and tired. So to overcome the tiredness, your body signals that it is hungry so that you will eat and get your blood sugar back to a normal level.
3. Alcohol is also a diuretic, as it stops the production of the body’s anti-diuretic hormone. The kidneys direct fluids straight to the bladder, making you urinate excessively and speeding up the loss of fluid from the body causing dehydration. Not only does this slow down your metabolic rate but dehydration is often confused with hunger, meaning you eat more..
So in conclusion, it is not surprising that when you stop drinking, you are going to lose weight. You will not be consuming the calories from alcohol, you will not get the munchies or the urge to eat fatty or sugary foods, and if you drinks lots of water you will not feel any dehydration! And that follows that you will feel healthier overall.
* A joint study by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) led by Dr Breslow, National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) , published April 2005 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
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