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What happens if you don't take electrolytes on keto?

When you don't get enough electrolytes on Keto, your health notices. We're talking about low energy, muscle cramps, brain fog, headaches, weakness, insomnia, and several other symptoms of the infamous Keto flu.

carbmanager.com - How To Get Enough Electrolytes On Keto | Carb Manager

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When you don’t get enough electrolytes on Keto, your health notices. We’re talking about low energy, muscle cramps, brain fog, headaches, weakness, insomnia, and several other symptoms of the infamous Keto flu. The Keto flu often gets pinned on a bumpy transition to fat-burning, and that’s not always wrong. But in many cases, the Keto flu is a case of low electrolytes.[*] The minerals called electrolytes are important for everyone, but they’re especially important for Keto folks. Why? Because low-carb dieters have multiple forces pushing them towards deficiencies. We’ll review those forces in a moment. (And how to fight them). First, though, let’s cover some basics.

What Are Electrolytes?

An electrolyte is a mineral that can conduct electrical charges in your body. These charges are how nerve cells communicate—allowing us to think, move, and beat our hearts. Electrolytes also regulate water distribution inside and outside your cells. This function, called fluid balance, is synonymous with healthy hydration. Proper fluid balance keeps your skin moist and supple, your blood flowing smoothly through your veins, and your brain suspended in cerebrospinal fluid.[*] The electrolytes gang includes sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and bicarbonate. We’ll talk soon about which electrolytes matter most. Electrolytes enter your body through diet and leave through urine, sweat, and feces. All the while your kidneys—and a slew of hormones like insulin, aldosterone, renin, angiotensin, and antidiuretic hormone—work hard to maintain healthy electrolyte levels in your body.[*] This system typically works great. But over time, if you don’t consistently replace lost electrolytes, you can end up with a nutritional deficiency.

This happens a lot on Keto. Let’s see why.

Electrolytes on Keto: Why You Need More

If you’re eating a low-carb diet, you probably need more electrolytes than the average person. There are two main reasons for this: A clean, whole-food Keto diet tends to be lower in certain electrolytes. When you restrict carbs on Keto, you lose more sodium and potassium through urine.[*]

Let’s take these one at a time.

First, whole foods contain scant sodium. (No salty packaged foods either). The burden falls on you to get enough sodium from the salt shaker. Potassium can be tough too. Many potassium-rich foods—fruits, potatoes, starchy root vegetables—have too many carbs to be Ketogenic. Magnesium and calcium? Doable on Keto, if you’re eating green leafies, cruciferous vegetables, and dairy. If not, you might be deficient. Force number two is increased electrolyte loss on Keto. Some explanation will help. When you restrict carbs on Keto, the hormone insulin stays low. Low insulin then signals your kidneys to activate “diuretic mode”, and you start losing more water, sodium, and potassium through urine.[*] Most people replace the water. The world is full of over-enthusiastic hydration advice.[*]

But if you get too aggressive with fluid replacement, you make the electrolyte problem worse. You dilute blood sodium levels, which can result in brain fog, headaches, and cramps. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Electrolytes and Keto Flu

Electrolyte deficiencies are an under-appreciated cause of Keto flu. This low-carb malaise usually gets blamed on dehydration, low blood sugar, or the transition to using ketones for brain fuel. These are all potential reasons. But if the symptoms persist beyond a few days of Keto dieting, it’s probably an electrolyte issue. If you look up the consequences of sodium deficiency, potassium deficiency, magnesium deficiency, and calcium deficiency—you see a lot of familiar symptoms. Headache. Fatigue. Weakness. Dizziness. Brain fog. Muscle cramps. Insomnia. All stuff you don’t want. Once you address the deficiency, the symptoms should dissipate. But before you do that you need to do some tracking.

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What foods make you feel full on keto?

However, there are plenty of low- foods that will keep you full on the keto diet, like eggs, almonds, and coconut oil. ... Just because you're cutting carbs doesn't mean you should be starving. Eggs. Chris Jackson / Getty. ... Almonds. Hollis Johnson. ... Avocados. ... Cream Cheese. ... Coconut oil. ... Butter. ... Sardines. ... Peanut or almond butter. More items... •

businessinsider.com - 10 surprisingly filling foods you can eat on the keto diet - Business Insider

The keto diet brings the body to a state of ketosis, where it burns fat as energy instead of glucose. There's a common misconception that the keto diet will leave you hungry and dissatisfied due to a lack of filling carbs like potatoes and pasta. However, there are plenty of low- foods that will keep you full on the keto diet, like eggs, almonds, and coconut oil. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy A ketogenic diet is the popular choice among celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Lebron James, and Gwyneth Paltrow, according to Everyday Health. The keto diet requires an intake of high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate foods in an effort to bring the body to a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of carbs and sugar. There's a common misconception that those who follow the keto diet must be constantly starving due to a lack of more traditionally "filling" cuisine, like pasta, potatoes, and bread. But there are plenty of keto-friendly foods that will not only ensure you're satisfied for hours but also taste great, too. Just because you're cutting carbs doesn't mean you should be starving.

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