Le Formulaire Nutrition || A Dietitian’s Guide to the Festive Fizz
With December 1st around the corner, the festive season already feels like it's in full swing. We thought it would be the perfect time to discuss how we can all of the social festivities, where the bubbles are oftentimes flowing. Dr Emma summed up the effects of alcohol on the skin perfectly in this article, so I thought it would be helpful to provide some practical tips and a recipe for a delicious alcohol free Le Formulaire special.
Alcohol can certainly be enjoyed in moderation. In Ireland, the low-risk guidelines for women are less than 11 standard drinks, and less that 17 for men. this guideline limit is to be spread over the week, with at least two alcohol-free days. It is important to note that one standard drink does not always equal one drink. Common examples of a standard drink include; a half pint of beer, a small glass of wine (100ml) ) or a pub measure of spirits (40%). Ideally, we would recommend staying below this for your overall health, and as Dr Emma discussed, from the skin’s perspective drinking over eight alcoholic drinks per week has been associated with increased wrinkles and lines, and a loss of facial volume(1). Pass us the San Pelligrino!
Alcohol and Skin
Alcohol is a diuretic which dehydrates the body, including the skin, and can contribute to dryness of the face and lips, sunken eyes and decreased elasticity. It can also impair the skin’s antioxidant defense system, leaving the skin with impaired immunity and looking dull. Sometimes cutting back on alcohol for a few weeks is when people really notice an improvement they were not expecting.
Chronic alcohol excess also leads to deficiencies of vitamin A, B vitamins and zinc, and can deprive the skin of these important nutrients. Alcohol increases inflammation and in turn can cause flare ups of skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and eczema. We recommend being mindful of your alcohol intake if you suffer from any of these conditions, to see if there is a link between flares and alcohol intake.
It’s not all bad news- a mild to moderate intake of red wine, particularly when included as part of a Mediterranean diet, has been observed to bring a small reduction in heart disease risk (2) . This is thought to be due to the powerful antioxidant resveratrol, which is found in the skin of grapes used in the making of red wine.
All that being said, it’s important to note that alcohol can be enjoyed if consumed safely and as part of a healthy diet. We thought we could offer some practical tips on enjoying alcohol sensibly this silly season!
Top Tips
Mindful choices and realistic moderation
We often participate in mindless drinking, where we can drink more than intended. Mindful drinking is a phrase that brings the self-reflection of meditation to a glass of wine or beer, and allows us to pay more attention to what and how much we drink.
Using a Smaller Wine Glass & Narrow Glass for Spirits
Like most things in today's society, wine glasses are getting bigger. A study in the US found that wine drinkers subconsciously poured 12% more into a larger glass compared with a smaller one (2), so we would recommend enjoying your beverage in a smaller white wine glass. People also tend to drink less in a narrow glass, as visually it looks like you’re drinking more!
Hydration is Key
One of the most important things we can do when we’re drinking is to stay hydrated. Our advice would be to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks after each round. Not only will this help to keep your overall alcohol intake down, it will also help to make sure we stay hydrated. We love to enjoy a soda water with some fresh lime or else an ice-cold San Pelligrino with a few slices of seasonal fruit such as cranberries or shaved cucumber - yummy!
One of the drivers of hangovers is a loss of essential minerals or electrolytes such as sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Dioralyte is an oldie but a goldie for reducing some of the symptoms of hangovers as it rehydrates and replaces those lost electrolytes. We would recommend taking one before bed and one in the morning to help dust off the cobwebs.
Choose your Drinks Wisely
Alcohol content: Check the label before you pour. The percentage of alcohol in wine for example can vary between 11-15%, if you opt for a higher percentage, simply drink less.
Sugar content: Cocktails made with fruit juices, syrups, and cordials tend to be quite high in sugar, so we would recommend trying to limit your intake of these. For example, espresso martini’s contains about 25g or 6 teaspoons of sugar per serving… On the other hand, a dirty martini only contains 0.4g or less than ½ teaspoon of sugar. If you do fancy yourself a cocktail, try to opt for those made with a soda/tonic water base with some freshly squeezed fruits such as lemon, grapefruit, spruced up with some fresh herbs like basil and mint.
Drinks that can help to keep your free-sugar intake down are spirits such as vodka, gin or whiskey mixed with soda water, slimline tonic and freshly squeezed lime.
Of course, we all want to enjoy this festive season and celebrate getting to the end of another year, so there is certainly no crime in enjoying a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail with friends. You might find that more mindful drinking this Christmas and New Year may help you to be fully present and enjoy special times with friends and family and to arrive into the new year feeling fresh, clear headed and well rested.
Le Formulaire Fizz
Ingredients
40ml 0% Gin (we like Saoirse, which you can pick up in Aldi)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cranberry juice
1 tbsp cinnamon simple syrup (optional for some extra sweetness!)
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
150g brown sugar
250ml water
Ice
Tonic water to top
Sprig of rosemary and some cranberries to garnish
Preparation
For the cinnamon simple syrup (optional)
Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and add the cinnamon stick pieces. Cover and allow to infuse for at least 6 hours.
Strain out the solids and place in an airtight bottle. This will keep in the fridge for 1 month over the festive period
For the mocktail
Put everything bar the tonic water in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into your favourite glass and top with tonic water to taste. Add a sprig of rosemary and some cranberries to garnish. Cheers!
References
(1). Goodman GD, Kaufman J, Day D, Weiss R, Kawata AK, Garcia JK, et al. Impact of Smoking and Alcohol Use on Facial Aging in Women: Results of a Large Multinational, Multiracial, Cross-sectional Survey. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2019;12(8):28-39
(2). Castaldo, L., Narváez, A., Izzo, L., Graziani, G., Gaspari, A., Minno, G. D., & Ritieni, A. (2019). Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(19), 3626. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24193626