You already know that eating food that is good for you does wonders for your physical and spiritual health. There’s nothing like eating food rich in vitamins and minerals to help keep our bodies humming along exactly as they should. Sometimes, though, nothing is better for the spirit than a no-holds-barred junk food and alcohol binge.
After a hard day at work or school, sitting down to a meal of thick, greasy burgers, spicy fries and giant goblets filled with frozen margaritas can do a really great job of taking the edge off. If you indulge like this once in a blue moon, enjoy yourself.
As long as you’re safely tucked away in your home, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a little bit of excess every now and then. The problem comes in when you make this way of eating a regular part of your life instead of a once-in-a-while occurrence. Bingeing on junk food and alcohol on a regular basis can have lasting and devastating effects on your body.
Drinking makes you eat more junk food
You may wonder why greasy, salty fries taste so incredibly good when you’re drinking alcohol. It’s almost like you crave junk food when you drink. In fact, you do!
Alcohol enhances the taste of salty and fatty foods, which explains how you and your friends are able to plow through a giant platter filled with chili and cheese topped nachos without drawing a breath.
Have you ever noticed how even if you order a small, sensible salad when you and your friends go out drinking, you inevitably end up reaching over to your friends’ plates and vacuuming through the bad stuff?
That’s the alcohol at work. Do this often enough, and you’ll wreak havoc on your waistline, your skin and your sense of well-being.
A plate of nachos loaded with all the fixings can easily top two thousand calories and more. Add in the hundreds and hundreds of calories from alcoholic drinks, and it’s easy to see how you can individually consume several thousand calories in one sitting.
Drinking and eating junk food throws your eating clock off schedule
It’s bad enough that drinking alcohol tends to make your crave junk food. One other lovely effect of downing booze and eating junk food is that your normal eating schedule is thrown out the window. How many times have you returned from a bar, gone to sleep, and ended up raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night?
Chances are you’re not looking for an apple. Too many nights like this, and not only will you most likely develop a serious weight problem, but you could end up doing serious damage to your liver.
Take preventative measures
As mentioned above, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in booze and alcohol every once in a while, but if you’re going to be going out frequently, there are steps you can take to make sure that you don’t overdo it.
Have a small, healthy meal before you go out. Load it up with protein and fiber in order to make it both nutritious and filling.
As far as alcohol goes, make sure that you have a glass or two of water before every drink of booze.
Not only does the water help ensure that your skin doesn’t become dehydrated due to the alcohol, but it also fills you up so that you don’t drink anywhere near as much as you would otherwise.
As mentioned, there’s a time and a place for drinking it up with booze and junking it up at the dinner table. The key is to make sure that those times are few and far between so that your body doesn’t pay the price.
