Alcohol: Can It Ruin Your Diet?

There are those days when you just need to let go of the stress from the past week and take a seat at the bar (if you are over 21, of course). All of us know that drinks can break the calorie bank, but fortunately, there are ways for us to consume it wisely with our bodies in mind. These tips may seem trivial and obvious, but they are really worth thinking about and can make all the difference.

Choose seltzer water over tonic water. Seltzer has no calories and can add little bubbles to your drink. One small serving of tonic water, on the other hand, is loaded with sugar, which equals unwanted calories. Try a vodka seltzer with light cranberry or vodka seltzer with light lemonade--easy on the calories but refreshing and light for your enjoyment.

Often the syrups and sodas that are loaded with sugar are what pack on the calories to a cocktail--a single shot of any hard liquor starts your drink off at around 100 calories. So, even having your rum and coke with diet can save you 100 plus calories, and it’s a great alternative to sodas with lots of high fructose corn syrup.

Avoid heavy and dark beers and opt for light beers, which can save you fifty calories or more per can or bottle.

Dilute your drink with seltzer or diet tonic, if available. It keeps your sugar intake lower and adds some spunk to your otherwise flat drink.

Avoid cocktails that involve lots of different syrups and mixers; the less a drink involves, the less sugar and calories you will consume. Stick to two or three different ingredients in a drink and keep your sugar/calorie intake low. Think about it--your favorite Long Island Iced Tea packs in almost 800 calories in one glass while a regular gin and tonic is 200 in comparison, even less with diet tonic!

Sip on water while you have your drink. This will prevent dehydration and help curb any potential hangovers in the morning.

The bottom line is when it’s time to have a drink, we can tweak our preferences just a little and save calories, and also feel better when the night is over!

By: Michelle Chang | Source: Livestrong | Image: Pinterest