Alcohol

It may be my obsession with Downton Abbey and the BBC's Sherlock, but lately I've been craving classic English cocktails: gin and tonics, for example. The problem is, tonic water is not diet-friendly. Most store-bought brands contain corn syrup and just as many calories as a sugary soda.

This gin and tonic variation substitutes zero-calorie soda water for the tonic, and the splash of elderflower liqueur complements the juniper flavor of the gin, giving it a clean and refreshing finish. The next time you are in need of a G and T, opt for an elderflower gin cordial instead — it's free of corn syrup and falls under the 200-calorie mark.

Learn how to make this cocktail after the break!

New Year's Eve is days away, and while a Champagne toast at midnight is customary, many of you will be having more than just one glass — maybe even four or five before the night is out. Come morning and you have quite the hangover on your hands. You wake up with a pounding headache, parched mouth, and a room that seems to be spinning. What — if anything — can you do to make it stop? Read up on our helpful hangover tips to see what works, what doesn't, and if it's possible to plan a hangover remedy the night before.

• How to prevent a hangover altogether: If you're going to go all out this NYE, you're probably going to pay the price: our bodies aren't designed to binge on bad stuff and feel great the next day. There are a few things that you can do that may prevent a hangover from happening — or, at least make it less painful. Check out these tips for preventing a hangover.
• Too late, the hangover hit: If you aren't able to take our advice on preventing a hangover this New Year's holiday, there are ways to make it more bearable. Remember: lots of water, but mostly just time. Here are five fixes to help you better cope with a hangover. And from a sour stomach to a pounding headache, here are specific fixes for common hangover ailments.
• Common hangover myths busted: From hair of the dog to raw eggs, there's a lot of commonly held hangover cures. But do they really work? Here's everything you need to know on the truth about hangovers and which hangover myths are just that — myths.
  

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Tina Haupert

For me, it wouldn’t be the holiday season without enjoying a festive cocktail or two. But unfortunately most of these drinks are heavy on calories and fat, which isn’t good when I’m trying to maintain healthy eating habits.

Instead of just sipping seltzer and missing out on all of the party cheer, I follow a few simple tricks to keep the holiday cocktails from showing up on the scale.

Start With Some Bubbly
Sorry, not champagne! On a night when I know there are a few drinks in my future, I like to start off with a glass of no-calorie seltzer (or still water). The bubbles from the carbonation give my stomach a full feeling, which helps me slow down and think about my food choices as the night progresses.

If I pace myself, I have better control around all of the delicious holiday goodies. Plus it's no surprise that the calories in cocktails quickly add up, so I also like to alternate seltzer between rounds.

Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Order It With Extra Ice
I like to order my cocktails with extra ice, since melting cubes dilute the drink. This creates more liquid, so I can sip longer without increasing my calorie intake.

Occasionally, I'll order my drink on the rocks, which takes me longer to consume than a mixed cocktail. Sometimes it lasts so long, I don't bother with a refill, which saves me calories in the long run.

Keep reading for more tips!

If you were out late last night wining and dining with friends, it's not until the next morning that you realize that last glass of pinot was a bad idea. Your head is pounding, the room is spinning, and if it's really grim, you have the urge to throw up every time you move: hangovers suck.

If you're going to go all out, you're going to pay the price; our bodies are not designed to binge on bad stuff and feel great the next day. But, there are a few things that you can do that may prevent a hangover from happening — or, at least make it less painful.

Continue reading to see what you can do to prevent a hangover.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight? What if you work out on a regular basis?

A: Yes, you can drink alcohol and lose weight — as long as you're smart about it. When looking at the weight-loss impact of having a drink, there are two things you need to consider: calories and alcohol content.

1. Calories: For most people the calories in the mixers of their favorite cocktails pose a far greater barrier to weight loss than the actual alcohol. Just four ounces of some daiquiri or margarita mixes can contain upwards of 35 grams of sugar (that’s seven teaspoons of sugar)! Plus, they're more than double the amount of calories in the shot of rum or tequila included in the drink (that is, if you're only served ½ cup of mixer). What's worse, the calories from mixers are the worst kinds of calories, simple and refined sugars. When they're combined with the metabolic effects of alcohol, it gets even worse.

2. Alcohol content: One myth about alcohol is that it will make you fat. But the truth is, it's the combination of alcohol and sugars found in mixers (or the bar food often consumed with alcohol) that causes problems. Alcohol does contain calories, but it's safe to assume that no one gains a lot of weight by throwing back shots of straight vodka. Instead, it is the metabolic priority that your body places on alcohol (over carbohydrates and fats) that causes the problem. Your body wants to process alcohol before anything else, which has been shown to create a metabolic environment that is almost the opposite of the environment your body creates following exercise — one of high circulating levels of fat and inhibited fat burning.

While this may sound all doom and gloom, there are upsides to drinking alcohol. Moderate alcohol consumption (one drink per day for women) increases your HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, and studies show that people who have a couple drinks each week live longer. How can you get the best of both worlds?

Learn the benefits of drinking alcohol after the break!