The keto diet, or Ketogenic diet, is a high fat, low carb short term diet that is extremely beneficial for people with certain conditions. However, it is mostly focused on weight loss. The main idea of the ketogenic diet is to obtain more calories from protein, fat, and less from the carbohydrates.
When a person intakes less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, his body in due course runs out of blood sugar. After a few days, the liver will start breaking down the protein and fat reserves into chemicals called ketones which ultimately leads to weight loss.
The body uses these ketones for energy and goes into a state called ketosis. The ideal amount of carbohydrates intake for ketosis can differ from person to person on the basis of factors like weight, metabolism, and body build. Apart from weight loss, the ketogenic diet also offers several health benefits.
A keto diet requires people to adjust to a very new lifestyle which can be difficult. The end results are worth it even so drastic changes in diet and lifestyle can be hard for everyone.
There are several versions of the keto diet and some may recommend staying away from alcohol altogether because of its carb content. But not all alcoholic beverages contain a similar amount of carbs. Some people might still choose to have an alcoholic drink if it fits in their daily allowance, while others may make a choice to avoid it completely.
The diet plan you are following, type, and amount of the alcohol you consume affects your body’s weight and metabolism. So, talking about the keto-friendliness of the cocktail pineapple juice, in moderate consumption it can be the drink to consume if you’re counting your carbs intake.
Is Pineapple Keto Friendly?
Many fruits are abundant in carbohydrates. So, one of the most common myths about the ketogenic diet is that fruit must also be removed from the diet list in order to achieve a state of ketosis.
However, this is not reality. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of healthy and delicious fruit options with low carbs and high fiber that can be included in moderation as a part of a keto diet.
Adding a small number of fruits with low carb content to your daily keto diet can help you please your sweet tooth needs, while also providing a balanced level of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your body requires.
Some of the keto fruits are avocado, lemons, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, and so on.
Not all kinds of fruit can be fit into a keto diet. Fruit like pineapple contains a relatively higher amount of carbohydrates and natural sugars, which restricts the body from getting into the state of ketosis.
According to the USDA, pineapple juice contains 16 grams of total carbohydrates per 100 grams which is comparatively a large amount of carbs. So, pineapples don’t fit in the keto diet.
However, if you are craving to eat pineapple, you can enjoy one thin slice and not surpass that. Or you can use pineapple flavor drops with very little carb content that you can mix to your keto friendly meals.
Alcohol and Ketogenic diet
Most Alcoholic beverages contain carb in a different amount, selecting alcoholic drinks with fewer carbs content can help one remain within the limit of the ketogenic diet.
Liquor with 40% alcohol by volume or higher will have 0-gram net carbs. But you will always need to be careful about the mixers, cocktails. Most of the added ingredients will have added sugars.
Intake of alcohol has a direct effect on liver metabolism, more ketones are produced as one drink more. While the liver is metabolizing the alcohol, it’s being converted into a triglyceride which can affect the production of ketones in a positive way.
Most people drink in general, and some people find it hard to give up their drinking habits while being on a ketogenic diet. However, be aware that drinking alcohol will slow down the weight loss process even if you are consuming low carb alcohol and staying in ketosis. The body cannot burn fat while you are in the intoxicated state because the liver switches over to an alcohol burner which slow down the process.
Alcoholic beverages with more carb content will throw you out of ketosis. People on a ketogenic diet tend to have a lower tolerance for alcohol. They experience a heightened level of being drunk and at a faster rate than normal.
Also, people experience terrible hangovers while on a keto diet so if you’re drinking alcohol, be sure to stay hydrated.
Is Cocktail Pineapple Juice Keto friendly?
Fresh pineapple juice is a healthy, natural fruit beverage and can be used as the main ingredient while preparing different kinds of cocktails. Pineapple may have its own health benefits, as they are rich in nutrients and antioxidants.
But due to the presence of the higher amount of carb content in pineapple juice, it is not in the list of keto friendly diet. Even mixing it with low-carb alcohol will not make it keto friendly.
So, for a person in a ketogenic diet, it will be better to stay away from the cocktail pineapple juice. While if you are having an eye on your carb count, cocktail pineapple juice can be consumed in a moderate amount but the intake of alcohol will again slow down the weight loss process.
The cocktail pineapple juice is loaded with carbohydrates and consuming carbs in more amount will cause the body to leave the state of ketosis. The keto diet along with a caloric deficit is the prerequisite for weight loss.
However, during this stage, consumption of alcohol interrupts the ketosis state as alcohol still counts as extra calories to the diet. If a caloric deficit is maintained even with the intake of alcohol, weight loss will occur. But still, alcohol will certainly slow down the weight loss process. Also, the keto diet can lead to lowered alcohol tolerance due to low glycogen levels.
The main target of the keto diet is for the body to be in the state of ketosis leading to weight loss after a certain interval of time. Continuing this state entirely depends on following a very specific diet plan and guidelines.
If these guidelines are not followed strictly, the diet may not be effective. Consumption of alcohol can affect the decision of following the keto diet. Drinking alcohol always poses some health risks. Standard guidance allows drinking in moderation while you are on the Keto Diet so that they don’t obstruct your progress.
For people on a ketogenic diet, pick an alcoholic drink that contains low carb content to remain in the limits of the diet. There are many low carb alcoholic beverages that one can enjoy in moderation, even being on a keto diet. It’s also crucial to note that alcohol does contain a certain amount of calories.
There is no mechanism in the human body to store the energy in alcohol, so your body will take a preference to metabolize alcohol over the body fat. Some of the recommended low carb alcohol are Vodka, Whiskey, Rum, Tequila, Gin, Brandy, low carb Wines.
While Cocktails like cocktail pineapple juice may contain a lot of carb content and may take the body out of ketosis state which makes the diet ineffective.
Alcohol can affect the people’s judgment and willpower to continue the keto diet. Also, drinking can have more of an effect on the body when a person is following a ketogenic diet.
There are several keto friendly cocktail recipes with low carb content that can be alternative to the cocktail pineapple juice. But always remember that “Moderation is the Key”.
Although there is an abundance of keto friendly alcoholic beverages available, that doesn’t mean that they should be part of your regular diet.
Even low carb varieties of alcohol are still rich in empty calories which can affect your results negatively. So, if you are on a keto diet and aiming for weight loss, you may want to think carefully about avoiding alcohol altogether as alcohol will slow down the weight loss process.