What To Drink, When You’re Drinking
Issue No. 8
What To Drink, When You’re Drinking…
Gwyneth Paltrow winning Best Actress for 'Shakespeare in Love, 1999
Today is my favorite day of the year — Daylight Savings! We’re through the dark depths of winter and there is light at the end of the tunnel! From here until June 21st, our days will be filled with more and more sunlight, extending our glorious post-work windows for all kinds of fun. This year, Daylight Savings just so happens to fall on another spectacular day: Oscar Sunday.
Yes, the 96th Academy Awards are upon us! Just hours away (money’s on Oppenheimer or The Holdovers for Best Picture). LA right now is electric. The weather is incredible, the parties are endless, and tonight is the pinnacle of it all. I can almost hear the champagne bottles pop. I mean, what pairs with the culmination of awards season better than a crisp, cold glass of bubbly (besides, maybe, an In-N-Out burger)?
To preface this – I know, I know – no amount of alcohol is good for us. I’m not arguing that it is. I’ve found myself drinking less and less every year and feeling better for it. I’m more mindful than I’ve ever been about what and when I choose to drink. It needs to be worth it. That said! I believe in a moderation approach to all things (including moderation?). Leave a little room for pleasure, whatever that might look like to you! To me, this means drinking on occasion. For fun! When I do drink, I do what I can to minimize the harrowing aftermath that many of us know all too well. So, in the spirit of drinking, here are a few tips to set yourself up for feeling your best when you’re ready to do your worst.
glucose graph via @glucosegoddess
1.Be strategic about your alcohol choices.
The graph above from the Glucose Goddess is a nice reminder that sugary cocktails pack a heavier punch to your body (and glucose levels) than wine, champagne, or clear liquors (i.e. tequila, vodka). Look at how much steeper the glucose curve is after a rum, vermouth, and pear juice cocktail vs. two glasses of champagne alone. I’ve always leaned towards wine, champagne, or tequila when “picking my poison” and seeing data like this made me feel great about that choice. By the way, I’ve given my husband Tim a lot of flack in past issues of the Lacey List, so I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge that champagne has always been his beverage of choice (still no beating his massive amount of tea intake)! He’s not a big drinker, but when he does imbibe, it’s usually something like champagne (or tequila). Yay Tim! 🥂 🕺
here’s proof!
2. Go into the night well-hydrated. This helps your body combat the toxins to follow.
3. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. It’s the same concept as “putting clothes on your carbs” (see hack #10 here). Pairing your alcohol (which is a sugar) with fat, protein, or fiber will reduce the speed of glucose absorption in the body, helping to blunt a steep blood sugar spike.
4. Alkalize before you drink. This one is a new habit for me, courtesy of Sarah Wragge Wellness. It turns out that essentially everything “fun” is acidic – sugar, alcohol, packaged foods like chips. To balance this out, our bodies need help becoming more alkaline. Sarah recently rolled out an SWW Alkalize Detoxifying Greens Powder and it gets the job done. It comes conveniently packaged in single-serve sachets that are easy to mix with water and chug on the go. Down it before and after you drink, and reap the benefits. It actually tastes pretty good for a greens powder (and, yes, Tim drinks it!).
5. Try activated charcoal. Haters like to hate on this one, but I swear taking these before I have a drink makes me feel better the next day. No, there haven’t been studies that substantiate this. Could it be a placebo effect? Absolutely. But I’m not alone in feeling like these are net-positive in helping your body filter out the alcohol.
6. Dr. Nigma’s Vitamin C Cocktail. I’ve talked about this one before, and for good reason! It serves as a catch-all when you’re looking to boost immunity. Starting a night of drinking with something packed with nutrients that support health and vitality is an absolute yes! When I’m not drinking, I’ll also prepare this as if it’s a cocktail, shaken, not stirred. 🍸
So there you have it! If you’re feeling like a couple of drinks, try these little tricks and see if they help you better recover.
And if drinking’s not your thing? I deeply respect that and applaud you. I recently found and loved this alcoholic-free French Bubbly. It’s low in sugar (4.6g per serving), which is usually the main problem with non-alcoholic beverages. It’s light (19 calories per serving), and tastes surprisingly refreshing. The best part? It feels just as festive in a champagne flute as the real thing.
French Bloom, 0% Alcohol, 100% delicious
To close this out - remember when I told you that I’m far from perfect? Well, here’s a classic example: at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party last year, which I was fortunate enough to attend, I had about six, maybe seven, spicy margaritas (they were perfectly executed! Don Julio 1942! salt on the rim!) and maybe somewhere between ten and twelve pizza slices (they were hand-rolled by Evan Funke himself!). I don’t totally remember exactly, which probably says it all. I promise to be much better behaved this year. We’ll be coming home to a sleeping baby, after all.
Left: one of the aforementioned margaritas. Right: Tim enjoying a slice while Evan Funke gives him side-eye.
