Holiday Brew Ha Ha

It's fine to enjoy a drink or two at your holiday party, but you don't want to destroy all the hard work you put in at the gym this past year.

Champagne, wine, light beer and cocktails that use mixers such as tonic water and seltzer are your best ab-friendly choices as they're lower in carbs than regular beer and frozen/sugary mixed drinks:





If you are going to drink alcohol here are a few guidelines:

- Moderation, moderation, moderation. Keep in mind that alcohol drains the body's stores of vitamins and nutrients and actually slows the absorption rate and retention of new nutrients. Plus, who really enjoys the next day hangover?

- Drink plenty of water. Alcohol dehydrates the body. If you're going to have that light beer, have an 8 oz glass of water before and after and make sure to consume plenty of water before turning in for the night.

- Stay away from sugary mixers. The numbers above for the LI Iced Tea and Pina Colada speak for themselves.

- Set limits. Setting limits and knowing what you will consume beforehand empowers you to make healthy and smart choices. And no, you're not allowed to save up all your calories during the day for an all night alcohol binge!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan