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"  Socializing is a major part of life and lets face it alcohol plays a major role in that. As someone who teaches a holistic approach to health, it is all about finding balance. When implementing any sort of health, nutrition or fitness program, becoming dogmatic with your training or diet can often do mare harm than good. Cutting yourself off from all social activity (and usually alcohol intake) can actually be an added stressor, which may reverse any gains from your nutrition or fitness program. I often teach my clients how to cheat effectively, instead of a Hershey bar, choose the best quality organic dark chocolate you can find. The same goes with drinking. If you are going to drink on occasion, here is what you need to know about how to drink, have fun and not offset all the good things you have done all week in the gym and in the kitchen. So why is alcohol bad in the first place? One, it is extremely dehydrating to the body, nothing new there. Second and more importantly, alcohol can be extremely harmful to your digestive system. All sorts of health issues are associated with a poorly functioning digestive system, from skin problems, to nutrient deficiencies, to impaired production of neurotransmitters and other feel good hormones, to a weakened immune system. Research shows that 70% of your immune system is a result of what happens in your digestive system. Lastly, alcohol can cause the cells in your body to oxidize more quickly, which leads to accelerated aging. So, how to drink in a way that will minimize any of these bad things, read on: What to Drink? The number one thing to avoid are gluten containing beverages. If you haven&amp;#039;t picked up on this by now, gluten free is not a fad diet. A large percentage of the population has a sensitivity to gluten. A sensitivity to gluten can aggravate and inflame your digestive system. So you are getting a double whammy, the alcohol is causing inflammation and so is the gluten containing beverage. The drinks listed below are gluten free, so when possible choose these: gluten free beer; hard cider; distilled vodka; whiskey; wine; champagne; tequila; brandy; bourbon; scotch; gin; cognac; sake. (Please note that while all distilled spirits\u2014even those made from wheat, barley and rye\u2014are technically gluten free, you should avoid them if you have been diagnosed with Celiac disease.) When to Drink? Drink whenever you want (for the most part) but just don&amp;#039;t drink on any empty stomach. Drinking on an empty stomach will irritate the tiny hair like structures in your small intestine responsible for nutrient absorption. This could lead to the gut permeability issue which is often know as &amp;quot;leaky gut syndrome.&amp;quot; This has been implicated in a variety of health issues from micronutrient deficiencies to auto-immune disorders. In addition, the high sugar and carbohydrate content of many alcohols and mixers can lead to a blood sugar spike which is usually followed by a blood sugar crash. Blood sugar issues can lead to hormonal issues which will slow your metabolism and cause fat storage in all of those unwanted areas. This is one of the reasons you might wake up sweating after you have had too much to drink. You can avoid both of these scenarios by eating some protein and fat before you start drinking, it is as simple as that. So when going out to a bar, make sure you have either had a solid dinner or you have eaten a snack that contains protein and fat\u2014some nuts and seeds, a high quality protein bar, jerky, avocado, almond butter or even spoonful of coconut oil, etc. If you are going to dinner it would be best to wait until after you have had an appetizer or a few bites of food. As an alternative feel free to eat the butter and or olive oil, but skip the bread, yes, butter from pasture raised cows is good for you. Hydration Everyone knows that they should stay hydrated right, well, this is even more important if you are going to be drinking. Half your body weight in ounces of water per day is the general guideline. I would increase this on the day of your party and on the day after. I would also be sure to add a pinch of high quality sea salt (Celtic, Himalayan or Hawaiian are good options) to your water for added electrolytes. It can also be very beneficial to have a bottle of water every few hours while you are out. Most of the damage has already been done by the time you get home so start rehydrating while out. The morning after start your day with 16 ounces of water, with the juice from a full lemon and 2 pinches of sea salt. This will help support hydration while also supporting two of your primary detox pathways, the liver and kidneys. A fresh pressed juice that includes, lemon, dandelion and beets can also be very helpful.  Vitamins / Supplements Alcohol consumption can lead to and support a variety of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, particularly in what are referred to as the water-soluble vitamins (B complex and C) most of which can&amp;#039;t be stored by the body (they are flushed out of the body via urine). When drinking, you can severely deplete these along with minerals such as zinc and magnesium. It can be beneficial to supplement with these daily but especially before and after you drink, you may even want to take them during depending on how long you are out. A variety of free radicals and toxins are also released into your body when drinking. This can lead to oxidation of cells, which leads to &amp;quot;aging&amp;quot;\u2014both internally and externally. You can slow this process by consuming anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, E, Selenium, Curcumin and a variety of citrus-based flavonoids like grapefruit seed extract. Of course you could eat real foods as well, a handful of blueberries before and after can do the trick. Lastly, some activated charcoal pills can help mop up any residual toxins. Remember, all vitamins and supplements are not created equal, avoid synthetic vitamins when possible, especially when drinking as they can put even more stress on your liver. Choose food-based vitamins, which tend to be the most easily absorbed. Cheers! Steven Macari is a nutritionist and founder of SLVRBK Health and the SLVRBK mat. Plus, read my 13 Ways to Clean Up Your Diet. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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