Besides water… what can I drink that will be keto safe?
But first…let’s start with what I use to drink.
I am with you. I also struggled with what I was going to drink that wasn’t full of sugar. I was a sweet tea addict. I would go to a fast food restaurant (you know the one) and get a LARGE SWEET TEA!!! It was my life. I even had clients bringing me sweet teas when they came in for their appointments! I was dependent on not only the caffeine but the sugar. Massive amounts of sugar. One large fast food sweet tea contains 38 grams of sugar. They have recently lowered it from 70 grams. 38 grams is still more than three times the allotted sugar intake for anyone looking to lose weight. The goal is less than 10 grams of sugar per day to lose weight.
Also, I had to give up something else. Beer. More specifically apple cider beer. I love fruity beer. I know, I know… kinda girly. I AM A GIRL. I loved a cold crisp apple cider beer on a late hot August night. It just made me so happy. Speaking of alcohol, I also would crave Mojitos. The rum, mint and sugar cane drink? You know …. the one served with an actual sugar cane that I would chomp on while drinking the super sugary drink. UGH…. That was a hard thing to give up. But I am worth it. My health is worth it. My body is so much better without these drinks in my daily life.
I haven’t forgotten to mention the largest most addictive thing of all…. SODA. I had to cut out all soda. I can no longer allow it in my body. The fizz alone makes my stomach so upset! I can’t even handle the diet version or the zero version. None. I don’t miss it at all. I wrote about diet soda here….https://kentuckyketocoach.com/2019/03/13/diet-soda-and-keto/
KETO SAFE DRINKS
So, we all know that water is good. Buy I caution you from drinking water the “American way”. We have been programed to slam down ounces and ounces of water per day. When you are doing keto and limiting your sugar and carb intake, your body will be eliminating loads of liquid and inflammation for at least the first 30 to 60 days. This liquid eliminates your electrolytes. So, drinking tons of water actually dehydrates you faster. Be mindful of not over consuming water while on keto. Drink when you are thirsty and do an electrolyte additive. I use this one. https://amzn.to/2X9WHbm
You can also flavor regular water with sugar free liquid… like these.https://amzn.to/2ICNZPc
Also, happy to report, that coconut water does have a source of potassium and sodium which is wonderful for hydration. Be aware that some coconut waters on the market contain sugar. I found one that uses erythritol to sweeten the beverage and does not spike your glucose the way regular sugar does. I’ll link the ones I like. I get the pineapple flavor and sometimes add clear rum *YAY. Be aware of the label and serving size when purchasing any keto friendly drink. https://amzn.to/2Xg7H7m.
Now, let’s get back to that ice tea. You can absolutely have iced tea and remain in ketosis. Do not use regular sugar to sweeten. If you can’t handle tea with no sweetener, then use liquid stevia drops. You can find that in most groceries or on Amazon. Here is the link. https://amzn.to/2Xe92LQ
Replacing soda for the caffeine and sweet kick was more challenging that the tea and water. Everyone has their own preference…I am just here for suggestions. Some people find that Zevia cola (45mg caffeine) is a serious contender in the soda substitutes. I think it tastes great. It has the flavor, sweetness and fizz. They use stevia as the sweetener. Zevia also has a wide variety of other flavors such as root beer, lemon-lime and orange cream. Here is the link. https://amzn.to/2GomcjH
Zevia brand also has great flavor energy drinks. My husband likes this one. It is cola flavored and contains 120 mg of caffeine. No sugar, zero calorie and no glycemic impact. https://amzn.to/2UkkdRl
I can’t handle the carbonation. Fizzy drinks inflate my stomach and makes me feel very uncomfortable all day long. I stick to non-carbonated drinks like Celsius Peach Mango Green Tea (200mg caffeine) no sugar, no aspartame and no high fructose corn syrup. I love the taste. Here is the link. https://amzn.to/2Xa1Eks
Celsius also has a large variety of other beverages with no sugar such as sparkling grapefruit, sparkling watermelon and sparkling coconut. These options might be good to drink alone or add some vodka or clear rum for a fruity summer cocktail.
IN THE END
Explore the grocery stores. There is so much flavored water and alternative soda\tea drinks to enjoy. Please read the label. Here are the approved keto friendly sweeteners that will not spike insulin. If it is not on list… don’t buy it.
