Holiday Tip: Drink!

 Today's Holiday Tip: Drink

The picture I have selected to share certainly looks enticing doesn't it? Choose your beverages wisely. Drink lots of water as always!

While shopping or meeting up with family and friends you might decide to hit the convenient coffee shop. Avoid choosing specialty drinks they are ladened with loads of sugar, sodium, and sometimes artificial chemicals. Choosing the low-fat option really isn't going to help you out either. When you choose the low-fat selection what "they" (they meaning companies who create the pre-made drink concoctions) do to compensate for the removal of fat is they add more sugar, more sodium, and maybe more chemicals. These drinks will whack out your blood sugar and then you will be left craving.

Instead choose hot tea or plain black coffee - add real raw honey or agave (unlikely to find at the coffee shop) or full fat cream or milk. If you like add cinnamon or nutmeg if its available to jazz up your drink. You will expose yourself to less calories and remove the possibility of opening yourself up to those cravings.

When heading to an evening event where there will be alcohol the same rules apply. Fancy drink mixes with heavy creamy consistencies (bailey, kailua - type stuff) , fruit punches, margaritas, daiquiris, or some other concoction - if you are trying to watch your waistline then you want to avoid these kinds of alcoholic drinks. The second reason is that when you drink alcohol you tend to determine that eating a little more of the cake, bars, fondue or whatever is in your sites is a great idea (trust me I know)! After downing a few potent drinks the food always looks better but, how about the taste? Well, you really might not taste it at that point so then you end up regretting your decisions the next day or maybe not? Maybe that's just me.

Instead choose plain wine (remember 4 oz is a serving) and red wine is touted for the boost in antioxidants so that's a win-win.  Another option would be champagne as it has less calories than other drinks. Wine & champagne are still alcohol and sugar so you still have to be careful. But, the other bonus is that wine & champagne are to be sipped and savored - so if you find yourself guzzling then set the glass down and find some water to guzzle instead.