Related: Pomegranate Cranberry Kiss Cocktail
The solution: Get back to the basics. With summertime right around the corner, sugary cocktails like margaritas, daiquiris, and mojitos gain more popularity than the high school homecoming queen. Instead, ask the bartender to whip you up something that delivers some health benefits and is lower on calories. Just remember: a few rounds of anything is never good on the love handles [Sigh].
SKIP: Cosmopolitan
INDULGE: Champagne
Celebrate with a toast! Bubbly is known for its cool factor and actually has a healthy side, too. With a high level of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant, Champagne has been shown to protect the brain against injuries incurred during a stroke, and neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. On the calorie side, a 4-ounce glass earns you only 85 calories. Have the cutie behind the bar add a few pomegranate seeds to top off your Champ, and honey, you're adding a touch of flavor and treating your body to a powerful superfood.
SKIP: Strawberry Daquiri
INDULGE: White or Red Sangria
The infamous summer daiquiri is packed with refined sugar, strawberry schnapps or triple sec, and often whipped cream. Opt for something off the cusp - Sangria. One glass is only about 150 calories, but nearly every one of those calories is doing a body good. Clearly, the vitamins and minerals in the orange juice and fruits are a plus - vitamins A, C, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium and so on. But, as we all know, red wine is A-listed for protecting against heart disease and cancer, while white wine is good for your lungs. Both will help increase good cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
SKIP: Long Island Iced Tea
INDULGE: Classic Bloody Mary
The perfect cocktail on a Sunday afternoon or for curing a bloody hangover, a Bloody Mary has been found to reduce risks of cancer. Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant found to lessen the damages associated with osteoporosis and diabetes. Tomato juice also has less sugar content than fruit juice. One Bloody Mary only delivers about 140 calories. (Ask them to go easy on the salt)
SKIP: Piña Colada
INDULGE: Vodka & Sparkling Water
One of summer's hottest cocktails, the Piña Colada, can actually deliver up to 650 calories between the run, cream of coconut and pineapple juice. A vodka and sparkling water has no preservatives, sugar, artificial sweeteners or added flavors. The sparkling water adds a lil' kick over tap water, especially when topped with a lemon or lime wedge. Studies are also showing that vodka could help in treating heart problems and certain cancers.
Ask for an organic vodka, which protects the planet, helps limit the amount of icky chemicals floating in your liver, and prevents hangovers. Try Square One, which is made from 100-percent organic American rye, Purus Vodka, made from 100-percent organic Italian wheat, or Vodka 14, a USDA-certified organic vodka made from organic corn and rye with Rocky Mountain spring water.
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