As a certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant through the American Council on Exercise, I often get email newsletters from them with interesting articles. Just this past week I got an article from them titled: “Holiday Treats + Alcohol = Extra Calories and the Gift of a Spare Tire“.
While I like to believe that I’m aware of most food and nutrition choices, in terms of caloric consumption – I think that I’ve let alcohol become a blind spot. So to establish a basic understanding of how alcohol consumption can contribute to packing on those holiday pounds, I want to take a quick look at the calorie content of some of the common holiday choices:
Wine:
According to WineIntro.com, a 3.5 ounce glass of wine contains approximately 80 calories. It doesn’t matter if the wine is white wine or red wine because the calories come from the alcohol that the wine possesses, but due to this important fact, if you choose a wine that is higher in alcohol content – it will have a higher caloric value also. If you are interested in finding the exact caloric cost of your favorite wine, here is an article with the steps to calculating those calories:
How to Determine Calorie Content of Wine @ EHow.com
The ACE article also points out that dessert wines are even higher in calories, stating that a 3.5 ounce glass of dessert wine is around 165 calories.
Beer:
The calorie content of beer is highly dependent upon the beer you chose. We have all seen the highly advertised Michelob Ultra, which almost makes that beer look like a sports drink – it contains 95 calories. But like wine, you’ll find that the beers that have the higher alcohol content also have the higher caloric content. I found a great table at Beer100.com listing the different brewers, the beers they offer and the alcohol, caloric and carbohydrate content of each. The most “caloric expensive beer” was Sierra Nevada Bigfoot at 330 calories.
I personally don’t have a problem staying away from the wine (a half glass gives me a headache for two days), but I like to have a beer or two with my triathlon, running and cycling friends at Pazzo’s every now and then. So here are my four favorite choices from their list:
- George Killian’s Irish Red – 162 calories, about 1.35 miles of running (I burn about 120/mile)
- Leinenkugel Original – 152 calories, about 1.27 miles of running
- Miller Lite – 96 calories, about 0.8 miles of running
- New Belgium Fat Tire – 160 calories, about 1.33 miles of running (Fat Tire is impossible to find in this part of the world though)
I used to work at a brewing company in Lincoln, Nebraska – Empyrean Ales. Actually, I worked for their Brew Pub next door to the brewing house called Lazlo’s. I wonder what the caloric consumption was during all those taste testings?
Liquor and Cocktails:
So now I live in bourbon country and it’s not uncommon for bourbon to be a common beverage choice. We even have the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and now the 200 mile Running Relay Race on the Bourbon Trail. What are the caloric values of liquours? Here are some things that I’ve found for you:
- Absolut Vodka – 98 calories
- Bacardi Gold Rum – 98 calories
- Jack Daniel’s Whiskey – 98 calories
- Seagram’s Gin – 120 calories
- Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila – 96 calories
As stated in the guide put out by the Consumer Federation of America. I also went on over to the CalorieKing and found their page on Liquors, Coolers and Cocktails. Here are a few I took from their site:
- Red Bull and Vodtka – 177 calories
- Mint Julep – 165 calories
- Cosmopolitan – 213 calories
- Vodka Tonic – 169 calories
And if you really want to be scared away from a few cocktails, go read this article on MSNBC – “Don’t let holiday cheer make you forget calorie content of cocktails” or view their slideshow of the “10 most fattening Cocktails“.
Thoughts on alcohol metabolism:
The concept of alcohol metabolism needs to be addressed – just a little. One comment that I’ve heard is that the calories in alcohol don’t count because they can not be stored as body fat. This is actually an acurate comment. Alcohol must be oxidized and then the body must get rid of it. The liver is the main player when managing the alcohol metabolism, but it is also possible to excrete a small amount through breath and urine.
But one thing that I think a person should consider when looking at possible weight gain and alcohol is this: even if our body can not store alcohol calories as fat, what energy sources are we not using when our body tries to manage the alcohol intake — Fat Calories.
Two other thoughts to consider:
1. What other activities often go along with cocktails and drinks? We like to eat party foods, holiday treats and others fattening and surgary foods. It is not hard to imagine that drinking too many calories at the holiday party leads to eating too many holiday cookies – is it?
2. All calories are not created equal! So far we’ve been discussing a pure math equation scenario, but even with alcohol contributing 7 calories per gram, they don’t provide great benefit to our diets. They don’t give us vitamins or minerals.
[EDIT -- I know that I'm going to receive all kinds of emails stating the benefits of alcohol in the diet, when done in moderation.... I understand the heart health argument. Here's an article to read if you want to go down that route: Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits (Harvard School of Public Health)]
Bottom Line:
I am not writing this article 2 weeks before Christmas and just before the major Holiday parties get started to guilt you into swearing off all holiday beverages. I am writing this so that you can think about the information and realize that two or three cocktails at every party may leave you with a bigger New Year’s Resolution than you currently have.
Be smart with your choices and you’ll be a happier and healthier you on January 2nd, 2009. And please be safe when you do choose to drink.
End Note: If you would like to view some of the articles I tagged while researching go to my delicious page: delicious.com/ditschfitness/alcohol
