by Jennifer and Joshua Grenell
We know many of us are planning on hunkering down this holiday season. But some of us are still getting together with close family and friends. Whichever you are doing this is a good time to try some new options for celebrating.
Alcohol and health and fitness are minimally mutually beneficial. No one will tell you to drink to get healthy. This blog post is focused on how to celebrate with your health and fitness in mind.
Do you have a goal of a weekly exercise routine with eating healthy? Have you noticed there are many obstacles in the way? The key to obtaining a healthy lifestyle is to find ways around or remove said barriers.
One of those aspects of our lifestyle that can really impact our goal attainment is drinking alcohol and the chain of events that can sometimes occur when drinking alcohol. While some of us can drink only 1-2 drinks, many in a social setting cannot. Drinking, for a lot of people, also leads to making food choices we normally would not.
A study from Barnes, Mündel, and Stannard (2010) suggests that a moderate alcohol dose may impair normal muscle recovery after very strenuous exercise. There are a lot of things that need to happen for your body to appropriately recover. Alcohol gets in the way of most of them.
I think most of us already know that. So let’s get right to the alternatives.
Behaviors:
- Go into a social event with a plan. If you know that you have to get up early the next day or have exercise planned, or just want to make healthier choices. Remind yourself of your goals.
- Pick 1 drink, sip it slowly, be mindful of the taste and flavor.
- Pay attention to the social setting you are in.
- Enjoy the people you are with.
- Make it a goal to have 1 glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed.
If you know that you will be drinking, here are some healthier alternatives:
- Vodka seltzer with lemon or lime
- Bloody Mary
- One glass of red wine
- Scotch on the rocks
Here are some traditional non-alcohol containing beverage ideas:
- Virgin Bloody Mary – just omit the vodka
- Instead of a Margarita, try sugar-free lemonade with a salt rim and a wedge of lime.
- A dressed-up tonic water – go wild and add a sliced cucumber.
- Flavored sparkling water- spice it up with added fruit, herbs, or a little fruit juice.
New on the scene. Non-Alcohol spirits. I will be trying these this Christmas.
Seedlipdrinks: https://seedlipdrinks.com/
RitualProof: https://www.ritualzeroproof.com/
Kin: https://www.kineuphorics.com/
Curious Elixirs: https://curiouselixirs.com/
Enjoy the season!