Be it birthdays, parties or just unwinding after work, most of us like a drink or two to celebrate. But have we ever

[the_ad id=”6114″]thought of how many extra calories we consume due to alcohol intake? Read along to know more about the calories in some popular drinks and let’s understand how we can make our drinking habit healthier without the unpleasant weight-gain.

Wine, beer, cider, spirits and all our favorite drinks are made from natural starch and sugar. Fermentation, and distillation for certain drinks, is used to produce the alcohol content. This helps explain why alcohol contains plenty of calories – seven calories a gram in fact, almost as many as a gram of fat. And, of course, additional calories can be present in added mixer drinks. 

Keep in mind, drinking regularly can have a noticeable impact on your waistline as well as cause less obvious but more serious health problems. Because alcoholic drinks are essentially “empty” calories and don’t contribute toward your daily nutrition, cutting back on alcohol may be one healthy way to lose weight.

Here are the calories in some popular drinks:

•  1 vodka soda: 64 calories

•  1 glass of white wine: 100 calories

•  1 glass of sparkling wine: 100 calories

•  1 glass of red wine: 120 calories

•  1 full-strength beer (250ml bottle): 155 calories

•  1 old-fashioned: 150 calories

•  1 gin and tonic: 200 calories

•  1 rum and cola: 248 calories

•  1 espresso martini: 285 calories

Tips to avoid weight gain due to alcohol intake:

•  Don’t drink more than 14 units a week, which is equivalent to six pints of average strength beer or 10 small glasses of low strength wine

•  Alternate an alcoholic drink with a glass of water – this will help to prevent you from becoming dehydrated

•  Don’t drink on an empty stomach. If you do reach for snacks while drinking, opt for a healthier option

•  Drinking in rounds can mean that you end up drinking more than you intended. Opt out and drink at your own pace

•  Try cutting down with a friend, as you’ll be more likely to stick to it with moral support

•  Eat a healthier dinner before you start drinking

•  Pace yourself by taking small sips

•  Avoid “binge drinking”

Following the above mentioned tips and moderate drinking are good ways to cut down on alcohol related calories and also keep away from health issues. Whenever you have your next drink, don’t forget to spread this message of healthy drinking with your friends and family!

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