There’s nothing to “wine” about: the benefits of wine
Now that I’m 21, I can finally purchase and experiment with different kinds of wine. I have been a waitress for a quarter of my life, and I’ve always been pretty knowledgeable about wine because I had to sell it, but I was curious to see what they tasted like.
Now that I’m an experienced wino, I more or less pretend to be an expert, and my pallet has taught me that I prefer dry red wines and sweeter white wines.
Having said this, I was recently curious to see how many calories were in wine.
According to a blogger on Sparkpeople.com, who is currently trying to lose weight, wine is the best choice of alcoholic beverages when it comes to calorie count.
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel® white wine, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot all contain 20 calories per ounce. That’s roughly 100 calories for a five ounce glass.
If you think 100 calories is a lot for a glass of wine, consider this: one ounce of Rye Whiskey, White Rum, Vodka or Tequila contains 69 calories. That’s 345 calories for a five ounce glass! Yikes!
If you aren’t a huge wine drinker, beer is the second best option. Beers, whether they are lagers, ales, ciders, etc., typically have around 150 calories per 12 ounce serving. Drinking “light” beers will drop the number of calories even lower.
Aside from the low calorie count, wine also has some surprising health benefits!
According to Food&Wine.com, drinking wine promotes longevity, reduces heart-attack risk, lowers risk of heart disease, lowers risk of heart disease, reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes, lowers risk of stroke, cuts risk of cataracts, cuts risk of colon cancer and slows brain decline.
It needs to be noted that these health benefits are configured based on “moderate” wine drinking, which is defined by the American Heart Association as one to two four-ounce glasses a day.
While wine is delicious and surprisingly beneficial to your health, it is important to remember to always drink responsibly. It is my experience that wine tastes the best when consumed to help wash down a mouth-watering meal or while staying in and watching a late-night movie. The point is to enjoy the flavor of the wine, not wake up with the worst hangover of your life!
Having said that, I advise you to go out and try a new kind of wine, you might surprise yourself!
For information about calorie count comparisons and serving sizes of wine, you can visit the University Health and Counseling Services website: http://www.uww.edu/uhcs/az/alcohol.html.
~Remember, you have to learn to love yourself before you can truly love someone else~
Abbey :]