Hey, welcome back everybody. It is Becky Williams and today's topic is going to be a hot topic. This is actually talking about Alcohol and a Ketogenic Diet. So this is a question that we get all the time. 

Is it going to knock me out of ketosis if I get alcohol? 

How much can I drink? 

Are there keto-friendly alcoholic drinks? 

So the Keto Diet can really make having a social life difficult, especially when it comes to eating out and drinking with friends, right? It is possible to consume alcohol on keto. There are keto-friendly drinks and also mixed drinks. Since most alcoholic drinks like beer and cocktails do contain a lot of carbs and calories, it is best to avoid them on this diet, but especially on keto. Now, where your aim is less than 20 carbs a day, I don't want you to despair because there are some options that are available. I'm about to tell you about them. 

Another thing to take into consideration before you start drinking alcohol on keto, is the way that alcohol affects your liver metabolism. I talked about metabolism before. When it comes to keto and the liver, it can be depleted of glycogen. So a low glycogen level means that the liver is going to start metabolizing alcohol quickly. That's going to lead to a heightened level of drunkness or a worse hangover than you would typically have if you weren't eating keto.

So the bottom line is that, yes, you can drink alcoholic beverages and stay on a ketogenic diet. But you do need to choose your drinks carefully and make sure that you drink in moderation. 

So let's talk about the big question, which drinks are keto-friendly? So first, I want to talk about Spirits. Now, you might be surprised by the number of drinks that are low carb and keto-friendly. The largest segment of these is spirits. These contain pretty much no carbs and they can be consumed either straight or on the rocks or in a combination with a low carb mixer. So whiskey, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, brandy - these are some good low carb spirit options.

You could pair them with things like soda water, seltzer, club soda, LaCroix, Zevia, sugar-free root beers like Virgil's or Reed's, unsweetened iced tea, a dash of lime or lemon juice, or sugar-free tonic water.

The next category I want to talk about is Dry Wine. Now, when it comes to wine, things are a bit more complicated. Many people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. But on keto, it's best to avoid sweet, fruity wines. Sorry. By choosing a dry wine, either white or red, you'll ensure the sugar content is minimal and the carbs will only be about 3 to 4 grams of carbs per 5 ounces.

Now, if you're not sure about the sugar content of your wine, stick to wines made by companies like Dry Farm Wines. They are specialists in this area. They make wine that is very low in sugar.

The third category is Low Carb Beers. Now, beer is another popular drink. But unfortunately, it does contain high levels of rapidly digestible carbs. And since most beers also contain gluten, this alcohol option is not recommended at all. But if you do want to enjoy a beer, choose one that's designed to be lower in carbs. So here are some popular brands. Budweiser Select 55, you have 1.8 grams of carbs per serving. Miller64, which is two grams of carbs per serving. Corona Premier, that's 2.6 grams of carbs per serving. Now, remember, some of these things will change, but this is just the latest data that we have.

So, what mixed drinks are keto friendly? What about cocktails? Are there any keto friendly mixed drinks available at the bar? Unfortunately, many mixed drinks are not recommended on keto because they are made with a variety of like syrups or fruit juices or cocktail mixes. But when it comes to ordering a mixed drink on keto, just simply stick with combinations like rum and Diet Coke or a gin and sugar-free tonic, vodka and club soda. Mixing a spirit and a zero sugar drink. 

Avoid any blends involving fruit juices because they are full of fructose, that will absolutely take you out of ketosis. If you're trying to make cocktails at home, you can try experimenting with creating your own flavors with like sparkling waters or stevia or erythritol or fruit essences. That's the difference. 

So what about wine coolers? Unfortunately, wine coolers and most soft drinks are filled with sugar and you really should avoid them. So the carb content in these drinks is incredibly high, often 25 to 30 grams per bottle or can, which is going to quickly spike those insulin levels and knock you out of ketosis. There are plenty of keto friendly low carb options out there, but alcohol is a non-essential macronutrient. It is full of empty calories. There's no need to put this as part of your regular diet. 

Plus it can affect weight loss progress and over consumption of alcohol can increase the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies, which we don't want, right? Excessive drinking also contributes to other serious medical issues like diabetes, liver disease, all those things. You already know all those things, right?

But as with everything, a moderate approach to consuming alcohol is best in order to avoid any of these adverse health and diet effects. So if you are going to consume alcohol, just know the risk, know the effects that it has on your body and go ahead and make choices that are going to fit into your nutrition plan. Thanks again. I'm going to see you next week. I'm rooting for you.