Drink Healthy

DRINK HEALTHY
WITH MOUNTING EVIDENCE THAT ALCOHOL CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU—IN MODERATION,
OF COURSE!—IT'S FUN TO TOAST THE HOLIDAY SEASON. CHEERS!

With the holiday season comes the rounds
of housewarming parties, work events and
family gatherings— and more often than not,
rounds of drinks, too. Luckily, researchers are
finding that moderate amounts of alcohol can
actually be good for you. A study conducted at
the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
center at Dallas found that moderate intake of any alcoholic beverage, including beer, wine and spirits, is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. For men, drinking in moderation is equal to two
drinks per day, while one drink per day is recommended for women.

For added health benefits, reach for a glass of red wine or beer. Studies have shown that red wine contains antioxidants, dubbed flavonoids, which can reduce levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and increase high density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) as well as reduce blood clotting and help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. For the highest levels of heart-healthy flavonoids, opt for a glass of cabernet sauvignon, petit sirah or pinot noir. Red wine has also been shown to contain a second antioxidant, resveratrol, which has been found to inhibit tumor growth in some cancers and aid in the formation of nerve cells. Beer can also do a body good. Researchers at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center found that beer contains antioxidants (although different from those found in wine) as well as to protein and vitamin B.

While extra antioxidants are a boon for your health, it’s also important to keep calories in mind while imbibing this season. According to Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, a Los Angels-based cocktail expert and the creator of www.theliquidmuse.com spirits range from 80 to 120 calories. Lighter spirits, such as vodka, can be as low as 80 to 90 calories, while darker spirits, such as rum, fall higher on the scale at 100 calories an ounce. Light beer runs from 100 to 125 calories a bottle, while one serving (about four ounces) ranges from 250 calories for white wine to 300 calories for red varieties.

It's important to remember that although alcohol contains no fat, those extra calories can add up quickly. According to Bovis-Nelsen, cocktails will generally be higher in calories than straight beer, wine or spirits. “Not only do they have several ounces of liquor, but they also have a lot of sugar,” says Bovis-Nelsen who noted that the calorie count on most cocktails found on a typical cocktail menu weigh in at 500 calories. “Anything that is big, sugary, with a ‘tini’ on the end is going to be a lot of calories,” she says. For example, an eight-ounce chocolate martini can reach a whopping 600 calories, once you add up the vodka, chocolate liquor, cream and amaretto ingredients.

To keep calories down, Bovis-Neslen recommends ordering exactly what you want at the bar. “Just like when you are ordering at a restaurant and you have a special request for the waiter, you can ask a bartender to make something the way you want it.” Bovis-Nelson, also suggests ordering a shot of flavored vodka mixed with club soda and a wedge of lime: “This way, you get the flavor without loading up on a lot of sugar.”

Bovis- Neslen also notes that the key to everything is moderation. “If people are drinking alcohol in reasonable quantities and not mixing it with a lot of sugar, cream and calorie-laden mixers, alcohol is not the enemy.” But what if you get caught up in the holiday spirit and drink too much? Bovis-Neslen sums up her perfect hangover cure in one word: water. “Water is the only hangover cure that really works,” she says.

DRINK UP
FROM THAT SPECIAL BOTTLE OF WINE TO GRANDMA'S FAMOUS EGGNOG, IT'S EASY TO OVERINDULGE THIS SEASON. HERE ARE TWO HOLIDAY-INSPIRED COCKTAILS, COURTESY OF WWW.THELIQUIDMUSE.COM, THAT WILL KEEP YOUR SPIRITS HIGH—AND YOUR CALORIE COUNT LOW.

Tea-Tottling Turkeytini
In addition to being just 150 calories, Bovis-Nelsen is a strong believer in the social benefits of a great tasting cocktail. “I think there is a health benefit to the social aspect of drinking alcohol. You are going to get together with friends, whip up a cocktail and chat.” She says.

1 ounce Finlandia Cranberry vodka
3 ounces Red Zinger tea
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 ounce of simple syrup*

Shake vodka, tea, juice and simple syrup, with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

*Simple syrup: Bring two cups of sugar and one cup of water to a boil, then simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Unused portion can be refrigerated for future use.

The Day After New Year’s Eve
At just 125 calories, “this drink is a great brunch cocktail for the day after a big celebration.
It uses fresh ingredients and has just enough ‘hair of the dog’ to ease an aching head,” says Bovis-Nelsen.

1 ounce Square One Organic Cucumber Vodka
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Sparkling lime-flavored mineral water

Pour vodka, lemon juice, bitters and sparkling water into an ice-filled glass. Stir. Garnish with a cucumber spear.

—Jennifer Carofano

After a decade of subways, bagels and window shopping in New York City, Jennifer Carofano now lives with her husband and their two cars in sunny Los Angeles.

Los Angeles-based Natalie Bovis-Nelsen's website and blog, The Liquid Muse (www.theliquidmuse.com), is devoted to cocktails, spirits, wine and travel, and her internationally syndicated column "Travel Buzz" prints a million pages per month in Where Magazine.