Drinks for the Holidays or Anytime!

“Staying Healthy during the Holiday Season” mini series features “Drinks for the Holidays or Anytime!”

It’s simple – take out the sugary drinks and replace with sparkling water or soda water or tea! with straight clear alcohol or on the rocks, moderation and adding water between drinks is key. Another good choice is red wine that has health benefits, start trying organic, biodynamic or natural wines that have much less chemicals and sulfites than conventional red wine. 

Healthiest is skipping the alcohol and having sparkling water with citrus. 2020 has been very unpredictable, and a drink sure is nice from time to time. Try using clear alcohols with sparkling water or soda water. Do not use tonic water or pop that have sugar in them and use artificial sugars since these disrupt a healthy gut (disrupts the microbiome).

Drinking straight alcohol on the rocks is better than with sugary pop. You can drink sparkling water or water with citrus to make it fun, between drinks.

Moderation according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

WINE OH WINE!!! Comparing Conventional to Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wine.

Red wine has more health benefits than white wine due to the way it is made, red wine ferments with the grape skins and seeds It may help reduce heart disease risk, slow down brain decline, increase good HDL cholesterol and has resveratrol compound that has anti-inflammatory properties. (Ref:Healthline)

Conventional Red Wine – there are a few options including conventional wine that may contain dozens of chemical additives and preservatives that do not need to be listed on the label. These include possible herbicides, fungicides and sulfur. 

Organic grapes are certified “organic” by a third party organization. Organic grapes have no additional synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and/ or pesticides.  Organic wine in the USA have only naturally occurring sulphides, and no extra sulfur dioxide, aka “sulfites” typically used to preserve the lifespan of the wine. Check the label, if the wine is made with organic grapes but sulfur is added, then in the USA it cannot be labeled organic wine.Regulations in Europe and Canada allow a small amount of added sulfites.  

Biodynamic Wine– Must follow all the organic practices AND MORE specifications to be labeled “biodynamic”. The vineyards must be diverse and self-sustainable, no monoculture of grapes.  

Natural Wine – is how wine was originally produced with no chemicals, THIS WINE IS THE PUREST.  To produce this fermented grape juice! the soil must be fertile.  

So when picking red wine – start to look for organic, biodynamic or natural red wine as your top choices. Huge bonus , you can find bottles that costs the same as conventional! You may notice that you don’t get itchy feet or hands, or headache or other side effects you may have when drinking conventional wine. 

If you drink beer, try organic beer to see if you feel better with less chemicals and preservatives.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Look for these certifications BELOW- as well as NSA which stands for “no Sulfites added”; Non-GMO is for the yeast used only, not the grapes; and sustainable can be in reference to the vineyards practices of farming practices, or water conservation, or other.