Can You Drink Alcohol on a Keto Diet?
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The best and worst drinks for ketosis.
Can you drink alcohol on a keto diet? Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that many people have been drawn to as a natural weight loss solution. Keto is tough enough as it is, with its strict carb monitoring and adaptation side effects.
Do you need to give up drinking booze altogether just to keep yourself in ketosis? The short answer may be no, but there are a few catches. Check out our guide to can you drink alcohol on a keto diet, and we’ll key you in on the best and worst drinks for ketosis.
How does alcohol affect ketosis?
When following a keto diet, you should be eating 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs. By dramatically reducing your carb intake, your body switches itself into ketosis, a metabolic state where your body uses fat as a primary fuel source instead of glucose.
When you add booze to this process, your liver prioritizes processing the alcohol over breaking down fat into ketones, which can hold up your weight loss progress.
Booze does have calories in it as well, though as long as you keep your drinking within moderate levels (considered one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men), it is still possible to drink and stay in ketosis with a caloric deficit.
As you may know, booze can lower social inhibitions and impact decision making. As we’ve mentioned before, keto can be pretty strict, requiring you to even keep watch on your condiments! If you’re trying to keep keto, it’s worth considering that it may be more difficult to turn down foods that don’t match the diet requirements while under the influence.
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The Best and Worst Drinks for Keto:
Keto dieters will know that there are a lot of hidden carbs in day to day foods and drinks, and alcohol is no exception. Cocktails, beer, and some wines are loaded with hidden carbs. Here’s our quick list of the best and worst alcohol you can drink on a keto diet:
Low-carb alcohol for keto:
- Hard liquors are almost all carb free, and can be enjoyed straight or with low-carb mixers. (Whiskey, rum, vodka, gin, ect.) Watch out for those calories though!
- Wine tends to have 3-4g of carbs per glass, dry whites or reds being the best for their low sugar content.
- Light beer and low-carb beer contain around 3-4g of carbs per can, so as long as you’re drinking in moderation, you should be fine.
Drinks to avoid on keto:
- Cocktails and mixed drinks are the worst offenders, often full of syrupy mixers, juice, or soda.
- Regular beers are basically carb water, so opt for the light alternatives.
- Liqueurs or after-dinner wines are packed with carbs and sugars.
Keto lowers your tolerance for alcohol and might make your hangovers worse, so moderation is as important as ever. Remember to avoid drinking on an empty stomach, stay hydrated, and pace yourself!
Summary:
If you're taking on a keto diet, make sure to opt for low-carb alcoholic beverages like hard liquor, light beer, or dry wines. Everyone's relationship with alcohol may be different, but drinking in moderation is the best way to avoid the averse health effects of alcohol. Prost!