Don't Whine About Wine

Let’s talk a little about drinking. With the weekend coming, it’s hard, ya know? I mean, who wants to do all that hard work being good all week, watching what is going in our mouths, then blow it on the weekends eating fatty foods and drinking like lushes?? Not me! But, I also don’t want to give up the social life/adult time and with that, comes an analysis of “how much or how little alcohol is OK?”

First, let’s just give everyone a little reminder that beverages, except for water, have calories. It’s easy to think “it’s a drink, it’s not really like adding anything to my diet because it’s a drink.” Some people really think that drinks don’t count.
Uh, hello. They do, and some count big time.

So, if you’re hardcore about your weight loss, give up the booze completely. This is your choice. If you’d rather have a 100-calorie pack during a late afternoon snack binge instead of imbibing the brews that night, go out with your friends and have some water with a lemon wedge. And if anyone gives you crap for not drinking, guess what, you need to find some new friends. How old are we now? Peer pressure is over. Mature adults who choose not to drink may have a number of reasons for doing so (alcoholism, pregnancy, etc.) that they’d rather not discuss. Anymore, personal choices should be given respect. Besides, your water with lemon may look vaguely like a vodka something-or-other, people might not even notice.

For those of you who enjoy a drink or five, think ahead to what you usually order when you go out. Look up the calories on a chart. It’s not hard to find your beverage of choice and how many calories it has. Then, you’ll have to plan accordingly. Like gin? It’s gonna cost ya. And let’s not forget with mixed drinks, the sodas, juices and other high calorie, sugary things that liquor is combined with. Those calories add up too.

So, to follow, we’ve found various sources you can go have a read, that show both the pros and cons of drinking alcohol. (**Yes, there are pros!)

**And, obviously, there are studies that support and studies that discredit practically every claim out there. I mean, seriously, every time I turn around eggs are good, then they're bad, then they're good. Just do your own research, this is just a slice of information that we've found regarding alcohol and the final decision, as with everything else, is up to you. We're just giving you some perspectives to consider.**

PROS:

• Drinking wine, specifically white wine, may keep the lungs healthy.

• Red wine, in moderation, has been shown to be beneficial for the heart.

• People who drink wine occasionally may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease.

CONS:

• Chronic heaving drinking can lead to problems such as liver disease, brain disease, cancer, heart disease.

• In regards to weight loss, people who are overweight actually gain weight more easily if they drink alcohol and the calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the gut, so if you want six-pack abs you'll need to cut down on the booze.

Bottom line:

* If you're going to drink, drink in moderation. Our recommendation would be that, if you're going to drink at all, drink one or maybe two drinks then switch to water. But, factor in that consumption of calories ahead of time, they do count!
* Be aware of alcohol and it's effects in combination with any medications, prescription or otherwise, that you may be taking.
* Beware that drinking sometimes goes hand in hand with eating high fat foods and/or smoking. Keep your smarts about you and stay firm with your game plan before you go out.
* If you've always stuck with one favorite drink, maybe try to develop a taste for something with fewer calories.
* Plan ahead, be smart, make good choices. Weight loss doesn't mean you have to eliminate your social life, just work it into your plan in a sensible, common sense way.