Recently, I wrote a blog of the top 10 keto myths. Once I finished the blog, I realized how much there was to say about each one! So, I decided to break each one down into its own blog. The next one on the list is that you can’t get enough nutrients on keto.
Nutrients on Keto – The Electrolytes
For this blog, I’m going to focus on the electrolytes, as they are the three nutrients most discussed in relation to keto. The three on the hot seat are sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Because keto reduces your insulin levels, your body excretes more of the electrolytes through urination. In other words, you pee a lot. So, you have to take in foods that are high in these nutrients so you don’t reduce them too much. These nutrients help control muscle and nerve functions, keep our hearts beating at a healthy clip, and maintain our blood pressure. They are important, but can we get enough of them on keto?
Where Americans Get Nutrients
The average American takes in way too much sodium in the run of a day. The recommended amount for an adult is 1500 mg. But, the average American takes in 3,400 mg a day. Where do they get all this sodium? In things like breads, snacks (chips, crackers, popcorn, etc.), pizza, pasta, and processed meats. If you don’t have enough sodium, you may experience headaches, fatigue, confusion, and nausea.
Only 14% of Americans get the recommended amount of magnesium. One category of food that is rich in magnesium is whole grains, which leads to the myth that you can’t get enough of it on keto. Keto eliminates whole grains from the diet, because they are high in carbs. However, if only 14% of people are taking in enough of it, I think there is a bigger problem here than keto! If you are low in magnesium, you may experience the dreaded keto leg cramps. You may also feel sluggish, have headaches, or even feel irregular heart beats.
According to research, less than 2% of Americans get enough potassium. If you are low in this electrolyte, you may feel tired, numbness in your muscles, and have muscle weakness or spasms. You may also be constipated. Again, I think there is a bigger issue here than people doing keto if less than 2% of the population is getting enough potassium!
Where You Get Nutrients on Keto
These three electrolytes are food in many of the foods that people on keto can eat. For sodium, it tends to be a good thing that we are getting less of it. Keto eliminates many processed foods, so that keeps our sodium levels to a minimum. So, where can we find sodium? We can salt our food to make it even tastier. Some people drink bone broth. Personally, this makes me gag, but to each their own! Almonds and celery both contain sodium. And, of course, there are the saltier forms of meat such as ham and ground beef.
Magnesium and potassium are found in avocados, and leafy green vegetables. Nuts are high in magnesium. You can find potassium in meats. These are all things that Bill and I eat daily, so our levels should be good. In fact, we likely take in more of these nutrients on keto than we ever did before!
Supplements for Nutrients on Keto
When we started keto, we started taking a magnesium and potassium supplement every morning. But, be careful! Many companies use carb-filled binders in their supplements and they don’t have to list their nutritional information. This means that you have to look at the tiny print of non-medical ingredients in the bottle and, unless you’re a scientist, you’ll need to look up what they are.
We use Webber Naturals potassium citrate and magnesium citrate. We purchase them online, as they are hard to find in stores. There was one time we ran out of these supplements and we just kept forgetting to order them. I started feeling constipated, started getting leg cramps in the middle of the night, and just generally didn’t feel as energetic as usual. After I took these supplements again for about a week, I felt back to my old self!
These are the only two supplements we take on keto. Now, I will admit, I may not be getting enough sodium in my diet because I don’t particularly like the taste of salt as a seasoning. I prefer things like cumin or paprika. Bill is constantly on me to add salt to my food. So, I looked at getting a sodium supplement. Guess what? There isn’t one that I could find! We take in so much sodium on a typical North American diet, there is just no need for it. So, I guess I need to learn to like salt more.
A Final Thought
So, do we get enough nutrients on keto? My argument is that we get as much of a balance of nutrients on keto than we ever did before. With keto, we are more aware of getting these nutrients. We are making a conscious effort to be healthier and get what we need to feel good. Is it something you should consider when starting keto? Sure. Can you get enough of these nutrients if you are on keto? You sure can!
Wendy
