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As Featured on ABC7: Impacts of sugar and alcohol over the holidays

The holiday season is filled with celebration for many people — which can mean loads of sugar and alcohol. All that fun and merriment could catch up with you in ways you never imagined. Apart from just weight gain, did you know sugar and alcohol can impact more than just your waistline?

5 Surprising Effects of Alcohol and Sugar on Your Health

From yummy cookies to extravagant seasonal cocktails, sugar and alcohol are key parts of many holiday celebrations. This is a time of year when people indulge and celebrate, which is completely appropriate. Everything should be in moderation, but you should still be aware of the impact that sugar and alcohol have on your overall health, as well as your back health. These are some ways that alcohol and sugar can impact your wellness:

  1. Causes Inflammation: Inflammation is your body’s natural defense mechanism, which helps fight infections and heal injuries. When inflammation persists over a long period, it can exacerbate conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other degenerative spine diseases, leading to increased pain and reduced mobility. Alcohol and sugar can also increase your inflammation levels and cause further pain. 
  2. Dehydration: Since your spinal discs are mostly made up of water, dehydration caused from alcohol and sugar reduces the amount of water in your intervertebral discs. This can further increase your inflammation and pain levels.
  3. Affects Normal Bodily Functions: Circulation, respiration, blood sugar levels, and ability to flush toxins from your body are all impacted by alcohol and sugar intake. Your heart could be impacted as well by this excessive intake. 
  4. Relaxes Your Muscles: While this might sound like a good thing, this relaxation of the muscles can lead to less support and more strain on your spine. As alcohol acts as a muscle relaxant, consuming alcohol relaxes the muscles that surround the spine, leaving it without adequate support until the effects of the alcohol wear off.
  5. Impairs Your Thinking and Balance: Drinking too much alcohol and ingesting too much sugar can impair your thinking and balance, which puts you at increased risk for falls and injuries. Many don’t realize that the road is not the only place where someone can get injured while under the influence.

5 Effective Strategies to Counteract the Effects of Alcohol and Sugar

As an interventional spine and sports medicine doctor, health education is important to me and I want to ensure people are celebrating in moderation and are keeping their back happy and healthy. While I would encourage restraint, there are also plenty of tips to combat the effects that alcohol and sugar can have on your back and overall well-being:

  1. Hydrate with an electrolyte before you go to a holiday gathering. Prepare for parties as you would for a marathon!
  2. Choose protein to fill up before and during seasonal events so you aren’t reaching for the sugar and carbs.
  3. Try to have a glass of water in between each drink. This will do a fantastic job of ensuring you are staying hydrated.
  4. Make sure you take the proper precautions when doing activities, such as lifting gifts and decorations. Know that your body and back are more susceptible this time of the year.
  5. Sleep – that’s when repair happens! During this time of year, it is especially important to prioritize your sleep. 

While the world might tell you to eat, drink, and be merry, I would tell you to celebrate with your back and overall health in mind. Incorporating balance and moderation into your holiday gatherings will ensure that you will not exacerbate your back pain further. Balance looks different for everyone, and it is important to understand that everyone’s health journey is not going to be the same. While I’m not going to tell you to completely give up sugar and alcohol this season, I will tell you to keep these key takeaways in mind:

  • Hydrate before and during holiday events to ensure you are getting enough water. Try alternating your alcoholic beverages with a glass of water!
  • Try ingesting more protein during these events so you aren’t reaching for unhealthier snacks filled with sugar, carbs and saturated fats.
  • Everything in moderation – Whether it’s seasonal drinks or holiday desserts, it is important to have balance in your diet without being too restrictive.

Maintaining a few healthy habits while enjoying yourself is crucial. Simple actions, like staying active after meals to keep your joints and back flexible, can significantly enhance your overall well-being. By incorporating these small tips, you can prioritize your wellness during the season’s festivities. Here’s to a happy holiday and a healthy back season – Cheers!


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