How Alcohol Could Interfere With Your Keto Diet
The high-fat, low-carb keto diet has dramatically increased in popularity over the last several years, although it initially began to gain some traction in the 1990s (via MedStar Health). Originally used by doctors to help treat symptoms of epilepsy, the keto diet has become more widespread thanks to its quick weight-loss results.
The foundation of the keto diet is employing a method of consistently eating a diet that's extremely low in carbohydrates. Adhering to a diet that is high in fat and extremely low in carbs causes the body to move into ketosis, a process in which fat is burned instead of glucose (via WebMD).
According to Everyday Health, celebrities including Halle Berry, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Megan Fox, as well as athletes like Tim Tebow and LeBron James, have followed the diet and touted its effectiveness for weight loss. In addition to trimming down, there have been discussions about the potential efficacy of using the keto diet to help combat diseases including diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and multiple sclerosis (via Harvard Health Blog).
Since living a keto lifestyle necessitates consuming an extraordinarily low level of carbs — ideally 5-10% or less of your daily intake, according to Harvard School of Public Heath — it's clear that alcohol consumption could inhibit getting into ketosis and prevent you from reaching your overall goals. However, imbibing a bit in moderation isn't off the table.
What to sip or swill while living a keto lifestyle
As The Spruce Eats notes, alcohol takes precedence over macronutrients when your body is digesting. That's why in order to remain in ketosis, you need to minimize the impact of alcohol on your diet. To that end, if you plan to enjoy an adult beverage or two while on the keto diet, it's important to choose ones that fit into your low-carb lifestyle.
If beer is your go-to alcoholic drink, there are a variety of low-carb beer options that, in moderation, will help you adhere to your keto diet. Low-carb hard seltzers are also a good option if you are following the keto diet. These seltzers also tend to be lower in alcohol. Just make sure to check the sugar content, as not all hard seltzers are the same, per Perfect Keto.
As for wine, The Spruce Eats notes that dry wines get a thumbs-up for keto eaters who want to enjoy some vino with their dinner. Dry wines, either red or white, only clock in at two carbs per glass. Watch out for sweet wines, though, which can have five to 10 carbs per glass.
Straight spirits like vodka, tequila, rum, and whiskey all clock in at zero carbs, but be cautious about cocktails. Outside of the likes of a vodka and soda or rum and Diet Coke, cocktails can turn into sugary sips quickly (via Healthline). If you're really craving a cocktail, though, try mixing with seltzer water (think La Croix or Spindrift) or find a zero sugar cocktail mix like the ones at Jordan's Skinny Mixes.