Tag Archives: wine

How A Beer Belly Is Made

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The Skinny: Alcohol can make it harder for you to lose the fat!
Leave it to boys Men’s Health Magazine to break down the beer belly…
  1. You take a swig of beer.
  2. Within seconds, the beverage passes through your esophagus and into your stomach.
  3. Twenty percent of the alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream; the rest is absorbed into your intestines.
  4. The alcohol travels through our blood to your liver, where it is broken down. During this process, waste products called acetate and acetaldehyde are created.
  5. Acetate and acetaldehyde signal your body to stop burning fat. At the same time, your body starts making fat from another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA.
  6. Your body can effectively process only 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour. So the more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from burning fat, and the more fat builds up from the excess acetyl CoA.

A 12-ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol.
The following also contain 0.6 ounces of alcohol

    • 5.5 ounces wine (11% alcohol)
    • 14.3 ounces of light beer (4.2% alcohol)
    • 1.5 ounces of hard liquor such as whiskey (40% alcohol/ 80 proof)
    • 1.2 ounces of hard liquor (50% alcohol/100 proof)

The above calculations are based on the percentage of alcohol present in each beverage, so the alcohol percentage or proof is given. For example, wine can sometimes be more than 11% alcohol. If you would like to learn more about calculating the amount of alcohol in your drinks, please visit www.elegantpie.com/cheers.html for formulas to help you calculate the ounces of alcohol in your drinks as well as blood alcohol content.

What’s the point? If you’re trying to lose fat, cut out alcohol for a while. You’ll see and feel your results faster.

Recipe: Chicken with Fennel and Tomato

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This recipe from Martha Stewart is perfect! It is testament to the fact that you don’t need to spend a lot of time or effort cooking in order to get a delicious meal. I modified her version slightly so that I get more vegetables and more broth per serving. Sometimes I add an additional 3/4 cup of chicken broth if I’m in the mood for more of a soup dish.

Ingredients:

  • 8 plum tomatoes, (about 1 pound), cored and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
  • 2 fennel bulbs, (10 to 12 ounces each), halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise, fronds reserved (see note)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (about 8 ounces each)
  • 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a large, deep skillet, combine tomatoes, fennel, and wine; season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on top of vegetables, allowing as much space between pieces as possible; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet, and simmer gently until chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Slice chicken breasts, and serve on top of vegetable mixture; garnish with reserved fennel fronds.
Serves 2-4. Nutritional information based on a 4 ounce portion of chicken and 1/4 the vegetable mixture.
Calories: approx 230
Fat: approx 2 grams
Protein: approx 25.5 grams