PROTEIN, THE PERFECT PAIRING

PREVENT WINE-TASTING WEIGHT GAIN

Spring has clearly come in like a lion and as I write this, summer is looking to be little more than a suggestion. The weather certainly has affected activities in and around the valley, many holding off in hopes of more agreeable weather. Wine-related events, however seem to be the exception and pourings are on the rise.

Being more of a tea gal myself, until my daughter began working tastings at and doing events for Tantalus Vineyards, I didn't quite grasp how much wine has really become woven into the fabric of our community. Local wines are given to welcome or thank clients, served at business networking events, brought to share at BBQs, given as door prizes, selected by local chefs and restaurants to accompany specific dishes, and sent home with our summer visitors who visit from abroad. And believe it or not, wine has even become interactive. With the creation of events such as Pinot and Picasso singles, couples or groups, wine glass in one hand, paint brush in the other, are led to create personal masterpieces while sipping their favourite red or white.

With Okanagan wines appearing so often in our every day, there are a few things to consider from a health perspective before meandering mindlessly down the vineyard rows. First of all, any changes made to our daily food and beverage intake- alcohol included - are reflected in our body, how we look, and in our overall health and mobility, how we feel and function. The most notable of these changes often shows up first in the area of weight gain.

Wine, along with every other alcohol, is considered a carbohydrate. A refined carbohydrate at that. And for anyone who follows my column you know that consuming carbohydrates alone, refined ones especially, causes the blood sugar to spike and the body to then store the food as fat. This effect is further magnified for those people who skip a meal, thinking they dodged a bullet by “saving” those calories to be consumed later in their favourite glass of red, white or rose.

Not only does consuming wine on its own cause a spike in blood sugar and fat storage, but skipping a meal or meals throughout the day causes blood sugar to plummet, burning muscle in the process. This combination actually slows down metabolism and alters body composition, depleting muscle mass while increasing body fat percentage. And while there are a select few who don't appear to ever be outwardly affected, they may in fact actually be carrying around a dangerously high percentage of body fat.

So, how does one imbibe and enjoy the fruit of our many vines without developing that full-bodied figure around the middle? Pair it with protein. Because it has a much slower digestion rate, protein helps counteract the rapid digestion rate of the wine. This allows blood sugar to remain quite a bit more stable and prevents much of the fat storage as well. Just a word of caution, pairing alcohol with food may help balance out and prevent weight gain from one drink, maybe two if spread throughout the evening, again with protein in between. But alcohol does not metabolize in our bodies the same way food carbohydrates do so taking into consideration the stress alcohol can put on our organs – especially the liver – and other risks associated with increased alcohol consumption, moderation is always recommended.

This summer, should you find yourself in a season of sipping, just remember; Don't skip meals. “Saving” calories only results in saving fat to be stored around the waist. Choose one or two drinks per occasion to keep your liver happy. And above all, don't forget the protein. Your body and your waistline will thank you for it.

Join Tania in one of three weight loss groups starting soon. End the Dieting Madness begins mornings May 30 at Parkinson Rec Centre call 250-469-8800 to register. Summer Shape Up Challenge in-person group begins evenings June 5 at Creative Healing Chiropractic and NEW Summer Shape Up online group begins May 31. For info and registration on both call 250-870-8719 or go to www.fuelignitethrive.com