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White Claw, Vizzy, High Noon, or Flying Embers. Hard seltzers are EVERYWHERE these days.
So many people turn to them because they think they are a healthier alternative to other alcoholic beverages.
If you’ve been lured in by hard seltzer, it’s understandable you might think of it as better for you than beer or mixed drinks, or that it may even help you lose weight.
But I’ve got bad news for you. (Keep reading for good news before the end of this article.)
Jut like so many foods, drinks, and yes, alcoholic beverages that came before hard seltzers, in reality, they are full of acid and they won’t help you lose weight or keep it off.
Hard seltzers aren’t all that different from Slimfast shakes in the eighties, Snackwell cookies in the nineties, or South Beach diet bars in the aughts.
They’re fad diet foods that are more likely to make you GAIN weight than lose it.
Always beware of any food or drink that claims to be “diet” or “light” or “no calorie” because they create a psychological effect where people think it’s okay to consume endless amounts of these foods they think of as freebies.
Just as people learned that you couldn’t eat a whole box of Snackwell cookies and still lose weight, people will eventually figure out that if they drink 3 White Claws (or whatever brand they choose) in an evening, they won’t lose weight either. You’re just clued into this earlier than most people!
Let’s break down WHY hard seltzer seems like a healthy choice, and why they’re actually not.
Calories
I’m not a guy who counts calories. When you eat alkaline and clean keto, it’s not necessary. But that said, lots of people do think about calories, especially if they are trying to lose weight. So I want to break this down for you.
Most hard seltzers have 100 calories, that magic number that seems like not a lot and therefore, a good choice for weight loss purposes. But the first thing to know is that those calories come from sugar.
One thing all seltzers have going for them is that they do not contain artificial sweeteners, so I’ve got to give them credit for that. But they do have enough sugar to make them mildly sweet.
And that’s the problem. People think they’re making a good choice when they drink a Vizzy instead of a rum and Coke or glass of red wine. But guess how many calories those other drinks contain? 178 and 125 respectively. So a little more than a hard seltzer, but most likely, you’re going to stop drinking after ONE rum and Coke or glass of red wine.
With hard seltzers, it’s all too easy to pound can after can in one sitting! That means 300, 400, or even more calories. Not exactly a weight loss plan.
Carbonation
It takes around 20 glasses of water to neutralize the acid in ONE sparkling water! And that’s before you even factor in the alcohol!
Carbonated water is infused with carbon dioxide, a waste product of respiratory metabolism (we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide). Carbonated drinks are all highly acidic, and acid is COROSIVE. That means your body will expend massive amounts of energy to neutralize the acid and keep your body in balance, which makes it harder to lose weight.
Beyond the acid, carbonated gas in seltzer, whether hard or not will increase the gas in the gut, making you feel more bloated. A lot of people assume that bloating is water retention – excess fluids due to hormonal fluctuations or eating a lot of salt. For example, if you binge on tortilla chips one day, you’ll be bloated the next from all of that salt.
But that’s not REALLY what’s going on. Bloating is an excess of fecal material and the gas that goes along with it. And bloating, gas, and constipation are not just nuisances. They prevent your body from its natural detoxification processes and can lead to weight gain or make it harder to lose weight.
Love Hard Seltzer? Here’s What to Do
You know I don’t want to deprive you of foods you love. Instead, let’s make a plan so that you can enjoy the food or drink you like and make it less acidic.
If you’re drinking White Claw because you love it, make it a special treat, not a regular thing. Before your hard seltzer, drink a glass of water with an organic lemon slice.
After, BE SURE to follow it up with a dose of Acid-Kicking Minerals. That way, instead of needing 20 glasses of water (who is going to do that?), 1 glass of our Minerals will neutralize all of that acid, plus leave you with some mineral reserves!
If you’re drinking White Claw because it’s a “healthy alcohol,” as we discussed above, it’s NOT. Instead, you could enjoy the alcoholic beverage that some of the Acid-Kickers in our Facebook group love when they want to imbibe…
ACID-KICKING VODKA MARTINI
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 scoop Acid-Kicking Minerals (flavor of your choice)
1 oz. vodka of your choice (read the best vodka brands for your health)
1 cup ice
Optional garnish: slice of lemon, slice of kiwi, or twist of orange peel (depending on the flavor of Minerals you chose)
Directions
Shake vodka and Minerals together with ice in a martini shaker. Then pour in a glass, garnish with a slice of lemon, slice of kiwi, or twist of orange peel, (depending on the flavor of Minerals you chose) and enjoy.
Did you know that a scoop of Acid-Kicking Minerals after drinking will help prevent a hangover?
By ending your night with Acid-Kicking Minerals before bed, you’re ensuring that you get enough of the alkaline minerals: magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate (all from quality sources unlike most other supplements) that will neutralize the acid you consumed while you sleep, prevent a headache, and promote restful sleep so when you wake up, you’ll feel fantastic!
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl
