Drinking Healthier with Heather

I don’t know about you all but I have a hard time with any diet that says NO ALCOHOL or really any restriction for that matter.  Restrictions are something I do not believe in but finding healthier options that give me with the same satisfaction I am beyond excited about!  

We all drink for a variety of different reasons, right now it may be stress from quarantine, however it used to be social gatherings, parties, and any other kind of celebration you can think of.  Since we are all in quarantine let’s use this time to get into some healthier drinking habits that you can adopt as a lifestyle change and carry it out when this quarantine is over! 

First, we start with a little alcohol education because knowing how many calories are in your go to beverages will help you with your decision making.  I listed them from lowest to highest in calories.   

·      1 oz shot of Blanco tequila is about 65 calories, my favorites are Case Azul and Don Julio. 

·      1 oz shot of vodka is about 65 calories, my favorite is definitely Titos.

·      6 oz of Prosecco is about 65 calories, my favorites are Mionetto and La Marca. 

·      1 oz of gin is about 75 calories, my favorite is Hendricks.

·      1 oz of whiskey and bourbon is about 105 calories, my favorites are Blantons and Basil Hayden.

·      6 oz of champagne is about 150 calories, my favorites are Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot (the dryer the champagne is the better it is for you.  It also has antioxidants like red wine has that benefit your cholesterol and heart.)

·      6 oz of red wine is about 150 calories, I drink anything organic and sulfite free.    

·      6 oz of white wine is about 150 calories, I drink anything organic and sulfite free.

·      1 can of Beer and cider is about 150 calories, I vary rare drink beer and cider so I don’t have a favorite for you.  Ciders taste very sweet and are loaded with sugar and beer makes me feel full and bloated so I stick to the other options.

Now that you have an idea of how many calories are in alcohol let’s take that another step further and I am going to give you a few healthier drinking tips.  

Tip 1:  Flavor your cocktails with fresh citrus, fruit, mint, jalapenos (ex. fresh squeezed lemon, lime, oranges, grapefruit, blood oranges, watermelon, strawberries).  The more natural the better!  I suggest purchasing a muddler and a large hand squeezer and you are in business.  The good news is with this tip you are adding some vitamins and nutrients that your body can use.  

Tip 2: Club soda all flavors have zero calories or sugar so you can add this guilt free to your beverage and you are also hydrating at the same time.

Tip 3: If you need a little sweetener use agave or honey.  These are natural sweeteners that your body will be able to breakdown easier but still use sparingly as it is still adding calories. 

Tip 4: Drink water with your beverages! if you stay hydrated then a hangover will be less likely in your future which means less cravings for unhealthy foods.  

Tip 5: Drink for enjoyment and not to get drunk.  Moderation is everything, just like with food and there are going to be times where we go overboard but plan for that.  Workout extra, have healthy snacks prepared, drink lots of water, and sweat it out in the morning so that the rest of your day isn’t affected.  Personally, I drink one or 2 drinks at most 2 days a week, that is my normal.  However, there are exceptions but I still try to make the better choices to save calories and not feel like a truck hit me in the morning.  We can all agree I’m sure that those mornings are the worst, so why do that too ourselves if we can help it.

Tip 6: Spritzers!!!  Put your wine on ice with some club soda and fresh fruit!  So good and you are also getting your hydration while you are drinking which is of course a win, win!  My favorite is an Aperol Spritz, I add a little Aperol to my prosecco, with lots of ice, club soda and either an orange or blood orange. So good I want one now!

These tips will help you get started and it’s really fun to make your beverages not only healthy but fancy when you add your fruit choices.  Once you get the hang of this healthier drinking I feel that like me you will not go back.  You feel better, you can save calories, and these beverages are so darn refreshing anything else will look basic after a while.  

My mentality is, anything you put into your body you want to be as nutritious as possible.  We splurge, we have fun but sometimes educating ourselves on how to do things a little better is going to help us not only live longer healthier lives but these simple tricks can save thousands of calories over the course over a year.  

Below are some of my go to cocktails made easy, enjoy!

Spicy Heatherita in a rocks or bourbon glass (shorter glass):

Muddle jalapeno (as much as you want) with 1 lime and 1 tsp light agave or honey

Fill glass with ice

1 or 2 oz of Blanco Tequila (fill about 1 quarter of the glass)

1 fresh squeeze lemon

1 fresh squeezed orange or blood orange

Aperol Spriz in a wine glass

Fill glass with ice

Half Prosecco

Half club soda (I like flavored)

Splash Aperol

Add fresh orange or blood orange

Wine Spritzers in a wine glass

Fill glass with ice

Half wine of choice

Half club soda (I like flavored)

Add fresh fruit of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, melon, apple, pineapple etc.)

Gin cocktail in a wine glass

Muddle cucumber, lime, strawberry

Fill with ice

1 or 2 ounces of your Gin

Fill the rest of the way with club soda (plain or flavored)

Vodka cocktail in a wine glass

Muddle blueberries, mint and a splash of agave

Fill with ice

Fill the rest of the way with club soda (plain or flavored)

Tequila cocktail in a wine glass (skinny margarita)

Fill glass with ice

1 or 2 ounces of your tequila

Fill the rest of the way with club soda (plain or flavored)

Fresh squeezed lime

Splash light agave

Add sliced strawberries

Bourbon Lemonade in a short glass

Fill glass with ice

1 or 2 ounces of bourbon

1 fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit

1 fresh squeezed lemon

Splash of light agave 

Shake or mix

Sassy Sangria (pitcher)

1/2 cup of elderflower

1 bottle of wine

Add a lot of chopped or sliced fruit (apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, whatever you like). Cover and leave in refrigerator for a day or two so that the flavors incorporate.  

Fill a wine glass with ice add 3/4 of sangria and top with flavored clubs soda and fresh fruit

Keep it healthy, Keep it Fancy