What’s the first thing we learn as children? Our ABC’s. So, we thought it would be a fun idea to do the ABC’s of keto! This blog series looks at some of the main ideas and the not-so-main ideas of keto as we work our way through the alphabet. The next one in our series is: Q, which stands for Quenching Your Thirst. We’ll give you the best keto drinks for weight loss!
Why are Keto Drinks Important?
You all know I love keto, but the combination of high fat and low carbs can leave you without enough hydration and electrolytes. When that happens, you feel tired, sluggish, maybe have a headache or feel nauseous. One of the big perks of keto is how energetic you feel, so get the liquids into you and keep that feeling going!
According to Healthline, electrolytes are minerals that help regulate many tasks your body works at all the time, including staying hydrated. These minerals include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, and bicarbonate. If you start feeling draggy when you are on keto, this is likely why.
Electrolytes in Keto Drinks
Some drinks that have electrolytes in them are not keto friendly – like milk, fruit juices, and traditional smoothies. But, don’t despair! There are many that are keto too. One is coconut water. Now, I hate coconut, so this will not be in my meal plan, but for those who like it, it’s a great option!
You can also get electrolyte tablets. You’ll recognize them as little powder packages you can add to your water. Most are available without sugar added to them. Just be sure you read the label to make sure there aren’t any added minerals you cannot have.
Finally, there are sports drinks. Now, regular sports drinks have a ton of sugar in them! But, you can also find zero sugar added drinks that work well. Bill and I usually try to have one Gatorade Zero a day when we are feeling a little tired.
Hot Drinks
You do not want to talk to me before I have my morning coffee! In fact, you may want to wait until my second morning coffee. Coffee and tea are fine, as long as you use cream and don’t add sugar. We get whipping cream, which has no sugar, 1 gram of carbs, and lots of fat. It takes your coffee from 0 calories to a few more, but it’s worth it to me. Bill just drinks his black. If you can do that, that’s great. I like mine with a thicker texture than that.
Summer Keto Drinks
Last year, we did a blog on the keto drinks of summer. You can certainly have the occasional keto-friendly alcoholic beverage if you want to. There are more and more low carb beer options. We like the Michelob Ultra. There are also lots of seltzers that have only a gram or two of sugars in them. Or, you can make your own drink with hard alcohol and soda water. When we were in Mexico, I discovered raspberry vodka and soda water, with a piece of fruit in it. It was delicious and refreshing.
You can also have iced coffee or iced tea without sugar. Again, it’s a great way to cool off while getting that caffeine fix. At Tim Hortons, we order a cold brew. It’s supposed to come without any syrup (aka sugar) but sometimes we say no syrup just to be sure. Most people like their sweeter options, so sometimes they just assume.
Water, Water, and More Water
We also drink a lot of carbonated water. You can get the brand names, the generic ones, or buy a soda stream and do it yourself. I enjoy the little bit of flavour you get in the drink. Funny, I never enjoyed them before keto. It just tasted like it was missing something…oh yeah, sugar. Now I love them.
And, finally, you need to drink lots of water! I bought a water bottle that is equal to 8 cups and I drink one of those a day. Yes, you will need to use the bathroom more. Yes, that is healthy. No, you can’t fill it with diet soda and have the same benefits. Sorry.
Wendy
