The keto diet is an eating regimen that places a strong emphasis on foods that are high in beneficial fats, appropriate amounts of protein, and low in carbs.
The goal of this diet is to deplete your body of carbs or sugar reserves so your body starts burning fat for fuel. This is usually the diet of people who want to lose fat (Especially visceral fat) and wants to lose weight. But KD also has other health benefits, such as lowering your risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, and certain cancers.
This is a diet where you are restricted from eating certain foods and beverages. The question we will answer in this article is whether or not you are allowed to drink alcohol on a keto diet. Let’s get into it.
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a beverage that has undergone fermentation and usually has a depressive effect that makes people feel relaxed or sleepy. It essentially slows down the neurological system and metabolism of your body.
Does alcohol pull you out of ketosis?
Due to its high-calorie content (approximately 7 calories per gram), alcohol is sometimes categorized as the fourth macronutrient. But it is not necessary, unlike carbohydrates, fats, and protein.
On a ketogenic diet, your body burns fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. Your liver converts fat into energy molecules called ketones when there are no carbohydrates present. The thing is, when you are on keto and you drink alcohol, your liver devotes all of its energy to metabolizing alcohol rather than fat. Your body won’t start producing ketones from fat until all the alcohol has been metabolized.
What does this mean to your body? This slows down the process of burning fat, which might delay your weight reduction objectives.
Really, it all depends on what and how much you’re consuming. One or two drinks shouldn’t interfere with your ketosis, but more than that will likely do so. However, there are alcoholic drinks out there that you should avoid. Low carb alcoholic drinks are your safest bet.
Here are 5 Alcoholic Drinks You Can Have in Moderation on the Keto Diet
Wine
The majority of fine wine is keto-friendly and is a low carb alcohol. However, beverages with added sugar may cause you to lose your ketosis. With 3–4 grams of carbohydrates per serving, most wines aren’t considered heavy in carbohydrates. Your best options are red wines and dry white wines.
As the greatest low-carb white wine, Pinot Grigio is a favorite among people following the keto and low-carb diets. Pinot grigio is renowned for having a crisp and delectable flavor as well as being incredibly dry and having a few grams of carbohydrates per cup.
Champagne
Most champagnes are low in carbohydrates. Therefore, it may be regarded as keto-friendly provided it falls into your daily carbohydrate allowance and you control your serving size. Stick to those with a reduced carb content, though, as the amount of carbohydrates in each variety may differ.
Prosecco
Prosecco typically has extremely few carbohydrates. However, the amount of carbohydrates in Prosecco varies with dose and residual sugar. The Prosecco will have a low sugar and carbohydrate content if the dose (added sugar) is lowered, making it a perfect keto diet beverage.
Rum
Rum is keto alcohol. A single serving of rum contains no fiber and no carbohydrates. This drink has been distilled, which is why there is no longer any naturally occurring sugar, and often no additional sugars have been added. However, certain flavored rums could contain other additives that alter the nutritional information.
Tequila
Another keto friendly alcohol is tequila. Actually, most clear liquors that are around 40% alcohol, such as tequila, whiskey, gin, and scotch, are low carb alcohol. This means that they’re keto-approved in moderation.
The 5 Worst Alcohol Choices on a Keto Diet
Beer
Beer is not one of the low carb alcoholic drinks. On the contrary, it contains lots of carbs which can induce a ketosis break in your body.
Vodka Tonic
There is a lot of sugar in tonic water. It’s frequently mistaken for soda water, which is simply carbonated water with no calories or carbohydrates.
Sweet wines
Although dry wines (or wines in general) are approved on a KD, the same can’t be said for sweet wines. These drinks are naturally high in residual sugar and are too high in carbs for this diet.
Mimosa
Mimosa is made with champagne or prosecco, which are keto-friendly alcoholic drinks. But there’s also a lot of orange juice in it! It means mimosa is high in sugar … and carbs. One mimosa can eat up about half of your allotted carb budget for the day.
Mixed Drinks
The majority of mixed drinks consist of hard liquor combined with sugar, fruit juice, or purees. Since these are high in sugar, they are high in total carbs, so you might want to avoid them.
Tips for Drinking on a Keto Diet
It goes without saying that alcohol and the ketogenic diet don’t always go along. Trying to maintain ketosis while consuming alcohol might be difficult. But it’s not impossible especially since there are keto alcohol drinks you can try! Here are some tips for drinking on a keto diet.
- Avoid sweetened alcoholic drinks.
- Avoid high-carb mixers.
- Choose hard liquors which have lower carb content.
- You can mix sugar-free and carb-free mixers such as soda water or flavored sparkling water.
- To remove toxins from your body and replenish your fluid levels, drink plenty of water.
- Watch how much alcohol you consume.
Moderation is Key
Yes, you can drink alcohol as long as it’s in moderation. Too much alcohol will mess with your metabolism and slow your weight loss progress. It’s important to remember that your body won’t start making ketones from fat until all the alcohol has been metabolized. So make sure to follow our tips and try our recommended drinks.
Share this with that friend or family who’s contemplating whether to take a sip of that glass of wine or not. Tell us about your experience with drinking alcohol on a keto diet.
