Healthy Drinks for the Holidays and Every Day

With all of the special occasions, the holidays can add up to unintended weight gain and unhealthy swings in blood sugar. But that favorite cookie may not be the only culprit. “Drinks are a really sneaky way to add extra calories and sugars,” says Nutrition Manager and Dietician Rebecca Kirian. A drink along with a meal, she points out, can be like getting seconds “without the healthy proteins and fats.”

Kirian looked at the label on a friend’s bottle of Dr. Pepper. “It had 129 percent of the recommendation for daily added sugars,” she says. Some consider fruit juice to be healthier than soda pop. Still, says Diabetes Education Program Manager Cynthia Gordon, “It’s better to eat a fruit than drink a fruit. You get the fiber and the nutrients.”

Sugars should constitute only ten percent of your daily calorie intake. Over-consumption of sugars is responsible for a nationwide epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes for adults and children. Current state data show one out of three Alaskans is obese. Obesity is a risk factor for contracting the most severe and potentially deadly cases of COVID-19.

“As a dietician, I’m never going to tell someone you cannot eat or drink that,” notes Kirian. “It is all about moderation.” For Gordon, it is all about portion size, for both drinks and food. You can have anything you want, but to keep your blood sugar level healthy, skip the Big Gulp or big platter, and the sports drinks.

“If you really want that pumpkin spice latte, have it as an occasional treat. Don’t have it every day, get a smaller size, or half the pumps of sweetener,” advises Kirian.

Of course, warm drinks are soothing during the winter. Gordon suggests green or herbal tea, or hot water with lemon.

For holiday alcoholic drinks, it’s also all about moderation. “Stay in the recommended drink limit: one for women and two for men,” says Kirian. If you don’t drink, enjoy a mocktail, recipes with all the fun of cocktails without the alcohol.

A shot of gin, vodka, or whiskey mixed with a little simple syrup, flavored carbonated water, or kombucha is better for your blood sugar than sweet wine or eggnog.

Kirian makes her own kombucha. She made a SCOBY, the “starter” or “mother,” which fuels the fermentation process. She brews black or green tea, adds sugar, lets it ferment, and then bottles it. Although the kombucha is fed with sugar, the SCOBY consumes it, and the resulting beverage is low in sugar and full of healthy probiotics. Kirian’s favorite flavors to add are ginger, turmeric, and lemon.

Kirian and Gordon agree there’s just one drink we need to function and thrive. It helps organs like your kidneys do their job in removing waste from our body. It is what we are made of. It is the best gift you can give your body this holiday season. Water.

Make a Mock-Toddy

Hot Toddies are warm drinks that soothe and relax. Skip the alcohol and you can still have a relaxing, healthy, and fun winter drink. Heat water and add any of the following:

• Raw honey or molasses in moderation
• Herbal teas like hibiscus, thyme, or tulsi
• Fresh-squeezed lemon
• Organic apple cider vinegar
• Sliced oranges
• Cinnamon sticks
• Star anise
• Grated nutmeg

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