I’m writing this article because I feel like there it’s not given enough importance to such a meaningful subject like electrolytes in a ketogenic diet.
If you are experiencing one or more symptoms from the list below and you are following a low carb/ ketogenic way of eating, you have for sure an electrolyte deficiency.
Electrolytes deficiency it’s common on a super strict low carb diet.
Today I’m going to show you how you can make an electrolyte drink at home that will release the “keto flu” symptoms instantly.
You don’t have to spend enormous amounts of money on sports drinks that are full of sugars and nasty ingredients.
What are the signs of the lack of electrolytes?
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- A headache
- Fatigue
- Twitching
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Muscle Weakness
- Leg Cramps
- Constipation
The electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride.
YES, you can get them from natural sources like avocado ( potassium), green leafy greens, mushrooms, etc.
For as long as you include so little carbs in your diet, you should always take care to get enough electrolytes. Otherwise, you will experience the symptoms above.
When you switch to a low-carb diet, your kidney switches from retaining salt to rapidly excreting it. The body is getting rid of excess water and salt, which is a good thing.
From the book “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living”:
Low carb diets are natriuretic – they make the kidneys dump sodium. Sodium deficiency can cause a headache, dizziness, and fatigue. With continued low carb intake and sodium restriction, at some point, your kidneys start to excrete potassium to conserve sodium. Potassium deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, cardiac dysrhythmia. It can also cause the body to lose muscle, even when there’s plenty of protein in the diet.
From the book “The Ketogenic Diet” by Lyle McDonald, page 79.
The diuretic (dehydrating) nature of ketosis causes excretion of three of the body’s primary electrolytes: sodium, potassium, and magnesium (31,40). These three minerals are involved in many processes in the body, one of which is the regulation of muscle contraction, including the heart. Some studies show a net loss of calcium while others do not.
Homemade Keto Electrolyte Drink
Description
Ingredients
- 6 cups water ~ 1.5 l
- The juice of one medium lemon 55ml
- ½ tsp Potassium chloride
- ¼ tsp pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 tsp Natural Calm magnesium supplement
- Sweetener to taste
- Optional: 2 squeezes of Water Enhancer Fruit Flavored, Naturally sweetened with Stevia
Instructions
- Mix well all the ingredients and drink it during the day.
Notes
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
What is the amount of electrolytes that you should daily aim for?
The consensus among low-carb experts is you’re aiming for these numbers:
• 3000- 5000 mg of sodium chloride (salt)
• 4,700 mg of potassium
• 300 mg of magnesium (chelated)
Make this keto electrolyte drink at home and forget about feeling dizzy and weak on a low carb / ketogenic diet.
READER FAVORITES
The full recipe is in the recipe card below. Readers that love this aslo made these recipes:
Is sweetener necessary for this to be effective? Can stevia or erythritol be used?
You can use any keto approved sweetener. Using sweetener it's only a matter of taste and you can leave it out if you can drink it unsweetened.
Hi there~ been doing keto about 3 months and drinking the above drink 2x a day and I'm still dizzy, nauseous and have pounding heart all day. Should I be drinking more? I don't want to over do it! thx!
I'm not a doctor, and I am not authorized to give any advice on your problem. You should consult a doctor to see if everything is alright first. You can include foods that are high in magnesium, potassium, and electrolytes such as spinach, avocado while adding more salt to your meals.
Have you been using artificial sweeteners? Any kind of artificial sweetener makes my heart palpitate and I am unable to sleep at night.
Try to avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible.
Try bone broth and add a bouillon cube. That got rid of my nausea and headache faster and better than electrolytes. I still use electrolyte drinks on occasion but the bone broth is a regular.
Just wondering what the lemon juice is for?
I use lemon juice in my electrolyte drink, both for flavor and health benefits.
Can you use a lime in the place of lemon?
Yes, you can replace one for the other.
I started Keto about 4 weeks ago. I've only lost 10 lbs, which is ok, but I have leg cramps at night and feel my heart racing if I climb 15 stairs, or just sitting around I feel weak and a little short of breath. Sounds like I need some electrolytes! Thank you for this.
10 lbs lost is a great achievement. You should make sure you get enough electrolytes from your foods, take a magnesium pill every day and salt your food. Your symptoms sound like you may be low in electrolytes due to fast water elimination from the body. It would be better to consult with a doctor to make sure everything is alright.
you shouldn’t be shortness of breath
maybe you don’t eat enough fats to fuel energy
Can I use epsom salt (equivalent quantity by mass of Magnesium) instead of natural calm magnesium supplement? Since people do take epsom salt orally and it is 20 times cheaper.
I'd love to know your response about using epsom salt instead of the natural calm magnesium supplement. Also, which natural calm supplement do you use, there are a few to chose from. Thanks!
Is there anywhere to make this carb free?
You can make it close to zero by removing the lemon juice.
What is the equivalent regular table salt if i dont have himalayan please?
I wouldn't use table salt because it's really unhealthy. It's like the processed form of the salt, and the manufactures cook it at 1200° Fahrenheit. Once you heat up the salt up to that temperature, it loses the majority of the eighty essential elements that are naturally occurring. Table salt causes the blood pressure to go up faster because it tries to keep the toxic ingredients away from the heart.
I am looking for a l keto supplement that will correct any electrolyte ..mag/potassium imbalance..( leg cramps at night.)
There is only so much broccoli and asparagus a man can eat …lol
there are a few but they are powders / bodybuilding …but they sweeten with sucralose …seems like a waste of time …as the body sees this stuff like sugar any way and you get bounced out of ketosis
No offense david your wrong. Sweetners wobt kick you out of ketosis. Especiallt ones like sucralise, stevia monk fruit extract. Sucralose has a glycemic load of 0 which means it does nothing to the system. Ive been keto almost two years use items with sucralose all the time and dont get " bounced" outta of ketosis.
I thought the Monk fruit sweetener was OK
Monk fruit sweetener is allowed on a ketogenic diet.
Don’t we also need calcium as an electrolyte?
To make sure that your calcium levels are optimal you can include foods like canned fish with bones, cheddar cheese, broccoli, sour cream, etc.
Hi
I'd like to make this but I accidentally purchased magnesium and calcium citrate in a pill form. It says I need to take 6 pills, but theyre HUGE and I hate taking pills.
Do you think it would work if I try dissolve the tablets in water and then blend it up?
Thanks
Maybe you can make a green smoothie with those. I'm sure they don't taste fantastic. Maybe try to crack the pills into smaller pieces and swallow them?
Hi, I got all the ingredients and made some of this to sip throughout the day but I really don't like it, (sensitive tastebuds). Is it just as effective if I down a big glass of it at the beginning of the day, and say also at lunch and maybe in the evening. And then during the day sip on water? Or is the point for it to be a consistent supply throughout the day?
Thanks
I usually sip to this electrolyte drink during the day.
I'm a bit confused is 1/4 tsp of salt mixed in with 6 cups of water? That doesn't sound like much salt at alI; what will that do for me? Am I reading it correctly?
This should be used only as a supplement supposing you are using salt in cooking. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your needs.
Hi want to start keto diet. What is the first step and do I take any shakes or supplements
To start the keto diet, you need no shakes. There’s a complete keto beginner guide on this website that will help you understand the basics. Go there and if you still have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.
This is amazing I’ve been on this keto diet for four days now I’m completely off of all four of my type2 diabetes medicines already been having the dizziness so I’ll try this drink Thanku
I Tried doing the math afew times and i am noT getting thE Same numbrrs as your micronutrient details. I totaled: sodium – 960mG, Potassium-700mg, magnesium – 350mg.
You got sodium 420mg, potassium-1348mg, and magnesium-325mg..
Am i doing something wrong ?
I double checked the macros for the keto electrolyte drink and everything looks fine (with the products I used) .1 tsp pink Himalayan salt has 1680-1700 mg sodium.
Hi I’m trying to lose a few pounds if at all possible.but at the moment everything I’m doing is near impossible.and my weight seems to be going up and down all the time.
Keep your meals simple. Eat protein, good fats, and lots of veggies. Drink water. Repeat and be consistent! The results will come in no time!
Thanks for the recipe. Have been making a version of this at home, but taking oral magesium tablets instead. Be aware, Stevia can cause some significant arrhythmias in the setting of borderline magnesium. I’m living testament. I had horrible palpitations and dizziness at work, and measured my potassium and magnesium levels (normal). My EKG showed a significant rhythm abnormality (runs of PVC’s, nonsustained VTach) . Through process of elimination, I stopped using stevia, and symptoms went away in 12 hrs. Not after a huge cardiac workup, of course, which was normal other than the crazy heart rhythms I had with Stevia. I promptly gave away all products that I had with Stevia. Although monkfruit is chemically similar, I have not noticed the same reaction.
PS, I’m an MD. If you notice paliptations after using Stevia, stop using it. Obviously, check with your doc to make sure that your electrolyte levels aren’t low as well; this is a simple blood test.
Thank you for this helpful advice.
Ty I will try this recipe and drink it see if it helps me
I made the 6 cup recipe, how much should I drink a day, getting terrible foot and leg crams while sleeping.
You can sip it all throughout the day.