Losing weight is a priority for a lot of people, and rightly so—weight gain and obesity are linked to various health problems as a result of metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea all have a central commonality—Weight!
Recently, people have had significant success in weight loss by changing their dietary habits. A keto diet, which often includes a keto drink mix for weight loss, involves substantial reduction of sugars while inducing ketosis to effectively remove additional body fat. However, sugars, both simple and complex, have additional benefits that a person on a keto diet can run out of.
Complex sugars present in fruits not only provide energy but are also a source of natural fiber which serves as the food for our microbiome (the bacteria living inside the gut). Depriving the body completely of sugars changes the microbiome and can have unwanted consequences, particularly in immunity and our ability to fight infections.
A keto diet can, however, reduce intake of electrolytes. As is the case with most dietary restrictions, electrolyte intake can drop significantly, which can quickly lead to dehydration among other ailments. In Keto diets, certain foods (many of which are fruits) are restricted for their sugar content. For this reason, it’s important to know how to get electrolytes on keto diets to avoid this inconvenience and still maintain the benefits the diet provides.
Many of these foods are also a source of vital electrolytes that our body needs to function properly. Many fruits are packed with electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium that allow a variety of critical functions in our body, as well as antioxidants such as vitamin C.
Naturally, a Keto restricted diet is bound to have some electrolyte deficiencies and getting enough electrolytes on a Ketogenic diet can be tough. While sugar restriction is the goal of a Ketogenic diet, electrolyte deficiency is not.
In order to allow your body to lose weight through ketosis, proper hydration and electrolyte intake is vital. Meaning, if your electrolyte intake is poor due to a Keto diet, then the weight loss will not happen largely due to ineffective ketosis. Why? Because, ketosis also requires electrolytes! Thus, one way of increasing ketosis successfully is by having a good hydration plan packed with electrolytes while on a keto diet.
For those who want to be on a Keto diet but yet want to boost their electrolyte intake, a DIY keto electrolyte drink can be easily included as a hydration mix. This electrolyte drink should be consumed during regular exercise which is the second most important part of a weight loss regimen. Below is a simple recipe for DIY Keto electrolyte drink.
Here’s what you need:
A Lemon, some Himalayan salt, some coconut water (2 fl. Oz) and a natural sweetening agent like erythritol or monk fruit.
Try this DIY Keto Electrolyte drink recipe; Just follow the steps below:
Here is what you really get through this drink mix: Plenty of water for hydration, sodium and chloride through Himalayan salt, Potassium chloride and citrate through the fresh lemon extract, and some magnesium (and potassium) from the coconut water. And most importantly, there’s zero sugar, so it’s still true to your Keto diet plan.
That’s the question many ask and most struggle with. At the very least, your diet (even if it is restrictive) must contain some amount of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Studies have shown that getting electrolytes such as sodium can help maintain ketosis without causing an electrolyte imbalance.
Magnesium and potassium play a vital role in maintaining cardiovascular health and muscle integrity while being on a keto diet. Low potassium can make keto flu symptoms worse.
Simple inclusion of vegetables such as spinach, kale, avocados or fruits such as kiwis, oranges or a small banana can provide a sufficient amount of electrolytes and trace minerals for those on a Keto diet.
And the vegetables act as prebiotics for your gut microbiome, which requires complex (non-digestible) carbohydrates as “food for the good bugs”. Hence the more restrictive the diet on keto, the more you need to take care of your microbiome. This is where a prebiotic can help for those on a keto diet.
For those doing a Keto diet, there is often a common side effect referred to as keto flu. Keto flu and electrolytes are closely connected, as an imbalance of electrolytes can bring on these various symptoms.
While these aren’t the same as your standard flu, those with an electrolyte imbalance from Keto flu may be subject to fatigue, arrhythmia, tremulousness, low blood sugar, sudden bouts of sweating or diarrhea, and difficulty during physical exertion.
One of the common ways of preventing keto flu is to have an electrolyte rich diet while reducing sugar at the same time. Remember, when you induce Ketosis, you are burning fat. That’s a lot of energy that the cells need. And cells cannot function well without electrolytes!
Another issue with Keto flu or a keto diet in general is water balance, which is not discussed much. It is easy to be in a negative water balance when you are in keto.
Maintaining adequate hydration is vital to preventing keto flu. And drinking water in addition to electrolytes has its advantages- the process of absorption of water costs energy- which is an easy way of burning fat without exercising.
Hence, those on a keto diet are often advised to hydrate very well. Not just to prevent Keto flu symptoms, but also to enhance fat loss.
MAGNAK’s Humolyte is an electrolyte mix with a prebiotic for the dietary management of dehydration and for restoration of gut health. Since an electrolyte imbalance is common with Keto diets, Humolyte works to provide those essential nutrients needed for a successful weight loss regimen while having added benefits on the gut’s microbiome.
Being sugar-free and certified gluten free, this prebiotic electrolyte mix makes a perfect Keto electrolyte drink for supporting exercise induced weight loss, or just fighting dehydration as seen in a Keto Flu.
Learn more about MAGNAK here, or contact today for any questions or comments.
By: Sourabh Kharait, MD, PhD-Founder/CEO.
Dr. Kharait is an MD and a practicing Nephrologist in Northern California. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Nephrology from the University of California, San Francisco. He has a PhD in Molecular Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and specializes in treating patients with electrolyte disorders and kidney diseases.
