TBT: The First P+K Post!

There are times when everyone would prefer to eat a big mac, fries, mac and cheese, pizza or anything else on the “no go” list rather than the salad their diets recommend. For cheat days like this along with all those other days that we would just prefer eating something absolutely delicious, I have created a list of cheats and alternatives. This is definitely not a diet list and I would not recommend using this system if you are trying to loose weight, but it will at least help curb some of those cravings without sending all of our hard earned fitness success down the drain.

Tip One, A Pizza Secret:
I am a pizza fiend. Literally. There is absolutely no difficulty for me in finishing an entire large Pizza Hut pizza in one sitting, on my own. Pizza is my kryptonite. For that reason, I was very happy to learn this little tip. If you are going through a pizza binge and have decided to eat all pizza in the world, go for the veggie. Veggie pizzas have a slightly higher nutritional content and average 1-3 grams less fat and up to 50 calories less per slice. This is because there is less cheese and none of the high fat meats.

Tip Two, Sweets:
Here is another thing I L-O-V-E, cookies. They are warm and yummy and I am drooling. There are times in my day where I could battle a fleet of ninjas for that one cookie. For me, this is usually late at night or early in the morning. Oddly though, the time that a cookie is best for me is the same time that one is more than enough to appease my craving. Afternoon, between dinner and lunch is the best time for that extra burst of sugary noms. This is the time of day when we can start getting a little sluggish and our bodies are able to digest that sweet, sweet goodness more easily.

Tip Three, Carbs:
Bread is something that oh so many people love. Starchy things are seen all over fast food menu’s and are a staple of almost every American comfort food. Too bad every health conscience person out there curses that corner of the food groupings. Oh how we love carbs and how we love to hate them even more.

Fortunately, there is a good time of day to eat them with less impact on your body. Morning is the time that our bodies are best able to process and regroup after a carb load. This energy can be used for the rest of the day and has less of a chance of being stored than that plate of spaghetti you (by you I mean me) are thinking of eating for dinner. If a starch-tastic meal is something that is happening, better to make it breakfast rather than dinner or a late-night snack. Just remember to reduce your carb intake for that day since you hit it out of the park at breakfast.

This was the first ever post on P+K way back on October 18th, 2012. It is so fun to see where a blogger (or any writer) started out compared to where they are now. An extra perk is that these tips still stand the test of time and can be super handy when those pesky cravings hit ;)

Happy Thursday and the last of our TBT series!

Beer, Wine, or Liquor, Which is Healthiest: Beer and Wine

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Does anyone else feel like the first part of the year was made for party and the second half is for business? I mean, we start of the year with New Year's where champagne is handed out like candy way before they ball drops until way after. Then, we move to Valentine's Day for the wine lovers followed up by St. Patrick's Day with it's green beer, Irish beer, and any other kind of beer available anywhere. Thankfully, we get a month off until Cinco de Mayo strikes. These holidays can leave any waist-watching human in a bit of a lurch. We all know that alcohol packs on the pounds, even for those who are only have a glass or two a week (some models swear it off months before big shows).

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, it seems like the perfect time to talk drinks- which are good, which are bad, and which we should avoid like the plague. Surprisingly, beer is not one of those that need be avoided.

When I started this article, I planned for it to be one, super informative bit with recipes, health benefits and risks, and nutritional information for beer, red wine, white wine, and liquors. But, it was going to be the longest article ever written on P+K by a long shot. Instead, we will have two segments of drinks over the next three days. Today, we will start with beer and wine and tomorrow will be the hard stuff

Beer

Beer drinkers rejoice. New research shows that beer can help lower cardiovascular disease and has more protein and B vitamins than red wine. The hops actually help reduce bad cholesterol from the polyphenols found in hops naturally. The yeast that comprises beer is also a probiotic that aids our body in digestion, much like yogurt. Even better, new research has also found beer to have the same amounts of antioxidants as red wine. As a rule of thumb, the darker the beer, the richer it is in antioxidants.

Unfortunately, the health benefits end after 12-ounces so keep your intake low to get all the benefits with fewer of the beer pitfalls known as a beer belly. Here is the nutritional info of your average beer:

• Calories: 140-270 depending on the beer. Craft beers tend to have a higher calorie content than your Michelob or Bud counterparts. Color does not make a difference for calories. Light beer has under 100 calories
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 10-15 grams, depending on the beer.
• Protein: 1 gram, on average

Red Wine

It is a common known fact that red wine is better for us than white. Red wine has antioxidants that help increase the good cholesterol and fight against heart disease. This is mainly due to the antioxidant, Resveratrol. Resveratrol could also be linked to decreasing the risk of blood clotting and inflammation. Other polyphenols in red wine could also help protected the lining of our blood vessels and heart. Just like beer though, red wine's benefits are not seen after one glass.

The average red wine has among the fewest calories, fats, and carbs compare to most other alcohols. An average serving, or 5 fluid ounces of wine has:

• Calories: 125 (25 calories per ounce)
• Carbohydrates: 3-5 grams depending on the red wine
• Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 0 grams

White Wine

White wine is among the least beneficial drinks when it comes to nutritional content, but, is better in the form of calories. On average, white wine has four calories less per ounce than red wine. Dessert wines tend to have a much greater calorie count at 45 calories per ounce. The average 5 fluid once glass of white wine contains:

• Calories: 121
• Carbohydrates: 4 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 0 grams