Drinking on the Keto Diet: The Do’s and Don’ts of Alcohol Consumption While in Ketosis

Whether you are aware of this or not, alcohol is not generally recommended if you are a follower of the keto diet. The reasoning behind this is simple and easily understood—most alcohol contains sugar, carbs, and calories; all things you want to avoid when going keto. It also stops your ketone production!  However, as the old saying goes, everything is fine in moderation. And with holidays like Valentine’s Day approaching, you might want to study a bit. If you are someone who likes to come home and have a beer or party with your friends on the holidays – that is not something you necessarily have to give up. However, a replacement beverage might be more ideal if you are intent on losing weight.

Whether you have only recently begun your keto journey, or you have been in ketosis for some time, then you know the keto diet calls for a lot of food substitutions and exclusions. Therefore, switching up your drinking routine should be a breeze. Moreover, you will ultimately find that swapping out your regular alcoholic beverages for keto-friendly beverages is much easier than adjusting to all of the food changes that must be made. If you have been told that you are not supposed to drink alcohol while on the keto diet, ignore that, you do not need that negativity in your life since you now take PRIME, your go-to exogenous ketone supplement**.  All you need is a little instruction and perhaps you can still enjoy your evening cocktail and/or nightcap.

What to Avoid

As adults, a lot of us tend to enjoy an alcoholic beverage of some sorts during the holidays to both celebrate and relax. This has been a tradition ever since alcohol came to be and I do not see it dying out any time soon. For those on the keto diet, this tradition becomes a bit challenging—especially if you do not have the information you need to get started. However, once you learn and understand how alcohol coincides with the keto diet, it should be no trouble at all. The following is a list of alcoholic beverages that should indeed be avoided in order to remain in ketosis. We have also included the carb count of each drink so you can see why these were chosen as forbidden beverages.

• Margarita – 13 grams of carbs
• Bloody Mary – 10 grams of carbs
• Whiskey Sour – 14 grams of carbs
• Sangria – 27 grams of carbs
• Pina Colada – 32 grams of carbs
• Cosmopolitan – 22 grams of carbs
• Regular beer – 12 grams of carbs

These beverages are not only rich in carbs – some more than others – but they also contain amounts of sugar that are simply not a good idea whilst in ketosis. It should go without saying but consuming too much sugar WILL kick you out of ketosis and this physical state is not easy to simply get back. It takes a lot of hard work and time for your body to enter ketosis and begin burning fat for energy instead of sugar. Why risk this excellent weight loss opportunity for a simple Bloody Mary? If any of these are your favorite beverage do not give up hope—there are many alcoholic beverages you can still enjoy while on the keto diet.

What to Consume Instead

Luckily for anyone who enjoys alcohol each evening and toasting to the holidays, for optimal results from the keto diet, certain guidelines should be followed. After all, the keto diet calls for the daily consumption of a teeny amount of carbs and calories, with large amounts of healthy fats and a decent amount of protein. By following this low-carb diet appropriately, your body will cease to burn glucose for energy, and instead, it will burn fat for the same purpose. This process is known as ketosis and should be protected once reached. You can do this by following a keto food guide—beverages included. Now, let’s take a peek at the keto-friendly alcoholic selections you can enjoy in moderation completely guilt free.

• Wine

If you are a fan of wine, and who isn’t on Valentines Day, consider yourself lucky because it is perfectly fine to enjoy a glass from time to time. In fact, due to the fact that wine contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar means you are free to indulge. Of course, some wines are more keto-friendly than others. When you are on the keto diet and you enjoy wine, you can relax—all we recommend is that you stick to dry wines. Dry wines are ideal because they contain less than half a gram of sugar. Therefore, it does not interfere with your insulin levels or blood sugar. If you're looking for a low carb wine, we recommend Dry Farm Wines! Go check them out! 

• Whiskey

Whiskey is a long-time favorite around the world. As time has passed, whiskey production has basically met perfection. Crafted from a variety of grains including barley, wheat, rye, and corn, once it is brewed, it is then aged in wooden casks specifically built from charred white oak wood. While its creation is quite interesting, what’s even better is the fact that it contains no carbs at all – not one.

• Clear liquors

Again, if you are a liquor type of guy or gal, there are many ways to continue enjoying it while on the keto diet. Especially for a toast to your love. Liquors like gin and vodka make for excellent drinks as long as you steer away from the overly sweetened mixers. Perhaps by experimenting with new or different versions of your favorite drink, you might just stumble upon a new holiday favorite that has zero carbs!

Toasting to Your Love on Valentine’s Day – The Keto Way

One of the more important things to many people seeking to get on a diet is how much it is going to interfere with their lives. This is due of course to the fact that the majority of serious diets out there have you making big adjustments and changes to your lifestyle. Case in point, the keto diet is no different in this aspect. However, when you do your research and learn the basics of the keto diet—things become much easier. With Valentine’s Day creeping up on us, use this guide to plan your selection of spirits for the big day. This way you can be romantic AND remain in ketosis.

** Note that when consuming alcohol while in ketosis, your body stops producing ketones due to your liver breaking down the alcohol. When supplementing with exogenous ketones you can still have the benefits of ketosis while your liver is hard at work!