One of the biggest ways people destroy their health is by drinking unhealthy beverages.
I’m talking about things that aren’t chewed but are swallowed just the same—frequently chugged down or slurped through a straw.
The worst of all is soda (and yes, even diet soda is a huge problem), followed by the always tasty, sugar laden, high calorie blended coffee drinks.
(Starbucks anyone?)
For some people, asking them to give up their daily soda (or 3 or 6 pack as the case may be) is like asking them to give up their first born.
Although, I know some would even rather do that!
If that’s you…
Hear me out. All I want you to do is give it a try.
And I may as well tell you know…
You’re likely to feel terrible for a few days.
There will be headaches and cravings and you’ll feel like crap…
Remember, sometimes you have to get a little uncomfortable.
Well, this unfortunately isn’t behind you yet.
But it will be soon.
Because, you absolutely will feel better once you get through all that.
Now when it comes to keto drinks, there are way more “do not drinks” than there are drinks you CAN have.
So, for sake of time, I’ll focus on the things you CAN drink.
Sound good?
Alrighty. Let’s start with good ole’…
Water
You know. The plain stuff. Flavored water with aspartame or some other sweetener is not water. (I promise, it’s not).
If it’s been altered in any way and is on sale at Costco it doesn’t count as water.
That said, you CAN do some of your own alterations if you feel the need to mix things up a bit.
Add some fresh lemon juice, lime juice, heck even cucumber slices or sprigs of fresh mint.
If none of that sound good you can try infusing it with fruit, other vegetables, and/or herbs.
Here are some examples:
- Add frozen fruit. Slip some low carb fruit like berries into a jug or even your water bottle. But don’t squeeze them in. This adds some subtle flavor and because you’re not squeezing in the juice it’s a great way to get some fruity flavors in your water without having too many net carbs.
- Make mint ice cubes. When you freeze tasty herbs into ice cubes, the herbs will keep for weeks or even months. I mentioned mint before but if you don’t like mint you can try other herbs that you like. To make mint ice cubes, just chop up some fresh mint leaves, sprinkle them into each cell of an ice cube tray, add water, and freeze into cubes. Add a few mint cubes to your water bottle, along with fruit or cucumber slices.
- Add some citrus. Lemon, grapefruit, lime, and orange can also help spruce up your water. Organic lemon or lime juice works too. Just add a little to your water each day.
Whether you decide to infuse your water with flavor or drink it plain, this should be your keto drink of choice.
Next, we have…
Coffee
Yes, I know I took away your Starbucks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have coffee.
I’m not that cruel, ?
You just need to drink it black or use a keto approved coffee enhancer.
That means, no added sugar, no added hazelnut flavored creamer, no packets of sweeteners of any kind.
When we add sugar and sugar filled creamers, our daily cup of coffee becomes a quick way to derail your keto plans.
Here are your choices when it comes to coffee.
You can have…
- Black coffee. Enjoy drip, espresso, cold brew, French press, iced, etc. Drinking coffee black is the best option, you get all the caffeine and none of the junk that will can ruin your ketosis.
- Use full-fat dairy or a dairy substitute. If you must, you can add a bit of unsweetened full-fat heavy cream or milk, almond milk, or coconut milk to your daily cup(s) of coffee or blend it with espresso for a no-sugar, low-carb frothy drink.
- Add some healthy fat to your coffee. Adding a healthy fat source, like MCT oil or powder, coconut oil, or grass-fed butter, to your coffee is a great way to have your coffee and enhance your intake of good quality fat. Just be careful when you start doing this as it could upset your stomach, start with a little and add more each day until you’re up to approximately 1 tbs of oil.
- Zero calorie sweeteners instead of sugar. A few drops of liquid stevia can make your coffee a bit more enjoyable and cut the bitterness of black coffee.
- Make your own keto-friendly coffee blend. Simply by adding some healthy fats, full-fat dairy, a few spices, and a little bit of zero-calorie sweetener, you can have your very own specialty coffee at home. Just get creative and make sure to add it all up so you can keep track of your net carbs.
Next up…
Tea
Just like your coffee, you’ll want to take your tea without added sugar.
Now, I’m not saying you’ll never be able to add honey to your tea ever again — but in order to get into ketosis you really should try to be strict for the first two weeks or more.
If you absolutely need cream, use heavy organic whipping cream or something similar. You can also try some of the recommendations from above to make your tea a little tastier.
Keto Friendly Alcoholic Drinks
So what about alcohol?
I knew you were going to ask…
And the good news is that going keto doesn’t mean you need to give up wine and booze forever more.
However, during at least the first two weeks I ask that you cut back.
Remember, you can do ANYTHING for just 14 days.
At the end of your first 14 days you can bump it up and see how you feel.
If the thought of giving up your nightcap sends shivers up your spine…
Here are some things to keep in mind.
Champagne has less carbs than red wine.
And if you want zero carbs…
You can drink tequila with lime and soda water (my favorite) …
Vodka, Whiskey, dry martini’s and brandy also contain zero net carbs.
But be careful…
One thing people immediately notice when they start keto is that they are a bit more sensitive to alcohol.
So, as you can see, there are lots of keto-friendly drinks out there. However, there’s only one that is necessary…water.
If you make the decision to drink something other than water, make sure you know everything in the drink.
Read the label closely.
Lots of drinks out there are full of sugar, so drink with caution.
Better still…
If you’re looking for something much more comprehensive…
A literal step-by-step guide to keto, including a much more comprehensive food and beverage list…
Then I urge you to join me and thousands of others inside the Two-Week Keto Challenge.
Inside I’ll give you everything you need to do keto the right, including daily meals, recipes and recommendations.
It really is the best way to do keto.
Simply click here to join the Two-Week Keto Challenge and start your keto journey completely risk-free.
