The Importance of Electrolytes on Keto

The Importance of Electrolytes on Keto

The Ketogenic Diet is trending everywhere now and for good reason.  Especially with a growing body of research supporting its use for things like weight loss, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, cancer, and many other conditions.  However, like any diet, it is important to educate yourself to ensure that you are properly following and optimizing the diet. 

There are many strategies that should be implemented to best follow a Ketogenic Diet.  One of the strategies at the top of the list is rehydrating and replenishing electrolytes.

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are essentially minerals that are responsible for helping in many various processes within the body.  There are many different electrolytes, but the ones that seem to be of the greatest importance are:

  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium

These minerals are often forgotten about when we are adjusting our diet, and this can lead to complications.  In fact, being deficient in electrolytes could lead to many symptoms including the following:

  • Mental Fog
  • Lethargy
  • Muscle Cramps
  • Impaired Sleep
  • Heart Arrhythmia
  • Migraines 
  • Poor Athletic Performance

Why We Need To Replenish

Here is a brief explanation of the science.  When you lower your carbohydrate intake, your blood sugar levels lower.  This means you are also lowering insulin production, this is a good thing!  In fact, this is one of the biggest ways our body is able to transition to burning fat for fuel. 

However, when insulin levels lower, our kidneys begin to excrete more water.  This can lead to dehydration.  To complicate things more, when we excrete more water, we also excrete more electrolytes.  Again, the issue here is that being dehydrated and deficient in electrolytes can cause many problems since both are essential to so many bodily processes.  In fact, many people don’t know that the many of the symptoms of the Keto-Flu are related to being dehydrated and deficient in electrolytes.

How to Replenish

There are several ways to combat this issue.  One is through drinking more water.  A lot more water.  When it comes to replenishing electrolytes, you can do this by salting your foods and eating foods like avocados, bananas, mixed nuts, and certain seafoods.  You can also replenish them via electrolyte supplementation, which is a great strategy if you are on the go.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, it is necessary to take strategies to make sure you are covering all aspects of your health on any diet, including a Ketogenic Diet.  One of the most overlooked strategies is rehydrating and replenishing electrolytes.  Don’t make this mistake, your body will thank you!