When consuming alcohol, are there certain foods that one should avoid? What about if you are about to consume alcohol, what foods are good? Sometimes when I eat a veggie dinner, I still feel like the beer I had is eating at my stomach.
Eating before or with your drink alcohol is important, it slows down the rush of alcohol into the blood. I wonder what your “veggie meal” consists of, if it is just vegetable and carbohydrate (ie pasta with tomato sauce or stir fry with noodles) there is protein missing and maybe even some fat. Any food will slow the rate of alcohol absorption but if your meal is well balanced, with protein, carbohydrate and fat, the digestion rate is even slower. For example, including meat with your pasta and sauce or tofu with the vegetable noodle stir fry would be a good idea. There aren’t specific “good foods” it is the balance that is important. Remember to aim for 3 of the 4 food groups from Canada’s Food Guide for your meals.
I also wonder if you are experiencing heart burn (gastro-esophageal reflux) when you say the beer is “eating at your stomach”. The types of foods that bother people with heartburn can vary a lot. Also, alcohol is a known trigger for heartburn. Do you ever get this feeling when you are not drinking beer? If it is heart burn and it continues to bother you, try the tips below.
Tips to manage heart burn:
- Limit or avoid beverages that contain alcohol.
- Limit or avoid drinks with caffeine such as coffee, tea or cola drinks.
- Remain sitting upright during meals and for 45 to 60 minutes after eating.
- Avoid eating two to three hours before bedtime.
- Avoid eating large amounts of food at one time.
- Avoid clothing that is tight across your stomach.
- Limit or avoid foods that may trigger symptoms such as spices, peppermint, chocolate, citrus juices, onions, garlic and tomato products.