Here's what you saw on Good Day Alabama for December 31, 2012:
SHELBY
ON FISCAL CLIFF - Janice talked with Senator Richard Shelby about the
Fiscal Cliff debate on Capitol Hill. Today is the last day for lawmakers
to make a decision. The deadline is tonight at midnight. Many U.S.
residents worry about the increase in taxes if lawmakers do not come to a
compromise.
BETH K - Celebrate! Don't Inebriate! There's nothing
like a cup of good cheer for getting into that holiday mood. For many
of us, enjoying the holidays also means enjoying the foods and drinks
that embody the spirit of celebration.
But here's the bummer: those drinks often pack a lot of calories and alcohol that can get us into trouble and take the fun out of the holidays. The trick is to enjoy your holiday beverages without suffering the ill effects. Let's start with some sobering facts about the calories that some of these drinks pack:
Eggnog with Rum (8 ounces): 370 calories
Chocolate Liqueur (3 ounces): 380 calories
Mulled Wine (5 ounces): 200 calories
Spiced Cider with Rum (8 ounces): 150 calories
Champagne (5 ounces): 150 calories
Gin and Tonic (7 ounces): 190 calories
Where are all these calories coming from? Yes, some of it is the alcohol. But for many holiday drinks, the mixers are adding sugar and fat that jack up the calories. Here are some tips for keeping your beverage calories at bay and lowering your chances of having a hangover the next day:
-Go for No Calorie Mixers: If you like the taste of diet drinks, ask for diet mixers like diet coke and diet tonic water. You'll cut the sugar and the calories but still get the same great taste. Carbonated water makes a good no cal mixer too.
-Make the No Cal Switch: Alternate every alcoholic drink with a no-cal, non-alcoholic drink. You'll profit in several ways. You'll lower your changes of alcohol intoxication. You'll lower calories. And, you'll stay hydrated, which is good for general health and warding off cold-weather illnesses.
-Some is
good, too much is bad! Don't let the health benefits of alcohol lead
you to drink too much. Remember, moderation is the key. One for women,
two for men is the average. And while you can safely practice some
alcohol budgeting day-to-day, binge drinking is not a good idea. Binge
drinking means five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for
woman on one occasion (usually within two hours).
ASK THE GARDENER
- Our expert, Sallie Lee, joined us today with Ask the Gardener. Sallie
is an Extention Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extention System.
Tomorrow
on Good Day Alabama, we start off the new year with you! We look at the
latest on the fiscal cliff - will lawmakers make a decision before
midnight? Either way, we turn to the expert to break it down and explain
what it means for your wallet! We check out your entertainment news and
look at how people around the globe rang in the new year! And Mickey
joins us with all the details on our weather to start off 2013! That and
much more tomorrow on Good Day Alabama!