Spare the sauce

Now that the summer parties are winding down, we tend to think that beer drinking also fades with the shorter days. However, with Thanksgiving, Halloween parties, and eventually Christmas, enjoying a casual drink may end up being more of a regular event than initially thought. In an earlier blog, I discussed the calories in drinks and how they can add up to play a bigger role in weight gain than we may think. Here are some concrete ways to drink fewer alcoholic beverages all year round:

1. You will drink much faster if you are thirsty, so have a non-alcoholic drink to quench your thirst before you start drinking alcohol.

2. Use standard drinks. Monitor how much alcohol you drink. By converting what you drink into standard drinks, it is easier to keep track.

3. Drink slowly. Take sips and not gulps. Put your glass down between sips.

4. Eat before or while you are drinking. Eating slows your drinking pace and fills you up. If you have a full stomach, alcohol will be absorbed more slowly.

5. Avoid salty snacks. Salty food like chips or nuts makes you thirsty, so you drink more.

6. Don't get involved in rounds. Drink at your own pace — not someone else's. If you do get stuck, buy a non-alcoholic drink when it's your turn.

7. Have one drink at a time. Don't let people top up your drinks. It is hard to keep track of how much alcohol you have drunk.

8. Pace yourself. Try having a ‘spacer’, a non-alcoholic drink, every second or third drink. Take sips of water between sips of alcohol.

9. Stay busy. If you have something to do, you tend to drink less. Play pool or dance — don't just sit and drink.

10. Try the low-alcohol alternative. A wide range of light beers are available. Low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wines are also becoming more available. Most places that serve cocktails also serve non-alcoholic versions. There are non-alcoholic cocktails or even non-alcoholic wine. If you are hosting a barbecue, you can always serve plain orange juice mixed with sparkling water. Instead of normal beer, you can opt for light beer. Check the label of the can to find out the calories

11. Have alcohol-free days. Have at least 2 days a week when you don't drink at all.

12. Keep a diary. Write down how much you drink each day. This can make you more aware of exactly how much you drink.

13. Just say no. Little white lies are great in situations like this. Put some strategies in place. If you are out with friends at bar or pub, you may find it hard not to drink. Be prepared to be firm if you do not want to drink. Here are some of the reasons (or excuse) you can use:
o I am on antibiotics. Doctor asked me not to drink.
o I am driving today.
o I am on tight budget this month.
o I just drank last night. I want to go light today.
o I just don’t want one.
o I’ll just stick to water, thanks.

Getting into the spirits of the season

Too often food has been to blame for the pounds put on over the holidays, when in fact alcohol can contribute quite a bit. It is a little known fact that alcohol itself contains calories- more calories than carbs or protein per gram! Pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram whereas carbs and protein each contain 4 cal per gram. That means that although those vodka sodas may be lower in calories than gin & tonic, it still contains calories.



Here is a fun down of the calories found in popular drinks:

Regular beer (12oz): ~150cal

Light beer (12oz): ~100cal

Red, white or rose wine (5oz): ~100cal

Vodka, rum, whiskey, gin (1oz): 65cal

Baileys (1oz): 100cal



One or even two simple drinks on occasion does not add up to be many calories in the long run however, pair a few drinks (~400cal) with an average holiday meal of 1000cal and you can easily consume a days worth of calories in one evening.


One easy way to lower the impact of drinks on your health is to drink smaller quantities. This can be done by either using smaller glasses or diluting drinks with low calorie mixers such as club soda.
Pairing each drink with a glass of sparkling water not only allows you to hold on to something while mingling, but also fills you up.
Also, if you are thirsty it is best to quench it first with water before diving into the egg nog. Often we forget about how much water we need when the hot days of summer are long gone.

Canadian recommendations for drinks containing alcohol are 0-1 per day (Max 9 drinks per week) for women and 1-2 per day (max 14 drinks per week) for men. Most other countries have similar recommendations however, their serving sizes do vary. Of course, over the holidays we tend to indulge more than usual, but keep in mind the calories can add up quickly with all the parties this time of year.