Shake it Baby

There are many people who have been watching their carbohydrate intake as part of a healthy lifestyle. By limiting the amount of carbs one consumes during the day, they may be able to lose weight, fend off diabetes, and have more stamina.

Low carbohydrate diets are designed to reduce the amount of simple sugars that are consumed. These diets are easy to follow if you become an avid label reader. By reading the labels on your favourite foods or drinks, you will be able to determine the amount of carbs that are in them and from there decide if it fits your diet plan.

Is there Carbohydrates is Wine?

The simple answer is yes. Wine begins with fruit, most common grapes. All grapes contain natural sugars and on the outside they have a fine coating of natural yeast. During the fermentation process, the sugar and the yeast mix together causing a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction turns the grapes sugars into alcohol.

The carbs in any wine come from the small amount of sugars that are left over from the fermentation process. Most of the sugar in the grapes has turned to alcohol so the amount of carbs found in any wine is going to be low.

There are some wines that do have more sugars in them than others. Sweeter wines contain more sugars and therefore more carbs. Dryer wines are lower in carbohydrates because they contain less sugar.

Amount of Carbs Found in Wine

Wines can contain anywhere from 2-5 grams of carbs per ounce depending on the sweetness of the wine. Dryer wines such a blanc are going to have less carbs in them, between 2-3 grams per ounce. Bottles of Zinfindel or Chardonnay tend to be higher in sugars along with higher in carbs. Dessert wines like Sherry and Port are even higher. They can hit upwards of 13 grams per ounce.

Wine is Not Alone

Beer also contains carbs. Wine and beer are similar in the amount of sugars per ounce. Beer can range anywhere from 2 grams all the way up to 8 grams of carbs per ounce.

You may think that if the beer is labelled light that the carbs would be lower but this is not the case.

Weight Gain

One of the main reasons people chose a low carb diet is to control their weight. Simple sugars are burned quickly by the body so people tend to eat more when their diet is high in sugars and starches.

There really isn’t any strong proof one way or another if wine will lead to weight gain or for that matter if any alcoholic beverage will increase the hips. There is one exception to that which is mixed drinks. Some mixed drinks do contain large amounts of sugar and are high in calories. This is because other ingredients besides alcohol are being used.

An occasional glass of wine or shifter of brandy is not going to cause weight gain. One reason people tend to gain weight when drinking is because they eat things like cheese, nuts or other snack foods high in calories, fats and carbs with their drinks. Another reason is large amounts of alcohol can slow the body’s metabolism down.  Some people are unsure about such matters but it’s a good idea to learn about all the different types of weight loss myths.

1 Comment » Posted by April / Food and Drink

Whenever it comes to buying gifts for friends, family or work colleagues, it can be so difficult. Especially when we now live in an age where everyone has everything they could possibly want or need. One of the best gifts in this situation would be to buy a gift basket. But what sort of gift basket would be appropriate? There are so many to choose from such as beer gift baskets, bath, candles, chocolate and even wine.

If the person you are buying a gift basket for loves wine then this will certainly be one gift they’ll have pleasure in receiving. Wine is also a great gift for many occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Mother and Father Days, Christmas or even a new job. A wine gift basket makes a wonderful choice whatever the occasion.  It will certainly help you get in the party mood, how much energy it will give you so that you party ’til you drop I can’t say.  LOL.

Wine Gift Basket Ideas

A wine gift basket can be as simple or ornate as you would like it to be. The type you choose will obviously depend on the reason for your purchase. If you are buying for someone you don’t know that well or it’s just a token gift, keeping it simple is probably best.

However if it’s a very special occasion such as wedding and you know the couple very well, you can really splash out and get something extra special. An excellent combination is a bottle of Champagne and a pair of crystal champagne glasses.

If you want to include a variety of other gifts with your wine then you can include wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Chardonnay along with Chardonnay Cheese, Chocolate Mocha Truffles, Biscotti Assortment, Kalamata Olives, Cheese Straws, Mixed Nuts, wine information guide and even a bottle opener.  Imagine the gifts all sitting under your slim Xmas tree.

You don’t have to just select the standard 750ml bottles either. Remember that wine bottles come in deferent sizes from the mini ones you get in hotels in aeroplanes to the huge magnum of champagnes you see racing drivers plash all over each other. You could fill your wine gift basket with an assortment of small bottles to give the recipient the opportunity to taste wines which they may never have tried before. If you really want to create a gasp of delight, you could arange the mini bottles around one very large bottle from Italy or France.

For someone who really loves the finer things in life, a bottle of Brut champagne surrounded by quality cheeses and fine Belgium chocolates will go down a treat. You might even want to include truffles or caviar for that extra special touch.

When we think of gift baskets people tend to think of the traditional wicker type. However if you are buying for someone who is more stylish and contemporary, there are a huge variety of basket alternatives to try out. There are ones made from metal, leather and even some modern plastics. There are so many opportunities to create something spectacular.

Although you can easily buy wine gift baskets in various combinations, sizes and prices from the internet or a local delicatessen, you should also remember that wine gift baskets can also be assembled by yourself for a more personal touch. This way you can add in particular wines and nibbles that you know the recipient would love.

All you have to do is ask around if anyone knows what wines and other treats they like or you could always try and remember what you have seen them eat and drink in the past. You then combine all these items in a basket which you and buy from a craft store, wrap it in cellophane and then tie a ribbon around it. You can also throw in personal items such as photos to really show you care.

If you want to buy a wine gift basket already prepared by a professional you should expect to pay at least $50 and you could easily pay several times more than that depending on the quality of the wine and other treats that are included. Although you may save some money making your own you could be surprised that there isn’t much of a difference at all.

So if you have been really stuck for a gift idea and have turned to the internet for inspiration, you can’t really go wring with a wine gift basket. Just make sure the person you are buying for can drink alcohol as some people don’t drink for health or religious reasons. It would be very embarrassing to buy a wine gift basket for a recovering alcoholic.

No Comments » Posted by April / Food and Drink

So many people who feel over-worked or stressed turn to coffee for an energy boost.  But is this the best option?  The caffeine in coffee often makes people suffer from the “jitters” so they’re now turning to other drinks instead.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate (pronounced yerba-mateh) is believed to be another alternative.  The leaves of the Yerba Mate’ tree are dried along with some of the twigs. After the leaves are dried they can be steeped in hot, not boiling, water. The taste is similar to green tea with a more herbal, bitter flavor.

What is Yerba Mate?

The Yerba mate tree is found in South America and is part of the holly family.  It has long green leaves, whitish flowers and bears a small red berry.

Health Benefits of Yerba Mate’

If you take a daily multi-vitamin you may want to consider taking Yerba Mate instead as it is packed with loads of vitamins and minerals such as A, B1, B2, B3, B5 and C, potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium, and phosphorus.

Caffeine is in Yerba Mate’

OK, so there’s caffeine in Yerba Mate but it’s been found that people who are sensitive to caffeine are not so with Yerba Mate’ even though it does have caffeine in it.

Mate’ also is easier on the stomach then coffee and some teas. This added with all the nutrients it has makes it a great alternative to coffee beans.

No Comments » Posted by April / Food and Drink and Home and Garden