Now that the holiday season is behind us, it’s time to put those New Year’s resolutions for a healthier lifestyle into action. Bet you thought that meant putting wine on the no-no list but I beg to differ. Here is some information about how wine can still be part of your new healthy outlook.
Wine has been found to have properties that help to improve cardiovascular health and raise your good cholesterol. One 5 oz glass is the recommended daily amount for women in order to enjoy the health benefits.
It is important to know that wine is fat free but the calories that it contains are burned up quickly by the body for energy which means that your body is not burning the fat cell that you would like it to. Cutting back on wine and other alcoholic beverages can help you reach your target weight faster or you can take a look a the chart below and figure out how much “moving” you have to do to enjoy both your healthy lifestyle goals and your favourite glass of shiraz or chardonnay.
Average calories in a 5 oz glass of:
- 100 in white or sparkling wine
- 107 in red
- 200 in sweet
The caloric content of wine is determined by the alcohol content. To get a more specific idea of how many calories are in your favourite glass, multiply the number of ounces of wine you’re going to consume by the alcohol content and then multiply that by 1.6. For example, for a 5 oz glass of a 12% wine: 5 x 12 x 1.6 = 96.
So how quickly can you burn off a glass of wine?
- 30 minutes brisk walking burns approx. 200 calories
- 1 hour leisurely bike ride burns approx. 280 calories
- 30 minutes snow shoveling burns approx. 350 calories
- 1 hour dancing burns approx. 317 calories
- 1 hour intense house cleaning approx. burns 240 calories
Renowned as Western Canada's favourite sommelier and fast-becoming a national name, Erin Rosar is the creator of 'Wine in the Kitchen' and founder of WG Wines based in Calgary, where she goes by the alter ego of Wine Girl (WG). She’s also an instructor with the International Sommelier Guild and is a recognized sommelier with the Court of Masters Sommeliers out of London, England.
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