The Skinny on How to Drink Wine and Stay Fit

You can drink wine every day, enjoy a great variety of foods and stay fit, even "thin". Call it the "wine diet" if you must; it's been my lifestyle for years. At age 48 and counting (all too fast) I'm in the best shape of my life so far and I've managed to stay off pharmaceuticals.

I drink wine every day if I can, more of it red, but I like white and rosé too. Doctors say red is good for your heart and I'm inclined to agree. Of course, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing so I try to keep it in balance.

My "Wine Diet" is not about denying yourself anything, embarking on quick fixes, taking supplements or sticking to fad diet plans. Here's my ten best ideas for drinking wine everyday and staying fit and healthy. Cheers!

1. If your "life is a Cabernet", strive for balance, good body and a great finish, emphasis on the balance. Extreme ideas don't seem to work well in the long run.
2. "Okay Syrah Syrah" is a good motto. Try to mitigate stress by riding the waves, not against the tide. I find that occasionally good quality chocolate helps too.
3. Relish walks. Don't park too close to the door unless you're late. This is a great antidote for sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen, or on a plane all day.
4. Go down on your knees often. This is no problem for me as a photographer because that's often where the best views are.
5. Jump for joy. I've been jumping rope nearly every day for 8 years. Besides being the best aerobic workout it keeps everything moving in the right direction if you know what I mean. You can take a jump rope with you anywhere and no gym membership is required.
6. Eat as much of your own cooking as you can, using the least processed freshest ingredients possible.
7. Don't skip a light breakfast.
8. Drink water, unfermented (100%) juices and tea during the day. Pass up on liquids containing high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. If you mix juice with green or white tea, you get a naturally low calorie drink that tastes a bit like a very light (non-alcoholic) Pinot Noir. My favorite juices are Pom Wonderful's pomegranate and pomegranate cherry juice, as well as good old purple grape juice (100%).
9. Keep an open mind and learn something new every day.
10. Be generous, be nice to others, and "pay it forward" every day.

If you decide to buy a jump rope, buy an US Olympic Team rope from Buddy Lee. They're hands down the best and easy to adjust to your height. If you buy one through this link at Amazon, you'll help me with one of my New Year's resolutions for 2007, to make more money.

Comments

[Marcus]

Jerry I like your style. When one reads so many blogs, you get a sense of who are the common-sense foodies and winos and who are the ones into extremes. But you can never be sure. There's a New York Times blog that talks about a book -- "The Skinny" is the title, just like your post -- and it goes on to say how professional critics and gourmands of wine and food alike need to exercise restraint. (Rather than simply to "exercise".) It comes off like a "two bites and a sip" approach to living. I prefer your take on the Skinny. Seems a lot more healthy and lot more balanced. Keep up the good work.

Your blog is looking better than ever too, by the way.

[jerry]

Thank You Marcus. I really fussed over whether to do this post, now I'm glad I did.

[Leah]

Is it healthy to drink sparkling wine everyday? ...or at least 2-3 times a week. I like the clear stuff. :) Thanks

[jerry]

I would say yes, but I'm no doctor. Sparkling wine is on the light side and lifts the spirits. However, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. My advice is to exercise vigorously at least 5 minutes every day for every glass of wine consumed.