For the most part, alcohol is just junk food: loads of empty calories with little nutritional value. But it’s the holidays! What better time is there to loosen your control a bit and indulge in some cheer with friends and family?

However, we can lessen the health damage of alcohol by either choosing alcohol with health benefits and/or pairing it with healthy mixes.

Warning: food & bevvies which contain hefty health benefits may not necessarily be low in calories, e.g. nuts are equally high in nutrients and calories. The following healthy holiday drink recipes will most definitely put your reduced calorie diet on pause.

Based on a WebMD post, Hot and Healthy Holiday Drinks, here are a couple of warm cups of delicious alcoholic beverages to try when ringing in the New Year:

Steph’s Holiday Hot Apple Cider

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups PC fresh pressed apple cider
2 cups cranberry juice
1 fat orange slice
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 oz. dark rum(about 58 calories)

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There’s only a week left of summer, so while I’m trying to cure my indecision for the Fall… it’s time to party! Here’s the third healthy cocktail recipe for you to try out this weekend:

The Healthier Mojito

Ingredients

1½ oz. dark rum
1 drop stevia or tsp raw honey (adjust to taste)
5 oz club soda
½ fresh lime
3 mint leaves
3 ice cubes

Directions

1. Squeeze lime into the bottom of a high ball glass.
2. Add stevia and mint leaves to juice.
3. Gently mash mint with a pestle or other tool that won’t rip the leaves. You want to simply release the oils.
4. Add rum and stir.
5. Add ice, top cocktail up with the soda water.
6. Garnish with piece of lime.

Feel free to come back and let us know how you enjoyed this healthier cocktail, or if you have any suggestions for improvement!

It’s FRIIIIDAAAAYYY!!! And it’s still summer – when the living is easy… So take it easy! Enjoy the beautiful weather because it’s not here for long. I say put your goals on hold for now, just until the end of summer. The Fall is the perfect time to reevaluate ambitions and start fresh. In the meantime, have fun with friends and enjoy the balmy weather!

So that’s what I did last weekend, as it was the Civic long weekend here in Canada. While I wanted to partake in drinking, I still wanted to make the healthiest choice possible. Enter: a healthier-for-you cocktail recipe, The Chocolate-Covered Grasshopper , and a new feature column here on Live Lighter, “Healthier Alcohol Bevvies.”

For this weekend, we’re going more juicy rather than milky. Please enjoy…

Sweet Summer Lovin’

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It’s Saturday of the Civic Day long weekend and it’s time to kick back and enjoy the fun-loving side of moderation. Rather than get so polluted that I need the whole next day to heal, I’ve chosen a healthier-for-you cocktail to enjoy.

Inspired by the Grasshopper, an alcoholic beverage made with milk and green crème de menthe, this healthier cocktail recipe will be sure to satisfy your “go nuts” craving. Try this minty, milky, chocolatey treat made with soy beverage rather than cow’s milk for yourself. And tell us what you think in the comments below!

The Chocolate-Covered Grasshopper

Ingredients

½ oz. green crème de menthe
½ oz. kahlua
1 cup chocolate soy beverage
2 ice cubes

Directions

Stir, sip and savour.

For those of you who believe life’s all about moderation, even moderation, then stay tuned to Live Lighter’s regular column “Healthier Alcoholic Bevvies.” This regular feature is intended to give you some healthier alternatives for when you want to shake up your system a bit – to make it stronger, of course.

Do you have a healthier-for-you cocktail recipe to share?

Happy Irish Day, Folks! To help all you health conscious people join the festivities without a guilty conscience, I thought you’d be interested in knowing your healthiest choice out of all the beers on the market.

First, just to let you know, beer is healthy for you (well, for some people)! The benefits of beer are numerous, from battling cancer to raising your metabolism. Studies have also shown beer (in moderation, of course) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve mental health. Plus, it has a wide repertoire of nutrients to boot!

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