Winding-up up for a big OCTOBER

October is looming thick and fast and with only weeks until I step on stage in Mexico City, celebrate another birthday and i hope, a few small wins too. I thought this might be a great time to remind everyone that Life Educations 'OCSOBER' campaign is also stepping into gear too.

As an ambassador for the 2010 Life Education Campaign ‘OCSOBER’-Sober October, I hope that many of you will join me in staying alcohol free throughout October.

Just incase you were still a little unsure about the benefits of maintaining an alcohol free body for a whole 30 days, I thought I might present a few interesting facts I have discovered about alcohol and your fit body.
For anyone on a weight management or loss program, ditching the alcohol is a sure fire way of easily reducing vast amounts of unnecessary calories from your diet.
Caloric Content of a few popular alcoholic beverages:
 Budlight bottle (12 oz.) = 110 calories
 Budweiser bottle (12 oz.) = 146 calories
 Shot of 100 proof liquor (1.5 oz.) = 124 calories
 Shot of 80 proof liquor (1.5 oz) = 97 calories
 Pina Colada cocktail (4.5 oz) = 245 calories
 Merlot red wine (5 oz) = 123 calories
 Pinot Grigiot white wine (5 oz) = 123 calories

When alcohol is present in your bloodstream, the immediate response is burn that fuel as energy first before any food and stored fat. So in the priority system of fuel consumption your body burns alcohol, then glycogen(food) then your fat stores. Couple this with the negative impact on muscle building and cellular heal and repair that occurs, and your body is put under a great deal of trauma when quantities of alcohol are consumed.
Now lets look at what alcohol does to the fine balance of our all important hormones. Studies have shown that even 1 standard drink can lower testosterone production in men and women by 50% for up to 24hours post consumption. Knowing as we do how finely balanced our systems are, if one hormone level is thrown out of balance then guess what, so are all the others. Lower testosterone equates to less muscle and more fat. Too much alcohol can literally make a man less of a man, and can lower a woman's sex drive and increase her fat storage ability.
Health Effects of Alcohol Consumption
Arthritis:Increases risk of gouty arthritis
Cancer:Increases the risk of cancer in the liver, pancreas, rectum, breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Causes physical and behavioral abnormalities in the fetus
Heart Disease: Raises blood pressure, blood lipids and the risk of stroke and heart disease in heavy drinkers. Heart disease is generally lower in light to moderate drinkers.
Hyperglycermia: Raises blood glucose
Hypoglycemia: Lowers blood glucose, especially for people with diabetes
Kidney Disease: Enlarges the kidneys, alters hormone functions, and increases the risk of kidney failure
Liver Disease: Causes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis
Malnutrition: Increases the risk of protein-energy malnutrition,; low intakes of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6 and riboflavin, and impaired absorption of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and zinc.
Nervous Disorders: Causes neuropathy and dementia; impairs balance and memory
Obesity: Increases energy intake, but not a primary cause of obesity
Psychological disturbances: Causes depression, anxiety and insomnia

To Drink or Not to Drink?
Moderate use of alcohol can be an enjoyable, safe experience if used with caution. If you do choose to drink, sip each drink slowly, and always consume alcohol with food. Spaces drinks out to no more than one drink per hour, and consume plenty of water in between drinks. Never drink while pregnant and never drive when intoxicated.
• Do you have a problem with Alcohol?
• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink the first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?
If you answered yes to one question, you may have a problem with alcohol. More than one yes answer makes it highly likely that a problem exists. If you feel you have a problem with alcohol, please see your health professional right away. Effective treatment is available.