SONOMA

Fitness Tip

Belly Fat and Sugar - Alcohol Correlation

Clients often ask me why they have belly fat when they believe their nutrition plan is healthy and they don't indulge in fatty or sugary foods.  Yet their efforts have not lessened the bulge in the midsection.  I ask about their alcohol consumption.  Living in the wine country, it is easy to neglect the effect alcohol can have on the body.  My clients would never indulge too much at any one time, but wine does act similarly to sugar in the system.

When consuming sugar or alcohol (both known to be empty calories as there is no nutritional value in sugar aside from providing calories) your pancreas gets busy producing a chemical called insulin.  Now here is what most people don't know: when your pancreas has to focus on producing insulin, it can't focus on producing glucagon, a chemical that allows you to take stored energy (fat) into the bloodstream to be burned off, thus allowing you to loose the unwanted belly bulge. 

Keep that in mind, so that you aren't defeating your efforts toward a leaner, healthier self. For more information, consult our Nutritionist, Allison Evanson.

10,000 Steps

Don’t forget to record your daily steps!  We are in this together and need to keep track of how everyone’s doing.  You can either record your steps directly on the chart posted in the hallway by the fitness floor, or you can drop your steps coupon in the box on the front desk.  Keep up the good work!