26 Apr 2019

What Can You Drink On Keto?

Nutrition Advice

If you haven’t the foggiest notion of what Keto is, it’s not some party island off the coast of Greece. If it was, you could drink anything and probably would.

But no, Keto is a diet designed to put your body into a state of ketosis. Sounds painful, but it’s not.

So what can you actually drink while on Keto?

The Ketogenic Diet in 72 Words

The Keto Diet drastically cuts your carbohydrate intake and turns your dining attention to healthy fats instead. This results in the aforementioned ketosis and, don’t worry, it’s a perfectly normal metabolic process with a rather nifty benefit.

A body starved of carbs has to look elsewhere for the energy it needs and it turns to stored fats, burning those instead. The result, if all goes well, is weight loss.

So What Drinks are Okay on the Keto Diet?

Drink your own bodyweight in water.

Yes, water, wonderful water; a fat-free, carb-free miracle drink. Drink it like it’s going out of fashion. Drink it like every stream and river could dry up tomorrow. Keep a sealed jug of it in the fridge and drink it chilled.

Another biggie with water: it’s surprisingly filling. Drink it before meals and you’ll eat less.

Are Tea and Coffee Okay on Keto?

Yes, they are, but normal tea and coffee, not the heavily modified, artificially enhanced, super-charged varieties your local café might try to tempt you with. Plain tea and coffee with no sugar is fine if your sweet tooth can stomach it.

Are Sodas Okay on Keto?

No surprises for guessing; it’s a bit fat negative. One small bottle of Coke can derail your ketosis for a whole day; a litre bottle will set your fat-burning back for an entire week.

But diet sodas must be okay, right? In a word, no. All those artificial sweeteners only serve to keep your sugar cravings top of mind.

What About Alcoholic Drinks?

Alcohol consumption is, naturally, a biggie if you plan to kick carbs to the curb.

So let’s start with what isn’t okay. One rum and coke contains about 39 carbs. Vodka and orange packs in about 28 carbs. Pop the lid on a Cruiser and you’re looking at nearly 40 carbs in one bottle.

If you’re taking your Keto diet seriously, these sweet, but far from innocent drinks are clearly out. Your best bets are red or dry white wine, champagne and spirits with no carbs such as gin, whiskey and vodka; yes, sugar-filled orange is the culprit in that vodka and orange; in fact, all fruit juices are basically a Keto no-no.

Vodka and water anyone? Hmm, perhaps not.

What about beer? After all, it is an Aussie staple. While one bottle of beer won’t set you back as dramatically as a Cruiser, a single bottle of Corona contains 14 carbs and most of the known brands are in the 9 to 14 range.

If you have to drink beer on the Keto diet, maybe stick to light beers – around 2 to 4 carbs per small bottle. However, the last thing you want to do while drinking beer is keeping a carb count. So the occasional low-carb beer from time to time is probably going to be fine.

And let’s face facts: consuming too much alcohol isn’t a great idea at the best of times whether you’re dieting or not. The emotional and physical effects of alcohol’s addictive side effects are well documented and certainly, don’t need to be elaborated on here.

Oh, and be warned: if you’re on a low carb diet, it takes considerably less alcohol to get a bit sideways. So forget about normal tolerances and sip with a cautious eye on your faculties.

If this has whetted your appetite for all things health and fitness, it might be time for an exciting new career. As a personal trainer, you’ll be the go-to person on all things health and fitness and be highly rewarded for your knowledge and expertise.

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