Do you drink wine? If so, you’re my kind of person! As a professional in the wine and fitness industries, I am often asked how I am able to drink wine and stay fit. Here is the harsh truth and a few tips to drinking wine and staying fit!
Unfortunately, drinking any kind of alcohol prevents your body from burning fat. I know, this is not what you wanted to hear. Over time, drinking can slow down your metabolism. Without going into crazy detail, just know that your body cannot store alcohol. This means when you ingest it, your body works on metabolizing alcohol first over calories and food consumed. This is why when I am preparing for competitions, I do not drink. However, if your goal is to be fit and maintain your weight, here are some tips on how to incorporate wine (or any alcohol) into your healthy lifestyle:
DRINK GOOD WINE– Cheap wines typically have more sugar. Be fancy with your wine selections and go for quality.
KEEP IT SIMPLE– A lot of times when drinking alcohol, it’s the sugary mixers that get us into trouble. Choosing wine over elaborate cocktails can save you some calories.
HYDRATE– Drink a glass of water with every glass of wine. When you’re hydrated, you increase your metabolism which will be slowed down from the alcohol.
DRINK DRY VS. SWEET– Take a sip of wine and plug your nose (for real). If you taste sweet, it’s a sweet wine. Stay away from moscatos, sweet Rieslings, white zinfandel, port (although I love port!), etc.
EAT- Higher protein and high fiber foods before, during, and after drinking help to add in nutrients lost while drinking.
WATCH YOUR CARBS- Wine is sugar which means carbs. If I know I am going to enjoy some wine on a specific day, I might reduce the amount of carbohydrates I eat with my meals earlier in the day to compensate for the carbs I know I’ll be ingesting via the wine in the evening.
Everything in moderation! Do what you love, drink what you love, and enjoy your life. Being healthy is a necessity to live a long and full life. Wine can help also! Salud!
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