One of the BEST ways to start your day!

Hello friends! I wanted to let you in on my latest healthy find, and give you some info about why it’s my new favorite thing to eat in the morning. Now before I tell you what it is, you have to promise not to say, “EW” and stop reading. You have to keep on reading to get in on this because it’s delicious as well as healthy, I promise! Ok, so here we go, my latest new yummy thing is… plain Greek yogurt. Wait, wait, wait, let me explain. Because I agree with you, plain yogurt is, well, sour. However, I turned plain yogurt into a yummy beginning of the day dish so keep the faith my readers, I’ll get you there too!

Here’s how this whole Greek yogurt thing started with me. I’ve been reading for years about yogurt, in particular Greek yogurt, and how great it is for you. I mean, it is loaded with probiotics which helps to promote a healthy gut and immune system among many other things, it’s higher in calcium than a glass of milk which gives us strong bones and teeth, it has a high satiety rating, meaning that it makes us feel SATISFIED longer which helps us eat less, so it is good for weight loss. Greek yogurt is 30% protein which is great for our muscles, and it’s relatively bland flavor makes it a perfect vehicle for different dishes.

Greek yogurt is by far a better choice than regular yogurt because it has more protein, less natural sugar (about 4 grams in Greek yogurt versus 7 grams in regular), lower carbohydrates per cup, less lactose so it’s easier to digest, and a thicker, smoother texture that helps us feel more satisfied. That’s because Greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey. When whey is removed, so is the water, resulting in a thicker, more substantial yogurt product.

HOWEVER, and this is a big however, most yogurt products out there, whether Greek or regular, are NOT A HEALTHY CHOICE FOR US. Most yogurts sold at US grocery stores are more of a dessert than a health food. This was my constant problem with yogurt. For years, I would go to the grocery store peruse the yogurt aisle and the backs of the containers of yogurt (remember it’s critically important to read your labels in the grocery store before you make your buying decisions), and be appalled at how much sugar is in these small containers of yogurt. For instance, one six ounce container of Yoplait yogurt may contain 26 grams of sugar (for the red raspberry flavor). General Mills announced last year it would reduce the amount of sugar in their yogurts by 25%, but even so their yogurt products will still have close to 20 grams of sugar in one container.

This amount of sugar would negate the health benefits that the yogurt would provide. Remember to have a healthy gut it is important to avoid sugar as it can cause disease-causing microbes to crowd out your beneficial gut flora. Other problems with yogurt is that it can contain artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and additives, yet it masquerades as health food.

Another really important point is to eat full fat yogurt, as opposed to low or no fat versions, because low or no fat yogurt does not contain the same levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) or other high quality fats like the omega 3’s found in most whole milk yogurt. Let me tell you why that’s important, CLA helps prevent cancer and aids in weight loss too! Also, vitamins A and D, which are critical to metabolism and good immunity, are fat soluble. So you need to ingest them with fat in order for your body to absorb them.

There are very few yogurts on the market that make FULL FAT plain Greek varieties with no added sugar, artificial flavors or sweeteners. There are only two that I know of-Fage and Wallaby Organic. However, I’ve read that Fage could possibly come from cows fed with GMO feed. I think that for me though the full fat option is the most important benefit, so I have chosen to use this brand because it’s readily available in most grocery stores. It contains only Grade A Pasteurized milk and cream, and Live active yogurt cultures (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophiles, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casel). That’s all it contains. It has 220 calories per cup, with 25% RDA of calcium, 20 grams of protein, and only 9 grams of naturally occurring sugar.

Now to the fun part, how did I make it into something that tasted delicious without adding a lot of sugar or calories?!!! The answer came to me one morning when I was searching for something to eat that was full of protein and not too caloric. My S.O. had a container of Fage plain full fat yogurt in the fridge. I looked at the protein level and saw that it had 20 grams per cup and only 9 grams of sugar and I was sold. The challenge was to find something to pair with the yogurt that wasn’t too sugary and would make the plain yogurt taste good. The answer was sitting in a jar right in front of me- peanut butter! I looked at the plain yogurt and I looked at the peanut butter and I thought, “what the heck, let’s try it!” And it was AWESOME! It tasted sweet- but it wasn’t, creamy, and had a wonderful texture. The peanut butter only added 1 additional gram of sugar, and just like that it became my new go-to morning meal. Here’s how I did it:

Take a cup of Fage full fat yogurt, add a teaspoon of peanut butter, and a few shakes of organic cinnamon and mix it all together. Eat immediately. It has 283 calories, 22.3 grams of protein, 10 grams of sugar, 11 grams of fat (and remember that fat is GOOD FOR YOU)and 25% of your calcium for the day. It will keep you full and satisfied. In fact, I usually make a cup of this and then only eat half of it, and store the rest in the fridge for the next day. It is a healthy and delicious way to start your day, I promise!

And that’s all there is to it! I hope you’re now a believer about plain, full fat Greek yogurt, like I am now. You really can add anything to it, but remember to watch the sugar of whatever you’re adding to keep it really healthy. Since it has a flavor like sour cream you can also use it wherever you would use sour cream, because it’s a lot healthier. Eating plain, full fat Greek yogurt will help you to live a life of vitality- with Valerie! 🙂

This symptom could negatively affect your health and safety- and it’s 100% preventable!

Healthy, life-giving water!

Hello my friends! The topic I’m going to talk to you about today came about because of my concern that my daughter, Danielle, is not drinking enough water. I was sure that was really bad for her, and I started researching what and how much we should be drinking. The results were even more shocking than I thought, and not only did I share them with Danielle, I also wanted to share them with my readers as well.

Now we all know that if you’re dying of thirst while being stranded in the desert that is really bad, right? Well, the fact that really surprised me was that if you are 1 to 2% dehydrated, which would show as symptoms of mild thirst, that can cause problems like headaches, irritability, and impaired cognition. A 2% dehydration level also leads to a 10% decrease in athletic performance, so make sure you’re hydrating before you exercise. Even more concerning, according to a recent Harvard study, more than half of American children are dehydrated and 1/4 of children do not drink water on a daily basis. Boys were 75% more likely to be inadequately hydrated than girls.

If your response is, “What’s the big deal about water, anyway?”, here’s the answer for you. Our bodies are made up of approximately 65% water, which is crucial for blood circulation, metabolism, regulation of body temperature, waste removal and detoxification.

Here’s another concern, children and the elderly have an underdeveloped thirst mechanism, which makes them more vulnerable to dehydration. Also, hunger and sugar cravings could be a sign that you are dehydrated so when you feel hungry, drink a glass of water first. Other dehydration symptoms are fatigue, dizziness, mood swings, foggy thinking and poor concentration, chills, muscle cramps, back or joint ache, dull, dry skin, pronounced wrinkles, constipation, infrequent urination, dark, concentrated urine, and bad breath.

How much water should we drink a day in order to avoid the above symptoms? The Institute of Medicine recommends women drink 2.7 liters (91 ounces) a day, and men 3.7 liters (125 ounces). I don’t walk around with a device to measure how much water I’m drinking, I use the urine rule which means that if my urine is a light yellow color I’m drinking an adequate amount of water. One thing to keep in mind though, if you’re taking a supplement containing vitamin B2 (like most multivitamins) your urine will be a bright, fluorescent yellow after you take it. In that case, use the frequency rule. A healthy person urinates 7-8 times per day so if you are urinating a lot less frequently than that or if it’s just a super small amount, up your water intake.

Here’s a scary fact about dehydration that I uncovered, according to a study published in the Journal of Psychology and Behavior, dehydrated drivers made twice the amount of errors in a two hour drive compared to hydrated drivers. That is similar to the results of a driver who is under the influence of alcohol- yes, that’s what I said! Frightening!

Need I say more?!

A comforting thought though, is that all of this is 100% preventable by simply rehydrating yourself and your children. However, not all beverages are equal. If you’re drinking energy drinks or soda, they are high in caffeine which acts as a diuretic that can dehydrate you. Stay away from those. Also, sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices and other sweetened beverages contain processed fructose which is one of the primary causes of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. One soda per day adds as much as 15 pounds to your weight per year, and it also increases your risk of diabetes by 85%.

Sports drinks many people believe to be more important to drink when you’re dehydrated than water because of electrolyte replacement. However, most sports drinks contain two thirds or even more sugar than sodas, usually high fructose corn syrups. They also contain artificial colors and flavors which is also not good for your health. Fructose is metabolized by the liver and is the main cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Just like alcohol, your body turns fructose directly into fat, which cancels out the benefits of your workout.

You may be drinking sugar free sodas or sports drinks and think you’re doing something healthy for your body, but that’s absolutely incorrect. Those sugar free drinks will contain artificial sweeteners, which may be worse for you than fructose. Also, many people think they need to drink sports drinks to replenish their electrolytes (salt) lost during exercise, but they usually just use processed salt to do that.

Also, fruit juices are not a healthy option either. Fruit juices can contain more sugar than soda. For example, one 8 ounce glass of orange juice has 8 teaspoons of sugar, at least 50% of that is fructose. Many fruit juices contain high fructose corn syrup, just like soda. And many fruit juices are made by the same parent companies that make soda pop, so keep that in mind. Now, eating a whole fruit is hydrating like an orange or watermelon, but just remember to eat the fruit, not buy the juice from the grocery store, because the whole fruit contains a lot of fiber too.

Ok, so what should we be drinking, you ask? Well, of course the answer is WATER. But all water is not created equally and I want to address that as well. First of all, please please please don’t drink bottled water! Those bottles are clogging up our landfills and the plastic contains industrial chemicals like bisphenol-A, bisphenol-S (BPA/BPS) and phthalates which leach from the plastic. Also, just because you’re drinking bottled water, it doesn’t mean it’s any more pure than the tap water you’re drinking, and often times it’s more contaminated.

Tap water can have many contaminants as well, so the best choice is FILTERED tap water. And use a glass water bottle instead of a plastic one to make sure fewer contaminants get into your water. Filters are inexpensive to buy, and can be easily installed on your kitchen faucet. The best one is a reverse osmosis water filtration system because it removes almost everything bad from your water. Those systems are a bit pricier, but are definitely worth it. If you need a little flavor in your water, like Danielle does, I recommend putting an organic lemon into your water. It makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE TASTE OF THE WATER.

Danielle drinking coconut water as I write this post!

Also, another healthy alternative I found for my family to drink is organic coconut water. It’s very hydrating and has no sugar, or artificial colors or flavors. It’s also packaged in a paper carton so it’s more environmentally friendly and there are no chemicals to leach into your beverage. It tastes a bit like a pina colada but with no sugar. It has electrolytes too and at only 43 calories per cup, is a great bang for your nutritional buck. I think it’s a great alternative for those who need a bit more after a workout.

So that’s my wisdom for the day. Get hydrated by drinking filtered water, coconut water, or whole fruit, and avoid sports drinks, fruit juices, sodas, and energy drinks. Look for frequency of urination and urine color as signs of dehydration, and be alert for the symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, thirst, etc. If you feel hungry or have a sugar craving and you’ve just eaten, make sure you have a glass of water before reaching for the cookies or candy, it could be thirst at work. Also, urge your children or elderly family members to drink more pure water, because they may not be as aware of their dehydration as you are. Every time I grab my glass of water I remind Danielle to drink her coconut water because I realize she doesn’t get the thirst signal like she should. Drinking pure water or other healthy options is SO GOOD for you, and will help you live a life of vitality- with Valerie!

Are You S.A.D. This Winter?!!

This was earlier in the winter season because now when I go outside, I’m DEFINITELY NOT SMILING!

Hi All! Well, it’s COLD here in the Midwest, and by cold I mean CCCCCCOOOOLD! Right this minute it’s 1 degree here, and with the wind chill it feels like 11 degrees BELOW ZERO! Oh, and it’s gloomy too, we have moments of sunshine but really it’s been quite cloudy. You get the picture, right? If you don’t, here’s the picture. I mean, a picture of what it looks like here at this moment.

Right now at the casa! Taken from inside of course because as I said it’s COLD out!!!

It looks like where Nasa faked the moon landing, doesn’t it? Very desolate and grey, and it’s been like this for a long while. So, the point of this post is that because of the lack of sunlight and inability to go outside, some of us (which definitely includes ME!) are susceptible to the “winter blues”.

Yep, that’s what it said this morning when I took my dogs out! Horrid!

Now here’s an important point that I want to be sure to make from the get go, there is a difference between being sad and a little blue during the winter and real clinical depression. I’m talking about the winter blues here, so if you feel you are clinically depressed (can’t get out of bed, feel suicidal, etc), please talk to a medical professional IMMEDIATELY.

My babies were smiling earlier in the winter too- now they’re freezing walking around their college campus!

What I’m talking about is something called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It’s so aptly named because that’s the way I feel lately, a little sad. Here’s the 411 on SAD, it’s a feeling of fatigue, sadness and depression that grows as sunlight grows scarce. It’s differentiated from regular depression because unlike regular depression, it totally goes away in the spring and summer months. It’s been estimated that 20% of Americans are affected by SAD each winter.

The reason this happens is that as the days begin to darken and sunlight is at a minimum our health and mood is intricately tied to exposure to sunlight. SAD has long been associated with Vitamin D deficiency, in addition to more chronic depression. Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue, and activated Vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in the brain, so it’s important for brain function and mental health in general. Take Serotonin levels, for example. The hormone typically associated with elevating your mood, Serotonin rises when exposed to bright light. Also, Melatonin rises and falls inversely with light and darkness. Like, when it’s dark your melatonin levels increase, which is why we feel tired when the sun starts to set. And when it sets so early in the winter, 4 pm?!!, we start to feel tired earlier than usual. Also, our circadian rhythms, or biological clock, is controlled by light and darkness and impacts hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.

See? This is why we are more sad (lack of vitamin D), cranky (lack of Seratonin), tired (too much Melatonin) and hungry (circadian rhythms are off) in the winter. It’s not our fault, it’s darn winter’s fault! I always feel better if I can blame someone or something else!

Chewie trying to get as much sunlight as he can in these darky, gloomy days!

Believe me, though, when I tell you that this is nothing to make light of. It can really throw you off and make you feel pretty darn bad. However, I want to assure my wonderful readers that this is something we can conquer or at least minimize as much as possible. I’ve got a list for you that I’ve compiled from a number of sources (including the one who resides in my home when I needed additional assistance with this issue!) about ways to help make you feel better during the dark, cold winter months. I KNOW it will help you as it’s helped me a lot!

1. Exercise- Get Moving! That’s the best advice for when I’m feeling gloomy and tired, I ride my bike, kickbox, or take a jog with my dogs. Anything to get the blood flowing makes me feel so warm and happy. As Elle Woods in Legally Blonde said, “Exercise gives you Endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” Wise words from one of my favorite movies! 🙂

2. Go Outside– It seems like the last thing I want to do when it’s cold and gloomy out but I’ll tell you, it is the most effective cure for my SAD, especially when the sun is out. Sunlight is the best way to boost Vitamin D and seratonin so this is super important in the winter. However, even if it isn’t, I find that just getting a bit of fresh air makes me feel better. I’ve taken my dogs for a walk every day of this winter, except when it’s below zero outside or an ice storm, and it helps not only me but my dogs too. I think Chewie has SAD as well because when we can’t take our walk he seems genuinely bummed.

3. Light therapy– If there is no way to get natural sunlight, sun substitutes must be employed to help vitamin D production. I have a full-spectrum light box, and I use it every morning to help stimulate vitamin D and serotonin levels naturally. A good quality light box is around $150, and for me totally worth it to help give me a natural boost. I also advocate the use of ELECTRONIC BALLAST tanning beds. Most commercial tanning salons utilize magnetic ballast systems which generate potentially harmful electromagnetic fields (EMF), and the electronic ballast systems do not. I know this is a controversial topic. I know this because in my own family the fact that I have an electronic ballast tanning bed has caused a lot of angst and fighting. All I can say is that it is my belief, no my certainty, that sunlight (and tanning beds) DO NOT CAUSE SKIN CANCER. conversely it is the LACK OF VITAMIN D (or avoidance of sunlight) that causes cancer. Now, I have certain caveats to my beliefs in this regard, first, NEVER EVER BURN YOURSELF IN THE SUN/TANNING BED/OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.I have not ever burned to my knowledge and I never intend to. Second, while it is not my belief that sun/tanning beds cause skin cancer, I know they cause premature aging of the skin so I always cover my head with a hat and my eyes with sunglasses when I’m in the sun. Third, everything in moderation. I only utilize my tanning bed twice a week because I don’t want to be one of those leather skinned old ladies who walk on the beach in Florida, even though I have one in my home. I mean, just because I have bottles of wine in my home I’m not going to drink them all at once, am I?

4. Supplementation– I highly recommend everyone to go and get their vitamin D levels tested. Any doctor can write a prescription for the test. Then, you’ll see how low it probably is. I say that because the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 50% of children aged 1-5 years, 70% of kids 6-11, 50% of people under 60 years old, and 95% of all senior citizens are deficient or have insufficient vitamin D. So basically, many of us have low vitamin D. I had mine tested in the summer when I was getting plenty of sun and IT WAS STILL LOW. So I take a daily vitamin D3 (there are different D’s but D3 is the best one for absorption) supplement of 5,000 IU (international units). The ideal amount of vitamin D you’re looking for is 50-70 ng/ml and you want to maintain this year round. Vitamin D is key for so many other of our bodily functions, and low vitamin D has been tied to all kinds of cancers so this is one of the major things you can do for your health in general. I also take a SAMe supplement which helps increase serotonin levels. Remember, always buy pharmaceutical grade supplements and don’t buy them at the grocery store or a big box store. That way you know you’re getting a quality supplement that will actually do what it’s supposed to do. And always check with your physician before taking any supplements.

5. Cuddling– Cuddling up with your husband/wife/significant other/children/pets is one of the good things about this cold, miserable weather, and it benefits your body as well. Hugs increase your endorphins which are your “feel good” hormones, and when you’re chilly it feels so good to snuggle up with a warm body, so by all means, increase those endorphins and get warm and cozy too. You’ll all benefit from that! 🙂

6. Keep it bright– have a roaring fire in your fireplace, turn on the lights, and keep the shades/curtains open to let in as much light as possible. It will help stimulate vitamin D and serotonin levels.

7. Get enough sleep and the right kind of it- It’s important to stick to a pattern of going to sleep fairly early and getting up that way too. If we stray too far from our biological patterns of going to sleep when it’s dark and awaking when the sun rises it can disrupt the hormonal cycles of our bodies which can affect both mood and health. Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night, and try to get them at a reasonable time. I usually go to bed around 10:30-11 and awaken around 7. Insomnia is one of the biggest links between depression and health, with half the people who are diagnosed with depression also struggling with insomnia. Try to keep it dim in the bedroom and DON’T FALL ASLEEP WITH THE TV ON. Besides the noise the tv creates which can disrupt sleep, it also emanates blue light which is a stimulant and can keep you from falling into a deep sleep. In fact, eliminate all electronic devices in the bedroom. There are no laptops, ipads or computers in our bedroom, although we do have our phones next to our beds which serve as our alarm clocks. We have a tv too, however we don’t usually watch tv in our bedroom preferring to watch in the family room.

8. Proper Nutrition– The link between food and overall health cannot be overstated (especially by me). Avoid processed foods which have a detrimental impact on brain function and mental health in general because of the SUGAR PROCESSED FOODS CONTAIN. Because your gut actually produces more serotonin than your brain does, optimizing gut health by eating fermented vegetables and taking probiotics every day really helps with SAD. Also, increasing animal based Omega 3 fats is essential for mood, especially because your brain consists of about 60% fat and you need a constant input of them for your brain to work properly. A 2009 study showed that people with low levels of Omega 3’s were more likely to have symptoms of depression than those with higher levels.

There you go! That’s what I’ve learned about SAD and the ways to prevent it. Now if spring could FINALLY get here I know I’ll feel better. I’m also looking forward to our upcoming (3 weeks!) trip to a warmer state than Indiana which will really help as well. Until then, I will try to stay warm and utilize the strategies I’ve outlined above to help me cope. Let me know if you try any of them, and if it helps you too! Overcoming SAD will help you live a life of vitality- with Valerie!

LIFT your way to weight loss- and a healthier body!

That will be me-as soon as my weights are delivered!

So I had a birthday this past weekend, and like most women I hinted at what I wanted for a present. Most of you think I probably asked for jewelry or a new purse, but what I wanted, and received, will probably surprise you. I got a set of weights and a weight bench! Not what you thought, right?! Well, it was the perfect present for me and should be for you too. Let me tell you why.

As we get older, and who isn’t getting older I ask you, our metabolism begins to SLOOOOW DOOOOWN! And we also begin to lose muscle mass too. All that muscle that goes away begins to turn to…. fat unfortunately. Now of course the cornerstone of preventing this from happening starts and ends with a healthy diet. As they say, “you can’t train away a poor diet”, and I truly believe that as all of my previous posts attest. However, I notice that even though I do eat a healthy diet, and carefully control both the amount and kind of calories I am consuming, my body is starting to change in ways I don’t care for.

I also exercise 5 times a week for 45 minutes per session so it’s not that I’m not exercising, it’s what I’m doing, or in this case not doing that is making the (not so good) changes in my body. I mostly (90%) of my exercise time, do cardio- either biking or kick boxing. I’m not saying that cardio isn’t good, in fact it is essential for a healthy heart and body. What I am saying is that it’s NOT ENOUGH! I must begin integrating weight training into my workout routine and I will, as soon as my weights and bench are delivered (I’m waiting excitedly like it’s Christmas again!).

Here’s the great thing though, even though the salesperson at the fitness store tried to upsell us to the $3,000 machine, we gave that a pass and picked up some basic weights, a bench, a long bar and two dumbbell bars for $350! These are good quality items too, not something that will fall apart or be unsafe for me to use.

I know some of you have a membership to a health club (that may or may not ever be used :)), and if you do that’s great because I highly recommend a session with a personal trainer so that he/she can help set you up with a workout routine based on your strength and fitness level. However, if you’re a home exercise person (like me!) you can get yourself set up for a few hundred dollars with a quality weight bench and set of weights. I just have never been one of those people who likes to work out with a bunch of other people watching me. I feel self conscious and pressured somehow.

If you’re at home and doing it on your own my suggestion is to start out LOW AND SLOW. Use the lightest weights you are comfortable with and do very few repetitions at first. For instance, start with 10 reps each of- bicep curls, triceps kickbacks, shoulder presses, squats, calf presses, and inclines for abdominals, beginning with light weights. Do this twice a week and start to add weight and more reps as the weeks go by.

I definitely want abs like this!

Another great benefit to strength training is that it is a cardiovascular workout too; when you work out with weights you’re heart is pounding and you are sweating, ie, great cardio workout! Weight training improves insulin and leptin sensitivity (thereby getting rid of that pesky fat that gathers around our mid section) and boosts human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which is known as the fitness hormone. It helps with greater balance too, which decreases as we get older. It also improves bone density, cardiorespiratory fitness (that heart pounding, sweating thing I talked about), improves blood pressure, blood glucose control, aerobic capacity, gene expression, and telomere length- wow who knew! This is all in addition to increasing strength and muscle mass, and improving your body composition (that means looking HOT again!).

So anyway, this is what I’m excited about these days and I will be sure to keep you posted as to my progress. Let me know if you are going to try to integrate weight training into your fitness routine, and we can do this TOGETHER! Strength training is DEFINITELY good for your entire body and will help you live a life of vitality- with Valerie! 🙂

A Healthy way to Drink in the New Year!

A good glass of wine makes everything fine- Thanksgiving 2013!

So the holidays are upon us, aren’t they? 9 more days until Christmas and a little over two weeks from the big drinking holiday, New Year’s Eve. Pretty much every adult I know over 21 will ring in the new year with a cocktail or two. Being an advocate for healthy living, I wanted to let you know what I feel are the five healthiest alcoholic beverages to drink, not just on New Year’s Eve, but any time of the year. Now, healthy to me means that not only is the cocktail low in calories, but it also has positive health benefits, and it tastes good too. That’s why you won’t see VODKA TONIC on my list. Yes, it is low in calories, but other than that it basically has no nutritional value and no flavor. Hence it is not a healthy cocktail in my book.

Here’s the thing though, QUALITY IS BETTER THAN QUANTITY when it comes to the healthiness of an alcoholic beverage. No cocktail is healthy if you have more than 2 of them, and if you get to four or more than it becomes toxic to your body. So my advice to you is, BE A MODERATE DRINKER. That’s the best thing you can do for your health. With that in mind, I will share my healthy cocktail list with you.

Number one healthiest alcoholic drink and my personal favorite- WINE!

1. Red or White Wine- This one is one of the healthiest and my favorite so I’m going to call it the number one on the healthiest cocktail scale. First, it contains 5% of your daily nutritional requirements for iron, 9% potassium, 5% magnesium, and antioxidants like flavonoids and nonflavanoids. Resveratrol, which is a nonflavanoid, reduces blood clots and lowers bad cholesterol. Calories range from 110-130 per glass so it’s not a highly caloric option. Taste wise you have many options in flavor. Whether you like dry or sweet, red or white, you can find a flavor that pleases your palate.

Michelada- a recently tasted cocktail and a good one too!

2. Michelada- I recently tried one of these cocktails at a delicious Mexican restaurant near my daughters’ university and I loved it. It’s a much more interesting and flavorful twist on a Bloody Mary (which is also a healthy cocktail option for you!). It’s spicy, salty, and so refreshing! The ingredients are beer, limes, Worcestershire sauce, Valentina hot sauce, black pepper, sea salt, and ice. Now, beer is not the healthiest ingredient in a cocktail (beer= carbs), but if a light beer is used it’s not too bad since most come in at under 100 calories. The Michelada I had was made with Modelo Especial which though it isn’t a light beer is really delicious, and I only had one cocktail. I don’t even like beer but I really liked this alcoholic beverage. It also contains lime juice which has tons of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your immune system and neutralizes free radicals that damage our tissues. The hot sauce in this cocktail is made from chili peppers, which contain capsaicin (helps in fighting certain cancers). Chilis are used to aid digestion, reduce appetite, and increase metabolism. The sea salt in the drink helps replenish electrolytes, and the Worcestershire sauce has vitamin B6 (builds red blood cells and maintains nervous system function) in it from the molasses, garlic, cloves and chili pepper extract contained within the sauce. It also has antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K (protects against hemorrhaging and bone loss), and niacin, which aids in digestion. Try it, you’ll like it!

Manhattan- not the city but the cocktail!

3. Manhattan- I’m not much of a mixed drink girl, but I know many of you are out there so in honor of all of you mixed drink fans, I’ve included the Manhattan as one of the best tasting and healthiest mixed cocktails. The ingredients are bourbon, sweet vermouth and Angostura Bitters. Bourbon is flavorful and only 97-110 calories per 1.5 ounces, vermouth is a wine fortified with herbs and contains 45 calories per ounce, and bitters are alleged to have restorative properties and are used to calm an upset stomach. It’s strong so only one cocktail will be plenty in this case. If you like a mixed drink, this is the one for you!

Mmmm Mimosa!

4. Mimosa/Bellini- Mimosas are champagne and orange juice, and Bellinis are champagne and peach juice. Now these are not particularly low cal drinks because of the juices, but they are delicious and satisfying, therefore one cocktail will be plenty. I had a cocktail while in Las Vegas that contained an Italian champagne called Prosecco, berry puree, and lemon juice that was delicious and so pretty. it was called Berry Prosecco Fizz so I’m including that drink in this category too. All of these drinks contain champagne, which is sweet and slightly caloric at 90-110 calories per glass, but champagne is a wine so it contains a ton of antioxidants. Orange juice and peach juice contain many vitamins and minerals that are great for you. One tip I got was to make the Mimosa with grapefruit juice instead of orange, because grapefruits have more fat burning properties than oranges do. Sounds delish to me!

Guiness is a healthy beer!

5. Guinness- I’m not much of a beer fan as I said above, but I know many beer fans, so folks this one’s for you! Guinness is low in calories despite how thick it is, 128 calories for 12 ounces. Also, Guinness is made from more whole grains than most regular beers so it’s full of nutrients. Guinness is shown to have similar antioxidant properties to red wine, and a University of Wisconsin study showed that drinking it helps reduce blood clots and heart problems. Good deal!

Some others healthy alcoholic beverages that could’ve made my list are Sangria (wine and fruit), Bloody Mary (vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery, salt, pepper), and bourbon/whiskey and soda, all healthy drink choices. Remember though, that moderation is the way to go here, and please don’t excessively drink on New Year’s Eve or at any time. 2 drinks or less is the way to go, and the drinks that are on my list are so flavorful that you don’t need to drink a lot to get a delicious flavor and be satisfied. Enjoy your holidays with a healthy drink or two at the most. It will help you live a life of vitality- with Valerie! 🙂

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A Healthy way to Drink in the New Year!

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