January 1 has come and gone along with the majority of the New Year’s resolutions we told ourselves we were going to stick to this year. Whether your motivation to go to the gym in the cold has turned into cuddling up with a warm blanket, or your healthy eating has turned to, well, not so healthy eating, one thing that has yet to pass is spring break. With the warm beaches, bright sun and string bikinis fast approaching comes crunch time (no pun intended). The goal of that hot spring break bod brings the select few back to the gym come March 1 when the fear of putting a bikini on is the only thing on our minds. Just because you are pushing yourself in the gym now doesn’t mean you need to throw that bikini-ready body out the window once you finally reach the warm beaches of Miami. I mean, let’s be honest, summer is only two months away, ladies, so don’t let one week ruin that hot bod you’ve already worked so hard to sculpt. No, I am not saying to give up drinking on the beach with your friends or spend your whole day in the hotel gym, but a few alternatives can make all the difference. Put these healthy twists on your favorite drinks and you can have that drink and keep your bod too:
Love your wine? Switch to champagne for a healthier bubbly. A regular glass of champagne is only 85 calories, a whole 15 calories less than wine and a whopping 100 calories less than your average beer.
A drink that many steer clear from, martinis, can be twisted into a healthier drink by simply picking the right mixture. Combine 2 ½ ounces of sour mix, ¾ ounce of sour apple liqueur and ¾ ounce of vodka. Top it with a slice of apple and you now have yourself a classy, but healthy, martini with about 160 calories per drink.
Accompany the warm sunshine and tan lines with a Fizzy Lemonade. Combine ½ ounce of tequila (yes, tequila can be made healthy, ladies) ½ ounce of vodka and 1 tsp agave nectar in a cocktail shaker. Pour the concoction into a glass filled with Diet Sprite or 7 Up and you’re ready to hit the beach with your cold mixed drink in hand.
Finally, the ever-refreshing minty mojito. Order it normal and you’re filling your body with a insane amount of sugar-loaded calories. Swap out the sugar for a healthier option such as honey. Combine ½ tsp honey with 2 ounces of rum and 4 ounces of club soda until the honey dissolves. Next, mash one sliced lime and 2 tbsp of mint leaves. Add the mint mixture to the alcohol mixture and pour into a glass filled with ice. Top with a lime wedge and mint and your calorie-loaded mojito shrinks to just 150.
Now we all know with a spring break full of drinking comes the dreaded morning after and the painful headaches. You’re only on the beach for a week; no body’s got time for hangovers. With this simple cure-all hangover smoothie from Vegan Yack Attack, you can leave the hangover in the hotel room.
Photo Credit: Veganyackattack.com
Ingredients:
2 Frozen Bananas, sliced
4 Small Dates or 2 Large Medjool Dates, pitted
1 HEAPING Tbsp. Smooth Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/4 Cup Water, to thin down the mixture
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more water if necessary. Set aside for approx. 3-5 minutes so that the chia seeds can break down a little bit more and you can absorb their nutritional benefits more easily.
2. Enjoy the hell out of it and get rid of that awful hangover.
Now pack up the towels, the tanning oil and the colorful bro tank and head to the beach, but don’t forget these simple rules to keep that summer bod lookin’ good in that itsy bitsy teeny weeny— well, you know the rest.