Beverages: What to Drink, What to Avoid

A closer look at why some beverages are permitted on Revero while others are not 

Beverages come with many benefits. They can hydrate, provide ritual and routine, and encourage the gathering of one’s community under the premise of mutually enjoying said beverages. Let’s look at them and see which might be the best options and which to avoid.

Water

Water! It’s the beverage of life. Humans can’t go more than four days without it. Simple, unflavored, uncarbonated water is a classic choice. Adding a pinch of salt will help you stay hydrated. 

If an individual is looking for some variety, flavored or sparkling waters are fabulous options to zest up life. Unsweetened versions of these waters can be enjoyed on Revero, provided they don’t contain an artificial flavoring that your personalized diet excludes.

Coffee

The phenomenon of the rise of coffee shops speaks to the world’s desire to gather under a shared mutual love of coffee. Socially, the coffee shop represents a reliable place to foster and nurture one’s support network. And is it any wonder so many are drawn to this beverage? 

Coffee has many appealing qualities, from its energy-sparking caffeine, its robust flavor, its curious aroma, and its widely-known research-backed correlations with positive health outcomes. 

In light of its potential health qualities, unsweetened coffee is perfectly fine on the Revero low-carbohydrate diet, while sugar, syrup, and dairy-enhanced coffee beverages should be avoided.

Coffee, whether caffeinated or not, has not been found to cause insulin resistance. Researchers state that consuming less than 400 mg of caffeine per day (less than 300 in pregnant women) should be safe. There is evidence that caffeine stimulates the release of ketones, and long-term coffee drinking may help stabilize blood glucose and protect from type 2 diabetes. 

Tea

Tea was discovered in China over 4,000 years ago when, according to legend, the leaves blew from a nearby tree and landed in an emperor Shen Nung’s cup of hot water. The emperor drank the brew and reported feeling revived, and we’ve been drinking tea ever since. Since then, various ways of preparing, roasting, and enjoying tea have emerged. It can be steeped, roasted, or ground and comes in various flavors and types. 

Each tea has a unique taste profile and comes with various health benefits. Black, green, and matcha teas contain the immune-boosting flavonoid quercetin and the calming amino acid theanine. 

Other teas, like rooibos, white, pu-ehr, oolong, and herbal teas, have anti-inflammatory polyphenols of their own. Moreover, there is evidence that tea consumption may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality. 

While one would want to avoid milk-enhanced tea lattes or sugar-sweetened tea beverages, unsweetened tea can be enjoyed on a Revero low-carb diet.

Fruit or Vegetable Juices

Juices are liquified, highly concentrated, usually processed beverages made from fruits, vegetables, or a combination. Some are made from 100% fruits or vegetables, while others are more artificial and have added sugars, syrups, dyes, and preservatives. 

Because they are in liquid form, juices are digested rapidly in the small intestine and often bypass one’s natural satiety cues that are a result of chewing, swallowing, and digesting food in its whole form. There is evidence that, over time, consuming fruit juice may increase one’s risk of developing obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Fruit juices are not allowed on Revero. They are typically not low-carb and that makes it harder to achieve ketosis and raise fat oxidation rates.

Sodas and Energy Drinks

Sodas and energy drinks have cornered a specialty niche of the population, targeting those looking for quick, convenient energy. Unfortunately, most of these products contain artificial colors, flavors, and sugars, which can cause blood glucose fluctuations, digestive distress, and inflammation. 

Soda sweetened with stevia, erythritol, xylitol, and sucralose are permitted, but may be removed from your personalized diet.

Electrolytes

When transitioning to a low-carbohydrate diet, the body burns up the extra glucose previously stored and insulin levels come down. The kidneys will then release extra retained sodium, as well as water, in urine. 

Along with this water, it also flushes out some electrolytes. Some people lose electrolytes more readily than others and, as a result, experience headaches, chills, and lowered energy in their first weeks of transitioning into a lower carbohydrate diet. 

Companies like LMNT, Keto Chow, and Trace Minerals make unsweetened, unflavored electrolyte drops that can be easily mixed into water.