Lifestyle

Cheat Day? What Is Better? Wine Or A Brownie?

by Jason Croteau

So, your cheat day has arrived, but you are careful not to over indulge as it could make your efforts at the gym and efforts of sticking to a balanced diet ¨fruitless.¨ Therefore, what do you choose to splurge on? Is it a glass of wine or a brownie? Let us help make your decision easy.

Brownie

According to Susan Bowerman, R.D, brownies have health benefits, ¨Cocoa flavanols are considered heart healthy because they help to lower blood pressure and fats in the blood.¨ Regrettably, the advantages of eating a brownie are outnumbered by its disadvantages. Kelly Johnston, R.D, states, ¨An average brownie packs about 14 grams of sugar. Because a brownie is also highly processed, it loses almost all of the nutritional benefits we can typically get from quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. A typical two-inch square brownie has approximately 130 calories, 14 grams of sugar, 22 grams of carbohydrates, five grams of fat, and less than two grams of protein.¨

Brownie on Cheat Day?

 

Wine

When consumed in moderation, wine works like a charm on your well-being. Johnston says, ¨Red wine contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that can boost immune function and improve flexibility of blood vessels.¨ Scientific research has also concluded that red wine contains a natural compound resveratrol that plays a pivotal role in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels; it also helps improve blood sugar control. A glass of red wine would typically consist of 125 calories, four grams of carbohydrates, two grams of sugar and zero fat. You should also take into consideration that consuming a glass of wine takes more time than eating a brownie, giving you more pleasure time. However, it is almost impossible limiting oneself to only one glass of wine, isn’t it?

Red wine on cheat day?

So, what should you go for?

A glass of wine is undoubtedly the winner if we are to only consider the fat, sugar, calories and carbs. However, they don´t do one thing i.e. satisfy your insatiable craving for chocolate. Rene Ficek, R.D states, ¨As a dietician, my advice would be to eat whatever item you want more!¨ However, you can consume both a five-ounce glass of wine and dark chocolate with more than 70 percent cocoa content to get a taste of the best of both worlds.

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