Hydration is always vital, but in particular in the ketogenic diet.
I often see posts in which people complain that they are suffering from “keto flu” among other common discomforts, such as cramping, headache, vomiting, nausea, etc. And the tips tend to always be to drink water or drink salt water.
However, water is not the way you stay hydrated and sodium is just one of the minerals you need to stay hydrated. The other two are magnesium and potassium.
Drinking more water when your electrolytes are low can have consequences since far from hydrating, we will sweep even more the few electrolytes that we have left.
It is increasingly accepted that ketogenic diets can be very healthy and also nutritionally complete. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and vegetables are rich in all the key nutrients your body needs daily. In some cases, however, supplementation with minerals known as electrolytes can be beneficial.
This is because when carbohydrate intake is extremely low, electrolytes – especially salt levels – can lose their balance and, if this happens, you may not feel as well as possible.
Signs of electrolyte deficiency and what to do about it
- Sodium
Symptom
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
What to do
- Be more liberal with the salt shaker at lunchtime. If necessary, especially the first week, drink 1-2 cups of broth or broth daily.
- Potassium
Symptom
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle spasms
- Heart palpitations / increased perception of heartbeat
What to do
- Eat an avocado, a serving of green leafy vegetables or extra mushrooms a day.
- Magnesium
Symptom
- Muscle cramps or spasms at night or after exercise
What to do
- Eat hemp, pumpkin and chia seeds or a serving of mackerel, almonds or leafy vegetables a day. If necessary, take magnesium.
By restricting carbohydrates, the body begins to process electrolytes differently. This is because in a state of low insulin the kidneys excrete more sodium. Because there is a delicate balance between sodium and other electrolytes in the body, this increase in sodium excretion can have a drag effect and also alter other electrolytes.
The main electrolytes altered by this process are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. There are other electrolytes in the bloodstream, such as calcium and phosphorus, but their levels do not change much with a ketogenic diet. However, balancing sodium, magnesium and potassium can help prevent the symptoms of keto flu and correct some of the long-term side effects you may have. Keep reading to get more information about them.
WHY SODIUM IS IMPORTANT?
According to many health organizations, most people should reduce sodium intake to prevent hypertension and other health problems. This could be true when following high carb diets. However, in a keto diet, your sodium needs may ruse due to increased losses through the kidneys.
Also, the recommendation given to the entire population to lower salt is currently being seriously questioned. At least six recent studies have not shown a clear benefit or have even shown higher mortality with lower salt intake. It seems that intake below 5 grams of sodium per day may cause a shorter half-life.
-Reasons For A Possible Deficiency
When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, blood insulin levels decrease and there is an increase in the amount of sodium the body loses. If sodium is not replaced, you may experience several symptoms.
Symptom
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating6
- Daily needs: 3–7 g of sodium (7-17 g of salt, that is, 1-3 teaspoons)
When calculating your daily intake, keep in mind that salt and sodium are not the same. Salt contains only 40% sodium and the rest is another mineral, chloride. So even if you rise your sodium intake by eating more salt, it is important to know that taking a teaspoon (6 g) of salt gives you only 2.4 g of real sodium.
-Add salt to your diet
Most people get at least 2 g of sodium from the food they eat. You can add a teaspoon of salt to a liter of water and drink it throughout the day (remember that a teaspoon of salt provides about 2.4 g of sodium). Another strategy is to drink broth or consommé, which contains approximately 1 g of sodium per cup.
The key is to give more flavor to your meals with sea salt or iodized salt and eat salty cheeses. You can also accompany your meals with broths or consommés made from strong reductions of vegetables, bones, cartilage, adding enough salt.
Note: If you have hypertension, heart failure or kidney disease, be sure to talk to your doctor before increasing your sodium intake.
WE TAKE CARE OF THE KIDNEYS
The kidneys play an important role in controlling the amount of sodium in the body. When healthy, they eliminate extra sodium to maintain the required balance. But, if the kidneys are not able to achieve proper balance, you can end up suffering from high blood pressure and fluid retention.
WE DISASSEMBLE MYTHS
Popular wisdom points to Himalaya pink salt as less harmful than common salt. Although the first one is usually presented as a natural and healthier product, they have the same chemical composition as regular salt.
WHAT SALT IS BETTER FOR OUR HEALTH?
-What is the best salt to spice up our food?
-Is regular salt acceptable?
-What is wrong with refined salts?
-Is it worth buying more expensive salts such as Himalayan Pink salt?
Common or table salt is composed of two elements: chloride and sodium, so its chemical name is sodium chloride. The organism itself needs sodium to function properly. It performs important functions in the transmission of the nerve impulse through the nerves, in muscle contraction, maintaining the proper balance of body fluids.
The truth is that choosing a good salt and using it well can help us maintain health. That is, salt itself, but natural and without additives and within a balanced and healthy diet.
Indeed, Himalaya pink salt and regular salt are not the same even if they have the same chemical composition. The first currently enjoys great popularity in the gastronomic world for being widely used when marinating meats for grills and barbecues and is usually the choice of those who take care of their health. Also, some manufacturers prefer it because it is “natural” and has not gone through a refining process.
PINK SALT FROM THE HIMALAYAS IS THE BEST OPTION
Himalayan salt is considered the purest of all and minimally processed, being composed of minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur oxide, iron, manganese, fluorine, iodine, zinc, chromium, among other natural components; important trace elements for, among other things, having good bone health.
This, in addition to being free of contaminants that we can find in the market.
-Characteristics
Its presentation is usually in the form of “pink crystal” so that it can be ground before consuming it and is the best for consumption because, unlike the typical regular salt, it is not chemically treated. On the other hand, it is also used to relieve rheumatic pains, skin problems, revitalize the skin, relaxation, nasal decongestion and acne treatment as an exfoliator and detoxifier.
Both sea salt and that of the Himalayas, are the best option because by keeping more naturally (sea salt, for example, is dehydrated in the sun), this salt is not only an important contribution of sodium but also of iodine and other significant minerals for the body.
-Health benefits
They also work to solve respiratory system problems such as asthma, managing to relieve inflammation of the lungs; They also help regulate high cholesterol levels, making the circulatory system freer and healthier. Also, sea salt is well known for relieving dry or irritated skin, because baths with sea salt water protect the skin and relax it, an effect that occurs because the action on our body helps develop melatonin and serotonin, hormones that prevent stress and depression.
WHAT AMOUNT OF SODIUM DOES HIMALAYA SALT CONTAIN?
Why is Himalayan salt pink? Pink Himalayan salt is very similar chemically to regular salt. It contains up to 98% sodium chloride. The rest of the 2% salt is composed of trace minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which give the salt its light pink tint
WHAT BENEFITS DOES HIMALAYA SALT HAVE?
Himalayan salt is one of all the salts available today, the most beneficial for health. …
Himalayan pink sea salt contains about 84 minerals and trace elements, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and copper.
Having a much more potent taste, it does not need so much and allows the benefits to be enjoyed without having to overdo it too much when used as a condiment, because despite being much better than the commonly used refined salt to season the dishes, should not be consumed more than recommended earlier in this article, since its intrinsic risks are still present if we are not aware of its correct consumption and use of its benefits.
COMPARISON OF REFINED REGULAR SALT AND NATURAL SALTS SUCH AS HIMALAYAN SALT OR NATURAL SEA SALT
1- Properties and benefits of natural salt such as Himalayan salt or unrefined sea salt
- Natural salt contains 84% of sodium chloride and a remaining 16% of natural minerals, including magnesium, silicon, iodine, or phosphorus.
- All the elements of the periodic table are found in natural salt, in proportions very similar to the proportions of minerals that we have in our body.
- The synergy of all these minerals in their proper proportion favors homeostasis, that is, the balance in our physiological processes.
- These salts favor the good balance of the sodium-potassium pump in our cells, which is essential for life.
- Natural salt is in the form of small crystals, which makes it more assimilable by our bodies.
2- Properties and disadvantages of refined common regular salt
- Regular salt (or common salt, or refined salt) has 97% sodium chloride and the rest are added chemicals.
- That is, only sodium and chloride remain, the rest of the minerals have been lost in the refining process.
- In regular salt, there is much more sodium than in natural salt and there is no such well-balanced and suitable proportion of minerals, which increases the risk of cardiovascular problems, fluid retention, and hypertension, among others.
- Among these added chemicals we find moisture absorbers and anti-caking agents, some of them harmful to health.
- One of the anti-caking agents in regular salt is aluminum hydroxide, which prevents the salt from sticking and being pretty and separated. However, this component is quite toxic and affects the nervous system and has been documented that it could even lead to Alzheimer’s.
- Fluoride is also often added, which we know that in high doses is toxic and can be a potent carcinogen.
- Refined salt does not contain any potassium, therefore it does not favor the sodium-potassium pump of our cells.
- The drying process of the refined salt changes the chemical structure and the crystallites are destroyed.
WHAT AMOUNT OF SALT CAN A HYPERTENSE TAKE?
Regular salt contains 40% sodium. One teaspoon (5 milliliters) of regular salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium. Healthy adults should restrict their limit of sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. Adults suffering from high blood pressure should not consume more than 1,500 mg per day.
Blood pressure due to high salt intake
BLOOD VOLTAGE BEFORE GREAT SALT CONSUMPTION
WHAT IF I EAT SALT?
When you consume a lot of salt in your diet, your body retains fluids, because the kidneys maintain a special relationship of electrolytes, such as sodium or potassium, with water. Consuming more salt means that the kidneys retain more water in the system.
HOW MUCH OF SALT IS IT RECOMMENDED TO CONSUME?
Its consumption should be moderate. The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume 5 grams of salt a day (2 grams of sodium), which is equivalent to a teaspoon of tea, while in hypertensive people, that dose drops by half.
HOW TO LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
- Reduce excess weight and take care of the waist. Blood pressure often increases when you gain weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Reduce sodium intake in your diet.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Give up smoking.
- Reduce caffeine consumption.
- Reduce stress
- Care of salt consumption
THE CARE OF SALT CONSUMERATION
WHAT TO EAT TO LOWER THE BLOOD PRESSURE?
- Garlic, makes it have a vasodilator effect.
- Onion, essential daily.
- Extra virgin olive oil, accompanying vegetables and salads.
- Legumes, 4 or 5 times a week.
- Cinnamon to control blood sugar.
- Celery depurative and diuretic.
- Pear, rich in potassium.