With the pubs reopening next week, we thought we would put together a list of drinks that are a healthy alternative instead of alcoholic drinks and beverages that are high in sugar and carbs.
Firstly, lets talk about ZERO carb drinks…
Spirits:
With most distilled spirits, virtually all carbs are removed during the distillation process, so most spirits served without mixers have zero carbs. You can enjoy a little night cap of your favourite spirit on the rocks (ice) or neat (no ice, not chilled) without adding many calories or any carbs.
But be careful with rums (especially spiced rums) and flavoured spirits! It’s not uncommon for these spirits to have extra sugars added after distillation. Unfortunately the label on the bottle won’t usually tell you whether that’s true, so I’d generally recommend steering clear of these two categories just to be safe. But bear in mind that “shorts” can actually cause a “hypo” because they disrupt the pathways in the liver that maintain blood sugar, neither too high, nor too low !
Beer
In general, beer is the opposite of low-carb, so if you’re a beer lover but want to reduce your carbs, you’ll have to look carefully. Anything labelled “light” is going to be a better option than traditional beer, and a light beer typically has the same amount of carbs as a glass of wine. A personal favourite is Michelob Lite!
Wine:
Dry wines usually contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per glass.
Fermentation by-products in wine, like glycerol, should have a minimal effect on blood sugar or insulin levels. For example, red wine (we recommend Malbec)
Soft drinks:
If you don’t enjoy an alcoholic drink then of course water is your best option. If you are looking for more flavour, add a lemon or lime to add some taste. But if you are looking for more than just water, drinking milk, tea and coffee is the next best thing.