Christmas Coffee Calorie Woes

Tis the season to be jolly, but please do drink responsibly.

I don’t just make a plea for your liver with alcohol consumption up 40% in the month of December in Britain.

I also remind you that whatever you eat and drink now, you will be burning off some time in the new year.

Many health enthusiasts know the calorie content of a jacket potato and a fillet of skinned white fish, but what about your drinks!?

It is not just the salted nuts and sweets that appear on every coffee table up and down the country – it’s is also the alcohol.

You may be very surprised at the calorific content of some of your beverages, especially the creamy, alcoholic coffee flavoured ones.

It is estimated that the nation, on average, will see a weight gain of somewhere in the region of 4-6lbs over the Christmas period.

Over indulgence and lazy afternoons in front of the TV or a warm fire are to blame.

Besides the weight gain, bad skin and headaches are also side effects of drinking too much.

For a healthier Christmas why not try some of our lower calorie alcoholic alternatives.

Instead of beer, (200 calories a pint) why not try a single spirit and diet mixer at just 60.

White wine spritzers with soda and a dash of juice are a much lighter, fruitier accompaniment to Christmas dinner.

To be truthful though, it is the dessert beverages that can pose the most problems.

Coffee liqueurs come out at Christmas and cream liqueurs, nut flavoured and, well just about any liqueur you can get your hands on.

An Irish coffee with liqueur, full fat milk, maybe a dash of cream and a sprinkle here or there could rack up to 500 calories.

It is easy to see now why Christmas day is tipped to be on average up to 6000 calories in itself.

Now of course, enjoy yourself, just be aware of the amount of alcohol and sugar in your drinks.

Please do enjoy a tipple here and there but maybe just the odd one or two?