Can you consume alcohol while trying to lose weight?

There are few things better than a chilled beer after a hard day’s work, or a luxurious glass of wine on a special occasion. Alcohol has become a staple in our lives. It might sound wrong, and we have all heard people say how bad it is for the health, but if consumed under a strict moderation it can provide you an escape or a little break from the rat race called life. Festivals, parties or vacations, none of these can be complete without your favourite drink by your side.

But have you ever thought why it gets you drunk? The main ingredient in alcoholic beverages is ethanol. Generally referred to as "alcohol," ethanol is the substance that gets you drunk. But why get drunk and make a fool of yourself, rather than enjoying the evening. Studies show most responsible adults today prefer moderate drinking in order to have a good time, rather than binging on their poison.Moderate drinking refers to, a drink a day for females and maybe two for males. It even has certain health benefits, it reduces the chance of heart diseases, reduces risk of ischemic stroke, and even reducing your diabetes levels. Yes, you have read it right moderate alcohol consumption does have these benefits, but having said that, a good diet and physical exercise would be much more beneficial for the health!

Having the benefits, alcohol consumption does have its bane. Your liver, responsible for neutralising any toxic substance you consume, is the part of the body most vulnerable to alcohol consumption. Liver diseases caused by alcohol consumption are collectively known as alcoholic liver diseases. In heavy drinkers, drinking may cause your liver to become inflamed. In worst-case scenarios, liver cells die and get replaced with rotten scar tissue, leading to a serious condition called cirrhosis. It is an irreversible condition and associated with many serious health problems. In advanced cirrhosis, a liver transplant may be the only option.

But if you are just having a chilled beer or a glass of red wine once in a while, there is nothing to be scared of. Alcohol is often considered a culturally rich beverage having been consumed since centuries. Fermented beverages existed in early Egyptian civilization, and there is recorded evidence of an early alcoholic drink of China in about 7000 B.C. In India, an alcoholic beverage called sura, distilled from rice, was in use between 3000 and 2000 B.C.

I’m sure you must have a favourite beverage, but the following are some great options to try out if you are looking for some delicious yet considerably healthy alcoholic beverages:

Beer – Avg Creme De Menthe Gin - 90 Proof Sake – Avg Dessert Wine - Dry – Avg Brandy – Cognac Hard Cider - Pineapple Fireball – Whiskey Malibu Rum Peach Schnapps Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Beer - Belgian White Beer - Brown Ale Beer - Coors Light

Beer - India Pale Ale Extra Beer - Irish Red Appletini Cocktail Bloody Mary Cocktail Cosmopolitan Cocktail Gin and Tonic Cocktail Greyhound Cocktail Pina Colada Cocktail Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Chardonnay Wine Merlot Wine Pinot Grigio Wine Shiraz Wine

Beer – Avg : one of the most popular beverages all around the world, beer is the favourite amongst the drinkers. Available in a variety of options, it is mostly cheap and easily available. With just about 43 calories per 100gram, it is a low calorie density food. If you are someone always scared of gaining a extra pound of weight, beer is your drink!

Creme De Menthe : a sweet mint flavoured alcoholic beverage. It is available commercially in a colourless and green variant. Both varieties have similar flavours, and contains about 25 percent alcohol. With 371 calories per 100grams it is a high calorie density beverage.

Gin - 90 Proof : considered among the high end alcoholic beverages, gin is a very popular drink among older adults. With about 263 calories per 100grams gin is a medium calorie density beverage.

Sake – Avg : one of most delicious beverages on the list, sake contains about 17-18 percent alcohol. Certain varieties of aged sake tend to be on more expensive side. With 134 calories per 100grams, sake is a medium calorie density beverage.

source: caloriefriend.com

Dessert Wine - Dry – Avg : again a very popular drink, dessert wine is cherished by a large population of people. With 153 calories per 100grams, dessert wine is a medium calorie density beverage.

Brandy – Cognac : considered to be the epitome of luxury for some drinkers, the aggressive yet smooth flavour is an addition to all the nutrition content and the calories Brandy – Cognac. Containing 74 calories in one serving and about 300 calories in 100grams of Brandy – Cognac, it is undoubtedly an example of medium calorie density food. low in carbs, has a low protein content and isvery low in fats. If you are looking to lead a health life , you should definitely consider it.

Hard Cider - Pineapple : containing 29 calories in one serving and about 49 calories in 100grams of Hard Cider - Pineapple, it is undoubtedly an example of low calorie density food. medium in carbs, has a low protein content and is very low in fats. If you are looking to lead a health life, you should definitely consider it under a moderation.

Fireball - Whiskey : containing 71 calories in one serving and about 300 calories in 100grams of Fireball - Whiskey, it is undoubtedly an example of medium calorie density food. Very high in carbs, has a low protein content and is very low in fats. If you are looking to lead a health life , you should definitely avoid it.

Malibu Rum : containing 64 calories in one serving and about 221 calories in 100grams of Malibu Rum, it is undoubtedly an example of medium calorie density food. medium in carbs, has a low protein content and is very low in fats. If you are looking to lead a health life, you should definitely consider it under a moderation.