Dont Whine.. Grab your glass of WINE

Just got back from an extra long workout with one of my good friends, Leah! I had to ask this teenage boy how to use the ONLY machine I have yet to use in the little gym at my apartment building! So onto a subject I know you all would like to read about! I know that there are a lot of wine drinkers out there and I myself love a glass of wine here or there :) So I have gotten a few questions about is wine safe to have on a low carbohydrate diet? 

Okay, so with my research I have found that YES, we can have our glass of wine on our low carbohydrate diet, but is only recommended after a period of time. I would recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after starting ANY form of diet to indulge in a glass of wine. If we look into our Carbohydrates for the day, you can make the decision yourself if a glass of wine will fit into your daily allowance. I just told you that yes, we can have a glass of wine.. but I didn’t tell you why!

In my research I have concluded that although alcohol is sometimes lumped in with carbohydrates, our bodies treat alcohol and carbohydrate differently. If we are counting our calories per ounce, an ounce of alcohol carries 7 calories per gram whereas a carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram. Our bodies will use the calories from the alcohol before using any from our carbohydrates or fats.

            The reason we all hear not to drink alcoholic beverages while on a low carb diet are possibly because alcohol can cause our blood sugar to become eratic, depending on which type, the amount of food in our stomach, or the amount of alcohol consumed. So we have established that on a low carb diet we can consume alcohol, but doesn’t it come from fruits high in sugar? Yes, you are correct..

            Our wine starts as a high-carbohydrate plant, but during the fermentation process the yeasts eat up the carbohydrates producing the alcohol. The carbohydrates that are left are contributed by the leftover sugars not eaten up by the yeast! So each and every wine has a different level of carbohydrate. What is your favorite wine, and what is the carbohydrate amount??

This is per 5 ounce serving:

Dry Champagne: ~2.5 to 4.5 grams
Dry White (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay): ~3 grams
”Off Dry” (e.g. Reisling, Chenin Blanc): ~5 to 6 grams
Muscat:~8 grams
Dry Red (e.g. Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sav.): ~3.5 to 4 grams
Zinfindel: 4.2 grams (yumm.. my favorite!!)
Dessert Wines: 12 to 14 grams
Sweet Late Harvest Wine: 20 grams

            So there you are! Now every time you take a glass of that wine, you will know EXACTLY the amount of carbohydrate you are ingesting!  

            Wait!! You don’t like wine and prefer a mixed drink instead? Well that is an EASIER ONE! Lets say you are out with some girlfriends, and your friends all order a Whiskey Sour. You panic.. you have NO CLUE what to order that is on your diet!! Don’t panic.. this is the EASIEST situation! Since our basic liqueurs such as: vodka, rum, whiskey, etc have nothing left to them BUT the alcohol.. you are safe.. so choose a DIET coke.. some lemon or lime juice(add your own SPLENDA!).. You will feel ten times better than the rest of your lady friends.. (that whiskey sour they just ordered.. ¼ cup of that sweet and sour they use in it.. has 17g. of carbohydrates!!)

Here is a recipe for an at home cocktail.. LOW CARB STYLE!!

Borrowed from http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/beverages/a/lowcarbcocktail.htm

Carbonated mixers are either naturally carb-free and calorie-free (club soda, sparkling water, plain water) or come in diet versions (tonic water, ginger ale, cola, lemon-lime soda such as 7-Up or Sprite). Note that tonic water does contain sugar unless it is a diet-type. "Highballs" (mixed drinks which are mostly mixer) made with just these mixers and liquor are easy to make sugar-free. For example:

·         Gin and tonic (or vodka tonic)

·         Jack and Coke (made with diet cola)

·         Scotch and soda

·         Seven and Seven (Segram's 7 and Diet 7-Up)

·         Rum and diet cola

·         Rye and Ginger (rye whiskey and diet ginger ale)

Alrighty my dear friends! I have had a blast researching this information for you all!! Until next time!

OLIVE JUICE