Finding it hard to drink enough water đź’§ Keto hydration alternatives?

(Lucy) #1

Hello, I only started Keto two days ago! But I’m finding it hard to keep hydrated.

I feel a little fragile and a cold pint of water makes me feel sick. I just can’t get through it.

I’m also not keen on drinking herbal tea as it sets off my digestive system and I get hungry.

I don’t want to drink coffee as it’s not good for my ADHD meds

I have heard of Keto aid but not sure I should make anything with sweeteners this early on in the process.

I was thinking maybe warm/tepid water with a slice of lemon :lemon: maybe? But will this set off my digestive system?

I eat a brunch of eggs (sometimes bacon) and veg at 12 midday and a dinner of usually chicken and veggies with some cheese :cheese: at 6pm.

Am I doing it right?

Any help apriciated!

Thank you :blush:

(Allie) #2

That dry mouth / thirsty feeling is extremely common in early keto, it does get easier. As contrary as it may sound, increasing your salt intake is likely to help.

(Miro) #3

I bought myself 20oz coffee mugs and fill them with tea in the morning and during the day.
Green tea or peppermint tea.

Those mugs do the trick, as they are not massive plastic bottles.

#4

Here’s Brenda’s version that been used by many, including myself. But I also add in Lemon and ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) not needed, I just like to incorporate it in mine. But there isn’t any sweeteners.

(Lucy) #5

Thanks guys! :hugs:

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #6

There is a trace amount of saccharin in the liquid magnesium citrate. But it’s such a trace amount, Jason Fung and Megan Ramos don’t even mind me recommending it in their monthly group fast on their website. They are very aware of the ingredients.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #7

I’m going to give you a piece of very smart advice. Only drink when thirsty. Never force water. Like some people have said it will get better as you adjust

#8

Yes Ma’am, I do remember this as well, but like you mention it’s such a trace amount. - I took it as the OP was referring to artificial sweeteners like Equal, Sweet-N-Low, Stevia, etc. But you are correct to mention that there is indeed a small amount in Magnesium Citrate. :slight_smile: … I’ve actually seen quite a few folks mention that they actually add sweetener to their version, I guess to help the taste, but I actually like it as it is. :+1:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #9

@somanyquestions2019 Get real! Your body is telling you " WATER.NOW!" So drink it - any way you can that you find potable. Drink LOTS. Yes, you will pee it out. That’s OK. A high carb diet retains water. A keto diet releases it and a lot of other stuff that you’re better without. Let it all go. As @Shortstuff suggests adding a little salt (plain old sodium chloride) might help as well, since you’ll lose a lot of that too. Again - it’s OK to let it go, just put it back again. Simple. No excuses. Do it.

Final word: some people seem deathly afraid of potassium for some reason. The RDA is 3.5-5 grams per day. You will have to consume a hell of a lot of Lite Salt and/or NoSalt to get anywhere near that. If you sprinkle liberal amounts on everything you eat, you’ll be just fine.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #10

Me too :slight_smile:

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #11

Unfortunately there are people who MUST NOT supplement potassium without a doctors approval. People with special heart issues etc. ALSO, some people, in an attempt to attain a “more is better” approach, take as much as a teaspoon of Lite salt or No Salt ALL AT ONCE and end up in the hospital.

No over-reaction on our part at all, but instead a carefully researched and thought out WARNING. It is such a recurring issue I will likely take the potassium out of my recipe altogether eventually.

(traci simpson) #12

Lately, I’ve been adding sliced cucumber and lemon to my water. It’s really nice. Maybe don’t drink it too cold but more room temperature. When I was younger I didn’t drink water and when I did, I felt like I was going to throw up! I starting reading how important it was and so I made myself drink it and low and behold, now I crave it and actually feel weird if I don’t drink my usual 80 plus oz. Is it a rule that I drink that much? nope, my body is used to that much and some days its less and some days it’s more depending on my activity level.

BLUF: when thirsty drink: tea, water, water with lemons, limes, cucumbers, mint leaves etc.

#13

:+1: I have actually done this from time to time myself, using regular salt and not the Morton’s Lite and I agree, it may indeed be a doable thing indeed.

(Marianne) #14

I feel you. I used to detest water - but it’s getting better. All I drink is plain water and one cup of coffee per day. I can’t drink cold water either; not a good feeling in your stomach. I drink only warm water and I find it goes down much easier. I have to make a concerted effort to drink all my water every day, but now I probably drink 80+ oz. per day. I can tell when I don’t meet that as I get thirsty. Also, once you do that for a couple of weeks, you will find that you aren’t peeing as much as one would think you would have to.

One thing I find helps is to drink a 16 oz. glass of water before you go to work or an hour or so after you get up. I find I am thirsty after sleeping all night and it actually tastes good.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #15

@Brenda There are also people who are just as sensitive or more so to sodium and I don’t see any warning about that. Potassium is no different. What’s the point of a blanket proscription when the vast majority can eat the RDA of potassium without issue? And if potassium is so dangerous why is the RDA 3.5-5 grams per day? Potassium is an essential mineral.

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #16

Read “The Salt Fix” by Dr. James DeNicolantonio :slight_smile:

#17

As the Drs. Eades pointed out in Protein Power, you can count many liquids as water - tea, coffee, broth, etc. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, it still moves water through the body.

Start the day with a mug of saltwater (or eat some salt while drinking your water).

I make sole, concentrated himalayan salt chunks soaked in water make a 26% salt solution, which I take one tsp from and add to my morning water and have done so for about a decade because the cellular hydration is phenomenal.

End the day with a mug of saltwater (or eat some salt with your water).

In between, as directed by thirst, drink Keto Aid or add lemon juice to your water. For a slight sweet lift - add a teaspoon of rosewater or orange blossom water to your water. For international flair, make a citron (chilled mineral water with up to 50% lemon juice, in a small fancy glass with ice cubes or just cold in a shot glass).

There are some fabulous new keto-friendly energy drinks on Amazon these days if you can afford to splurge on such luxuries. Recently I did, though it’s not a usual thing. Sambazon is making a keto-friendly Acai & Guarana energy drink sweetened with erythritol. And Nooma energy drinks as well are organic and erythritol/stevia sweetened and come in interesting flavors, incl. popular Mango!

For soda lovers, there is Virgil’s stevia-sweetened root beer in glass bottles - unfortunately I don’t like the stevia taste…

(Alec) #18

These electrolyte tablets do have some sweetener in them, but my opinion is I would prefer to get the water and electrolytes and slightly compromise on the sweetener. These make drinking water a lovely experience. I love these things.

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(Brian) #19

I like a little lemon in my water. I find it easy to drink that way when just plain water isn’t as easy for me.

I cut up a lemon in a half gallon glass jar that lives in the fridge. I’ll use out of that jar and refill until such time as I want a new lemon. Of course it’s stronger when it’s freshly cut up in the jar. And over a day or two, much of the flavor gets gone. New lemon. Rinse. Repeat.

It makes a good place to put other things where taste might be an issue. I take a couple of drops of iodine every day and just put it in the lemon water. I also take some magnesium citrate liquid which also just goes in the lemon water. I would taste the iodine in just plain water but don’t in the lemon water. The magnesium citrate is no big deal either way.

My extra potassium comes from Lite Salt. It goes in the morning coffee.

Anyway, lemon helps me.

Good luck!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #20

The fact remains that the mechanisms that regulate sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in the body are all interrelated, and the system is designed to depend primarily on sodium intake. Keep that balanced, and the rest almost take care of themselves. The PURE and other studies have shown that even people with salt-sensitive hypertension do best getting between 4 and 6 grams of sodium daily, which translates to 10-15 grams a day of table salt (sodium chloride). The only difference between salt-sensitive hypertensives and those without that problem seems to lie in the shape of the risk curve outside the sweet spot.

In general, most people who keep their sodium intake in this range have no need of futher electrolyte supplements, although some people do have problems that require them to take supplements. Over-supplementing can be just as disastrous as a mineral deficicency. Dr. Noakes poignantly describes how, after the sports-drink companies spotted a marketing opportunity in his message of athletes’ needing to hydrate, racers began ending up in the hospital and even dying from over-hydration. He’s had to modify his message to “drink to thirst,” in an attempt to prevent that.