Just Another Glass of Wine…

This post isn’t gonna make me any new friends, but if you are getting to know me, you’ll realize quickly that I am a truth teller…

Ok, you’ve had a LONG day. Maybe it’s Thursday and you’ve been managing kids on Zoom calls while balancing your regular job and daily responsibilities from home. Or maybe you’re back in the office and it was just a brutal day. You finally get to sit down for a nice dinner and you’re just dying for a nice big glass of Coke. Maybe two… Wait, you don’t drink Coke! Unfortunately, wine and Coke are not that different. Am I saying you can never enjoy wine again? Heck no! I just want you to be more aware of wine, for a few different reasons.

Alcohol is particularly tricky to navigate because it is sold without nutrition labels. Well played alcohol industry lobbyists! Here’s what you need to know. An average 5 oz glass of red or white wine has roughly 120 calories (and let’s be honest, they are rarely 5 oz). A regular can of Coke has 140 calories. Most of you wouldn’t dare throw back a couple of Cokes in an evening – “too much sugar, too many calories” you say. However, this sentiment is generally lost when refilling your wine glass. Sorry, calories are calories and alcohol is basically sugar. Next time you pour yourself a glass, double check it in a measuring cup. What does 5 ounces really look like?

“But wine is good for me!” you tell yourself. Eh, it can be a little, but it has harmful effects as well. My real shock came a couple years ago when chatting with a friend who is a hepatologist (liver doctor) in the Bay Area. She said that she saw a tremendous number of women in their sixties and seventies suffering from cirrhosis of the liver from daily, moderate drinking. After years of sharing a bottle of wine with their husbands at night, they were diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver while their husbands were totally fine. This rocked me. Simply put, women don’t process alcohol as “well” as the larger opposite gender and even moderate drinking can have substantial repercussions.

Introduce COVID 19… Stress levels are up, family “togetherness” is endless, as is loneliness for many others. Alcohol sales have skyrocketed and recently statistics emerged showing a huge spike in liver disease over the last year, as well. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported increases as much as 50%. Are you reaching for a glass (or two, or three) on a nightly basis? Why is that? Are you using it to calm yourself, quench your thirst, or as a reward? Just take a moment to honestly reflect on your habits.

I know this is not what many of you want to hear. I get it and I promise I am not trying to sound Puritanical. I love wine! I literally grew up in the middle of a vineyard and worked in the wine business for a decade. For a long time, I truly thought a glass of wine was part of every dinner. But then I stopped. And I started sleeping better. And I stopped craving sweets every night. Now I limit wine to maybe twice a week and I enjoy it even more because it is a treat again. I’m sharing this because care about you and I care about your wellness. I simply want to make sure that you are treating your body with care and respect.

So can you enjoy wine every night? That’s up to you and your goals. If you’re trying to lose weight or sleep better, I don’t recommend it. If your weight is totally under control, you’re sleeping like a baby and your liver function is perfect, maybe it’s a 5 ounce glass a night is a non-issue. But dare I encourage you to try a week “dry” and see how you feel? Just a thought. In no way am I banning you from wine for life. However, when approaching a wine filled special evening, it’s best to think before you drink. What is your plan to balance your meal? Perhaps you’d like a glass of white with your starter and a red with your entrée? In that case, I suggest you balance your meal by leaning more in the direction of protein and vegetables, versus hitting the bread bowl hard and ordering a carb-y main. Maybe share your dessert if you can’t live without one. You don’t need to deprive yourself, you just need to make wiser choices. And the number one rule of all is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink at least a full glass of water after every glass of wine and another one or two after your meal. Your liver will thank you!

This is just an example of how I approach my health and wellness coaching. We look at your life then adjust your mindset and habits in a reasonable, educated way. My goal is to help you improve not only the quality of your life, but the quality of your longevity! It’s not about totally restricting yourself but rather teaching you how to show some restraint. Nothing is off limits, but you can’t have it all, all the time.

And what about cocktails, you ask? We’ll save that for another day…