Second Bar to the Right and Straight on ‘til Morning

I was somewhat struggling this week as to what to write about. I have been regularly going to the gym, trying to eat right (emphasis on trying) and recent school deadlines have passed so I'm relatively less stressed. So that got me thinking. I am going to Ann Arbor this weekend and I know I am going to be doing some caloric damage through drinking. For those of you who don't know me, I am an extreme lightweight so after 1-2 beers I am feeling rather groovy. How am I going to get through this weekend without undoing everything I have been working so hard to build? 

I decided to take a lesson from Peter Pan: think of a wonderful thought… low calorie, low sugar, and low sodium alcoholic drinks.  Sounds too good to be true right? WRONG!

When going out to the bar with friends it is easy to get carried away and end up consuming way more calories than intended. So what happens when you play bartender instead? You GAIN CONTROL of your own intake. All you need is faith and trust… and a little bit of healthy thinking! Below are 8 examples of ways to make our delightful mixed drinks healthier.

1.    Instead of using juice packed with added sugars and artificial sweeteners, use fresh squeezed or 100% fruit juice

2.    For those recipes that call for soda, use diet (“natural” options preferred) and use seltzer water versus other carbonated waters

3.    Make your own simple syrup. Use the following recipe:

½ TBSP Honey

¾ TBSP Warm Water

Although sugary, honey is loaded with antioxidants, which is an added bonus to your buzz!

4.    Use whole pieces of fruit instead of sugar or flavored syrups. The fruit will add fiber, natural sugars and essential vitamins so you don’t feel as guilty!

5.    When given the option, always choose light alcohol over dark alcohol. The dark contains certain compounds that can worsen hangovers.

6.    Since alcohol in itself is already so high in calories, and not everyone is such a lightweight like me, limit yourself to one shot per drink. Although, I know what you’re thinking… you’ll just have more drinks!

7.    Let’s answer the age old question, SIZE MATTERS. With the U.S. portion sizes wildly out of control, try to remember that drinks should be roughly 8 ounces.

8.    And most importantly, choose nutritious ingredients. Ginger, coffee, and lemon are found in many alcoholic beverages and all offer several great health benefits! Just be careful mixing alcohol and caffeine, although delicious, it can seriously dehydrate you so drink with caution.

Now, I know all this SOUNDS great in theory but many times, eating or drinking healthy is easier said than done. Below is a link where I discovered these 8 great tips (if anyone underestimates the power of Pinterest, think again) as well as 60, yes you heard me, 60 healthier alcoholic drink recipes to try out!

http://greatist.com/health/60-healthier-drinks-boozing

So next time you are at a party or decide to play pretend bartender (because we never grow up, right?) use these tips and try out a recipe!