Alcoholic and Beverages

Alcoholic and Bevearages 

Your body can tell you it’s time to drink, but it can’t tell you what to drink. That’s up to you. That’s why it’s important to learn how different beverages fit into your lifestyle.

While all beverages hydrate, some also provide important nutrients your body needs. Some relax you. Some energize you. Some simply satisfy your natural taste for sweetness – with calories or without. Some help you perform your best. And some can even help you manage health concerns. Any beverage can be part of a weight-maintenance diet. For many people who enjoy sweetened coffee drinks, soft drinks and other beverages with calories, this requires using good judgment when it comes to how much (portion size) and how often these beverages are consumed. Fortunately for those who watch their weight, there is also a wide variety of low-calorie thirst-quenching beverages, including waters, teas, coffee, and diet soft drinks.

The nutrient content in alcoholic beverages depends greatly on the variety of the alcohol. All alcoholic beverages provide calories from alcohol and carbohydrates. Beer also provides a very small amount of protein, potassium and phosphorus, while distilled spirits can contain few vitamins and minerals. Wine contains potassium, trace amounts of sodium and phosphorus, and some phytochemicals such as polyphenols and flavonoids.Alcohol yields 7 calories per gram – almost as much as fat and nearly twice as much as carbohydrates. Those who choose to consume alcohol should do so in moderation. Moderate alcohol intake is defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.Beverages are not only for drinking – you can also use them for cooking to create new flavor formulations or add a naturally sweet twist to a favorite recipe.

Depending on whom you ask, alcohol is can be a blessing or a curse. Even Harvard School of Public Health calls it "both a tonic and a poison," depending on the dose. Although a cocktail, beer or glass of wine can be both relaxing and good for the heart, it might also play a role in cancer development, liver and heart damage and depression. How alcohol affects someone depends on the person, so everyone should weigh the pros and cons of consuming alcohol regularly.

When we talk about alcohol and beverages we always think that it was bad for us. Yes it does but there are also some exemptions with it. As they always remind us "anything of excess are harmful".