Whether grilling outside or gathering for social activities, summer can lead to an increased intake of alcoholic beverages. With the rise in popularity of hard seltzers and craft cocktail beverages and beers, it is easy to forget about liquid calories. Alcohol is considered high calorie and can easily sabotage wellness and weight loss goals.
But it's not just about calories. Frequent alcohol consumption can take its toll on our physical health, including contributing to liver damage and heart health. According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk for several cancers, including mouth, throat, liver and breast cancer.
Sober Curious and the Mocktail Movement
The good news is, that there is also a movement to become alcohol free or even sober curious, where people scale back on their alcohol consumption temporarily. This exploration of reducing alcohol intake or leading an alcohol-free lifestyle has shown to have positive benefits, including improvements in mood, sleep and heart health, to name a few.
Curious about exploring an alcohol-free movement? It's still possible to be festive and get into the spirit without the booze. There are so many mocktail (non-alcoholic drinks) recipes you can make at home, but if you aren’t sure where to start, we recommend these two recipes to cheer on your wellness goals.
Sparkling Lime Razzy
Makes four 1-cup servings
Ingredients
1 cup red raspberry juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 can of raspberry-flavored seltzer water
2 Tbsp. lime juice, plus 4 wedges to garnish
½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Mixing Directions
- Freeze berries in a single layer for at least one hour.
- Combine red raspberry juice and pineapple juice, flavored seltzer or club soda and lime juice in a pitcher.
- Divide among four ice-filled glasses.
- Garnish with frozen berries, mint leaves or lime wedges.
Nutritional Facts per serving
Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 65
- Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
Happy Belly Mocktail Recipe
Makes 4 (1 cup) servings
Ingredients You'll Need
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups ginger-flavored store-bought kombucha
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, plus four lemon wedges for garnish
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 dash of turmeric and 1 dash of cayenne (optional)
Mixing Directions
Combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice and maple syrup in advance and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
Once ready to serve, shake and divide the pineapple juice mixture among four ice-filled glasses. Top each glass off with ½-cup kombucha and lemon wedge. Add a dash of turmeric and a dash of cayenne to the top of each glass. (optional)
Nutritional Facts per serving
Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 50
- Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
