How To Drink Wine and Stay Healthy

(Last Updated On: September 2, 2020)

Is it possible to still enjoy wine and stay healthy? Can drinking wine actually be good for you? Read on to discover how to drink wine and stay healthy.

How To Drink Wine and Stay Healthy

We all know how important it is to be mindful of our health, but does that mean that we can’t still enjoy some of life’s little pleasures, like a glass of wine at the end of a long day or when we are out with friends? Not at all! As with most of the good things in life the key is moderation. You can definitely have your wine and still be healthy too. Let’s talk about how you can drink your favorite wines and stay healthy.

Know what you are drinking

Before indulging take a moment to find out how many calories are in the glass of wine that you typically pour. Generally speaking there are approximately 120 calories in each 5 ounce glass of white wine, and 125 calories in each 5 ounce glass of red wine. Depending on where you are enjoying your wine the pour might be a little more than 5 ounces though. Many bars offer an 8 ounce glass of wine as their standard. If you take the time to look online you can find the calorie count for most wines per ounce online. Some bars will also offer a half pour of just four ounces if you ask them too.

Generally speaking the higher the alcohol content a beverage has the higher the calorie content will be. This is because a gram of carbohydrates (sugar) contains 4 calories, and a gram of alcohol has 7 calories.

Don’t Drink Before You Eat

Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can make it much more likely that you will overindulge both in alcohol and n calories. Without having some food on your stomach to help process the alcohol you may find that you have over imbibed. Drinking on an empty stomach can also lead to making food choices that you might not normally make such as having a cheeseburger and fries instead of a grilled chicken salad.

Have a Healthy Meal

Before you sit down with that well deserved glass of wine or two, make sure that you fill up on a healthy meal. A well-balanced meal full of healthy fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats should do the trick. You may also want to have some healthy end of the night snacks in the fridge to indulge any munchie cravings before bed. These might include popcorn, fruit, nuts, cheese, or Greek yogurt.

Don’t Forget Your Water

Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated is very important for your skin and of course for your overall health too. Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water every day and consider throwing in an extra glass or two if you know that you will be indulging in wine or other alcoholic beverages that day. You may also want to consider having a glass of water in between those tasty adult beverages. Alcohol can be dehydrating and a hangover can be made that much worse by not drinking plenty of water.

Don’t Drink Too Late

Drinking too late in the evening can greatly impact the quality of sleep that you will get that night. While is true that alcohol is a depressant and can help you to fall asleep quickly, drinking it too close to bedtime can impact your REM sleep that occurs about 90 minutes after you initially fall asleep. This can lead to feeling tired and irritable the next day. You can read more tips about getting a good night’s sleep.

Exercise Regularly

To be as healthy as possible you need to be exercising at least three to four days a week. Mind you it doesn’t have to be a full on trip to the gym each time, a simple walk around the neighborhood is better than no physical activity at all. Are you wondering how much exercise you will have to do to burn off that glass of wine you are planning to have later? If you drink one glass of wine it will take a 28 minute walk, or 12 minutes of jogging to burn it off. Are you looking to get a great workout in, but don’t have time to get to the gym? You can still get a great workout at home.

There you have it! Some tips on how you can live a healthy lifestyle and still occasionally indulge in a glass of wine, or two. So, can you drink wine and stay healthy?  Yes. The key is moderation and being mindful of other aspects of your health like when was the last time you worked out, and how many calories you would like to consume in an ideal day. Wine can certainly have a place in a healthy lifestyle.

Be sure to check out all my healthy lifestyle recipes on Food Wine Sunshine and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more fitness motivation tips.