The struggle of caring about your health but also enjoying a drink after a long day or happy hour on a patio in the summer is endless. That’s why finding a drink that satisfies your need for that warm buzz, but also doesn’t cause your blood sugar to spike is so imperative. Finding one that might actually have health benefits can pretty much be dismissed as nothing more than a pipe dream.
We’ve all heard that the occasional glass of red wine can have positive effects on our health. Thanks to the grape skin, red wine is full of antioxidants, including resveratrol and proanthocyanidins, which can help prevent heart disease and cancer. But if red wine isn’t really you’re thing, what are your options?
Tequila might be the newest trend in drinks that you can sip all night and still wake up the next day feeling fresh and distinctly not-hungover. Unfortunately, a lot of people have an adverse reaction to the very mention of tequila because of a night of over-doing it on the Jose Cuervo shots back in their freshman year of university. According to tequila connoisseurs that’s probably because Jose Cuervo is made of up to 42% corn syrup. That’s not real tequila.
Instead, choose a clear resposado, blanco or añejo version. These ones are made from 100% pure agave without the additives that end up giving you that throbbing headache and nausea the next day. Good tequila might be more expensive, but it’s worth the extra money for the taste alone. Sip them straight or mix with club soda and a couple lime wedges to get the full flavour with none of the burn. Basically, in moderation, a good quality tequila is a great choice if you want the buzz without the hangover and all the calories. But does that mean it’s actually good for you?
Claims that tequila can help you lose weight, prevent osteoporosis and help fights colds and the flu have been floating around the internet for awhile but there’s no definitive evidence that tequila alone can do any of those things. You could do a lot worse with your drink choice (beer is all carbs, and most cocktails are full of sugar), but in general, if health is your number one concern, drinking anything at all is probably not the best idea.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a drink from time to time though. As with any other liquor, doing your homework and choosing tequila brands that use high quality ingredients is your best bet. We can all agree that going shot for shot with Jose Cuervo in your early 20s was not the best decision you ever made. But now that you’re an adult, it could be time to leave your trauma behind and give tequila another chance.
