The 4 Worst Alcoholic Drinks For Your Waistline
As the weather gets warmer it would seem that our alcohol consumption gets larger! Hanging out with friends by the pool, at the cottage or at your favourite patio, is a great way to spend hot summer days!
One the the top questions that Nutritionist Kelly Carter gets asked this time of the year is: What is the best thing for me to drink over the summer, that will maintain my weight and my health?
While at the end of the day, alcohol is not good for you, there are some drinks that are better for you than others.
So, if you are going to indulge and enjoy some drinks this summer, here is a list of the top 4 drinks to avoid if you want to maintain your waistline and not completely derail your healthy diet.
THE TOP 4 DRINKS TO AVOID THIS SUMMER
1. Daiquiris and Margaritas
These drinks are full of sugar and have a high alcohol content. Especially the pre-mixed options that you can conveniently buy at the grocery store or at the LCBO – these are full of sugar and can run up to 450 calories for ONE drink!
Healthy Swap: Make your own and a reduced sugar version with rum, fresh lime juice and a little bit of simple syrup.
2. Long Island Iced Tea
It’s a refreshing and tropical sounding drink, however there is a cocktail of alcohol in this drink, as well as Coke. So again, it’s loaded with sugar! Per serving size it has around 12oz of alcohol, which is around 3 times more than the average cocktail. It can be up to 600 calories per serving!
Healthy Swap: A simple vodka and Perrier with fresh lime juice.
3. Beer
Now I know this is not what you want to hear…as I know what you’re thinking, there’s nothing more refreshing than a nice cold beer when you’re sitting on the beach or on your cottage dock. However, beer, especially the beers with a higher alcohol content, are high in calories.
Not only is beer high in calories, it’s high in carbohydrates as well, and carbohydrates get stored as fat when you consume too much.
If you’re looking at alcohol by volume, you want to aim for 3% or lower as this will have fewer calories.
Comparison: Samuel Adams = 180 calories per serving where as an average light beer is only 70-100 calories per serving.
4. Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks
This, all year round, is just a bad idea and the worst combination for your health. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks is combining a depressant with a stimulant at the same time.
Studies have shown it is a lot more dangerous to drink alcohol with an energy drink than drinking alcohol by itself. Even the organic and natural energy drinks are not a good idea, as again, they are a stimulant mixed with a depressant.
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So there you have it! If you really want to maintain your weight and good health this summer you’re going to stay away from: the sugary frozen drinks, the high alcohol beers and never mix your alcohol with an energy drink!
Always remember…enjoy your alcohol responsibly.
Check out our blog page for more healthy tips and summer recipes!