How To Stop Stress Eating

Isiah Nutrition February 25, 2019February 25, 2019personal training belbowrie, personal training brookfield, Personal training Kenmore

When you’re feeling stressed, the need to find a source of comfort is natural. For some people, that’s eating food. Stress eating or emotional eating is a very real problem that can lead to serious consequences, both physical and mental. Maybe you need to eat to deal with uncomfortable issues or you use food as a reward. Maybe your irritability can only be cured by your favorite food or salty or sweet foods are the only way to get you to relax. These habits can leave negative long-term effects and it’s important to curb them as soon as possible. At first, it may seem difficult to control or to even identify the moments you’re emotional eating, but there are some expert-approved tips to help you keep your emotional eating at bay.

Awareness

Exploring your triggers is essential in monitoring your emotional eating. Before you can change, you need to come up with an effective strategy and that means identifying what needs to be changed. Emotional eating is often called “mindless eating” and this is because there’s a certain lack of awareness when your unchecked needs and habits take over.

A crucial step to achieving awareness is being aware of how you feel the moment just right before you’re about to eat. Why do you want to eat right now? Why this particular food? Emotional eating can be your body’s way of saying it’s deprived. To study patterns, keep a food diary. Note the time, type of food and the emotions you’re associating with before, during and after you eat. Also record how full you felt after. This can help in determining whether you’re eating for the right or the wrong reasons.

Relaxation techniques

There’s a physiological reason for craving sweet and salty foods when you’re stressed. Cortisol is a hormone that triggers this craving and is produced at higher levels when you’re under stress. Stress management, then, should be a key component of your strategy.

Explore other, healthier ways to handle stress. Set up a support system of friends who you can speak to, write about your issues in a journal, or get into the habit of regular physical activity. Even simple coping mechanisms can help, like putting on music, hugging your pet, or taking a moment to enjoy the view from your window. The key is to find an activity that isn’t related to food.

Mindfulness exercises

Mindfulness is a great way to build a keen sense of awareness and to take control of your actions. You can even practice mindfulness while you’re eating. Forms of mindfulness exercises include meditation, deep breathing, or even cleaning up your house. Mindfulness can also involve simply observing your thoughts. Instead of ignoring them or deflecting through emotional eating, take a moment to focus. Sit back and listen instead of working against your jumbled, stressed out thoughts.

Healthy alternatives

Working to change your emotional eating habits can take some time and if you can’t eliminate it, then at least consider healthier options. It can take some getting used to, but choose fresh and nutritional foods over junk food.

Leg-Strengthening Exercises You Need to Try Out

Isiah Exercise January 28, 2019personal training brookfield, small group training near me, weight loss

Even if you’re not a runner or an athlete and even if it seems all you do the whole day is sit, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider strengthening your legs. Literally, our legs carry us through our daily lives, from walking up stairs to lugging around laundry baskets in the house. Leg-strengthening is also something you shouldn’t feel terrified about. There are some simple leg exercises you can squeeze into your busy schedule or add to your existing fitness routine.

In fact, these exercises require no equipment at all. Body weight exercises for the legs are extremely effective even without weights or other gym equipment. This type of exercise can even improve your posture and balance. All you need is a chair and some motivation. In no time, you’ll not only feel your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and inner thighs feeling stronger, but looking great too.

Reverse Lunges with Knee Lifts

Get into starting position with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Step your left foot backwards, landing on the ball of your foot and bending both knees. You should be creating two 90-degree angles with both legs. Return to standing position by pushing through your right heel. Whilst returning to a standing position, thrust your left knee towards your chest.

Three-Way Lunge

This exercise will work your buttocks, quads, inner thighs and hamstrings. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hands clasped in front of your chest. Lunge forward with your left leg, keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees. Return to starting position. Perform a lunge with your left leg out to the left side and your toes facing forward. Bend your left knee at 90 degrees. Return to starting position. Lunge backwards with your left leg. Repeat the three-way sequence with your right leg. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, alternating sides.

Plié Squat Calf Raises

Stand with your feet apart, wider than shoulder-width, and toes turned out. Place your hands on your hips or in front of your chest. Do a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. While squatting, left both your heels off the ground and hold for two seconds. Lower your heels back down. Return to a standing position and then repeat 10 to 15 times.

High Knee Toe Taps

Face a chair or a box and place your hands on your hips. Raise and tap your left foot on the chair, then do the same with your right. Your motion should be quick as you alternate sides. Be sure to keep your back straight and chest lifted as you perform this exercise. This exercise will help with your balance, core strength and body control.

Pistol Squats

This particular type of squat will target your buttocks and quads. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your arms in front of your chest with your elbows bent. Lift your right foot forward a few centimetres off the ground while keeping it flexed. Perform a squat as you raise your foot to hip level, bending your left knee at 90 degrees. To stay balanced, let your right heel hover close to the ground. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps for each side. Note that this exercise is very difficult and should only be performed once you have performed lunges and two-legged squats to the point where you are comfortable to do this exercise.

Foods to Combat Sugar Cravings

Isiah Nutrition December 4, 2018personal trainer near me, personal training brookfield, Personal training Kenmore

Our bodies are more dependent on sugar than we think. Added sugars can be found in a variety of foods today. They can even be disguised under names like agave nectar, evaporated cane or turbinado. Sugar addiction has often been likened to drug addiction and essentially, they’re similar in the sense that building a dependence can be detrimental. Like drugs, sugar can spike the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can bring about feelings of pleasure. The more sugar we take, the higher our tolerance becomes, and the more sugar we crave.

When cutting down or even completely cutting off your body from sugar, there are ways you can fight the cravings. This includes eating the right foods to fend off the hormonal changes throughout your body and ease those alarming mood swings.

Nuts

Fats, the healthy kinds, are your best bet to keep your taste-buds satisfied and stomach satiated when craving sugar. Nuts in particular have beneficial minerals and vitamins that can keep your blood sugar levels and blood pressure steady. Almonds and Brazil nuts are mildly sweet if you’re looking for that flavour.

Spices

If your taste-buds insist on getting that sweetness, shock them instead with flavoursome spices. If a recipe calls for sugar, switch it up with unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon or vanilla extract. When eating savoury dishes, throw in some extra garlic and onions or a dash of lime juice.

Dark chocolate

Pick up dark chocolate instead of your usual milk chocolate bar, which typically contains excessive amounts of sugar and fat. Make sure to choose the variety that has more than 70 percent cocoa. Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Fermented foods

If you love snacking on yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, pickles and sauerkraut, then keep eating them. Fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria, which can keep your gut clean and fight off diseases. A healthy gut can influence your cravings and appetite.

Dates

A sweet treat you can opt for are dates or the dried fruit of the date palm tree. They’re terrific sources of fibre, potassium and iron. Dates are also another good example of healthy, plant-based fats that can keep your cravings at bay. It’s a great substitute for sweetness and can even be added to a smoothie.

Sweet potatoes

Still craving a hint of sweetness in your meals? Sweet potatoes could be the answer. This healthy food is sweet and nutritious. It contains fibre as well as vitamin A and C and potassium.

Eggs

High-protein foods can also aid in regulating your appetite and cravings. This is due to the fact that a high-protein meal taken at the start of the day can suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin while increasing the hormones that make you feel full. Eggs are a good example of that. Incorporate them into your breakfast to keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.

Smoothies

Fruits are great sources of healthy, natural sugars and packing it into a smoothie with other healthy ingredients make for a great snack. It can even be a great substitute for dessert. Adding in yoghurt also makes you feel fuller for longer, which can fight off those cravings. Just be sure to use fresh whole fruits to get the healthy fibre and not fruit juice, which usually contains sugars.

A Real Anti-Ageing Workout

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A Real Anti-Ageing Workout

You’ve heard of anti-ageing skin treatments and diets that should make your physical appearance more vibrant and glowing, but did you know that exercising can do wonders for the anti-ageing process, too?

Our issues with ageing don’t just involve wrinkles or greying hair, the body also suffers wear and tear over time. As we become older, we’re prone to injury, diseases and all sorts of health conditions. Regular physical activity will not stop our hair from turning white or stop the crow’s feet around our eyes from creeping in, but exercise can provide us a whole slew of health benefits that will make the ageing process less stressful and scary. We can prevent frailty in particular by focusing on strength training. This means stronger bones and muscles.

What’s more, scientific studies have backed up the power of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) when it comes to benefiting our bodies on a cellular level. One study observed that a group who did HIIT exercises for 12 weeks gained lean muscle, improved aerobic capacity, and a 49 per cent increase in the cells ability to take in more oxygen and produce more energy (mitochondrial capacity). Elderly people in this group actually experienced a 64 per cent boost.

The cell’s mitochondrial capacity is incredibly important to our bodies as it ages. The stronger the mitochondrial capacity of a cell, the greater the body’s capacity to breathe in, transport and utilise oxygen–all of which are crucial when it comes to physical exercise and overall health.

Below you’ll find some strength and aerobic exercises that can help keep you strong, healthy and physically able as you need to be at whatever age you are. All of these are classic, simple exercises that require no equipment. Do each exercise for 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds after each exercise. Repeat the circuit twice.

Push-ups

Push-ups are considered the ultimate upper-body workout. Lie down facing the floor with palms flat on the floor, level with your breast and tight to your body. Push up and try to keep your body rigid. Don’t lock your elbows and when you feel they’re about to, hold for a second, and then slowly lower yourself back down until your nose is nearly touching the floor.

Planks

Place your hands on top of an elevated stable surface, as chair or a step. Your arms should be straight and your hands should be directly below your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your ankles. Keep your buttocks and legs engaged.

Jump Squats

Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend your knees and let your buttocks sit back. Keep your chest upright. Explode into the air as high as you can. Be sure to land softly and go right into the next rep. Do as many jumps as possible in 45 seconds.

Mountain Climbers

This will tighten your core for strength, tight legs, and a healthy heart. To do this, first get on the floor on your hands and knees. Push yourself up, hands apart, flat on the floor and below your shoulders. Balance your feet on your toes, but your legs don’t need to be completely stretched. Pull your left leg up, almost touching your chest. Put your left leg back and pull your right leg up. Imagine you’re climbing a horizontal slope–one leg up after the other.

Good Carbs versus Bad Carbs

Isiah Nutrition November 5, 2018November 5, 2018personal trainer near me, weight loss, weight loss pinjarra hills

If you’ve ever attempted to modify your diet in an attempt to lose weight, you’ve probably once deemed carbs as “the enemy.” They’re calorific, up our sugar levels, and do no good for one’s waistline. But carbohydrates are essential to our nutrition. A well-balanced meal has a proper amount of protein, fat, and carbs. Carbohydrates do indeed supply the body with glycogen, because this is how the body processes carbs. Glycogen is crucial since it is the energy our bodies need for everyday functions. So, if carbs are good for us, why all the fuss?

Consuming carbohydrates is not as simple as “eat less.” There are, in fact, “good” carbs and “bad” carbs, or kinds of carbohydrates that are either beneficial to our bodies or little to no nutritional value. Complex carbohydrates are considered “good” carbs. They’re called complex because they’re made up of complicated molecules which break down slowly. This means the supply of energy is steady. Compare that to simple carbohydrates or “bad” carbs, which deliver a quick rush of energy, but follow with an equally immediate drop. Simple carbohydrates are what can cause the spikes in blood sugar levels and unbearable mood swings.

Complex carbohydrates are high in fibre and starch. They also contain much-needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Great and healthy sources of complex carbohydrates are whole grains, beans, quinoa, legumes, oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread, barley, couscous, wheat bran, seeds, nuts, dry peas, oatmeal, and avocados. The key component in these complex carbs is fibre. Ideally, our daily intake of fibre should be 25 to 35 grams. High-fibre diets can help with fat loss, digestion, cholesterol levels, and the risk of disease.

“Good” carbs generally have a low to moderate calorie count, meaning you can eat larger amounts of these carbs with lesser calories. Good carbs also have essential nutrient values and contain no refined sugars or refined grains. They’re typically low in sodium, saturated fat with little to no cholesterol and Trans fats.

“Bad” carbs are made up of a high number of calories, even if the portion is minimal. They’re also high in refined sugars, like fructose corn syrup. These refined sugars have been found to be linked to disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Refined grains are also present in bad carbs. An example would be wheat flour made to look white in colour by stripping it of its nutrient value. Bad carbs have little to no fibre and are often rich in sodium, fats, cholesterol or Trans fats.

The sugars found in simple carbohydrates can be digested easily. Not all simple carbohydrates are bad. There are natural sources of simple carbohydrates, such as fruits, some vegetables, milk, and milk products. While being simple carbs, they still have essential nutrients, fibre and protein. The sources to avoid are processed and refined foods, such as soft drinks, white sugar, pastries, white bread, juices, ice cream, candy, and milk chocolate. Even food products labelled “low fat,” “sugar-free,” “fat-free,” or “low calorie” can still be sources of bad carbs. The general rule of thumb for packaged food items is: the fewer ingredients, the better.

Beginner’s Guide to The Gym

Isiah Exercise October 22, 2018Body Transformation Challenge Pinjarra Hills, personal trainer near me, small group training pinjarra hills

So, you’ve secured a gym membership. Congrats! You’re one step closer to your health and fitness goals. With so many options at your gym–classes, trainers, equipment–where to begin? Then, there’s gym etiquette. How long can you stay on the treadmill before everybody starts forming a queue behind you? More importantly, are you certain that you’re maximising your time and money spent at the gym? Before you turn around to exit and quit before you’ve even begun, you’ll want to sit down and read a few pointers on how to survive your first few days at the gym.

First Steps

If you’re a real beginner, but serious about starting a gym program, there are a few things you can try out first to test the waters. What you need to know is that there’s no need to go solo! Joining classes is the easiest way to see what you like and to build relationships with teachers and fellow gym-goers. You can also consult with a personal trainer, who can assess your wants, needs and goals. You can also get the best of both classes and small group fitness classes. Lastly, don’t be afraid to try out new equipment, no matter how cutting edge and complicated they may seem. This will help cut through the boredom. Just be sure to ask the trainers for a quick explanation so you don’t get injured or make a fool of yourself.

Schedule

How often should you go to the gym? Since you’re starting out, you shouldn’t expect to have the same mental and physical capacity as those who hit the gym six days out of the week. Aim for two to three times a week. It’s enough to make progress and keep up momentum. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to go to the gym more than two to three days a week if you have extra time but build up slowly.

Making Progress

Once you’ve settled into your routine, you might begin to worry about progressing. What you can do is slowly get out of your comfort zone. Gradually shift your goals each week/ month. You could accomplish this by increasing your reps or intensity for each of the exercises. You could even try running for longer distances or adding different types of exercise such as rowing, cycling, Pilates or yoga. You’ll also want to keep a record of your gym sessions. Log your workouts and note the day’s accomplishments. You can also make things more fun and interesting by establishing relationships at the gym and making workouts competitive. Join a team sport or simply hang around with stronger and more experienced gym-goers who have the same mindset as you.

Equipment Etiquette

Most gyms should have time limits for equipment and will be clearly posted for you to see. Be mindful of sticking to that time limit. If somebody is waiting to use the machine, you could even suggest to take turns after each set. And, when you’re on that particular machine, make sure you’re actually using it and not spending time on your phone or just resting, especially when there are other people waiting. When you’re done with whatever machine you’ve used, always wipe it down with a towel. Nobody wants to sit in another person’s sweat. When using weights, don’t leave them lying around after you have used them and return them to the rack where you got them. This is not only courteous, but weights left lying around can be a safety hazard.

Live an Extra Decade with These Easy Healthy Habits

Isiah Exercise, Nutrition October 8, 2018Personal training Kenmore, weight loss pinjarra hills, Weight Loss Program Pinjarra Hills

Here’s a sobering fact: cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in Australia. Now, here’s a comforting notion: a new report suggests that five, very simple habits can lead to a longer life. These are:

Not drinking too much alcohol
Eating a healthy diet
Exercising regularly
Maintaining a healthy weight
Never smoking

Researchers discovered that adults who regularly practice these five habits can extended their lifespan for as much as up to 14 years. Participants of the study were 82 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular diseases and 65 percent less likely to die of cancer. The study, which involved 34 years of data, also noted that when maintaining these lifestyle habits at age 50, men could live an extra 12.2 years and for women, another 14 years.

The global average life expectancy is at 80. For Australians, we rank 14th in the list of countries with high life expectancy rates at 82.3 years. Monaco is at number one with 89.4 years and Japan second with 85.3 years.

One medical professional has cited that never smoking is the most important factor, which may be a wake-up call for many Australians. According to the Cancer Council Australia, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the country.

Consuming alcoholic beverages is a line people must carefully walk. There are some benefits to the occasional glass of wine, some studies show. Aside from inducing a relaxing effect, moderate drinking can reduce the risk of death by heart attacks, clot-caused strokes and other cardiovascular issues. Red wine is one particular form of alcoholic beverage that fare better than most. Red wine has a high concentration of polyphenols that can reduce blood pressure.

The downside of drinking is going from moderate to binge drinking, which leads to inflammation of the liver, increased blood pressure, heart muscle damage, and several cancers, like breast, colon, mouth and liver.

Meanwhile, a healthy diet, as defined by the World Health Organisation, is defined as a balanced intake of energy or calories. The total fat should not exceed 30 percent of the total energy intake to avoid unhealthy weight gain. One should also decrease saturated fats and cut out trans fats. Free sugars should be limited to less than 10 percent of the total energy intake. Salt intake should be less than 5 grams per day to prevent hypertension and heart disease.

The ideal body weight is entirely individual and depends on factors such as height, gender, age, build and degree of muscular development. The body mass index (BMI) has been commonly used to measure the “healthiness” of one’s weight, but the BMI system has its flaws. The 200-year-old system does not account for age, sex, bone structure and fat distribution.

As for exercise, the Australian Heart Foundation recommends half an hour of physical activity each day, which reduces the risk of heart disease by 35 per cent. Alternatively, 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise is also recommended. For people who like to walk or who usually commute, 10,000 steps per hour a day or walking at a rate of 6 km/hour is also a great form of exercise.

Advantages of Being a Runner

Isiah Exercise September 25, 2018September 25, 2018Body Transformation Challenge Pinjarra Hills, Personal training Kenmore, weight loss pinjarra hills

Runners, especially those who run long distance, generally have two things in common: sinewy quads and a heavy duty set of lungs. But the perks of running does not stop there. There is so much more that long-distance running can do for you including for your mind and body.

In a recent study done in Finland, researchers found that long distance runners tend to be smarter. In this research, they studied the effects of resistance training on adult rat brains. They used rats with both genetically high and low response to aerobic training. All subjects underwent a 6 to 8 week aerobic training in which they were urged to complete HIIT or resistance training workouts and run.

Prior to doing the research, the scientists had already established the fact that aerobic exercises do have positive effects on the function and structure of the brain. However, they did not know whether HIIT or anaerobic resistance training had the same effect on the brain, specifically to the growth of neurons in it.

It has quite a similar effect to humans. Here are some of the amazing health perks enjoyed by those who run very, very far.

Good memory

Humans, mice and monkeys share a common peculiarity: a protein that is identified with memory flows in the brain after a run, as stated in the research that was published in Cell Press.

Another odd discovery was unearthed by the University of North Florida when they found that running barefoot can also enhance your working memory. There is about 16% increase in working memory performance in barefoot runners after exercise. This was determined by their ability to remember instructions, directions and understanding information. It is believed that the extra “tactile and proprioceptive demands” stimulates your brain into tapping your working memory more forcefully, boosting its growth and function.

Strong knees

It’s a common notion that running can ultimately have a bad effect on your knees and joints. In some degree, this is true especially when running on high terrain, your knees may experience some pain due to excessive use. On the other hand, something good can actually be benefited from long distance running. According to a research at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, regular running can actually put off late onset knee pain.

Longer life

It seems that running is particularly advantageous in fighting cancer, according to a research issued by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In this research, they took 2,560 middle aged men as their subjects and observed their health over the span of 17 years. They have observed that the men who were more physically active were less likely to develop cancer. In fact, runners who run for at least 30 minutes per day are 50% less likely to acquire the disease.

Live happier

A long distance run can put you on a high. Anyone who’s been jogging regularly can attest to feeling much better after a not so pleasing day at work — once you’ve gotten past the first few kilometres.

If you’re still not convinced, there is further research done where it was discovered that jogging (as well as other aerobic exercises) changes the skeletal muscles and removes kynurenine (an amino acid that accumulates when you are stressed and depressed) from the blood. After a run, the body also releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improves your disposition.

The Benefits of Lemon Water

Isiah Nutrition September 12, 2018Body Transformation Challenge Pinjarra Hills, small group training pinjarra hills, Weight Loss Program Pinjarra Hills

Quenching your thirst with your favourite soft drink or some other sweet and refreshing drink can be so tempting. When jump-starting your day, you also probably prefer to make a cup of coffee, and, for your mid-afternoon boost of energy, you might reach for an energy drink or a cup of tea. There’s one drink that can see to all your thirst-quenching and energy-boosting needs and it’s simply lemon-infused water.

What’s so great about lemon water? How could it possibly beat out your favourite drinks? For one, it has zero calories. We’re always encouraged to drink more water and infusing it with lemon can make it more flavoursome. Not to mention, lemon has a multitude of health benefits. Soon, you’ll be stocking up your fridge with bottles of lemon water when you learn just how invigorating, healing and therapeutic it can be.

Consuming water alone is one of the simplest and most helpful things we can do to maintain our health. Water is a key component in every system of the body and a requirement in all bodily functions. Water flushes out toxins, delivers nutrients and supports a healthy environment for the tissues in the ear, throat and nose. If you’ve ever experienced dehydration you know how harmful it can be and this is because the systems of the body are struggling to function properly without water. The ideal amount of water to drink is based on your body weight and be calculated as 0.03 litres of water per kilogram of body weight.

Meanwhile, lemon is one of the most nutritional fruits available, being low in fat and sodium while high in folate, potassium and vitamin C. Folate is especially beneficial to women and can prevent cognitive problems, cancer, some psychiatric illnesses and cardiovascular issues. Potassium is great for building protein and muscle, while vitamin C repairs parts of the body. Lemon also has antioxidant properties, which means it can block the negative effects of cancer-causing free radicals.

When combined together, lemon and water can pack some pretty powerful benefits including aiding digestion. Lemon water has also been found to prevent constipation and is considered a gentle early morning laxative. Lemon water can also keep your breath fresh and can help neutralise the odour after eating some particularly strong-smelling foods, like garlic, onions or fish. The citric acid in lemon also decreases the risk of calcium stones. Even your skin can gain positive effects from drinking lemon water since vitamin C has been found to reduce the risk of wrinkles and dry skin.

Lemon water does come with some adverse effects, though. The citric acid in lemon can erode tooth enamel. You can protect your teeth by drinking through a straw and rinsing your mouth afterwards. Citric acid can also cause heartburn. Furthermore, lemon juice can increase urine production.

If you want to make the perfect lemon water, use filtered water and fresh and organic lemons. You can drink it either hot or cold and you can also add mint, honey and ginger for even more flavour and health benefits.

How Alcohol Affects Your Fitness Goals

Isiah Nutrition, Weight Loss August 28, 2018August 28, 2018small group training pinjarra hills, weight loss pinjarra hills, Weight Loss Program Pinjarra Hills

You may have read how a daily glass of red wine or the occasional beer can have health benefits, with claims like lowering blood pressure, preventing heart attacks and other diseases. But, what is the truth? How does drinking alcohol truly impact our health?

Like any other food and drink you consume, alcohol has an effect on your metabolism. For anyone working on losing weight, pay close attention to this. Alcohol still has calories, but also has quite the high metabolic rate compared to most foods. This means you can essentially burn more calories while drinking. When you’re drinking alcohol, your body’s reaction is to process it first and to set other foods aside. Your body’s top priority is to remove the alcohol from your body and, unless you’re a champion binge drinker, it happens quickly.

Alcohol, however, is notorious for lowering one’s inhibitions. A couple of drinks in, you’re feeling loose and relaxed, but your ability to make rational decisions can be impaired. If it becomes an excessive habit, this leads to intoxication. You may also be familiar with morning after a rough night out and the temptation to stay in bed. The dehydration and lethargy aren’t exactly great motivators.

So, what’s the verdict on alcohol? It’s not bad, but what could be bad are your drinking habits. The negative effects of alcohol can be managed, but without control, the results can go from uncomfortable to devastating.

Weight gain is one adverse effect. You’ve probably heard of the term “beer belly,” which is, to an extent, true. Any alcoholic beverage can cause weight gain if consumed in excess. Alcohol in relation to heart health is also vital. Moderate drinking can have great benefits, like lowering cholesterol–but only if paired with a healthy lifestyle.

Athletes should be wary of their alcohol consumption, since alcohol affects balance, hand-eye coordination and reaction time. Alcohol also depletes your body of fluids and electrolytes, which can then lead to fatigue. Additionally, muscle growth can be reduced since alcohol impairs protein synthesis, which is a crucial part of muscle development and maintenance. Alcohol also causes inflammation, which leads to joint pain and muscle aches.

If you’re trying to lose weight, alcohol can leave your body feeling hungry. The calories alcohol contains are not nutritious at all. There’s also the habit of having junk food munchies after a long night of drinking. Worse still, excessive alcohol consumption not only excretes important nutrients, but blocks them as well. Be sure to replenish your body after alcohol. Keep yourself hydrated and nourished–with actual healthy foods, so put down the greasy pizza.

Now, for some good news. You can still drink alcohol, but limit it to one drink a day. The healthiest types of alcoholic beverages are the sugar-free kind. If you’re a wine drinker, make sure to consume sulfate-free wine since sulfates can cause liver damage. Clear liquor, like vodka or gin, are also recommended. One nutritionist suggests adding fresh herbs like rosemary, mint, or basil for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Overall, moderation is key to a balanced and healthy lifestyle.