A nutritionist’s guide to alcohol: Health expert reveals the EXACT drinks to enjoy this festive season – and the tipples to avoid at all costs
- Jessica Sepel, a nutritionist, has revealed her guide to alcoholic drinks
- She avoids all dark spirits, sugary cocktails and white wine whenever she can
- She sticks to red wine, clear spirits and always mixes with lime and soda
- She also follows the rule of no more than two alcoholic drinks in one sitting
A nutritionist has revealed the alcoholic drinks she recommends people enjoy over the festive period and those that are best avoided if you want to stay in shape.
Jessica Sepel, the Sydney-based founder of JSHealth, said as Christmas approaches more people will welcome alcoholic drinks as a more ‘regular’ part of their lives – and this is totally okay as long as smart choices are made.
‘My philosophy means you can definitely enjoy the pleasures of life – even if that means a glass or two of wine on a night out. I advocate everything in moderation,’ she wrote on her blog.
Jessica Sepel, the Sydney-based founder of JSHealth , said as Christmas approaches more people will welcome alcoholic drinks as a more ‘regular’ part of their lives
‘Personally, I try and keep weekdays alcohol-free, and then enjoy two or three glasses of wine per evening on weekends. I do love me a dry Rose.’
Jessica’s approach comes down to one simple rule: Drink in moderation so you don’t need to do a ‘huge cleanse’ or spend ‘days recovering’ after enjoying a night out with friends.
She also has a specific guide that she follows when it comes to particular drink choices.
She follows this specific guide when it comes to particular drink choices for the season
SPIRITS
When it comes to spirits, Jessica sticks to clear spirits like vodka, gin, white rum and any other ‘white’ choices and enjoys them with soda and a fresh lemon or lime.
I find wine from France gives me less of a reaction or hangover.
She always avoids tequila and doesn’t touch whiskey, rum, scotch or any other dark spirits.
‘Clear spirits have the least calories in them and mixing these with soda water helps you avoid all the sugar and nasties found in soft drink mixers and cocktails,’ she said.
‘These are the things that can make you feel even worse the next day.’
WINES
As a wine-lover, Jessica enjoys almost all varieties but will try and avoid white wine where she can.
She puts Rose in the ‘maybe’ category and is okay with drinking red, organic and natural wines.
‘Preferably opt for organic red wine. Red wine is high in antioxidants, and lower in sugar than white wine and champagne. It is even beneficial for heart health (when enjoyed in moderation),’ she wrote.
‘Even better, go for the organic or natural variety. These have less preservatives than regular wine. I also find wine from France gives me less of a reaction or hangover – they don’t add as many sulphates or preservatives!’
‘Personally, I try and keep weekdays alcohol-free, and then enjoy two or three glasses of wine per evening on weekends. I do love me a dry Rose,’ she said
COCKTAILS AND ADD-ONS
Jessica steers clear of all cocktails – especially mojitos, margaritas, caprioskas, aperol spritzes and anything with high sugar levels.
She also avoids all fruit juice, soft drink and cordial mixers and only selects soda water, ‘on the rocks’ add-ons and ice.
‘Just remember, alcohol and eating healthily don’t go hand in hand. Your body processes alcohol before food, meaning the carbs and fats you’ve eaten are stored as fat, instead of being used as fuel,’ she added.
‘I definitely believe socialising and enjoying yourself is important even if it involves a few glasses of wine. But drinking should be a rare indulgence, not something done too regularly or to excess.’