Hi everyone this is Monica Reinagle the nutrition diva here with your quick and dirty

tips for eating well and feeling fabulous we'll be ringing in a new year in just a few days and I dare say a few

glasses of champagne or other spirits will be enjoyed by many nutrition diva

listeners. So this seems like the perfect time to address some of the

lore about alcohol and nutrition. For example, is it a good idea to eat a big meal

if you're going to be drinking? If you've overindulged, can certain foods ward off a hangover?

Is it true that alcohol is metabolized into sugar or that it blocks your body's ability

to burn fat?

Answers to these and other frequently asked questions about alcohol, along with my tips on how to indulge

safely, are coming up.

So first, let's talk just a little bit about how alcohol is metabolized.

Some sources claim that alcohol is converted into sugar by the liver,

and this is not true.

Alcohol is converted to a number of intermediate substances, none of which is sugar, until

it's eventually broken down into carbon dioxide and water.

Because too much alcohol is quite harmful to your cells, this detoxification process is a pretty high priority for your body.

That means that if your liver is busy dealing with alcohol, it will delay dealing with other nutrients, which is why drinking alcohol causes your blood sugar

to go down and your blood fats to go up temporarily.

It's also said that alcohol shuts down your body's fat burning engine.

This is technically true, but it's a little misleading.

All it really means is that your body will use the byproducts of alcohol

metabolism as fuel preferentially.

...