Keto Diet And Alcohol: The Best And Worst Drinks To Choose
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet used by many people to lose weight and improve health.
It typically requires careful planning so that you stick within your daily carb allotment and keep your body in ketosis. This may mean giving up sweets, snacks and other high-carb indulgences like soft drinks and alcohol.
However, there are plenty of low-carb alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy in moderation even on a keto diet.
This article gives you the best and worst alcoholic drinks to choose on the keto diet.
Warnings About Consuming Alcohol On A Ketogenic Diet
Alcohol shouldnt be consumed heavily or on a consistent basis. There are many negative health benefits, but in the short run dont forget the following when consuming your alcohol:
- Calories. Alcohol still counts as calories and will slow fat loss down. Alcohol is burned as a priority by the body.
- Tolerance. Most people on a ketogenic or low-carb diet experience a much lower tolerance to alcohol than usual. Be careful with consumption.
- Hunger. Many people experience heightened levels of hunger when drinking this can lead to bad decisions or just over-consuming in general.
- Dehydration. Since keto is a natural diuretic, you have to be watchful of how much water youre drinking alongside the alcohol. Try to drink 1 glass per 1 shot and extra water before bed.
- Added sugars. Mixers, liqueurs, and many alcohols will contain some type of flavoring or added sugar. While many companies are publishing nutrition information, you should try to be prepared and research nutrition beforehand.
Weve read a lot of articles that mention drinking light beers and very dry wine to avoid carbohydrates, but dont get out of hand with consumption. Some light beers can contain over 10g net carbs and some dry wine can average over 8g carbs per glass.
Its also important to note that alcohol does contain calories. There is no function in the human body to store the energy in alcohol, so your body will take a preference to metabolize alcohol over fat.
What Is The Best Alcohol On Keto
Drinking on a low carb diet wont throw you out of ketosis as long as you follow a few guidelines, and stick to best keto cocktail recipes, low carb mixers, wine, and yes-even beer.
Most alcohol contains 0 carbs:
Vodka
Scotch
Brandy
What you choose to mix with these spirits is where the low carb dilemma plays in.
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What Flavored Vodka Has No Carbs
Absolut Vodka contains dka have carbs or sugar? Zero sugar, carbs, proteins, or fat per cent of Absolut Vodka. We are also committed to making our flavored vodkas from only natural ingredients such as berries, fruits, and spices, and adding Z-E-R-O sugar. Sweet!
Will Drinking Kick You Out Of Ketosis
Getting into ketosis and staying there is primarily driven by following a very low-carb diet. So as long as you dont go over your recommended daily net carb intake, the occasional drink likely wont cause concern.
Additionally, alcohol itself doesnt undo your bodys ability to produce ketones. In fact, the opposite may be true. Alcohol consumption has been associated with a decrease in blood sugar and an increase in ketone production in a few different studies .
However, this absolutely does not mean you should drink a lot on keto to increase ketone levels.
Excessive alcohol consumption can not only lead to serious health concerns but can also be deadly for diabetics because of its role in increased ketone production, leading to alcoholic ketoacidosis .
It is also thought that being in ketosis can decrease alcohol tolerance. However, there is not much research to support this theory.
For this and many other reasons, sound medical advice suggests that if you do choose to drink, only do so in moderation and keep your intake below one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men .
Bottom line, you are better off avoiding alcohol altogether.
If you do choose to drink occasionally, here are the best and worst types of alcohol for keto.
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What Are The Best Alcohol Choices On The Keto Diet
As discussed, alcohol is generally not ideal for people who are hoping to stay in ketosis. Because of the way that it can interfere with our metabolism, alcohol can actually lead to an increase in fat storage which is the opposite of what youre looking for.
However, a drink here and there isnt the worst thing in the world. If youre going out for an evening and want to have a drink or two, its possible that you can choose some low-carb drinks that wont wreak havoc on your metabolism.
Obviously the best choice here is no drink at all, but if youre going to drink go for one of these:
Full Bodied Beer And Cider
Beer can also be very carb-heavy depending on the type you choose. Beer is made by fermenting carb-containing grains like barley and wheat. And many beer varieties contain added sugar.
Similar to wine, the final carb count for the beer is dependent on the fermentation process and how much sugar the yeast is allowed to turn into alcohol. Thus, higher alcohol content typically means higher carb when it comes to your beer selection.
Some of the top styles of beer that tend to be high carb include:
- Ale Beer – 195 calories and 9 grams of carbs per drink
- Craft Beer – 195 calories and 9 grams of carbs per drink
- Hard Cider – 198 calories and 21 grams of carbs per drink
- IPA Beer – 195 calories and 9 grams of carbs per drink
- Lager Beer – 153 calories and 14 grams of carbs per drink
- Wheat Beer – 164 calories and 11 grams of carbs per drink
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Helps You Sleep Faster
Like most benefits of alcohol, it can only be achieved when consumed moderately and avoiding consumption of high amounts. When vodka is drunk in moderation, it is shown to help induce sleep and stimulate sleep latency.
Especially for insomniacs, the difficulty of falling asleep is a big problem. For this reason, it is good to drink vodka right before bed to help you fall asleep faster.
But remember to consume only a sufficient amount because drinking more than you should likely result in the opposite effect and reduce your total amount of sleep.
Vodka Nutrition Facts: Preparing It
Vodka by itself has pretty much no taste other than the burning alcohol flavor that a lot of people find unpleasant. So many drinkers choose to mix vodka with sweet juices or sodas to help with the taste. But the high sugar content of many of these mixers can wreak havoc on your diet. A cup of orange juice, for example, contains 112 calories, and regular soda has over 140 calories per can. Most of those calories come from sugar.
Instead of sugary liquids, keep your drink low-calorie and low-carb by mixing your vodka with one of the following:
-
lower sugar sodas
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Can You Drink Alcohol On Keto
Yes, you can drink on a ketogenic diet and still see results, but theres a catch. It depends on how much you drink and the types of alcohol you choose.
Alcohol is technically the fourth macronutrient because it provides calories. In fact, alcohol contains nearly double the number of calories of protein and carbs – providing roughly seven calories for each gram consumed.
This matters because calories still matter on keto. Especially if you are trying to lose weight on keto. And because alcohol can pack a lot of calories on a single beverage, it can be easy to overdo it and slow your weight loss, or worse cause unintentional weight gain. Plus, unlike other macronutrients that provide various health and nutritional benefits, alcohol provides little to no nutritional value.
Alcohol is also a toxin that is thought to mess with your normal metabolism . Some theories suggest that heavy drinking might interfere with digestion, absorption, and the body’s ability to use certain nutrients. This may include the prioritization of breaking down and removing alcohol metabolites before anything else – including carbohydrates, fat, and protein from food .
Lastly, getting drunk on alcohol can lead to poor decision-making, including when it comes to your diet. After a few too many, you may not care how many carbs are in your food or how many calories you should be eating.
Unsure of your keto macros? Learn your macros in just a few minutes, using this keto macro calculator:
Why Does Keto Lower Alcohol Tolerance
To understand why you get drunk faster on keto, you need to understand how your liver works .
Your liver has many functions, but the ones important for the keto and alcohol consumption include:
- Storage of extra glucose and its release when necessary
- Blood detoxification and purification, including the processing of alcohol
When you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, the liver stores plenty of glycogen. The storage and release of glycogen in the liver slows down alcohol metabolism. This is one of the reasons that eating carbs can help you feel less drunk.
When you are in ketosis, the liver stores very little glycogen, and this causes alcohol to be metabolized a lot faster. Therefore, the alcohol will enter your bloodstream more quickly and your alcohol tolerance will be lower.
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Bottom Line: Consume In Moderation
If you are to drink alcohol on a ketogenic diet, vodka will be probably one of the best choices. It has absolutely no carbs, no sugar and has a bunch of both external and internal uses that promote heath.
Just like with many foods or liquids , its up to you how to use it and whether you use it to your harm or benefit.
This guide, together with the rest of the guides on ABC Keto, is supposed to show you facts so that you can make the right and conscious dietary choices.
The bottom line is: if you like vodka, drink it but make sure it aligns with your goals and lets you make progress.
If you find this mini guide helpful and useful, please share it with your friends on social media. My goal is to reach as many people as possible to help them make wise dietary choices and transform their lives. Thanks!
Will Alcohol Knock You Out Of Ketosis
While Im in ketosis one drink will usually do me just fine. Im the type of girl who typically enjoys a few cocktails when Im out for a good time.
A keto lifestyle is completely different. You will feel the effects of alcohol a lot sooner. This is due to a change in metabolism and depleted glycogen.
In general, while on a healthy lifestyle alcohol can inhibit results if you are trying to lose weight. When you drink alcohol your liver will use the products of the metabolized alcohol instead of fat. Which means instead of burning fat, your body is working to get the alcohol out of your body.
Occasional drinks should not harm results. If you drink often during the week or every weekend, you could be slowing your fat-burning process down. Read more about If Alcohol Will Knock You Out of Ketosis here.
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So How Can You Have Alcohol On Keto
Despite the warnings above, you can still enjoy alcohol on a low carb diet. As cliche as it sounds, the key is to do drink responsibly.
Here is how to drink alcohol on keto:
- Drink in moderation. Theres no reason to miss out on an occasional drink when you are out, but limit it to one or two. This will not only keep carbs and calories in check, it will also decrease the chance of stalling weight loss or a hangover the next day.
- Drink plenty of water. Aim for a glass of water for every drink you have, and an extra one before bed. This will reduce dehydration and youll be less likely to get a hangover.
- Choose low carb drink options. I covered low carb alcohol choices at a bar above, but if you miss classic sugar-laden mixed drinks, check out the list below for low carb drink recipes to make at home.
What Alcohol To Avoid On Keto
And here is a list of NOT keto friendly alcohol drinks:
- Most mixed drinks Anything with simple syrup, agave, margarita mix, sweet & sour mix, vermouth, etc. Most mixed drinks will fall into this category.
TIP: If you want to make a keto drink with simple syrup, use this keto simple syrup recipe instead, or get my premade Wholesome Yum Keto Simple Syrup below.
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How Is Vodka Made
Vodka is a relatively versatile liquor that can be made from any type of grain. It is also varied because there are no set rules and regulations regarding its production, which means anyone can try different ingredients or alter the process as they wish.
In Poland, vodka has traditionally been distilled using potatoes. However, many distillers have started to experiment with other ingredients like beets and grapes in recent years.
As a rectified spirit, vodka is distilled at least three times, with some others going for five times or even more. A vodka brand would naturally announce or let known the number of times their vodka has been distilled.
It is because of the assumption that the more times vodka is distilled, the cleaner and smoother it becomes. To an extent, this is, in fact, correct. When it is distilled more, the vodka becomes purer and more pristine, removing more impurities along the way.
A difference it has with wine is that it does not need aging. Therefore, it can be sold and drunk right away.
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Low-carb drinks, alcohol, and even hot chocolate and lattes can be part of your keto beverage repertoire. Below, youll learn which beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are keto-friendly.
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Low Carb Keto Cocktail Recipes
Now that you know everything you need to know about alcohol on keto, Im excited to share some low carb keto cocktails that you can make at home!
These keto friendly, low carb alcoholic drink recipes are all naturally low in sugars and super easy to make:
- Keto Skinny Margarita This 5 ingredient skinny margarita low carb, paleo, and naturally sweetened.
- Keto Mudslide You wont believe that this dessert drink is keto-friendly!
- Skinny Raspberry Lime Rickey This beautiful cocktail has just 16 calories and 4 grams of carbs per serving.
- Low Carb Margarita Sorbet The perfect summer dessert for a Mexican meal.
- Copycat Baileys Irish Cream Youll want to pour this decadent drink in just about everything.
- Barbados Rum Punch This one will have you feeling like youre on the beach.
- Tequila Sunset This infused tequila gives great flavor to this drink, and looks pretty, too!
- Wild Berry Mimosa Perfect for parties, this bright drink is super festive.
- Keto Low Carb Mojito This is currently my favorite keto alcoholic drink recipe! My husband actually came up with it by modifying a mojito at a restaurant and asking them to leave out the simple syrup. You can order it at virtually any bar , but its easy to make at home as well. Find this skinny mojito recipe below!
How Many Carbs Are In Wine
Wine is actually a relatively low carb option if youre looking to stay keto and drink, with around 2g of carbs per small glass. Even on a strict keto diet you could probably slip in a glass or two and stay under 20g total carbs for the day.
If drinking wine, go for drier options if possible as these tend to contain less sugar than sweeter alternatives. In particular, dont group sweet dessert wines in this category, as these can be packed with sugars A 5oz serving of a Sherry or Muscat might set you back 200+ calories and 20g of carbs.
Here are your best keto red wine choices :
And the best keto white wine choices:
Champagne is another great choice coming in at 100 calories and 2g carbs per 5oz serving.
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How Much Sugar Is In Flavored Vodka
Some flavored vodkas add sugar and some do not. Purists considerflavored vodkas to really be liqueurs by definition, but marketingefforts and consumer tastes suggest that there is a bit of a greyarea.There are two main types of flavored vodka: Infused andCompounded.To create an infused vodka, one must soak the flavorsource in the base spirit fora period of time and then redistill it. This captures the essenceof the flavor, but leaves the solids behind thus yielding a clear spirit.In contrast, compounded vodkasare most likely to have a flavored sugar syrup added to the basespirit for flavoring.In order to divine which product has sugarwhile you are shopping at your local liquor store, you need merelyto look at the label. Infused vodkas typically will be bottled at afull 80 proof . Compounded flavored vodkas willusually be 70 proof because they have been diluted bysugary flavoring agents. Please note that this is a general ruleand there may be some exceptions.Examples of infused vodkas areAbsolut, Effen, and Ketel One.Some recognizable compounded vodkabrands are Stolichnya, Finlandia and Pinnacle.
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