More Tummy-Trimming Tips for the Holidays

December 9, 2013

Wine World Bubbly

In my post of last Monday, I highlighted half a dozen tips to help your tummy appear less puffy, taken from the great new book entitled, “Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies,” by Erin Palinski-Wade, Tara Gidus, and Kristina LaRue.

This week we cover four more, but these tips specifically related to alcohol consumption (and who doesn’t drink a bit more during the festive holiday season than other times during the year)?

In the new book, the three authors cite alcohol as a belly bloater since it is a source of empty calories. Alcohol can actually increase your appetite, and can be a major source of weight gain and increased belly fat when consumed in excess.

“You don’t need to eliminate alcohol over the holidays; just keep an eye on the quantity you consume,” says Palinski-Wade.

In addition to limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, the co-authors suggest that you follow these simple guidelines:

• Your best choice for alcohol is red or white wine, a wine spritzer, or light beer. Some alcohol can have health benefits. Red wine, for instance, is a great source of resveratrol, which has anti-inflammatory properties and may be beneficial to heart health.

• If you have a mixed drink, avoid high-calorie mixers such as a sugar-laden soft drink. Instead, try mixing your drink with club soda or seltzer with a splash of juice for flavor.

• Drink alcohol at the end of the meal instead of before eating. Alcohol can stimulate appetite and lower inhibitions, resulting in your making less healthy food choices or eating larger portions.

 

 

 

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment