Time to Re-Think Your Drink?

Cheers to the Holidays! But be mindful… there are calories in that drink! This is why I recommend re-thinking your drink, especially around the Holidays!

Check out The Secret Life of Dietitians. Our most recent podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Important points from the podcast to help you re-think that drink:

Alcohol & Beverage calories will sneak up on you! Did you know?

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram – compare to:

• 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate
• 4 calories per gram of protein
• Fat is the only source of calories higher than alcohol at 9 calories per gram

The average consumption of alcoholic beverages provides~100 calories per day – think about that!  This adds up to ~10 pound per year.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db110.htm#:~:text=Young%20men%2C%20aged%2020%E2%80%9339,of%20that%20amount%E2%80%9433%20calories.

Drinking Calories & Blood Sugar

November was Diabetes Awareness Month, a good time to think about how consuming calories in your drink can be a double whammy in our bodies. First, because of the calories as mentioned above, but also for blood sugar control. When you consume alcohol or beverages with calories such as soft drinks they can spike your blood sugars and then drop your blood sugars. If you consume these beverages with a meal or a snack it can help prevent those spikes and drops in blood sugar.

Bottom line:  Drink your calories with a meal or at the same time as a snack with some sort of protein food.

Laura Poland RDN, LD

Finally a few tips to help you re-think your drink during the holiday season:

Consider consuming your beverages with a meal or snack. This helps your blood sugar response to the drink but also, helps you to not drink as much. Which cuts back on the calories consumed!

Be Mindful!  Understand that beverages with calories are providing our body with energy/calories that we might not consciously count or even register.  

At holiday “parties” (watch out for virtual parties – these count too!!), alternate between calorie drinks and non-calorie drinks.  Use your wine/martini or shot glass for the non-calorie drink so it will make you “feel” like you are drinking something special.

Need some help with accountability this holiday season? Contact Laura!

Resources:

Sensible Wine Drinking Tips

https://oldwayspt.org/system/files/atoms/files/OldwaysWineGuidelines.pdf

Alcohol Tracker App

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drinkcontrol-alcohol-tracker/id456207840

Diabetes Awareness Month

https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition

Drink Calculator

https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/calculators/drink-size-calculator.aspx

Getting Help

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help