Getting healthy involves more than just working out. It means you have to eat healthy. That includes not only the food you eat, but also what you drink. We can help you in both areas at Liv Fitness in Dublin, CA. Clients often ask whether they have to give up all alcohol and just how bad it is for you. The truth is, some types of alcoholic drinks are actually good for you. It depends on how often you drink and how much. Alcohol is high in calories and drinking too much can sabotage your diet, plus damage your liver and cause other negative health issues. What about moderate drinking, one drink a day? Does it matter what type of alcohol you consume?
Alcoholic drinks may be high in calories.
Having a small glass of wine with dinner may help relax you and help your digestion. It offers some health benefits, too. However, it’s also higher in calories. Some mixed drinks are even worse, since they have additional ingredients that are also high in calories. A frozen daiquiri or frozen margarita has between 500 and 700 calories. That can be devastating for your weight loss program. Although frozen daiquiris have no health benefits, the frozen margarita may have some, such as vitamin C from the lime, digestion aid and nutrients from the agave plant that’s the base for tequila could lower cholesterol, boost calcium absorption, increase insulin production and lower the risk of dementia. If you’re drinking a margarita and trying to stay healthy, make it just a shot of tequila with lime and salt on the glass rim.
The healthiest option is a glass of red wine.
The polyphenols in red wine help lower the risk of heart disease and help prevent both diabetes and high blood pressure. Polyphenols have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect cells. Red wine has the most polyphenols, although beer and white wine also have some. The polyphenol in red wine is resveratrol that gives the grapes the red color. Red wine also contains a flavonoid called quercetin. It is also a powerful antioxidant.
Sticking with no more than one drink a day may help prevent diabetes.
While the heart healthy benefits of alcoholic beverages, particularly red wine, is often touted, there may be benefits to drinking alcohol. Several studies looked into whether drinking in moderation had an effect on the development of gallstones and type 2 diabetes. It seems that moderate drinking might be beneficial. Out of the 369,862 participants followed for 12 years, moderate intake reduced the risk of diabetes by 30%.
- One study showed that if tequila is 10% alcohol, it has the potential to kill pathogens such as E. Coli—Montezuma’s revenge—and even salmonella. A French study on cholera indicated those who drank wine were far less susceptible to the disease.
- If you’re trying to build muscle and lose fat, testosterone is beneficial. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone and growth hormone levels, making it harder to gain muscle and lose weight.
- Having a pre-dinner drink may make you eat more. Studies show that people who had a soft drink or water consumed far fewer calories than those who drank alcohol.
- There is such a thing as a real beer belly. Pounds gained from drinking alcohol mostly accumulate in the belly. If belly fat is your problem, order a glass of water instead of a glass of beer or wine.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness