Ladies, Craft Beer Makes You Fat…

How many times have you heard this line? You’re out with friends and everyone’s placing their drink orders. You ask the typical “what’s on tap” question and you get THAT look. You know – THE LOOK! The one that says, “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you” because everyone knows the unspoken truth – beer gives you a potbelly that rivals Homer Simpson.

Yeah… can we squash this myth once and for all? It’s 2015, people! With craft beer being one of the fastest growing markets on the scene right now, it’s natural that more people will try it and some of those people will be (gasp) WOMEN! Drinking a pint (or two) of beer doesn’t make you make you pack on pounds. Lack of exercise, poor diet & limited sleep is the culprit. You could down vodka sodas or rum & cokes instead of a pint of craft beer and you can still develop the cursed “beer belly.”

Beer & your body Infographic
Image courtesy of TwistedHops.com

Should Women Drink Beer?

Drinking beer is actually encouraged in women drinkers. 200,00 women were examined by the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment and it was found that drinking a pint or two regularly puts women at a lower risk of osteoporosis. Goodbye, hip fracture. Hello, grapefruit ales & PB&J Stouts!

Avoid Giving Birth to a Beer Belly

  1. Eat a hearty meal before or while drinking beer

Calories in beer & alcohol are referred to as empty calories and are less likely absorbed by the body. Our bodies require energy that we won’t get from drinking alcohol. The carbon dioxide & bitter components of beer affects the stomach lining and increases the appetite. By eating a substantial meal when drinking beer, you’re supplying your body with the energy it needs. You’ll actually drink less by doing so. Less drinks equal less calories! #Winning

  1. Be mindful of WHAT you’re eating

A hearty meal doesn’t mean a cast iron skillet of triple mac & cheese topped with a panko bacon crumble! Damn it, I just made myself hungry… You get my drift though. Eat a meal that gives you a good balance of protein & carbs. You don’t have to break out the My Fitness Pal app on your smartphone but simply make smart decisions. If you’re gonna have the mac & cheese, don’t be a glutton! Share it with your drinking buddies. Trust me, they all want to try the mac & cheese too!

  1. For the love of all things holy, take a hike!

Well you don’t need to take an actual hike but a nice stroll around the block after dinner will do the body good. People watch, count stars or do whatever it is you may do for fun on a casual stroll. The point is to get moving to help aid digestion, improve blood circulation & burn some of those calories you inhaled. Remember you ate the mac & cheese? A 15-minute stroll will help ease some of the guilt.

The ideal food pairing will enhance the flavor of a craft beer to the point where you can’t imagine drinking anything else. I challenge you to pair a rich, chocolaty dessert like a chocolate mousse cupcake with a stout such as Left Hand Brewing Co. Milk Stout Nitro, which can be found at your local Total Wine & More or local beer centric restaurant. My goal is to have you stepping outside of your comfort zone & trying a different beer whenever you go out for dinner or enjoy happy hour with friends. A beer will run you about $6-8 and a cocktail will be around $10-14. I don’t know about you but my pocketbook LOVES my new found appreciation for craft beer. Maybe yours will feel the same?

Are you a seasoned craft beer drinker or a believer of this celebrated myth? Tell me why you’re for or against beer in the comments below.

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Cheers,

Q the Cruzan Foodie

 

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