Wine vs Waistline: Your favorite drink doesn’t have to lead to weight gain.
This blog post is for my fellow wine-lovers. The added calories that come with each delicious drink can definitely alter how well our jeans fit…but I am here to tell you that you can still enjoy your glass of Cabernet without needing to hit the mall for a larger pair of pants the following week. Here are some tips and tricks to help prevent unwanted weight-gain from drinking:
Always eat when you drink: Seems counter-intuitive right? Isn’t that just more calories? Research suggests it is more important to eat right than eat less when drinking. Most cocktails are full of simple carbohydrates which cause a spike in blood sugar and leave you feeling hungry soon after consumption. If you did not prepare ahead and fuel your body with healthy and filling food, your hand will be in the candied nut bowl all night.
Some drinks make you hungrier than others; choose wisely: The simpler the drink, the better. The cocktail with the beautiful name, 4 different types of juices and syrups, and 3 different types of alcohol sounds wonderful and intriguing… but that’s the one with the most calories and as mentioned above the added sugar just makes you hungrier. You’re better off making wine or beer your go-to drink.
Stick to a drink or two, tops: Not drinking all week and thinking that allows you to indulge in 6 drinks in one night is a bad philosophy. By downing that many drinks in one night, your body has hundreds of calories from alcohol to process before it can even begin to break down food calories or stored fat. In addition to lowered inhibition and prefrontal cortex misfiring, excess alcohol throws your blood sugar out of whack; those combined cause you to want to dive face first into a bowl of mozzarella sticks that you would have otherwise avoided. Although those 4 drinks at Thirsty Thursday may not be enough to pile on the pounds, if you have 4+ drinks every Thirsty Thursday you’ll be up 10 pounds in less than a year.
Beware of the gnawing starving feeling the next day: “Hangover cure”….we know the term all too well. We turn to greasy, salty, fatty, and sugary foods to make us feel better the next day after overindulging in our favorite alcoholic beverages. Part of the problem is that we are actually incredibly dehydrated which our body and mind can mistake as hunger. Additionally, the body needs energy to recover and resolve the effects of your big night out…causing us to turn to the most energy-dense foods…fatty foods.
Tips and tricks to prevent and combat the negative effects of drinking:
Drink a large glass of water for every cocktail or glass of wine
Before or while drinking, have a health snack or meal high in protein and low glycemic carbohydrates (GI 55 or less) to increase satiety, prevent blood sugar spikes, and reduce cravings. (Stay tuned for a future post about Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load)
Before going to bed, have another large glass of water and a snack that is high in fiber and protein
If you’re going to drink have something straight up and simple like wine or beer. If you’re really being careful, opt for white wine or rose instead of a heavier red wine. Vodka, gin, or bourbon with club soda and a twist are good options as well since club soda is calorie and sugar-free and dilutes the alcohol as well as its effect on your cravings.
The next morning, even if you feel like it’s the last thing you want to do, go for a walk around the neighborhood. Trust me, it will help.
Questions? Contact us!
Email: courtney@plusforte.co
Phone: 978-590-6951
