Like A Virgin

I will admit this tip doesn't apply to me as I don’t consume alcohol of any variety, but I know many who do, so I thought I would share some knowledge.

7. Be a virgin. Alcoholic beverages are some of the emptiest calories out there.  While researching this topic, I found a great article by Charles Stuart Platkin, a nutrition and public health advocate and founder of www.DietDetective.com that explains it all so well.  Simply having one beer a night adds more than 1,000 calories per week, or an extra 15 pounds per year.  Even a couple of glasses of wine over the course of a meal can easily add as many as 400 calories.  The culprit is the alcohol. So, the lower the alcohol content, the lower the number of calories. Think of it this way, there are 7 calories per gram of alcohol, compared with 4 calories per gram of either carbohydrates or protein, and 9 calories per gram of fat. 

Moreover, alcohol as we know impairs good judgment, which means you may eat and drink more than you normally would. Additionally, alcohol can cause your blood sugar level to drop more rapidly, which can stimulate your appetite and disrupt your ability to tell when you've had enough to eat. This effect can cause fatigue, draining your energy level, and may also interfere with the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals.

I understand that when you are going out, choosing a healthy alcoholic drink can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know what it is made of.  As such, I found a few options of low calorie alcoholic drinks that you can choose if you want to drink healthier. From light beers, low calorie wine, and spirits (like rum and diet Coke, 64 calories per ounce!), a drinker with any taste can choose a healthier, lower calorie drink that will fit their daily calorie allotment. These drinks typically have lower carbohydrate content or lower alcoholic content, but are still delicious. Researching before you go can help you make informed decisions throughout the night! Also try out the newest line of “Skinny” beverages if you can find them.