Saturday Update

Good morning.... eek! Good afternoon! Let the update commence:

Yesterday's Observations:

• Dinner entree was a tad bland. Great salad of arugula, apple and walnut as a starter. So easy to make healthful salad dressing (olive oil, balsamic, dijon, salt, pepper)!
• Will make bread today! Didn't get the stuff in the machine in time yesterday. 
• Trip to grocery store to buy organic ingredients for 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners? $106.47 will feed 3 people with leftovers. Not bad...

Today's Thoughts:

• Lazy morning. We need those every now and again!
• Yoga complete and off to do some abs and upper body work before heading out for lunch. 
• Simple dinner tonight: Whole chicken (stuffed with rosemary and lemon) surrounded by beets, potatoes, carrots and onions. One pot into the oven. Easy! I can't wait for the aroma to fill the kitchen.  

Enjoy your Saturday. Follow my lead and do something fun today!

Tweety, too!

Happy Friday afternoon. So much for my morning update. I'm late! Lots of action at TEDMED. If you're interested, search for #tedmed on Twitter.

Yesterday's Observations:

• Dinner was great and a welcome change from being out so often this week. All recipes from WholeFoods which is a great source of tasty meals. 
• Decided to take another long stroll with my dog after work last night. The Autumn weather was pretending it was summer so we went out to enjoy the warmth. 
• More green tea and less coffee yesterday. I slept more soundly. 

Today's Thoughts:

• Scale this morning? 129.2 Gained 4 ounces since yesterday. Is it bad to get on the scale each morning? Most "experts" would say yes. And, it works for me. I get on the scale most mornings because I am collecting data on myself and being aware of the impact of my choices. I would much rather know about 4 ounces or 1 pound than be shocked by the 10 pounds like 2 weeks ago. I don't torture myself over 4 ounces, I simply consider listening to my body.  
• Haven't worked out yet today and am planning on doing so after work this evening. The day doesn't feel quite "in gear" without my morning exercise. Interesting....
• Am looking forward to Hearty Greens Soup with Bowtie Pasta and Tomatoes for dinner with some home-made bread. Do you have a bread maker gathering dust in a closet somewhere? Go find it! It is great during the cooler weather and the resulting bread is much better for you. 
• Am gathering data on eating organic. I know people say it is too expensive. And, yes it is more costly though I have a theory if we plan our meals well and reduce eating out, choosing organic is actually affordable. Stay tuned...

Have a lovely Friday afternoon and be sure to schedule some time for your health this weekend! 

My lead? Yes. My plan? No!

Update for this Thursday and 11 days into the "down with the pounds" project. To the update and then an explanation.

Yesterday's Observations:

• Had a great dinner meeting and meal. Raw oysters as a starter and a salad as my main. I was full and satisfied. Nobody else had a salad for dinner. Alas, sometimes you lead alone. 
• My other food for yesterday consisted of: banana, 1/2 blueberries, 4 strawberries, 1 ounce of almonds, 2 cups of arugula, 5 mushrooms. Not a great deal of food. It works for me and it may not work for you (see explanation below).
• I'm doing some core work every day and have noticed fewer back twinges. I think, perhaps, core work is the unappreciated exercise. 

Today's Thoughts:

• Scale this morning: 128.6 pounds. 
• Busy day already. Breakfast meeting complete and off to lunch meeting soon. Breakfast? A cup of fresh fruit, whole wheat bread and tomato juice. Not as healthful as my home-prepared breakfast, mind you, and still pretty reasonable. 
• Did yoga, abs and lower body workout early this morning (still dark out, ugh). Had planned on 5 miles on the stationary bike and decided to take it slow, instead. My dog and I walked for nearly 2 miles. Yes, running and biking is a faster way to burn calories. And, sometimes our bodies need to slow down and enjoy the process of exercise. We walked briskly and enjoyed a very lovely autumn morning. 
• Am planning some additional exercise this evening after work and then a lovely home-cooked meal. Marinated and grilled portobello mushroom with avocado, black bean and mango on arugula (I love arugula, in case you haven't noticed). Can't wait!

Explanation:

I've been talking about leading by example and I encourage you to do so, too. You're more than welcome to follow my lead and eat at home more often, make better food choices when eating out and do some exercise (and even some core exercise) every day. If you take better care of yourself, the people around you will take better care of themselves. Do I have proof? Lots of anecdotal evidence and no double-blind clinical studies. Don't believe me? Try it! 

And there is a catch... you can follow my lead but you can't follow my plan. My plan is my plan and you can't have it. Why am I being so stingy all of the sudden? Because I care about you. The reason my plan works is because I invest the time and effort in learning what works for me. What works for me will, most likely, not work for you. Life-long, sustainable and easy health and wellness requires that each one of us find our own recipe for success. The latest diet fad is a waste of time and the newest fitness gadget is a waste of money. Are they mindless to follow? Perhaps. Will they last? Not likely. 

I want you to invest in you. I want you to learn how to take care of your own health, to find the kind of exercise you enjoy (and can sustain), to make better food choices (and get away from the trap of processed foods). I want you to create your own life well lived. Follow my lead!

Where is Wednesday Going?

Starting your morning with software updates is certainly an adventurous way to begin the day. Whew! Things appear to be functioning at the moment... fingers crossed! On to the update...

Yesterday's Observations:

• I am saving a great deal of time and money by planning and preparing my own meals. Meal time is now a welcome break from work because I don't have to forage for something to make. Try it!!
• After extra lower body and back stretching my knee felt better and I had my time on the treadmill. 
• Dinner meeting was tapas and I ordered the starters for our group of eight: tuna tartare, ceviche, edamame, olives and bruschetta. I thought my choices were relatively healthy. Someone else ordered fried calamari. The calamari? Gone. My choices? Some left on every plate. I had a salad as my main. Yes, people look at you funny when you order a starter salad as a entree. Yes, I ordered first. Yes, I am leading by example. Best of all, I didn't leave dinner sluggish and weighed down by a heavy entree. 

Today's Thoughts:

• Traded coffee for green tea today. 
• Have another dinner meeting this evening. Will also experiment with leading my example. Stay tuned...
• I did my strength training work before my run this morning. Was an interesting way to change things up and I had more energy for Lower Body II (15 M). 
• I want the weekend. 
• I'm going to do Total Body Stretch (10 M) before lunch to counteract spending too much time hunched over my computer. 

Until tomorrow!

Tuesday Tips

Really quick update.... off to a meeting!

Yesterday's Observations:

• I'm glad I took it easy exercise-wise yesterday. I enjoyed the walk with my dog and the bedtime yoga and stretching.
• I really enjoy the first cup of coffee. The second one, I really want to enjoy but it is just not that good. One cup of coffee going forward

Today's Thoughts:

• Lighter breakfast and lunch meals today. I have a dinner meeting tonight.
• I felt a twinge in my right knee during yoga this morning. Hopped on the treadmill for a quick run and decided to stop for now and will give it another go this afternoon. Don't want to push it and cause a real injury.

All for now. Happy Tuesday and remember to do two things for your health today!

Monday Morning Update

Week 2 has begun with a long list of things to do. Let's get on with it:

Yesterday's Observations:

• No cake. One M&M and, I have to say, it wasn't that good. Plus, one mini-scoop of homemade coconut, chocolate, minty ice cream. Very tasty and five bites was a perfect amount. 
• Drank too much tea at the birthday party... had a restless night of sleep.
• Creating my Move.Eat.Be. plan for this week took much less time than last week. It was very helpful to plan around three restaurant meals I have this week for business meetings. To see those commitments on a schedule and to understand I may eat less healthfully for those meals allowed me to plan extra-healthy for my other meals. 

Today's Thoughts:

• I didn't feel well when the alarm rang at 6 AM this morning perhaps from a bad night of sleep. I opted to stay in bed for another hour and delay my workout until later today. 
• When I did get out of bed, still not feeling great, my conscious (who has apparently taken up residence inside my partner) suggested I should listen to my body and take it easy today. I grumbled. I have work to do, workouts to do and much to accomplish. He again reminded me to follow my own advice. I commented how it is sometimes annoying to hear your own good advice repeated to you. And, I thanked him. 
• I'm going to skip the intense cardio today and opt for taking my dog for a walk this afternoon. I'll combine that with some yoga and stretching and make this a generally easy workout day. 
• I'll limit myself to two cups of coffee today and plan to get to bed early for a good night of sleep. 

I hope you spent some time working on your Move.Eat.Be. plan for your own week. It is really helpful! Have a terrific Monday!

Sunday Funday!

Quicker update:

Yesterday's Observations:

• 2 mile run outside in the beautiful fall weather was lovely. Must further train my dog to not stop and mark every other bush, tree, leaf, weed...
• Didn't do any strength training yesterday. Must do so on weekends, even if only a small amount.
• Made a terrific butternut squash, kale and white bean stew for dinner. Very tasty, very easy and great for fall. 

Today's Thoughts:

• Scale this morning. 131. Seems the positive trend was short lived. Ugh. 
• Did yoga, 6 miles on the stationary bike, a few ab exercises and Arms I (10 M). 
• Birthday party today. To cake or not to cake...?
• Will devote 30 minutes this evening to create Move.Eat.Be. plan for next week.

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Happy Saturday and Day 6

A quick update this morning. It is the weekend!

Yesterday's Observations:

• I still had plenty of food from my grocery shopping on Monday. I spent about $150 on organic fruits, vegetables, a few cans of beans, eggs and some nuts. Five to six days of organic food can be affordable. 
• Drank too much coffee again. Weakness!
• Very much enjoyed red wine and dinner last night at a local tapas restaurant. I noticed I was coughing after eating... perhaps something in the food that didn't quite agree with my system. And, it was very tasty. 

Today's Thoughts:

• Scale this morning? 129.8. I'm astounded. Yes, I've been eating very well this week and exercising at least 60 minutes a day. I expected last night's dinner out and wine would have prevented such drastic results. And, I am pleased!
• Morning yoga has been done and now off to the great outdoors for a run!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Day 5 and Friday!

Sitting down to write this blog every morning helps me stay focused and determined. Plus I feel like I'm accountable to all of you for sticking with my plan to lose 10 pounds. A big thanks to those who have written and commented! Your support is so helpful. And, if you are on your own weight loss program, I'd encourage you to share your progress each day as well. You can even use my daily report format...

Yesterday's Observations:

• I want to know how much I currently weigh and I don't have a scale at the moment (long story). I think seeing the number a bit lower would be encouraging. Alas, must wait another day. 
• While working late last night, my computer blipped and I lost about an hour's worth of work (something I was determined to finish). My reaction: Shock -> Anger -> Frantic Attempts at Recovery -> Resignation -> Head on Desk -> Felt So Tired -> Wanted Cookies! 
• I didn't have cookies; drank a bunch of water instead. Wasn't very satisfying. Went to bed.
• Great lesson in how frustration can cause me to turn to sweet treats for comfort.
• Lots of water at 10 PM causes 3 AM "bio-break"
• Enjoyed a healthful, home-made lunch of a chickpea salad and greens with a dear friend (who also happens to be my cousin). It was nice to enjoy a good meal with her!

Today's Thoughts:

• Friday. Wine in my near future. Am determined to finish the work I lost yesterday, accomplish much more to stay busy, and make the evening come more quickly. 
• I'm curious about how my exercise will be impacted by the different schedule the weekend will bring. Harder? Easier? Plus a birthday party on Sunday for my 1 year old nephew. Cake and ice cream? Stay tuned...
• I woke up early and did all of my workouts this morning (except for Bedtime Yoga). It is nice to have them done and I think I'll miss the short workout breaks I've been taking during the day this week. I can always add some, of course. 

Back to work! I'm creating some terrific new content for the website and I have a few phone calls with  cool people who are also doing some really cool things in the wellness arena. Fabulous Friday!

Day 4: YO. TT.

Down with the pounds continues!

Yesterday's Observations:

• I had a pretty serious bread craving around 7 PM. Bread is not evil (provided it does not contain food-like substances) and can be part of a healthy diet. At the moment, bread is something I don't have in my Eat. plan this week. Why? It makes me want more bread and I know I'm better off with none versus a little.
• The Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (courtesy of the WSJ this weekend) was very tasty. I didn't use the chorizo and substituted red onion for the shallot. 
• I'm getting bored (already) with treadmill running in the mornings. Get outside or seek other options!

Today's Thoughts:

• I am not a "vegetarian" though I don't normally consume a great deal of animal protein. A few servings a week, on average. This week, I'm concentrating on whole vegetables, fruits and beans. These foods are "easier" on my body (please recognize what is good for me might not be good for you).
• Is it Friday yet? I plan on enjoying a bit of red wine this weekend. Does red wine fit into a healthy Eat. plan? Yes, if you're aware of the calories and impact on your overall diet. 
• Must remember to take regular stretch breaks... hips and legs are getting stiff from sitting at the desk too long. 

Now I must get back to work. Have a terrific day! 

Day 3: YO. TT.

My quest to lose 10 pounds continues (backstory); today is Day 3. So many things I can share already and several ideas to make Cybercise even better. Very exciting! For consistency, I'll report on Yesterday's Observations (YO) and Today's Thoughts (TT) as I did yesterday. 

YO:

Yesterday's Food Log

• I drank more water; less coffee. Slept better last night.
• You look silly when jogging in place and doing so for 5 minutes feels like a very long time. 
• I took photos of my food yesterday and posted them to Twitter. It was fun!
• I also entered my food into the free service made available by FitDay (we've considered adding a similar feature to Cybercise, and may in the future, but FitDay does a great job and we have many other priorities!). 
• Granted 1,399 calories may not seem like a great deal but look at the quantities. I truly wan't hungry, though wanted something "crunchy" before bed so opted for a small handful of walnuts. 
• You may take a look at this log and be concerned about my carb intake at 154.6 grams, but recognize they were all plant-based. I won't bore you with the detailed nutritional analysis. The most important thing??? I felt good all day, had plenty of energy and wasn't hungry.

TT:

• My core/abs are a bit sore this morning. Glorious! 
• Knowing you are going to report in is very motivating. I didn't really feel like a run this morning and I did it because I didn't want to have to admit not doing so. And, I'm glad I did it along with yoga, abs and an upper body program.
• I want to make adding video programs on your Cybercise calendar easier. It works, but could be better. 
• I'm looking forward to dinner of Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (courtesy of the WSJ this weekend). 

I'd love to hear from you. Have any feedback, thoughts, ideas? You can comment here or see our Cybercise Facebook page and comment on the link to this blog. 

Yesterday's Observations. Today's Thoughts.

Yesterday's Observations (YO):

• I didn't eat enough yesterday and didn't eat dinner until 8:30 PM (replaced the sautéed kale with baby spinach raw). My only protein was 1/2 of black beans.
• I need to drink more water. I had a bit too much coffee and not enough water. Woke up this morning thirsty... steps away from a headache from dehydration.
• Worked too late and skipped bedtime yoga. :(
• The Warm Up (10 M) program really gets your heart pumping!
• Running 2 miles was much easier 10 pounds ago

Today's Thoughts (TT):

• Did Morning Yoga (10 M), 2 miles on treadmill and Abs I (15 M) before I checked email!
• Took a photo of my breakfast, see our Twitter feed.
• Had 2 nalgene's of water before coffee.
• Will take a break from work to make dinner at a reasonable hour. 

If you have no idea what this means, I'll explain. Have a great day!

Day 1: My Move.Eat.Be. Plan

If you missed my earlier post, you can read for my weight confession and how irony hit home this morning courtesy of my scale. As promised, I devoted some time this afternoon to planning my exercise, eating and "Be." for the week. I used our Move.Eat.Be. journal which is available to Cybercise members during the 24 weeks of our program. It occurred to me this document may be useful to some of you, even if you haven't yet joined Cybercise. So, here is a little gift for you. 

What I have learned today? My first lesson was it does take some time to plan wellness into your week. I spent about 20 minutes planning my exercise and food for the week. Then I spent more time checking recipes and making a grocery list. Then I went to the grocery store. Let's just call this an hour of my day. I'm hopeful it will take less time as the weeks progress. 

The most powerful lesson today was creating my Move.Eat.Be. calendar in relation to my work and social plans for the week. For example, I'm attending a birthday party for my nephew this weekend so I know dinner on Sunday will be a surprise. As I look at the meals for the rest of the weekend, I can plan to eat a bit more carefully on Saturday and earlier Sunday so a surprise dinner won't wreck my overall food consumption for the week. I was also able to count up the servings of fruits and veggies I plan to have and make some adjustments before I went out for groceries. 

I also decided the best approach for Move. this week was to schedule several short workout sessions throughout each day. I know I feel my best if I do yoga each morning, followed by jogging a couple of miles (I like to call this "running" but I think at my pace, jogging is more appropriate). While I've maintained this daily ritual for much of the last several weeks, clearly something is missing. I think it is important to add some other cardio, stretching and strength training to slay the 10 pounds. 

My Move. calendar includes over 500 minutes of exercise this week. When I added it all up, it sounded impossible. But, when I look at each day and how the schedule is divided into many short sessions, it seems doable. Here is a look, if you're interested (not the best quality graphic - I'll work on that going forward).I decided to stick with this plan and see how I progress throughout the week. 

Generally, I am pleased with the time I took today to put together my plan. Hopefully, it will save some time later in the week typically used up by deciding what to eat each day. 

For now, since I've spent this day working, planning and writing, I have some exercise to do and dinner to prepare. There is sautéed kale in my future. Yummy! 

And Then There Were 10

A few busy weeks of site upgrades and writing, and then the Health 2.0 conference, and then a week of vacation, and then the scale read 135 this morning. What?!? I fall out of my routine for a few weeks and I gained 10 pounds? Egad. For the record, I really do love being in my 40s. Best decade, thus far. I do long, however, for the days in my 30s when a few weeks of gluttony didn't show up as digits on a scale.

My 5'6" body likes weighing 125. I like it when my body weighs 122 because that gives it a little room to fluctuate with the daily water gain and loss. And, since I'm in full disclosure here, my ego secretly really likes when my body is 118 though that is the point when family and friends exclaim I'm too skinny. Bah, "I'm in great shape!" is my typical reply. At this moment? I'm mushy. Ugh.

Why am I telling all of you all of this? Well, I started a company to help people get healthy, to lose weight, to exercise every day and to eat well. And, I have fallen victim to the very same thing that plagues the very people that come to Cybercise for help and hope. Our schedules get full, deadlines loom and "we" are the last thing we take care of. I preach the opposite on a regular basis and it seems I'm not immune from needing my own lecture. Irony!

Trust me, it requires a bit of courage to post my weight for all the world to read. I recognize this post will live in the websphere forever and the day I weighed 135 will go down in recorded history. Sure, it would be easier for me to keep this to myself and secretly do what I know needs to be done and drop the pounds and nobody would be any wiser. And, with every challenge comes opportunity.

If you're reading this and you are well north of 135 and you're thinking to yourself, "She is complaining because she weighs 135? You've got to be kidding me! I'd kill to have her problems." Perhaps some of you are also shouting expletives at the screen. Okay, so I hear you.... but go with me on this. There was a point, no matter how much you currently weigh, that the weight gain started out with 10 pounds. Then 10 became 15, and 15 became 20, and the next thing you knew you were so far above your ideal weight you forgot where you started. If you had a good way to stop the initial trend before it crept over 10 pounds, things would be different today.

So, no matter what you weigh right now and no matter how many pounds you need to lose, I'd like you to focus on 10 pounds. I have a theory that if we concentrate on 10 pounds at a time the path to long term, sustainable wellness is much easier. We have to learn to take care of ourselves first, no matter what.

I, for better or worse, am going to write about my journey to lose 10 pounds. Let's face it, I have what I need to make this happen. I have Cybercise (including a sneak preview of the new exercise videos we're due to release soon), I am a certified personal trainer, a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a certified Health Coach. With all of that, you'd think I wouldn't have gained the 10 pounds in the first place. Alas, apparently I am human. Pesky truths. My hope is that by sharing my journey, we'll learn ways to make Cybercise even better to support you on your journey. I'd love for you to join me and I'd love feedback and ideas.

My approach? I'm going to start with a Move.Eat.Be. plan for the week. A weekly plan is best done on Sunday evening and something I did not do last night (I was tired - probably because my body is carrying around an extra 10 pounds - and still no excuse. Shame on me!). You're welcome to stay tuned here for my plan and my progress for all the world to read. As for those 10 pounds, they're out of here! Get ready body, here comes determination!

Masking Symptoms is not a Cure

Scientists at the FDA are proudly sharing early results on identifying a "good" bacteria that destroys the bad bacteria which causes salmonella. The link to the article above provides interesting statistics on the dramatic increase in salmonella contamination in fruit and vegetables in recent years.

Is the increase in salmonella outbreaks due to fruit and vegetable contamination a concern? Yes! Should we be trying to find a way to "cure" our food by identifying some way to modify it? Perhaps not.

America has, in many ways, become a culture of the quick fix and easy cure. Feeling blue? Take a pill. Obese? Gastric bypass. Have a cold? Over-the-counter options abound. Eventually we learn that masking the symptoms doesn't really solve the problem.

Am I the only one a little concerned about where this "good" bacteria story will go? The next thing you know our food will be doused in good bacteria at the grocery store. And, some enterprising entrepreneur will sell good bacteria spray so you can treat your food at home.

I, for one, don't want anything (no matter how "proven") altering my food. Trust me, the FDA has precedent here. In 2006, the FDA approved a mixture of six different bacteria that can be sprayed on meat to kill a virus.

The reality of many quick fixes is we simply cannot fathom the long term consequences. History is full of examples of how a seemingly good idea created havoc later. This article from National Geographic tells an interesting story if you want more proof.

I propose we figure out why our fruits and vegetables are increasingly contaminated. Is it our farming methods? Is our water supply tainted? Are our handling and food processing procedures creating risk? Should we shipping food across the country and world?

How now brown cow?

Let's face it, one of the joys of childhood is a cool, freshly stirred glass of chocolate milk. And, let's face it some more, even in adulthood is it a welcome treat. Results of a study were published pointing to the health benefits of chocolate milk. Good news!

Since the article linked above appeared in the New York Times, there have been many more articles and blogs touting the benefits of brown milk (Do all kids think brown milk comes from brown cows? I had a "pet" brown cow when I was little - her name was Brownie... and, her milk? Not brown - so disappointing!).

Many of the subsequent articles on chocolate milk have talked about the benefits published in the study and have omitted critical facts. One of the problems with studies and how they are shared with the public is the person publishing includes and omits information for the sake of column size and special interests. Also, I think it is important to know this study took place in Barcelona, Spain where they have different standards and culture on the quality of food.

To be clear and for the sake of science -- this study gave participants 20-gram sachets of soluble cocoa powder with instructions they mix it with skim milk.

This is not the same as buying a gallon of chocolate milk at the convenience store. This is not the same as mixing some Nesquick (Ingredients? Sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, soy lecithin, salt, artificial and natural flavors, maltodextrin) into milk from cows pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. This is not the same as a chocolate milk shake from your favorite fast food place.

Let's help each other be more aware and educated consumers. Please don't fall for the marketing spin put on every study for the sake of sales (the Nesquick web page already touts the "benefits" of chocolate milk!).

If we stick together and share good information, we can improve our health. You can buy organic cocoa powder online. This one has 1 ingredient Organic Cocoa Powder (100%). Now that is much better. Cheers!

Body Image

You have an assignment. Take all of your clothes off and stand in front of the mirror. What do you see? Are there parts of your body you love? Are there parts of your body you're not so crazy about? Look carefully... where do you see muscle tone? Is your skin clear? Are your eyes more sparkly? Is your hair shiny?

All too often when we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror the first thought that goes through our mind is something negative. Ugh, we say, my (insert your particular flavor of criticism here.)

Have you taken the time to celebrate your physical form and be grateful for all of its hard work and effort? If not, while you're standing in front of the mirror in all of your naked glory, tell your body thank you. It does a terrific job for you each and every day, even when there are things about our bodies we're not so crazy about.

The impact of body image on our overall health and well-being is significant. If you feel better about your body, you're more likely to feel better about you. There are no perfect bodies and many of the people that spend all of their time striving for the perfect body usually do so while sacrificing something else in their lives (often happiness). Eating well, exercising each day and getting enough sleep can improve your body and greatly elevate your body image.

Tell your body it is beautiful. When you do, your body is more likely to tell you the same thing back. 

Salute! Slainte! Cheers!

Happy Friday! Much has been written about the benefits of the moderate consumption of red wine. We won't bore you here with the studies... a quick web search will produce millions of results.

To partake or not to partake, that is the question. The decision? Is yours. Some people don't like red wine, some people do. Of those who do, some have a glass each day, some people only on the weekends. While a truly personal decision, there is one thing worth consideration. A 5-ounce glass of red wine has between 90 and 105 calories. And those calories, like all of them, add up.

If you choose to enjoy red wine, consider the impact on your overall calorie intake. And, while you're making those decisions, think about the other kinds of drinks you consume on a weekly basis. If you drink beverages other than water, you could be adding a great number of "empty" calories to your body. For reference, calories in 1 cup servings of:

• Hot cocoa with skim milk: 135
• Coffee (black): 2
• Cola: 136
• Grape juice: 154
• Orange juice: 105
• Pineapple juice: 132
• Tea: 2
• Tomato juice: 41 
• Water: 0

The important thing is to recognize the calories we consume as liquid. If you choose to drink something other than water, do a little research so you know the impact of your choices. Your best bet is always, always water. And, when you have something else have a little toast. A Votre Sante!