Explain electrolytes to me please

(Tracy) #1

I see lots of people mention electrolyte drinks or powders or making their own with salt and other things. Can I have the beginners guide to electrolytes please, what they are, why, how, when?
I see people say it prevents keto flu but I haven’t experienced that anyway, many thanks.

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #2

Sounds like you’ve got good electrolytes then.
Electrolyes are important and they are in your food. Sodium, magnesium, potassium and all the nutrients you need are in the animal and grass and soil. However, when you start Keto / Carni your liver flushes all the crap out but it flushes everything with it, so you need to replace the good bits.
Electrolyes regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue.
No harm in taking the essentials but wait for a better answer to come along.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

The condition called “keto flu” is nothing more or less than a sodium deficiency. It can be cured by including a bit more salt in your diet. There are specific biological mechanisms at work, and there are also data that strongly suggest that governmental targets for salt consumption are dangerously low.

Keeping salt intake within the range of 10-15 g/day will keep most people far healthier. This translates to a sodium intake of 4-6 g/day. Note that this figure includes all the salt already present in food.

The other electrolytes are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They are most easily kept in balance by getting salt in the right range. I go by how salt tastes, if it tastes good, I have some; if bad, I avoid it for a while. If my sodium is too low, I get constipated and have migraines; too high, and I get diarrhoea. Over time I have learned how to listen to my body and stay in the right range.

Some people, of course, have specific problems with specific electrolytes and will need to supplement, but in general it should be possible to be fine without supplements, if the diet is good.

(Tracy) #4

Thanks, that makes sense. I’ve never really liked salt and always found restaurant food to be much too over seasoned for my taste. But since starting keto have been drawn to saltier foods. I make my own stock for soup and have been salting that, the only other food I add salt to are avocadoes. But on keto I do snack on cheese, preferring cheddar to my normal brie, and also ham. I take a daily supplement that has magnesium and potassium (and lots of other stuff) but not calcium. I do each yogurt and cheese and my recent blood test show my calcium is good. Looks like I’m doing ok so👍

(Alec) #5

Perfect! This is exactly how it should work. Listening to what your body is telling you can sometimes be hard, but looks like you are doing it well!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

Listen to your body. I normally get migraines and constipation when my sodium is too low, and diarrhoea when it is too high (there are physiological explanations for all this).

There was a day, about six months ago, when I put my usual amount of salt on something, and it tasted God-awful! I realised I had been overdoing the salt and needed to go salt-free for a bit. In a few days, I started wanting salt again.

My belief is that the Western medical system is based on an old Platonic idea that we have to master our bodies, instead of listening to them. Like many Platonic ideas, this one is way off the mark.

(Geoffrey) #7

Electrolytes are one of those things that are promoted for people on carnivore because in the beginning our bodies tend to flush out minerals as our bodies are transitioning over to our new lifestyle. Once we become fully fat adapted our bodies begin to regulate itself and for many people they no longer need to supplement.
If we are eating properly we should be able to get what we need from the meat we eat.
Of course that all depends on our personal lifestyles. For those who are more active they may need to supplement. When I know I’m going to be working hard all day in the heat I’ll take a little KetoChow in my water but on normal days I don’t use anything.
Most people supplement just because everyone else does or because they were advised to without any proof that it’s needed.
I was one of those people but a blood test six months after stating my carnivore journey showed that my potassium levels were high and getting into dangerous territory for someone with a heart condition. Needless to say I quit using them all of the time.
My latest blood work shows that I have no need to supplement anything and that I’m getting all of the nutrients and minerals I need from just eating fatty meat.
I don’t think anyone should supplement unless they are trying to fix a specific issue.

(Alec) #8

I run a lot, and I sweat a lot when I run. I therefore salt my food a lot (to taste), and I take an electrolyte supplement after training to replace the electrolytes that I lost during my training. As far as I know I’ve never had an electrolyte problem.