Tuesday, March 10, 2009

B.O.O.Z.E. - How many calories are we keeping in (unless they're coming back out)?


Booze. All it takes for me are a few teaspoons before I turn bright red and potentially feel somewhat nauseous. Oh you Asian genes, how you love to lack that alcohol-digesting enzyme and cause me all sorts of troubles. My own gripes aside, I know most of us have our own love/hate relationships with alcohol. Who doesn't love to chill out with a cocktail and let loose (literally and/or figuratively)? And who doesn't love to reminisce about how that cocktail turned into many cocktails, which turned into an evening full of gloriously bad decisions?

So during a night like that, how much is your alcoholic consumption really adding to your overall caloric intake (not to mention the late night taco stands, pizza joints, and halal after bars close)?

Here's a quick breakdown of alcohol per serving*:

Hard alcohol (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey)
One shot glass (1.5 fl oz): roughly 100 calories

Wine
One serving (5 fl oz-- just over 1/2 a cup): roughly 120 calories

Beer
1 can of regular beer (4.5-5% alc content): roughly 150 calories
1 can of light beer (3.5-4% alc content): roughly 100 calories

Sake
1 serving (1 fl oz-- most shot glasses hold 1.5 fl oz): roughly 40 calories

Conclusion
Ok, so there are lots of calories in booze. Just a few drinks could easily tally up to 300-400 cals. But, that shouldn't stop any of us from having a good time-- just be aware of it. If you're trying to be calorie conscious with the hard stuff, opt for a vodka soda (with a splash of juice for taste), cut out the sugary/fruity juice mixers, or switch from regular to diet sodas.

As for wine-- drink up on the red for health benefits! Red wine is famous for having antioxidant properties. A compound found in grapes/red wine called resveratrol "appears to protect the heart and prolong life," says the New York Times.

You know the drill-- don't drink and drive, practice moderation, and try not to be too embarrassed when someone catches you talking to yourself in the mirror with your eyes half open (which may look like my eyes on a good day).

Thanks for reading and see you next time.


Credits:
Photo taken by Owen Franken for The New York Times
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/resveratrol
*http://www.nutritiondata.com

2 comments:

Michael said...

oh my god.
i completely get funny in the mirror when drunk

Kim said...

you may be interested in this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/health/24blush.html?ref=science