No More Extra Salt For Me

(Chris) #21

4on3off is just going to keep you on the rollercoaster.

Just stay always on. let your body adapt

(Shar) #22

So, should I continue adding in 3/4 tsp to my water even if I’m already getting around 3000 to 6000 in my foods? I mean, he talked of athletes getting in 4000+ but I’m not even exercising right now. So do I REALLY need the extra? LOL So far I was adding 3/4 tsp to my 2 quart container of water, twice a day. Or is that too much?

(Allie) #23

I’ve actually just stopped supplementing salt too as I was getting fluid retention in my ankles. It’s been three days now and the retention was gone completely the day after I stopped supplementing.

Never been a fan of salt, the taste repulsed me, never added it to food even until the last year roughly - I’ll keep adding it to food but no more supplementing.

(Shar) #24

Aside from what was already in processed foods, I never used salt either. Not that I don’t like the taste, just never added it to stuff, is all.

But I must admit, I was liking the taste of my water when I was adding in the salt and ACV. That combo was awesome (been drinking ACV in my water for about 6 months now). But I just hate this bloated nonsense. Wish there was an easy answer instead of all this being a guessing game.

(Leslie) #25

The ‘to salt or not to salt’ question has been a bugger for me as well. I started adding additional salt within my first week of keto in order to influence lower insulin levels. I increased that additional intake about 10 weeks in because I was having terrible muscle cramps and I heard someone mention on the Dudes podcast that salt intake can remedy that problem. Within two weeks of increasing my salt intake to the point or remedying the cramps, my ankles were so badly swollen that I thought I might be having some kind of internal organ failure. It was terrifying.

I made an appointment with a keto minded nutritionist who informed me that I was suffering from a mineral deficiency. Sure, salt is a mineral, and I was getting plenty of that, but not enough of the others.
I eat a very leafy green diet with my fat. But, in America the soils in which we grow our food are severely nutrient depleted.

My nutritionist suggested that I add roasted, salted sea weed and spirulina to my regime. Within two days all of my issue were completely resolved.
I am also adding a little lemon juice to my water to maintain a healthy ph balance and drink kamboucha as well, though not the ones with sweetener.

I hope you find this helpful
Keep calm and keto on

(matt ) #26

You need to keep your sodium and potassium in balance.

(Jay AM) #27

Sodium is not the only electrolyte. Without enough potassium to balance sodium, you end up seeing things like fluid retention. Without enough magnesium, your body steals potassium. It’s a triangle that sometimes also includes calcium (for people who get cramps that don’t go away with potassium and magnesium). Our bodies are well equipped to handle removing excess sodium as long as everything else is good. Before villainizing sodium, try to get more of the other 2. Don’t get crazy with potassium. And, just because you don’t get cramps doesn’t mean potassium isn’t low.

Based on what information? Because you got heart palpitations from adding sodium via broth? Your heart palpitations were likely a deficiency, not an excess. Maybe not of sodium as there are other electrolytes that can cause heart palpitations by being low.

(Shar) #28

Since I do see my potassium has been low, I am thinking of trying the Ketoaide and maybe also adding a magnesium supplement (since the Ketoaide seems to be low of that) also.

(Jay AM) #29

You can add magnesium powder or use the magnesium citrate liquid for it. We only have to supplement anything because we don’t get enough from nutritionally depleted foods.

You could also make ketoaide with just no salt/lite salt and take a magnesium pill (anything but magnesium oxide).

(Shar) #30

I was gonna make the drink using No Salt (for more potassium, as mentioned in that thread), then adding salt and adding the magnesium citrite liquid. But, since they said there is only 75mg of magnesium per drink, I was thinking of adding additional magnesium in the way of a 500mg pill.

I asked if anyone else adds extra magnesium when making the drink as per the directions, but no one left a response to that yet. Just curious if extra mag is even needed aside from the Ketoaide.

(Jay AM) #31

I personally just take 400mg of magnesium citrate in a pill. My ketoaide has just salt, koolaid powder for flavor, and stevia. I have a separate bottle that contains lite salt and I will take a drink of that if I notice any ill effects like cramping, water retention, heart palpitations. Potassium is in a lot of foods that don’t have it marked on the nutrition label and I was using a lot extra when I first started and was getting water retention then too.

(Madge Boldt) #32

Hi Shar,
From the list of medications and supplements you are taking, I noticed hydrochlorothiazide. As you know, this is a diuretic. It works by helping your body get rid of water and sodium.

I wrestled with this as well because I am also on this med. I am prone to leg edema due to venous insufficiency. I thought, why would I want to add sodium to my diet when I am flushing it out with a medication?!! What I have decided to do instead is to try to wean off of the hydrochlorothiazide. So far I have gotten it down to every other day, except if I am fasting when obviously I don’t need to take it at all.

Initially I tried going without it for an entire week but that was a bit too much as my legs did swell. And it’s uncomfortable as you know! I am hoping to wean it down from every other day to maybe twice a week. Who knows!

Weaning off the med was something I decided to do on my own because it made sense to me. I only supplement with sodium now just a little bit when I am fasting over 24 hours.

You might want to ask yourself why you are on this medication. Is it because of blood pressure? Or water retention? That might help you work out your relationship with salt.

(Shar) #33

Hey Madge! Thanks for the info. Sadly, my doc coupled that with my lisinopril due to my high BP. He didn’t want to start me on a higher does of my BP med so he started with the two med combo and it worked so I’ve been on both for years. So, I would be afraid to gradually take it away unless and until I get my weight and hopefully BP, naturally lower. Now had it just been for water retention alone then I’d certainly try.

(Madge Boldt) #34

That makes sense Shar. Having a good BP is very important indeed! You would not want to mess with what has been prescribed unless you spoke to your doctor and were able to closely monitor your pressure. Somehow I have a feeling your doc would be mortified to hear that you experimented with salt supplementation! I wonder if the extra salt affected your pressure during that time.

I read The Salt Fix and I think there are some people who are indeed salt sensitive, probably due to years of damage done by prior food habits. I do believe I am one of them! I am no longer as “low sodium” as I used to be prior to keto, but other than during a fast, I won’t supplement with salt.

(Shar) #35

Well I’ve been on the meds and have had high BP for years but have only been on this diet/experimenting with the salt for like 8 days. But yeah, I’m sure my doc would NOT be happy! LOL And I didn’t even think to check my BP during the days I used extra. But I wonder now what it would have been?

(Olivia) #36

All medications and supplementations have a placebo component. That’s not a bad thing or an antagonistic position and it doesn’t imply that there are no active ingredients. However, some of the keto-salt anecdotes are just a little too enthusiastic, which trigger my doubt sensors.
I have heard the podcast and read some articles on it. I like his quote in the guardian: ”Instead of ignoring your salt cravings, you should give in to them – they are guiding you to better health”. That’s exactly what I do when I salt to taste. However, if I consume additional salt, I appear to be getting too much.

(Allie) #37

I’ve never had any salt cravings and have never liked the taste, maybe my requirement is just lower than most. Never really had salt, even pre-keto I never had ready meals or anything with massive salt quantities.

(Olivia) #38

Or It might even depend on your tapwater. There are vast differences regarding ionic concentrations based on the host rock of your local aquifer.

(Allie) #39

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(Shar) #40

So it’s been a few days since I last added salt to my water and I’m still retaining. Yeah, I definitely won’t be adding extra and will just get it via my foods (which seems to be giving me plenty) or take in extra if my body is sending me the signs that I need it.

On a side note, my nose has been runny today due to allergies and when I sniff in instead of blowing like I should, all I taste is salt. LOL So yeah, I definitely think I over did it with the salt.