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ROUSES.COM
53
DRINK RIGHT
with
ROUSES
Drink Right
with
Rouses
by
Esther, Rouses Dietitian
S
ince moving to the French Quarter, I’ve seen—and heard—
my fair share of drinkers. Most nights I fall asleep to a chorus
of “woohoos” and “yeeeaaahs” outside my window. It’s become
my own special New Orleans lullaby.
Research has shown that drinking alcohol may have health benefits.
Before you start pouring shots, or order another Hand Grenade or
Hurricane, know that alcohol consumption
in moderation
can be
beneficial, but too much can be harmful. Sorry to be a buzz kill.
Alcohol in moderation means one serving of alcohol a day for
women and two servings a day for men. According to the National
Institutes of Health, one standard drink, or one serving in the U.S.,
contains 14 grams of alcohol, which you’ll find in the following
serving sizes: 12 fluid ounces of regular beer; 8-9 fluid ounces of
malt liquor; 5 fluid ounces of wine; 1.5 fluid ounces of 80 proof
distilled spirits (gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, vodka, etc.)
Moderate consumption is thought to help raise “good”cholesterol,or
HDL cholesterol. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated
with lower risks of heart attack. Moderate consumption has also
been linked to better blood clotting functions, which could help
decrease incidence of heart attack or stroke. Studies have shown
that moderate drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
or gallstones than non-drinkers. Increased insulin sensitivity is a
benefit linked to moderate alcohol consumption, which could
explain why moderate drinkers are less likely to develop diabetes.
If you think you can skip the drinks during the week and save all
seven to 14 for one day, bad idea, as the frequency also plays a role.
Moderate consumption of alcohol over the course of the week has
shown benefits, whereas binge drinking has more health risks.
Don’t worry if you aren’t a drinker. If you don’t drink alcohol, the
NIH doesn’t recommend you start.
So what are the healthiest drinks? Wine has
long hogged the spotlight for its reported
benefits, though moderate consumption
of any alcohol—wine, beer or spirits—has
shown benefits. (Don’t believe the wine-
resveratrol hype, though—you’d have
to drink truckloads to get the benefits
described in those studies of rats.)
When calories are the consideration, you
may be surprised to know that liquor may
be your best choice, straight up, neat or
on the rocks. Alcohol has 7 calories per
gram and a single serving (1.5 ounces) of
any 80 proof liquor will equal roughly 100
calories. As the proof increases, so do the
calories. Drinking straight up means you’ll
(probably) drink a bit slower due to the
strong taste. This will also save you from
the hundreds of extra calories you could
consume by mixing in cranberry cocktail,
pineapple juice, Coke, ginger ale, Sprite or
any other mixer of choice.
If you’re going to mix it, I’d have to request you at least get a serving of
fruit from the ordeal and mix it with 100% fruit juice of some kind—
not cranberry cocktail or any of the fake stuff.And no, vodka does not
count as a vegetable since it comes from potatoes (and yes, someone
has actually asked me that before). The 100% juice mixers will also
help slow the rate of alcohol absorption compared to carbonated
mixers, which are proven to absorb quicker. If you still want to mix
with soda and think you’re doing yourself a favor by mixing with diet
soda, you could be wrong. One negative effect of mixing with diet
soda is that it will get you drunk even quicker. Studies have found
that the sugar in alcohol mixers may slow down the absorption of
alcohol in your bloodstream. In one instance, it was a matter of being
over or under the legal limit—those who drank one drink with diet
soda were over the legal limit when given a breathalyzer test when
compared to those who mixed with a regular soda. Want another
tip to prevent fast alcohol absorption?
Never, ever
drink on an empty
stomach, and try to drink one glass of water between every alcoholic
drink—this will also help prevent hangovers.
Wine lovers, you’re looking at a few more calories per serving than
spirit drinkers. According to the USDA, a serving of red wine (5
ounces) will cost you an average of 125 calories and white wine will
be slightly less at 121 calories per serving.
I’m a beer girl myself. Unfortunately, beer can be full of calories.
Beer is usually made from water, grain, hops, and yeast, so already
we’ve got more in our glass than the straight up drinker. An average
beer can run around 150 calories, but the good news is that some
light beers, such as Budweiser Select are as low as 55 calories. The
bad news is that the lighter beers usually have lower alcohol content
and less flavor, which can lead to drinking even more. Beer also gets
a lot of credit for big bellies, but it isn’t necessarily to blame for the
dad bod—an excess of calories of any kind can create this physique.
Keep that in mind as you do your keg stands. And before you ask,
no, that’s not considered exercise.