Make your drinks sugar-free AND STILL TASTY this summer
Booze is always an interesting topic…
While we can all agree that excessive drinking is bad, there’s always the “One glass of wine a night is good for your health” school of thought. Or the,
“It brings people together and gets them to open up and connect” argument.
While those both might be true, there’s no denying what alcohol does on the body:
Long-term effects aside,
Which we know can lead to things like liver disease, cancer, high blood pressure, strokes, infertility nerve damage, (basically all the bad things) even the short-term effects aren’t amazing:
i.e. Bad sleep, bad recovery, and a bad headachy hangover.
And another thing: Sugar!
Alcoholic drinks and sugar go hand-in-hand, and a spike in blood sugar is no bueno, and certainly adds to the headache and hangover you feel the next day.
A sweeter wine can contain as much as 34 grams of sugar per bottle, so imagine what you’re drinking when you guzzle a pitcher of sangria!
That. Being. Said. Emotionally, booze can add to your life.
It DOES bring people together.
It does get people to let loose.
It can lead to laughs and memorable nights and connecting with others—the moments you’ll remember when you’re old and gray.
How to balance this can be difficult, especially during patio season when all you want to do on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon is enjoy a cold glass of some sort of boozy drink on a deck or patio.
Alas, here are 5 health-conscious, more responsible alcoholic beverage options WITH LESS SUGAR to adopt this summer.
Basically, some things to remember: Thins like lime juice, lemon juice, cucumber, basil, and mint will become your best friends.
5. NorCal Margarita (http://norcalmargarita.com/)
Patented by nutrition expert Robb Wolf—author of the Paleo Solution (https://robbwolf.com/).
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces of Tequila
- Lime Juice to taste
- Soda Water
- Garnish with salt if desired
- Optional: Muddled mint
- Serve on ice
4. Skinny Paloma!
Similar to the NorCal margarita, but with a grapefruit twist!
Ingredients:
- Single or double shot of Mescal or tequila
- Salt the rim
- 1/4 freshly squeezed grapefruit
- Lime juice to taste
- Club soda
- Serve on ice
3. Coconut Lime Cooler
- Single or double shot of Vodka
- Coconut Water
- Splash of club soda
- Lime or lemon juice
- Chopped cilantro
- Serve on ice
2. Watermelon Mohito
- Shot or two of White Rum
- Lime or lemon juice
- Club soda
- Mint leaves
- Watermelon – seeded and roughly chopped and muddle it around in the drink
- Serve over ice
1. Cucumber and Herb Sangria
- Dry white wine (less sugar than the sweeter whites)
- Splash of Club soda
- Lemon juice to taste
- Lime juice to taste
- Thinly-sliced cucumbers
- Mint leaves
- Basil leaves
- Serve over ice
Cheers to a sugar-free-ish summer drink season!
