Can You Have Diet Soda On Keto?

The keto diet is one of the hottest trends in health and nutrition right now. Millions of people around the world are trying out the ketogenic diet in a bid to lose weight. The keto diet basically pushes your body into ketosis, which helps in losing weight. Ketosis is the process by which our body burns stored fat to do daily chores rather than depending on the energy consumed. However, to achieve this, people must restrict their daily intake of carbs to a large extent. Therefore, the keto diet is low-carb, high-protein, and very low-sugar in nature. It’s not a secret that Americans love soda. However, while most of us know that you can’t have soda while on a keto diet, what about diet soda? Is diet soda really keto-friendly? Here’s a look at everything you need to know regarding whether you can have diet soda on a keto diet.

Healthy Beverages On a Keto Diet

Naturally, when you have to restrict yourself so much, you will have to ration all your meals. Therefore, you will not have the luxury of being able to drink sugary beverages as much as you like. Many self-proclaimed ‘healthy’ drinks contain a tonne of sugar, making them unfriendly for the keto diet. For instance, even a glass of orange juice contains over 27 grams of carbs, making it carb-dense when you are on a keto diet. What can you sip without any guilt, and what do you have to think twice before ordering? Where does diet soda fit into this scheme?

Can You Drink Soda On a Keto Diet?

No, you definitely cannot, as it contains a considerable amount of sugar and carbs. Even a small 12-ounce can of regular soda contains over 40 grams of carbs, making them very unhealthy. To top it off, they also have an insane amount of sugar in them, thanks to all the artificial sweeteners added to them. Since many of these sodas also contain many artificial preservatives and flavors, they tend to be very unhealthy. You should avoid them entirely if you can, and you will undoubtedly need to do so if you want to stay in ketosis.

Can You Have Diet Soda On a Keto Diet?

If you are really addicted to soda and need to have them once in a while. It would be better if you switch to diet soda. While they still aren’t healthy, they are much better than standard soda, as they cut back on the carbs and sugar. If you are okay with artificial sweeteners, you can opt for Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke, which have zero carbs. However, if you want a drink that contains natural sweeteners, you can opt for Zevia, which utilizes Stevia. While these diet sodas won’t knock you off of ketosis, they are still very unhealthy. They contain a lot of artificial ingredients that can cause health issues, while also triggering your cravings.

Why You Should Avoid Diet Sodas

1. Induces cravings which make you want to eat sweet stuff
2. Extremely difficult to stay on the keto when you drink diet soda while having a sugar addiction
3. Sweeteners like sucralose cause an insulin response which contributes to fat storage
4. Studies associate drinking diet soda with a higher BMI
5. Tends to make people more susceptible to cardiovascular disease
6. Interacts and changes our body’s appetite regulation, and metabolism
7. Most positive studies highlighting the goodness of diet sodas are done by the soda industry itself
8. Diet Coke and other diet sodas are also very high in caffeine, which is something you shouldn’t take in too much, while on a diet
9. Some studies have shown that diet soda promotes the onset and development of osteoporosis

What Can You Drink On Keto? 

• The best option you have is, and always will be water. Whether it is ordinary water, hot water, cold water, or sparkling water, it is always healthy. Not only does it satiate your thirst, but it also contains 0 carbs and sugars. Furthermore, you could add a little bit of salt into it in case you have a keto-induced headache.

• Otherwise, you could opt for a small cup of tea or coffee. However, you will have to stay away from sugar and have them with no sugar. Instead, you could use Stevia, if you really want your drink to be sweet. Make sure you don’t drink too much of these as they contain a lot of caffeine. 
• A healthier alternative to tea and coffee is Matcha or specialized green tea. Matcha requires only boiling water to make and is a super healthy beverage that is filled with a lot of great nutrients. Matcha contains a tonne of antinutrients and polyphenols, which help make it a great drink that you should all try out. If you are still unconvinced, check out our blogs on Matcha to see how beneficial and healthy it is for the body.

Tips For Drinking Diet Soda on Keto

1. When it comes to having beverages on a keto diet, size truly matters. The size of your portions helps calculate just how much sugar or carb you are taking in.  
2. If you want to stay healthy, try to avoid artificial sweeteners and opt for natural ones like Stevia and aspartame. 
3. Try to go for diet sodas that do not contain too much caffeine. When taken in large quantities, caffeine interrupts the sleep cycle and can cause other health issues.
4. Since you are already on a restrictive diet, try to go for sodas that contain niacin, biotin, sodium, and potassium so that your body gets its share of vital nutrients. 

As you can see, while the diet soda is an improvement on the regular soda, it is still bad for health. The best option would be to cut both these things out of your diet. Replace them with plain water, coconut water, almond milk, and other natural products. Remember, the road to a healthier life starts with you, making the right food choices. Say no to carbonated drinks, soda, and even diet soda to work yourself up to a healthier, fitter, more active life!