By Shawn Clark
Do you ever feel the need to snack or have a drink to calm you down before bedtime but afraid of gaining excess weight?
Studies show that having a glass of wine is not only beneficial to your health, it also helps you sleep more calmly and even aid in weight loss. Research has proven that wine can help boost your sex drive and help diabetes as well as suppress unhealthy midnight cravings like cookies, chocolate or ice cream.
A 13-year study taken at Harvard University found that among a group of 20,000 women, those who consumed half a bottle of wine – equivalent to two glasses – everyday decreased their risk of developing obesity. Not only did drinking wine help with weight loss, many have claimed that wine also helped with feeling less anxious, sleeping habits, and promote better lifestyle fitness.
Another theory suggested that the process of digestion will trigger the body to encourage calorie burn, especially in woman as they produce a smaller amount of enzymes that is used to metabolize alcohol. Wine, just like many other forms of alcohol is a powerful appetite stimulant which means the more you drink, the more you may want to eat.
Studies prove that the calories in alcohol itself will have no effect on weight gain. Last week, another study was presented at the European Conference on the subject of Obesity in Prague, which explained how having a glass of red wine before bedtime will increase the levels of “good” cholesterol.
When alcohol is used as a substitute for carbohydrates – in calorie form – the patients tend to lose more weight as they derive less energy with alcohol than from consuming food.
Determine the Calories in Wine
Alcohol produces zero glucose though it has other components such as fermented grape juice to explain why wine isn’t necessarily fattening. To determine the number of calories, you must simple know how much wine you are consuming as well as the alcohol content that is measured in percentage. Multiply them together then again by 1.6 to determine the calorie intake. For example: When drinking a 5 oz. glass of wine with an alcohol content of 10%, the equation will be: 5 x 10 x 16. Thus, the 5 oz. serving will result to 80 calories. Of course, this calorie count is only for wine as added flavoring will provide additional calories.
Health benefits of Wine
Organic red wine does provide health benefits that other wines do not, mainly the result of calming relaxation. Wine is loaded with flavonoids and reservation, which act as antioxidants to prevent any formation of plaque along the artery walls. In modern society, stressful lifestyles demand the need of pleasure and relaxation which can play a dramatic role in improving your overall health. If you think drinking wine will help you lose weight, consider looking into other options such as super juices for weight loss.
As super foods will always offer the same and even better results than if you were to drink wine. Probiotics such as Probioslim is another way to lose weight as dieting can rob you of essential nutrients and vitamins. Probiotics are supplements or foods that will provide the good bacteria that will benefit your health in terms of improved digestion, weight loss, improved immune function, reduce the risk of countless diseases as well as better skin. Other forms of probiotics include foods like yogurt, tempeh, kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut.
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Weight Loss with Wine
In order to lose weight successfully, your body must burn more calories than it consumes on a daily basis. Drinking wine will cause your body to burn more calories as the body produces specific types of enzymes in order to digest the alcohol.
However, it is important to drinking wine alone does not burn enough calories to make a large impact on your weight loss and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol may also increase calories and lead to weight gain. Swap wine in place of beverages that contain higher amounts of calories such as sodas, mixed drinks.
A 100 calorie glass of rich wine is better is a smarter choice than a 500-calorie Frappuccino.
As always, moderation is the key. As having a glass or two before bedtime is a fantastic substitute for sweet craving, excessive drinking will leave you consuming more calories that a chocolate bar during a light night binge – leaving you feeling like a sense of feeling hungover the next morning. Make sure to stick with one to two glasses a day to help curb your appetite as well as sleeping better and feeling less deprived during the day.