Diabetic but want to occasionally relax with an alcoholic drink? Looking for Sugar Free Alcohol for Diabetics? Before you go for it, it’s important that you have clear know-how about what cocktails are most appropriate for people with diabetes. It goes without saying, that you need to avoid any type of sugary concoctions that are loaded with carbs and choose from a variety of alcoholic drinks that won’t cause you to consume too much sugar.
How Much Alcohol You Can Take As A Diabetic?
First, you must understand that moderation is key in drinking alcohol whether you have diabetes or not. Since diabetes brings with it additional challenges, American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends women should have no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, and men should consume no more than two.
One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 1/2 ounces of spirits. The following cocktails limit carbohydrates naturally, so they can be part of a diabetic diet.
Source: ltkcdn.net
Bloody Mary – Perfect Sugar Free Alcohol for Diabetics
If you’re looking for a flavorful cocktail that won’t cause your blood sugar to spike, Bloody Mary is a terrific option. Make a Bloody Mary using this basic Bloody Mary recipe, making sure the tomato juice you use has no added sugar. If you have access to an abundance of fresh tomatoes, you can squeeze them yourself.
Bloody Mary recipe
If you want to spice up that tomato juice, just use this classic bloody mary recipe serve in a salt-rimmed glass.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vodka
- ¾ cup spicy tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (e.g., V-8)
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 stuffed green olives
Directions for this Sugar Free Alcohol for Diabetics
Step 1
Salt the rim of a tall glass. To do so, pour salt onto a small plate, moisten the rim of the glass on a damp towel and press into the salt. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
Step 2
In a cocktail mixer full of ice, combine the vodka, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously and strain into the glass. Garnish with a stalk of celery and olives stuck onto a toothpick.
Source: allrecipes.com
Dirty Martini
The Martini is as classic as cocktails get. Everybody knows it, most people have had it, and any good bar worth its salt can make one. But not all Martinis are the same.
The classic Dry Martini is the standard-bearer among recipes and variations, but countless riffs take the drink in new directions, from the 50/50 Martini, which combines equals parts gin and dry vermouth, to the Perfect Martini, which splits the vermouth between sweet and dry. There are also countless ’tinis, often sugary, neon-colored drinks served in stemmed glasses that bring shame on the category. So avoid them if you are diabetic. And then you have the savory, beguiling and controversial Dirty Martini.
Dry Martini Recipe
The key to making a great dirty martini is to use high-end gin (or vodka, if you prefer) and vermouth and to add just enough olive juice to lightly flavor it. It’s very easy to make the cocktail too dirty, so take it easy at first.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces gin (or vodka)
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/4 to 1/2 ounce olive juice (or olive brine; to taste)
- Garnish: 1 or 3 olives
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a mixing glass filled with ice, pour the gin, dry vermouth, and olive juice.
- Stir well for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with 1 or 3 olives.
- Serve and enjoy.
Source: thespruceeats.com
Vodka and Club Soda
This refreshing cocktail is perfect for a hot summer day .
Ingredients
- 1 fl oz Vodka (your choice)
- 1 can of Club Soda (reduced sodium)
- 1 lime wedge
- 1 lemon wedge
Directions
Combine Vodka and Club Soda in a large glass with plenty of ice, squeeze a wedge of lemon and lime, and enjoy!!
Number of Servings: 1
Source: recipes.sparkpeople.com
Pickle Juice Vodka Shot
The pickleback is a very interesting whiskey shot and a drink you have to experience for yourself. It’s incredibly simple—a shot of Jameson chased by a shot of pickle juice—and it is, without a doubt, one of the most popular shots ordered in bars around the world.
Though the combination is odd, it works surprisingly well. Even if you’re not a fan of pickles, it’s a drink you’ll want to try because it delivers a rich, umami flavor that you will not find in any other drink. There’s no need to head to the bar, either. You can experience the pickleback at home, even with that jar of Vlasic’s hanging out in your fridge.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
- 1 1/2 ounces pickle juice
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- Pour one shot glass full of whiskey and fill a separate shot glass with pickle juice.
Source: thespruceeats.com
Diabetic-Friendly Old-Fashioned Cocktail
If you’re a fan of the old-fashioned cocktail, it’s easy to make a low-carb version.
Ingredients
- 2 drops liquid stevia
- 2 dashes bitters
- 1 1/2-inch piece of orange peel (no pith)
- 1 1/2 ounces whiskey
- Splash of water
- Ice
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, combine the stevia, bitters, and orange peel. Muddle.
- Add the whiskey, water, and ice.
VODKA MOJITO
Ingredients
- 4 leaves Mint fresh
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice 2 Tablespoons
- 2 g Granulated Stevia
- Ice Cubed or Crushed
- 1 shot Vodka
- 1 splash Club Soda
- Lime Slice for Garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using a muddler or other utensil, smash fresh mint leaves with lime and Stevia.
- Fill glass with ice of preference.
- Add vodka.
- Finish off with club soda.
- Garnish with a lime slice and mint.
Notes
2g net carbs
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcal
Carbohydrates: 2g
Sodium: 1mg
Vitamin C: 9mg
Can You Drink Alcohol If You Have Type 2 Diabetes?
Although moderate alcohol consumption is considered okay to have health benefits for some people, such as raising good cholesterol (HDL) levels and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease but does it holds up for patients with type 2 diabetes?
Research has shown moderate drinking and diabetes often can safely mix. In fact, some studies show moderate drinking can have positive health effects on people with type 2 diabetes. Red wine is especially beneficial.
For people with type 2 diabetes, isolated episodes of drinking alcohol over the short term may slightly increase insulin production, which in turn lowers blood sugar. This is why some studies have found that one drink with a meal may have temporary benefits for a person who has their diabetes solidly under control.
That being said, the American Diabetes Association recommends people with diabetes know how to recognize and manage delayed hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when drinking alcohol, especially if they use insulin or other medications that can cause blood sugars to drop.
So…
HOW MUCH ALCOHOL AND WHAT TYPE IS BEST WITH DIABETES?
If you’re going to drink, exercise moderation. According to the CDC, women with diabetes should consume no more than one serving of alcohol a day. Men with diabetes should consume no more than two servings per day. One serving of alcohol typically looks like the following:
- 12 ounces of beer
- 5 ounces of wine
- 1 ½ ounces of distilled spirits
The type of alcohol that you choose to drink can influence how your night turns out if you have diabetes. Different drinks will affect your body with diabetes wildly differently. This is because there are two competing factors. On one hand, alcohol alone inhibits the steady release of glucose from the liver, which can cause low blood sugar. Read more about why that is here.
On the other hand, sugar and carbs in many drinks can cause high blood sugar. Because of how volatile your body’s reaction to drinking can be, make sure to be constantly checking your blood glucose levels (BGLs). Be cognizant of what is in whatever you are drinking.
Is it safe to drink with diabetes?
People with diabetes do not need to cut alcohol out of their diet. As a matter of fact, many studies have suggested that light drinking (no more than one to two drinks a day) may be beneficial to diabetes, including a recent study from China that’s been in the news. However, there are some important safety considerations for people with diabetes.
Alcohol competes with your liver’s ability to make glucose when your blood sugar is low. If you are on insulin or other anti-hyperglycemic medications, this can lead to dangerously low blood sugar up to 24 hours after you stop drinking. Alcohol can also cloud your judgment, so you may not realize that your blood sugar is low.
To prevent hypoglycemia, don’t drink on an empty stomach. Make sure you have food handy while you are drinking and keep an eye on your blood sugar.
Does Wine Help or Harm People with Diabetes?
Doctors have long faced a paradox when advising their patients with type 2 diabetes on drinking alcohol. Moderate drinking has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, which would benefit people with diabetes who are at increased risk of the disease. Yet, people with diabetes have traditionally been advised to reduce their alcohol consumption to help better control their glucose levels.
Researchers found that red-wine drinkers had a modest improvement in high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol, and also had improved apolipoprotein A1, a component of HDL. Those who drank red or white wine also saw modest improvements in glucose metabolism.
Drinking one 5-ounce serving of red or white wine wasn’t associated with any negative effect on medication use, blood pressure or liver function tests. Endocrinologist Jason C. Baker, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Cornell Medical College in New York, who was not associated with the study, says the results support what many doctors already believe about alcohol and diabetes. “The current thought is that people with diabetes can drink moderately. This study is reassuring that in moderation, alcohol can actually have some health benefits for people with diabetes,” he says.
Does alcohol cause diabetes?
There are several risk factors for type 2 diabetes, these include your family history, age and ethnic background. We also know you’re more likely to develop it if you’re overweight.
Excess alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but the relationship between alcohol and risk of type 2 diabetes can be a little bit complicated, and staying within government guidelines is the safest way to drink alcohol.
Alcohol can also contain a lot of calories, which can lead to putting on weight.
The morning after you’ve been drinking
If you end up having one too many, drinking a pint of water before you go to bed will help keep you hydrated. If you’re lucky, it may also help prevent a hangover in the morning. If you do wake up with a hangover, it’ll still help to drink plenty of water.
And always have breakfast – it will help you manage your blood sugar. If you can’t face food or you’ve been sick, drink as many fluids as you can, including some sugary (non-diet) drinks if your blood sugar levels are low.
If you’ve got a blood sugar meter at home, check your levels regularly the next day. The symptoms of having a hypo are similar to feelings of a hangover, so you need to know if you’re having one. No matter how awful you feel, you need to treat a hypo straight away. Don’t ignore it.
If you take insulin, you might need to change your dose depending on what your levels are. Talk to your healthcare team about what you should be doing.
Key Point To Remember If You Are Diabetic and Want To Drink Moderately
- Never Consume alcohol on an empty stomach
Drinking on an empty stomach will quickly increase the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream. Also, avoid binge-drinking or sustained drinking, and never substitute alcohol for your meals. All of this can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia.
- Only moderate Drinking is allowed
Drinking lots of alcohol is dangerous for anyone. However, with larger amounts of alcohol, serious hypoglycaemia can occur.
Some sources (including Diabetes UK ) advise strict carbohydrate management, perhaps even chips or pizza, if a large amount of alcohol has been consumed.
However, avoiding alcohol in large quantities is the best recourse.
Hope this write-up has given you a clear idea about what you can and cannot do if you do not want to increase the risk of your health by consuming alcohol as a diabetic.
Related: 7 Sugar Free Overnight Oats Recipes + All Questions Answered
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