A drink a day may keep some calories away.

As a woman who is always vigilant about her weight, I’ve felt guilty having that nightly glass of ‘attitude adjustment’. As it turns out, maybe I shouldn’t worry.

According to the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter - which I’ve subscribed to since it’s inception:

“many diets advise giving up alcoholic beverages because of their high calorie content. But research on whether alcohol increases the risk of becoming overweight has yielded inconsistent findings. In fact, a recent Harvard study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that normal-weight women who had one or two drinks a day gained less weight over a 13-year period than non drinkers. They were also 30% less likely to become overweight or obese. Few women reported drinking heavily, so it’s not known how that would affect weight, but heavy drinking is bad for overall health. The researchers noted that, unlike men, women tend to substitute alcohol for other beverages or food without increasing total calorie intake.”

See, this is what I’ve been saying for years.

Uh, I’ll take that Manhattan now.

Diet fact, fiction or maven's way?

I usually find the ‘diet factss’ just as lame as the bullshit they replace. So, here’s my take on the debate as presented in Women’s Health:

The advice: Chug eight glasses of water a day.

Why it’s useless: Peeing every 20 minutes seriously interferes with life.

The real deal: Believe it or not, the eight-glass quota isn’t etched in stone. Yes, we need to be well-hydrated, but if your urine is clear or close to it, you’re probably getting enough fluids. If your No. 1 is neon yellow, lighten things up by adding one or two glasses a day. Once your body adjusts to getting more fluid (and you don’t have to run to the can every 10 minutes), add another, says Karen Benzinger, R.D., a dietary consultant in Chicago who specializes in health care. And don’t forget that all liquids—including tea, juice, even the tonic in your vodka drink—help keep your body sufficiently saturated. 

Maven’s way: Yes, indeedy. Look at your pee.

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