OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 15

( Nutrition )

What is a standard drink and how
many kilojoules do they contain?
The lowest kJ option is to drink vodka
with soda and a fresh wedge of lime, or,
for those who like it, a straight forward
whisky on the rocks, or try it Scottish
style with just a splash of water.  Beer
drinkers can opt for light beers which, on
average contain 385kJ per can or bottle.
If you’re like me and are partial to a glass
of wine, simply slow yourself down by
having a sparkling water at the same
time, or a spritzer (white wine and soda).
This can be a very refreshing choice and
will take longer to finish.
Cocktails are generally your worst
choice. They include not only alcohol, but
usually also stacks of sugar from either
fruit juice or soft drink mixers. A strawberry
daquiri, for example, clocks in at roughly
670kJ, a Sex-in-the-City style cosmopolitan
has 630kJ, while a pina colada (does
anyone drink those anymore) has around
880kJ. Your best bet is actually a bloody
Mary at 493kJ, due to the base being
tomato juice, which has a lower kJ and
sugar content compared to other fruit
juices.
Of course, it’s absolutely your choice as
to how much you want to drink, but be
mindful of how it is affecting your progress
towards your ‘get lean’ goals and your long
term health. I firmly believe in setting
lifestyle patterns that you can stick to
forever, not just while you’re trying to get
lean. But during an active phase of losing
weight, pulling in the reins on the booze
(for regular drinkers) can be just what you
need to achieve success.

( OH! MAGAZINE ) ISSUE 7

15