Drinking is so commonplace in our society that it is the one thing many dieters struggle with the most. They can cut out junk food and sodas, but when it comes to saying no to the party juice, it becomes a bit of a struggle. If you think about it, there’s always a reason to have a few drinks. “It’s my buddy’s birthday!” “I’m on vacation!” “It’s Monday!” It’s hard to keep track of how many drinks you’re consuming when there are so many festivities involving people offering to fill your cup. We already know that drinking too much alcohol is detrimental to your health and your waistline, and many dietitians and personal trainers would suggest cutting it out of your diet completely while doing any weight-loss program. This doesn’t mean you have to start condemning your social life to knitting at home with your pets just yet. There is…

from FoodAndWinePairing.org Simple rules to get started pairing food and wine. 1. Drink what you like. What you like to drink always takes precedence over any recommendations. 2. Start by thinking about the dish or meal as a whole. What are its dominant characteristics? Is it mild or flavorful? Is it fatty or lean? Is it rich or acidic? 3. Keep flavors in balance. Match mild foods with mild wines. Match big, flavorful foods with big, flavorful wines. For example, pair a bold-flavored Pepper Steak with a spicy, bold red Zinfandel. Similarly, you generally want to match the richness of the food and the richness of the wine. For example, pair a rich Chicken in Cream Sauce with a rich Chardonnay. You can refer to Food And Wine Pairing’s Wine Board to see what different wines taste like. 4. Cleanse the palate with tannins or acids. If you’re eating a relatively rich, ‘fatty’…