I do drink alcohol from time to time.  I like a good chardonnay or single malt scotch.  I don’t imbibe every day, but I do like to have some every once in a while.  I make it a point not to drink to excess.  I think many of us, when we were younger, had a few hangovers in our day.  I have worked out through a few, and let me tell you, doing downward dog or jump rope when your stomach is queasy is not the greatest.  However, if you do it right, having some adult beverage in your diet can fit in with healthy lifestyle.

One thing I want to address before anything else is problem drinking.  If you are having a problem with drinking too much on a regular basis, you will need to address why.  If you are drinking to cover up how you are feeling without addressing it, you will need to fix that first.  Same goes for not being able stop at a reasonable amount.  These may also be reasons not to drink at all.  There’s no shame in not drinking.  That may be the best thing to do for some people if trying not to overdo it is too hard to control.

If you do want to imbibe in the occasional adult beverage, here are some things that I do keep things within healthy ranges.  First, I only drink straight, low sugar liquors or dry wine.  I stay away from mixed drinks because they tend to be higher in calories.  That said I do like a good Manhattan every once in a while.  If you do go for a cocktail, go for simple things that don’t require sugar syrup and other sweet additions.  The Manhattan is simply whisky and sweet vermouth with a maraschino cherry.  Vodka gimlets can be made with other low calorie sweeteners.  Better yet, make your own at home and you can control the calories.  In terms of wine, Chardonnay is my choice.  It’s one of the lowest calorie wines.  As a rule go for dry.  If you are used to sweet wine, start with semi-dry wine help adjust your taste buds to less sugar.

Second, so I am not weighing my drinks constantly, I keep glassware that I know the ounce measure for.  Here is a picture of the ones that I use most often.  This way I know how much I am drinking without having to think about it too much.

I use the two and three ounce glasses the most.  I use these for hard liquor.  When I drink wine I use the five ounce glass.  I rarely use the eight ounce glass unless I am doing a wine spritzer.  To figure out how many ounces a glass holds, just place it on the scale, zero it out, then fill with water.  Once you have it figured out, then you don’t have to weigh what you drink anymore.

Finally, if you are going to have a drink, drink plenty of water with it.  When I have wine with friends, I drink a 16 ounce glass of water per drink.  It helps to prevent nasty consequences later.  Same goes for at a bar.  I ask for water right away.  Finally, if I have people I know who are bad influences on my ability to be responsible, I don’t hang out with them (or limit it to once in a while).  That sounds harsh, but if you want to keep on track, you can’t be getting plowed every weekend.  That makes me a bit of fuddy-duddy, but I can’t handle drinking to excess.  It’s not good anyway even if you can handle it.

Those are my tips on making alcohol a part of my healthy lifestyle.  Any tips you would like to share?  Leave a comment!