Alcohol Swaps:  Managing Your Liquid Sugar Intake

Let’s begin by saying we would prefer it if you skipped the hard liquor when discussing a regenerative lifestyle. With that being said, if you still feel you would like to relax with an alcoholic drink, how about swapping it out with a glass of wine instead!

That brings us to the first question you might want to ask, what kind of wine should I drink?

If you desire an drink with alcohol on occasion to kick back from a week of hard work, before dinner or when connecting with a friend, choose a dry wine.  Even over the holidays at parties, or at home this provides a great alcohol swap to remember.

In a WebMD article they write how researchers say their findings, confirm the absence of a link between the type of alcoholic beverage and the occurrence of cirrhosis is still valid.  This is one reason why we do not endorse drinking alcohol every day, but rather on occasion and only for special events.

The article offers more insights including a Danish study revealing wine drinkers have 70% less chance of getting cirrhosis of the liver, than those who drank liquor or beer.  In the article the French study couldn’t replicate those findings and came up with very different results.

Wine has been proven to have antioxidant qualities which might support the notion of lower cirrhosis risk for wine drinkers.  If you go down the alcohol route it is important to read the research, know your health risks and make the better choices.

What does that mean? 

If you decide alcohol is for you, serve and drink wine.  Here are a variety of reasons other researchers have found for those who drink wine over hard liquor:

Lower insulin – Enjoy a glass of wine and make sure you skip the desert. This could prove a good alternative to other sugar foods, especially for those concerned with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss – For those who have mastered their healthy weight zone, there has been research to support a glass of wine daily can lower the chance of becoming overweight.

Longer life – It has been said red wines have Resveratrol. This is a compound that triggers genes like SIRT1 which has been known to improve longevity.

Relaxation – Wine releases calming neurotransmitter, GABA. Perfect with dinner, but not good as a bedtime sleep aid because it effects your blood sugar which can interfere with the quality of your sleep.

Balance is one of the keys to a regenerative lifestyle which is quite an easy concept to remember for good health. Over-drinking, can add a burden to the body as it must convert into sugar, using lots of energy which can lead to major health issues, tax your liver and add to all sorts of unexpected problems.

Here we will briefly discuss ways to pick a healthy wine and the best time to drink it:

Red or White – The dryer wine is best, whether it is red or white. Obviously, avoiding the fruitier tasting wines would only make sense if you are managing your sugar intake because it would be higher. One reason is because the fermentation process that some cheaper wines might have, means the fermentation process was shortened or not completed. You want to drink a wine not a juice, which means you should choose a brand that you know has absorbed all the grape sugars. Keep reading…

A Brand for You – One of the best choices for wine has been Dry Farm Wines. They are known for their organic, low-sugar impact and a reliable wine to drink regularly.

NO Wine before Bed – As mentioned briefly above, drinking wine to fall asleep misses the point and becomes a bad choice. If you would like ways to help you with your sleep naturally, go here for a variety of brands including gluten free choices and we make it easy to order from over 300 top quality practitioner brands 24/7.

One Glass A Day – Wellness can be best supported in a lifestyle of balance enjoying the grace for each moment you live without having to be too hard on yourself. Guilt doesn’t work, so if you need to take a break from your best habits, make the better choices not the worst. If you must have one glass of wine a day, have it during or after dinner. It is important to relax into a reflective day and decompress naturally in order to move toward your vision and passion for a healthy life. You can live a smart lifestyle with a smile and without feeling bad about yourself.

The power of a regenerative lifestyle is in perfect alignment to my ART (Amplified Regenerative Therapies). Regenerative Medicine is where we are heading so embracing some basic habits on how you can get ahead of any heavy event season begins with being conscious about your eating and drinking choices.

Learn the simple examples for sugar swaps designed to provide a life line so you can enjoy yourself when eliminating those extremely bad decisions out of the gate.  You can make the better choices in your life today in order to avoid serious health problems in the future.

Reach out to us to learn about our ART (Amplified Regenerative Therapies) and learn more about Santa Fe Soul Center for Optimal Health. Ask about our 5-Day Regenerative Reset Program and learn how our patients have claimed they have dropped 5 pounds in 5 days, eliminated 1.2 inches off their waist including those annoying aches and pains in 5 days.

Call us at Santa Fe Soul Center for Optimal Health M-F 8 am – 5 pm MST at: (505) 474-8555

15 Top Sugar Swaps: Easy, Potent and Pleasurable

Learning simple ways to manage the level of sugar intake during certain times of the year has its value. The responsibility is placed upon the individual to integrate and manage any ongoing holiday season that retailers seem to have defined for us.  For some it might take education, planning, work, so we thought we would introduce you to some simple sugar swaps to be used as tools in any circumstance.

When we seem to find any excuse to party. You heard the mantra, what is a meal or celebration without something sweet, REALLY SWEET with lots and lots of alcohol?

Whether you are being entertained or are the entertainer, high levels of sugar entering our body is not a good idea.  We forget our system breaks down the sugar into an acid, which really translates into fat, as the body must protect its internal organs.

If we don’t like to pollute mother nature, then why do we disrespect our own bodies.  The idea of a flu season has gone by the wayside, since we know the new normal is people get the flu 365 days a year now and the big trigger is ingesting sugar.

For those living a regenerative lifestyle you can understand the interest to keeping your body and immune system strong.  Think about it, a diabetic is forced to have clear guidelines to follow in order to stay alive.  Learn to recognize and practice ways to keep high sugar foods out of your body before dis-ease takes place and enjoy the celebration without feeling lousy afterwards.

Just google the stats.  I just found this article by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) saying 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.  You know this dis-ease has a direct correlation to the amount of sugar that goes into your body.  Why wait until the 11^th hour, when you can find simple ways to honor your body and eat for health today!

Maybe you have mastered the mindset with disciplined achievements for months, and maybe years, which has sharpened your thinking, give you that youthful look and offers new energy to go that extra mile.  Let’s manage challenging circumstances today so you can continue your great success through any holiday season.

We can agree, sugar is not your friend, so why go for instant gratification.  Let’s avoid sickness altogether by simply making better choices.

15 Top Sugar Swap Tips to use where ever you are:

Resist the Obvious – Sodas, candy, chips and baked goods unless you know the baker or can read the ingredients

Taste the Coffee / Tea – Make sure you taste the coffee / tea! Between the dairy creamers and the sugar, you know it is just a easy choice to go for the non-sweetened nut, and coconut milks and follow the low glucose options listed below in #5.

Breakfast Cereal – One of the worst offenders is breaking down at the start of your day with sugared granola’s, oatmeal and breakfast cereals. Make the effort to use pure rolled oats or unsweetened instant oatmeal mix and ask if this is a option where ever you go.

Hydrate with Water – Enjoy drinking your 8 glasses of water a day by sweetening it with lemons, cucumbers, watermelon, mint or grapefruit. When you keep water simple and delicious you will drink more.

Sweeten Naturally – If you must, bring your own natural popular low-calorie sweeteners with you, like: Stevia; Xylitol, Erythritol, Yacon syrup. At home, since it might be awkward to carry these in your backpack or purse, stock up on the “less bad” sugars like, real maple syrup, molasses, and honey but use sparingly.

Fresh Fruit – Most hotels, restaurants offer the ability to dive into some fresh fruit. Take advantage of it and serve it to your guests as well.

Naked Proteins – Choose a naked burger and leave the bun behind.

Celebrate Raw – Nuts and seeds are great to carry with you on the road and are great to add to any meal or salad.

Create the Perfect Parfait – Don’t be tempted to conveniently grab those prepackaged granola-filled yogurts. They are the worst sugar offenders and you might as well drink a Coke. If you are home, make your own parfait. The perfect one would include, Oikos Triple Zero (Greek brand yogurt), plain coconut or almond yogurts.

Give Up the Snickers – Although it is more and more difficult to find a healthier protein or granola bar, take responsibility for your own health and get use to reading the ingredients on the package. If you need a snack between meals, buy a box for the road that is a better snack for energy. Do not get fooled into an energy bar that will convert into sugar knowing it will only contribute to false energy and adds the bad fat to your system and will throw off your balance.

Trail Mix – STOP BUYING the trail mix at the convenient stores. Make your own before you leave town with a healthy mixture of unsalted and raw nuts (i.e. almonds, walnuts, pecans) and add some coconut flakes with some Goji berries.

Stop Screaming for Ice Cream – Find and enjoy the many natural, low-sugar frozen treats by making your own fruit blended Popsicle and enjoy the better choices like the Greek yogurt pops available at most food stores.

Cut the Cheese – Learn to treat any meal with cheese like desert choice, so manage your intake. Cheese will break down in your blood into sugar. So why overload your body when you are not at the least getting the sweet rush. So, if you have cheese on your eggs in the morning, skip the cheese on your salad for lunch. At dinner, substitute the cheese with some extra rich avocado (guacamole) with some green chile on your taco or burrito. Still hooked on Pizza, request a veggie slice without the cheese!

Get your Veggies – Okay, fruit smoothies still seem to pacify your desire to make a good choice, but in reality, have high sugar content to diminish what appeared to be a healthy choice into a sugar drink. If you reach for a smoothie on the road or make one at home, use one-part low sugar fruit (i.e. berries, melon, kiwi as opposed to Mango, Cherries, pineapple and papaya) with two parts vegetable.

Skip the Alcohol – If you find you enjoy an alcoholic drink on special occasions or after a hard day of work, keep it to 1 glass, and choose a dry wine instead of those sugary mixed drinks. Get access to alcohol swaps here!

Okay, so when you are on the road, don’t buy into convenience, even if the hotel breakfast says it is included in the room rate.  Be smart and enjoy a head start on your health every season, any time of year, by applying these easy sugar swaps!

Reach out to us and let us know if you would like to learn more about our 5-Day Regenerative Reset Program. Some claim they have dropped 5 pounds in 5 days, eliminated 1.2 inches off their waist including those annoying aches and pains.

Visit us at Santa Fe Soul Center for Optimal Health and ask for your FREE Tour of The ART LAB, IV of Santa Fe Therapy Room and more.  We are open M-F 8 am – 5 pm MST so call us today: (505) 474-8555