Everything in moderation . . . including moderation

195 pounds

More good news... not only are cheese and dark chocolate good for you, but now alcohol might be too!

As it turns out, light to moderate drinking might actually help us stay fit.

According to HealthDay, "New Research found that women who drank the equivalent of one to drinks a day were least likely to gain weight—30 percent less likely, in fact, than teetotalers."

Let me repeat that: women who did NOT drink in this study gained MORE weight than women who did.

This flies in the face of the don't-drink-your-calories logic that I hear so often. And come to think about it, I do usually feel a little bit leaner, a little bit lighter, the day after I've had a single drink. Yes, when I have more that one drink these days, I usually feel sluggish afterwards, but there's just something about having one cold beer that makes me feel a little bit rejuvenated after the fact.

Since some studies also show that alcohol may decrease heart disease, this is just one more reason not to shy away from alcohol. Still, you should be aware that another study found that alcohol is linked to breast, liver, and other cancers.

I think the key is moderation . . . no, we don't need a glass of wine every night, but clearly once in a while alcohol has its benefits.