No matter how healthy your diet may be, when you go to a party, a bbq, or even dining on the patio – sometimes a drink just sounds good. Once you get that desire for a drink, there’s not much else that can quench that desire. Besides, isn’t red wine good for you after all? There are some smart choices when selecting an alcoholic beverage. Of course all of these recommendations are for drinks in moderation. Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean it gives you license to drink as much as you want.
The Best Cocktails
Red wine.There’s been all kinds of news about the benefits of red wine. It’s high in antioxidants and contains the chemical resveratrol that’s been making the news lately. Some large scale, long term studies on wine have shown that those who consume wine in moderation live longer than those who don’t drink at all or who consume heavily. Red wine tends to make the news, but white wine has also been shown to improve health. A few recent studies praise white wine for free radical reduction and cardiovascular health. So, white or red – wine is a good choice.
Microbrews. This is the drink of choice for a “beer snob” –an individual that refuse to consume mass produced American beer. But, they may be onto something – turns out microbrew beer is actually healthier. Microbrews use quality barley, hops, and wheat while the mass produced beers use cheaper ingredients like corn and rice. This difference means microbrews have twice the level of protein, four times as many electrolytes, and many more phytonutrients and vitamins.
Guinness stout. While there are many lite beers out there, one lite beer often leads to the desire for a second lite beer. A Guinness is a thick, rich, syrupy brew that can be much more satisfying. In fact, in a twelve ounce serving Bud lite has 110 calories and a Guinness just has a sixteen more at 126 calories. Plus, Guinness is also high in iron.
Top-shelf alcohol. Straight, on the rocks, or with water. If you’re going for liquor, go for top shelf. The cheap stuff has all sorts of impurities, plus with the inferior quality they taste better with a mixer that is high in calories. Top shelf liquors are made to consume alone or with water. Slowly savor bourbon or vodka.