Wine on Phase 2

[HouTXMom]

I am about to embark on Phase 2 and the boards are a tremendous help!! I want some honest opinions whether a person should imbibe with wine or not. After a long, hard day it is very nice having a glass to look forward to and I am talking one good size glass, not huge, or should I save that for Fridays and Saturdays? I know myself well, if I go too strict, I will eventually go off the deep end. I can handle one fruit and one starch but wanted to know if the successful South Beachers out there incorporate a glass of wine in a few times a week and are still losing weight. I know too much alcohol can impede your good choices and changes one's metabolism. Thanks!!

[small dog]

My husband and I will be starting phase 2 on Monday and we will be resuming our wine consumption. I have found that my very best cholesterol scores have been when I drink wine once daily. I think we will start with one or two days a week and see how it goes. We don't drink with a meal, as advised, but as the end to the day. As with starting carbs and fruits again, it will be slow, careful and with an eye to any bad effects it may have.

[RedRox]

I like my wine too! I think we probably included wine with dinner 3-4 days a week probably and still lost weight in P2. I think the important thing to realize is that wine/alcohol is still basically empty calories nutrition-wise, even though it does have some heart healthy properties. So too much of a good thing can be a material amount of calories on the intake side you either have to make up for elsewhere on intake or expenditure! ; But this is a lifestyle program and life includes wine and good food and enjoyment of those things. You just have to find the balance that works for you!

[HouTXMom]

Thanks to both of you. Like you said finding that right balance!!

[Jilly_Bean]

Originally Posted by RedRox

... But this is a lifestyle program and life includes wine and good food and enjoyment of those things. You just have to find the balance that works for you!

Amen!

[emalady]

Just wondering if it matters what type of wine one drinks? Red? White? Dry? Semi-dry?, Sparkling? and so on............

Thanks
Andrea

[luvbug412]

I believe red wine has shown to have more health benefits than any other. Because of the process of creating red wine you end up with a list of antioxidants due to the skins being left around for the first 5-10 days after pressing.

[RedRox]

Yes that is true for the antioxidant portion of the wine's benefits which are important as cancer fighting tools by absorbing free oxygen radicals floating around in our systems. But for heart health and cardiac disease prevention it doesn't seem to matter much what type of alcohol you consume. It seems to be more just the regular. moderate consumption of it that helps reduce cardiac risk. So red wines and dark beers (like stouts and porters) do seem to have that antioxidant benefit for them as well. This is true of most "colored" foods really. The more colors we add into our diet, generally the better off we are as well.

[SistaMags]

I thoroughly enjoyed my wine with dinner tonight after a couple of hectic shifts in a row! It keeps me sane but I must admit, I love my times without it!