New here! Question about Micronutrients!

newbies
(kris) #1

Hello! I just started the keto diet last week! The last few days I’ve felt SO bad and my mouth is SO dry, despite drinking a LOT of water. I know your sodium, potassium and magnesium are most important. I definitely didn’t hit my target goals.

What do you do to hit your micronutrient goals? Do you actually consume as much as you’re supposed to? What are your micronutrient goals, personally?

My mouth is so dry and I’m nervous that it’s from too much sodium, despite not reaching my goals. Also been having very high bp, which isn’t normal for me. Anyone else experience that? I drink a lot of water, but I don’t want to have too much, cause them I’m in the bathroom more often than not, which just depletes micros even more! How do I balance?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

Try to get a total of about two-and-a-half teaspoons of salt a day (including what occurs naturally in your food), more if you feel any of the symptoms of low electrolytes (nausea, headache, constipation, etc.). Drink to thirst; don’t overdo it.

You need more salt when you are eating less carbohydrate, because your kidneys return to a higher level of excreting sodium. You also need to increase water intake, but too much water can leach electrolytes from your body. (Several runners have become ill or died from overhydrating during races.)

I suspect that the dry mouth you are feeling is merely “keto mouth,” and will either abate or stop troubling you as you progress in this way of eating. Try pouring a bit of salt on your hand and licking it off; see if that helps. High blood pressure can result from not enough salt, as well, because it often results in lower blood volume.

As I recently mentioned in another thread, my experience has been that I need to void my bladder much less frequently when I am ketotic. My bladder capacity seems higher, and the signal to urinate doesn’t occur nearly as frequently when my carbohydrate intake is low. Whereas if I exceed my carb limit for the day, I have to get up several times during the night to void small quantities of urine—very annoying!

#3

Define a “LOT”! Drinking too much does the exact opposite of what you want! You say you may worry about too much, what has your sodium intake been?

(kris) #4

Thanks for your response! I have licked some phs off my hand and immediately started feeling fatigued and that night was when I experienced the high bp. Tonight, I dont have high bp, but I do have a headache (im prone to those, though). Plugging my food into Cronometer, I consumed about 4400ish mg of sodium plus a lil bit more from some pickle juice. I had 2300mg potassium (this one surprised me lol) and 300ish magnesium. Are these numbers ok?

I didnt have to urinate nearly as much today compared to the last few days! So maybe thats a good thing.

(kris) #5

Yesterday I was sick, so I was only able to force myself to about 3000mg of sodium, while today I got to 4400ish, maybe more. My water intake was about 60oz., which is a lot more than I am used to consuming in a day. I was never thirsty before this diet so my habits were bad :frowning: , but the keto dry mouth makes me want to chug water like crazy.

#6

Gotcha, seems like it’s just gonna be about adaptation then. 3000mg isn’t much more than the RDA (meaning really low for us) and 60oz is pretty low as well. You’ll work it up. Don’t be afraid of flavoring your water, obviously watch what you’re using to do it. Will most likely help you enjoy drinking more.