But did this anomaly come from drinking alcohol? Maybe it was a chronically bad diet and inactivity instead, and that beer can he always held was naught but window dressing.

Let’s take a look at some scientific medical research ‘cause there seems to be plenty of it on the subject and who among us doesn’t like to curl up on the couch with a nice study on alcohol and a good, stiff drink?

Here’s what the research says on the con side: alcohol contains calories but does NOT contribute to weight gain. Many studies even record a small weight reduction in women. Now before everyone who has been drinking in moderation goes out and becomes a raging alcoholic, let’s take a closer look.

One group of scientists tells us why they think alcohol doesn’t lead to weight gain:

1. alcohol appear to increase metabolic rate significantly, causing more calories to be burned rather than stored as fat
2. sugar consumption seems to decrease as consumption of alcohol increases
3. alcohol contains no fat, no cholesterol and very little sodium (why, it’s practically a health drink!)

This opinion is based on several studies of thousands of people around the world – some of the studies including as many as 140,000 subjects.

But…over here in the other corner, weighing in at a solid 7,491 pixels is the University of Rochester’s Health Promotion Office. The pro side, if you will. They say that the beer belly phenomenon does exist but is not attributed to excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Instead, they blame alcohol’s more complex effect on the body’s metabolism. In simple terms, alcohol reduces the amount of fat the body burns for energy.

It goes like this:
1. a small portion of alcohol consumed is converted into fat
2. the liver converts the rest of the alcohol (the majority) into acetate
3. acetate is released into the blood stream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel

Bottom line, the result of drinking high-calorie alcoholic drinks is the body storing excessive unburned fat calories, often in the form of a beer belly.

Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, no, definitely no, yes but because of that and not this.

The debate goes on eternally, as good debates tend to do. So what to take away from all this research, opinion, and counter-opinion?

I don’t mean to inject too much common sense into the discussion but how about if we all knew which were the best and worst for calories in different categories, and then we did our best to consume more of the former than the latter. I know, it’s a crazy idea…

BEER:
Best – non-alcoholic or light
Worst – strong or stout, try the Stout from Alaskan Brew Co. to really rack up the calories

MIXED DRINK:
Best – Bacardi Black Cherry, low carb
Worst – Henry’s Hard Lemonade (even higher than the stout beer)

SPIRITS & LIQUOR (these pack a bunch of calories into tiny shots):
Best – stick with a Skinny Pina Colada, Bourbon, or Cinzano Dry Vermouth
Worst – Godiva White Chocolate Liquor

COCKTAILS:
Best – Bourbon / Diet Soda, Gin Rickey, Virgin Mary
Worst – Long Island Iced Tea, Frozen Margarita

WINES:
Best – Arbor Mist, Chablis, Fre
Worst – Port (ruby or white, Madeira, Muscatel

Click here for a comprehensive list of alcohol calories.

There. Now you have some idea of how to select your alcohol if, for some odd reason, you are one of the yet to be discovered class of drinkers concerned with calories. Go forth and imbibe, but don’t drive.

Pizza is the quintessentially Italian turned American food group all to itself.

What’s your weirdest favorite topping? Have you tried oysters, dandelions, peanut butter or jelly? How about the Russian favorite mockba pizza, which is a mixture of sardines, tuna, mackerel, salmon, and onions?

Now that last one may make you want to spin around at your computer desk and dry heave into the trashcan but it does bring up the question of healthy pizza alternatives. Let’s stop here for a second – can healthy pizza taste good?

Of course it can, silly goose!

No matter how many veggies they toss on there, a trip down to your local Dominos or Pizza Hut may not yield the healthiest slice of pie around. But if you want that addicting goodness without the festival of chemical and preservative laden meat, I’m here to tell you the news is good.

What exactly makes a pizza healthier other than not eating it?

Good question. Here are a few points to put in your brain blender and cogitate on:

• Use whole wheat pizza dough to boost the fiber content by 50%
• Use low fat mozzarella cheese to lower saturated fat and cholesterol
• Pile on veggies for more fiber and nutrients
• Don’t forget pears, apples, and pineapples make great toppings too

In case you haven’t grasped the concept yet, yes, I am suggesting you make pizza for yourself at home. If that thought horrifies you beyond belief…uh…maybe you should just grab the Yellow Pages and look for ‘pizza’.

But if you’re still with me, try a few healthy alternative pizzas like the ones below.

Tex-Mex pizza.

Grilled pizza with tomatoes, pesto, and feta.

Wild mushroom and sage pizza.

Find a more comprehensive list of healthy pizzas here. And here’s a great step-by-step discussion of exactly how to make healthy and great tasting pizza at home.

I’m not denying take-out pizza tastes great. We all know it does but maybe you shouldn’t get it like that every time. Get adventurous at home and find out how exactly how healthy pizza can make your wildest dreams come true.