Food Freedom Friday Edition 309 - Keto & Electrolytes

The ketogenic diet allows your body to use fat as its main fuel source instead of running on blood glucose and stored glycogen (which is created when you consume carbohydrates). By almost entirely eliminating carbohydrates from your diet, the body increases its rates of lipolysis (fat breakdown), ketogenesis (making ketones) and gluconeogenesis (making new glucose). This means that fat becomes the main fuel source for most of the body's needs, and ketones and glucose are prioritized for the brain.

Many have experienced dramatic changes in their health and well-being, as a result of following a low-carb diet.

A ketogenic diet's many benefits include (but are not limited to):

·       Satiety: keto dieters consume a high amount of fats and proteins. The combination of fat and protein allows one to stay fuller for longer

·       Energy: fat and ketones - breakdown molecules of fat - provide a steady and efficient source of energy

·       Fat burning: the body is forced to burn more fat in the absence of carbohydrates. As a result, fat is broken down into ketones (leading to a state of ketosis) which the body uses for energy.

Keto Concerns

One of the main questions surrounding keto often circles around health and performance and the need for carbohydrates as a fuel source to function and perform at optimal levels.

Although there has long been a common perception that athletes must consume carbohydrates to perform at maximum efficiency, this narrative has been shown to not be true in all cases. Recent studies performed on low-carbohydrate diets among endurance athletes proved that over several weeks, athletes improved body composition and scored stronger in specific measures of performance.

Some studies have shown that keto either has no clear effect, or a negative effect on performance. If you’re doing a high-intensity workout, you might still need carbs as a fast-acting energy source.

Endurance athletes may particularly benefit from keto as they become fat-adapted.

This means their bodies have learned to tap into the “limitless” fat stores, lowering the chance of bonking that regular athletes experience when they’re carb-depleted.

The ketogenic diet often gets vilified for being perceived as consisting strictly of fatty foods such as butter, bacon, and whole eggs. This is a common misconception, as several different food sources are / should also be included to create a perfect keto diet.

A list of some keto-friendly foods includes:

·       Well-sourced animal proteins

·       Of course—lots of high-quality fats, like fatty cuts of meat and fish, butter and coconut oil

·       Leafy greens for obtaining adequate micronutrients

·       Low-carb nuts such as pumpkin seeds and almonds

·       Small amounts of low-carb fruit options such as berries

One potential side effect of a keto diet is that it may alter electrolyte balance within your body.

Electrolytes are minerals within your body that aid in cellular and organ function. They’re essential for a number of bodily functions and are necessary for survival.

The most important functions of electrolytes are to maintain hydration and acidity levels in the body as well as help maintain muscle and nerve function.

Some of the most common electrolytes (minerals) found in the body include:

·       Calcium

·       Chloride

·       Magnesium

·       Phosphorus

·       Potassium

·       Sodium

Electrolytes And Keto

Each electrolyte must be kept within a healthy range in order for your body to perform at its best, but staying in range can become challenging when following a ketogenic diet.

Once you start drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, the body begins to process electrolytes differently. Less insulin is released, causing the kidneys to excrete more sodium which can also impact the balance of other key electrolytes in your body.

This electrolyte imbalance is often linked to symptoms of “keto flu.” As carb intake decreases, electrolytes are increasingly excreted from the body in urine. The keto flu symptoms can be triggered by imbalances of several electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

The physical and mental dependence on carbohydrates stems from the body habitually relying on glucose as its main energy and fuel source.

When removed, the body needs to learn how to process fat as a fuel source, and enter a state of ketosis.

Some of the most common keto flu symptoms include:

·       Fatigue

·       Struggles during physical exertion

·       Arrhythmia

·       Diarrhea

It becomes essential for people following the ketogenic diet to increase intake of these electrolytes through diet or other supplementation.

Supplements to Consider

It is important to emphasize that supplementation should not be your main source of minerals and micronutrients when following the keto diet. Supplementation should be a last resort; try and use an array of food choices before turning to supplements. Supplements were not created to replace other diet essentials but rather, restore normal levels if not possible otherwise.

Although not all people will exhibit keto flu symptoms when going through the diet transition period, for many, removing carbs from the diet will have some effect on mineral balance in body and intake needs to be increased.

This is especially true for athletes who tend to excrete a higher level of electrolytes through sweat. An electrolyte supplement may be the a key ingredient towards maximizing your keto workout.

Sodium

Beyond simply salt, sodium is considered one of the most important electrolytes in the body. For years, there was a stigma attached to sodium. People believed high sodium intake was correlated to heart disease or high blood pressure. However, more recent research has forced scientists to reopen the debate about the effects of sodium on health. In one study, sodium was only found to increase mortality at very high doses, and in other similar studies, low sodium consumption was also associated with increased mortality risk.

The sodium ion is needed to help the body function properly by playing a role in the activation of muscle contraction machinery.

Most of the body’s sodium is found in the blood and in fluid around the cells. The body loses sodium through sweat and urination.

Supplementing sodium in your diet protects the function of many essential physiological processes, including:

·       Nerve function

·       Regulation of blood volume and blood pressure

·       Control of nerve impulses

·       Retaining fluid balance

Common signs of sodium deficiency include:

·       Weakness

·       Fatigue

·       Headaches

·       Nausea

·       Vomiting

·       Muscle cramps

·       Brain fog

·       Irritability

Sodium intake should remain relatively constant over time as drastic fluctuations may lead to negative side effects. There are a number of ways to combat excessive sodium loss.

Try using more table salt or sodium chloride in everyday foods. Himalayan sea salt is one of the best-tasting, natural salt additives.

Potassium

Potassium is the mineral often associated with cramps and you may have been told to have a banana on hand as an anti-cramping superfood. Like sodium, potassium is a key electrolyte for normal function of your body, beyond keeping you cramp free.

Supplementing with potassium helps to protect many processes in the body, including:

·       Blood pressure control

·       Maintenance of body fluid

·       Cellular function

·       Decreased risk of hypertension

The World Health Organization recommends ~3,500mg per day of potassium, but most individuals tend to have a daily intake of far less.

Some common side effects of potassium deficiency include hypertension, adverse cardiovascular effects, kidney damage or failure, heart palpitations and muscle cramps.

Low-carb or ketogenic diets have the potential to cause a decrease in potassium. There are a number of food options available to increase potassium intake including:

·       Avocado

·       Spinach

·       Mushrooms

·       Brussel sprouts

·       Broccoli

·       Salmon

·       Seafood

·       Artichokes

·       Almonds

These food sources do wonders for upping potassium intake as part of a balanced diet, but many are intolerant to or do not have time to prepare vegetables with their busy schedules. If this is the case with you, potassium supplements may be a viable alternative.

Potassium chloride is one supplement option to help top up these important electrolytes. Research supports that health problems are often mitigated when taken regularly.

Potassium can also significantly lower blood pressure. By taking it daily, you can help ensure that your organs (including the heart, muscles, kidneys, and nerves) are functioning at optimal levels.

If you are extremely active, your potassium needs may be greater than other subsets of the population. Potassium supplements are typically available as 99mg tablets. Taking potassium supplements may help your electrolyte balance stay within normal recommended levels, even when following a ketogenic diet.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It has a number of functions within the body that make it important for maintaining proper electrolyte balance.

These include:

·       DNA and RNA synthesis

·       Protein synthesis

·       Muscular contraction

·       Controlling blood pressure

·       Nerve transmission

·       Chronic disease including aiding in prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, Type-2 diabetes, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and cardiovascular disease

·       Brain biochemistry

Determining whether you have a deficiency may be a bit more challenging compared to other electrolytes, but still, many people are deficient. Having an improper balance of magnesium may result in leg cramps, neuromuscular disorders, or cardiac disorders.

Interestingly, magnesium deficiency has shown to have other effects on personality changes, including depression, anxiety, agitation, confusion and delirium.

Many foods contain small amounts of magnesium and can form part of your ketogenic diet Options include:

·       Pumpkin seeds

·       Dark chocolate

·       Almonds

·       Avocado

·       Spinach

·       Swiss chard

·       Full fat dairy

·       Salmon

·       Beef

·       Artichokes

·       Pine nuts

Unfortunately, some people are intolerant to many of these foods and they can take time to prepare or tend to be expensive. There are several supplements on the market that can bring you up to sufficient levels.

One popular choice is magnesium chloride. In recent studies, it has been suggested that magnesium supplements may even be able to help treat depression and improve the overall mood of individuals that take them. For most people, 400mg of magnesium daily will be optimal.

Optimizing Your Keto Diet

Whether or not you choose to take mineral supplements is entirely up to you. Everyone may not need them; supplementation use is entirely individual.

But if you are experiencing symptoms or are simply looking to maximize your results or performance, you might be more inclined to add supplements to your protocol.

While low electrolyte levels and low glucose lead to keto flu symptoms, there is hope (even without carb-binging). Balance the fluid and electrolyte issues by focusing on your hydration, taking in enough electrolytes and possibly fight the low-glucose slump by using exogenous ketones. Exogenous ketones have been shown to rapidly put you in a deep state of ketosis, while helping curb some of the adaptation symptoms while your body transitions into using fat as fuel.

If peak performance—whether at the office or on the field—is your goal, your diet should not dictate your results and making adjustments as necessary to perform your best is important.