'Wine Diet' Paradox: Can Consuming A Glass Of Wine With Every Meal Really Make You Lose Weight?

I distinctly remember this one day where whatever could go wrong, went wrong. My boss was pissed off at me for not replying to some emails, I spilled chai on my brand new blouse, my hair was unmanageable and my boyfriend wasn¡¯t speaking to me.

Naturally, I landed at my best friend¡¯s door to get some sort for some moral support and comfort. And, boy, did I get it. She looked at me and with all sincerity said, ¡°smile, there¡¯s wine.¡± And just like that a bad day gave way to a happy drunk night.

Pexels

That¡¯s what red wine is for me - a drink so comforting, it feels like a nice hug. But just like any red wine lover, I have always had questions about whether or not red wine is good for us, and, if so, how much or how little should do we need to consume? Will we be able to reap all the benefits as promised?

Further, the talk among serial dieters is that if you incorporate wine in your diet, you can shed about 2.5 kilograms in three days (a claim made by the 'Wine and Egg' diet).

So, should we put down those detox, cold-pressed juices and pour ourselves a glass of Merlot? Let¡¯s find out.

Over the years, some diet innovators have invented what they have termed the 'wine diet.' Some of these wine diets are reasonable while a majority of them are pretty extreme.

There was one wine diet created by famed editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown that got mixed reactions. This diet advised dieters to only consume wine, eggs, steak and black coffee for three days a week. Check out the entire diet below:

Why have i never heard of the wine and eggs diet.
??why??have??i??never??heard??of??this?? pic.twitter.com/ckSnB1YUqj

¡ª Heather Heat Hardy (@HeatherHardyBox) 14 August 2018

Apparently this crash diet can make you shed an astounding 2.2 kgs* in just three days but it¡¯s one diet believed to be extremely dangerous by most doctors.

Roger Corder, author of 'The Red Wine Diet,' told Refinery 29:

¡°The lack of vegetables, and other important nutrients is not only unhealthy, but also going to predispose you to many harmful effects of alcohol, particularly when the amount of alcohol is not moderate.¡±

So does that mean anyone looking to lose weight should distance themselves from vino? Thankfully, no.

I came across research published in the Journal of Physiology in 2014 that discovered resveratrol--a natural compound found in certain fruits, nuts and, yes, red wine--could actually enhance training and performance. Jason Dyck, the principal investigator of this research went on to further add that, ¡°I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do."

Pexels

But, only red wine counts. So, sorry dear white wine lovers.

Before you start chugging bottles of wine thinking it will compensate for two or three gym sessions, you need to know that this holds true for only ONE glass. So ultimately, drinking in moderation is key.

All in all, drinking one glass of wine when paired with salmon, grilled chicken or even tofu can do wonders for you. The one thing I want to leave you with is that you need to resolve to wholly accept your body as worthy and lovable. So sit back and enjoy that glass of wine, because, trust me, you have earned it.

Sources:
https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/7xjxbe/i-lived-on-eggs-and-wine-for-three-days-to-make-myself-beautiful
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/200603/the-wino-diet
https://www.elitedaily.com/p/5-foods-that-boost-melatonin-that-are-great-snacks-when-you-cant-fall-asleep-16985242
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/05/233666/what-is-wine-diet