People generally follow the ketogenic diet which is a very low-carb diet for sustainable weight loss to get more energy and better brainpower. Since the keto diet is a low-carb one, the question of whether you can consume alcohol naturally arises. The very short and simple answer to that question would be yes, but the type and quantity of alcohol that you consume really matters. For the most part, you can have a keto friendly-drink or two while you are on ketosis.

Read on to find out all about the dos and don’ts that you can do before having alcoholic beverages in the keto diet.

• Things to do before drinking even keto-friendly alcohol
  If you are a keto dieter, you really need not worry as there are many low-carb options out there for you. Pure alcoholic beverages like vodka, tequila, whiskey, bourbon, and rum are the best drinks to start as they have the lowest carbs per shot. Although you can drink alcohol while you are on the keto diet, you will need to be smart about it and plan to take some extra precautions. It helps if you eat a keto-friendly meal before you have a drink. Loading yourself up on carbs before a night of drinking is not the best option for you. This is due to the fact that you kick yourself out of ketosis when you get loaded up on carbs, and this will jeopardize the way that your body metabolizes the alcohol that you drink. Fat and proteins are better options for you before you have a drink as this powerful combination will help slow down the effects of alcohol, thereby delivering less of a metabolic strike to your system. Keep your drinks light and stay off heavy servings of alcohol.It would be a good idea to monitor your alcoholic portions. Another way that you will need to be mindful of is that calories matter as much as carbs do. Although on the keto diet, counting carbs is more critical than counting calories, alcohol is an exception to this rule as alcohol contains 100 percent empty calories. Hence, with just a few drinks, you can easily drink a meal’s worth of calories without even realizing that you have exceeded your daily limit. In case you are going for a mixed drink, then choosing the right combination is everything. Though most of the hard liquors have zero net carbs, pairing it with sugary lemonade, fruit juice, tonic water or soda defeats the purpose of choosing a hard liquor for its low-carb content. It is also helpful if you follow the one-drink-max rule.
• The don’ts of drinking alcohol
  You are more likely to crave high-carb foods after you consume alcohol as alcohol is packed with mostly empty calories. Another thing that you will have to keep in mind is that you turn off your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel as your body treats alcohol as a toxic substance. All the energy of your body is focused on processing the alcohol out of your system. The keto diet alters the effects of alcohol on your body and hence you’ll get drunk faster and your hangover could also be worse.