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Question: Let's first talk about the health benefits. Don't a couple of drinks protect your heart?

Yes, many studies have found that moderate alcohol consumption is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Alcohol is thought to protect against heart disease in a few ways. For starters, it increases the level of HDL (good) cholesterol in the bloodstream. But here's the catch: a moderate intake is defined as 1 to 2 drinks per day, not 7 on Friday night and 7 on Saturday night. And keep in mind that alcohol's protective effects are limited to middle-aged and older adults. We don't yet know if drinking moderately when you are younger benefits your heart when you're older.

If you do drink alcohol, it's advised that women limit their intake to 1 per day or 7 per week; for men, it's no more than 9 per week.

Not-so-skinny holiday cocktails:

Question: How many calories do typical cocktails have?

Every glass of wine, bottle of light beer or 1.5 ounces of spirits has about 100 to 150 calories, while every mixed drink is almost twice that. A serving of spiked holiday eggnog punch can pack as many as 400 calories. If you drink 5 glasses of wine per week, that will cost you 570 calories or an additional hour on the treadmill, just to briskly walk off the calories. Here is a look at how different holiday drinks add up:

Lower calorie cheer:

Question: What are some strategies to help keep the alcohol calories to a minimum and stay safe?

Dilute Your Drink. If you're trying to save calories, it's always best to dilute your drink. Order cocktails with a calorie-free mixer like vodka and soda, rum and diet Coke, or a wine spritzer.

Eat before you drink. If you imbibe on an empty stomach, the alcohol will enter your bloodstream and make its way to your brain more quickly. Likewise, snack while you drink to slow alcohol absorption. Just stick to the low fat choices!

Limit yourself to one drink per hour. Drinking more often will result in a higher blood alcohol concentration. To slow your pace (and prevent hydration), drink two glasses of water in between drinks.

Alternate alcoholic drinks with sparkling water, cranberry and soda or tomato juice.

Set your limit. Resolve ahead of time that you'll have only two drinks. Then switch to water. Beware of waiters who keep filling your glass - it makes it hard to keep track of how much you've had to drink.

Serve non-alcoholic beverages. If hosting your own party, offer virgin punches, alcohol-free beer, and low fat eggnog as alternatives to alcoholic drinks. Your guests will appreciate the extra effort.