Well we're less than two weeks from Christmas. And that means the parties, dinners and celebrations will be in full effect. Typically we consider the extra calories and sugar during Christmas. But what about the alcohol? How Bad Is Alcohol For You? A colleague with the NBA Hawks, Marie Spano, MS, CSCS, RD, CSSD, shared something on her social media. And I've going to share it with you as well. Alcohol interferes with muscle growth, especially in type II muscle fibers. These are your explosive force-generating muscle fibers 🏋🏾‍♂️that help you sprint, jump and lift weights. In one study, 1.5 g/kg bodyweight (this is 5-6 glasses of beer for a 155 lb. man; I show you how to calculate this below) consumed after exercise reduced the synthesis of protein in muscle by 37%. When protein (25 grams post exercise and again 4 hours later) was consumed along with alcohol the reduction in muscle protein synthesis was 24%. ❓How Does Alcohol Wreck Your Gains? Alcohol interrupts the transcription of genes involved in muscle growth by impairing IGF-1 signaling and in men but not women, mTOR signaling. Note: alcohol still reduces muscle protein synthesis in women though mTOR signaling is not impaired. Drinking alcohol after resistance training or a game decreases testosterone concentration and bioavailability in men but not women. Studies consistently show an alcohol intake > 1.5 g/kg lowers testosterone in men. 😳 Also, long-term alcohol use decreases the androgen receptor, so even if you have a lot of testosterone circulating, there’s a decrease in your body’s ability to use testosterone. How to Figure Out the Grams of Alcohol in a Drink 1 - Multiple the oz in the drink by the alcohol content. A 12 oz. beer with 6% alcohol has 0.72 oz. of alcohol. Multiple alcohol fluid oz. x 29.57...

The body is a pretty amazing machine.It adapts to new environments. For example, in equatorial regions we develop more pigment to prevent burning. And in arctic regions we retain more bodyfat for insulation against cold weather.It responds quickly and measurably to stimuli. For example, step on a tack and you will reflexively flex the knee and or hip to pull away from the source of the pain. Or if you cause damage to the soft tissues of the body, which help to maintain strutural integrity, we will get an inflammatory response to provide more stability to the injured body part.For everything we subject our bodies to there is a reaction. Sometimes the reaction is obvious and external which allows us to take notice and make the connection. Falling asleep in the hot sun on vacation may result in a sunburn which is easy for us to recognize and connect the dots as to why we got burned.Other reactions in our body are harder to perceive.They may not be as immediate.Drinking 2 cans of soda a day as a young person may eventually lay the foundation for future diabetes issues. But at the time it is difficult to recognize the damage we are doing.I guess it's kind of like being a baby.We are not able to communicate our needs except through crying. And unless something is painful, such as a dirty diaper or hunger pangs, we may not cry at all, giving the impression that everything is alright.But absence of pain doesn't mean everything is alright.We can be putting stress and doing damage to our tissues and organs without even realizing it.How can this happen?Well as long as we can 'get away' with a lifestyle or habit there is no reason to change it, is there?However when we discover there is a problem we always...

  I had another topic planned for today but someone asked if I would cover this one instead. Since more and more people have been asking me about cleanses lately I thought I might as well cover this topic now. But first I need to ask you a few questions. How you ever done a cleanse? What were your reasons for doing so?   Was it drop some weight quickly to get ready for a beach vacation?   To fit into an outfit?   To rid your body of toxins?     Because Oprah said so? (just kidding, I don't want to get sued by O)   You might laugh at the last one but it's unfortunate what our rationales are for doing a cleanse. And they are rarely due to the advice of a medical professional. Instead they seem to be based on the anecdotal evidence of friends and family. What do I mean by that?   Well the benefits of cleanses aren't front page news on the cover of JAMA or other medical journals. Instead it is usually a friend that has done this exact cleanse before, lost 7 lbs and feels great. And oh yeah, this friend is usually a distributor for a supplement you need to take during the cleanse.   (what a cynic I am, right?)   But seriously if weight loss is your goal, what would you expect to happen if you stopped eating food for a week or longer? Some cleanses last as long as 45 days.   And when you stop eating for this much time, what do you think happens to your metabolism? It comes to a screeching halt. And with a slower metabolism body fat will increase over time.   Doesn't seem worth it to me.   But what about the benefits of all the...