Best Supplements to Take on Keto
Ketosis can cause some electrolyte imbalances
It’s well known that being in ketosis may cause flu-like symptoms for some in the first few days of your diet changes. When you limit the amount of carbohydrates you eat in a day enough to be in ketosis, your insulin levels will decrease, which is a very good thing! This decreased level of insulin will encourage the kidney’s to eliminate more sodium into your urine along with its “partner” electrolytes magnesium and potassium. This increased excretion of electrolytes means you’ll be urinating more, so you’ll need more water in your day to avoid dehydration 🚰.
So, to avoid the “keto flu”, you can drink more water and be sure you’re getting enough sodium, magnesium and potassium. Keep reading or watch me explain in the video below to know how to curb these symptoms.
The importance of getting the right nutrients on keto
Getting appropriate nutrients in to your body on any diet is important, but when you’re doing more extreme plans like keto or the vegan diet, you really need to be sure you’re not missing what’s key to your health! You already know this but you can get nutrition from food and supplementation. Food is the preferred resource, but sometimes we don’t make enough of the right food choices and it’s also true that since our farmland is depleted, our foods are depleted.
The best food choices to get the most nutrition from are always going to be local, organic, minimally processed and prepared at home. Even if you’re doing that, however, you likely still need some extra support from supplements. The best supplements should NOT come from your local convenience store or even Target (sorry Target, I love you for everything else and you know it 🤑). They should come from high quality companies that are usually sold by health care practitioners like my favorite brands listed here:
Vital Nutrients, Thorne, Pure Encapsulations, Douglas Labs, Integrative Therapeutics, Metagenics, Garden of Life, Designs for Health, Nordic Naturals, Klaire Labs, Bulletproof, Standard Process
Full disclosure: I have a personal dispensary and I make a small profit from it- but you’ll get 20% off the street price. lol. You can order from me HERE or you can order anywhere else you can find them online, my goal is to share my trusted, high quality brands that are well-formulated and third party tested.
Nutrients specific to those in ketosis:
Magnesium Glycinate 150 mg caps or powder (or a dose similar to this)
Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer-most people are deficient but even more so on keto. Repleting magnesium helps with muscle cramps, lowers blood pressure if high, palpitations, constipation, relieves muscle tension, improves sleep.
You can take 150-600 mg daily. IMPORTANT! Start with the lowest dose daily and slowly increase, every few days, until right before loose stools & just after feeling the benefits. This is not a dangerous mineral, but it is a sort of muscle relaxer and can cause disaster pants if you take too much.
Potassium
If you’re deficient in this electrolyte you may feel cramping, twitches, high blood pressure, weakness and heart palpitations.
We need about 3,000-5,000 mg daily from food sources below. You can google which foods are high in potassium for a more extensive list, just be sure to avoid the carby foods that will be on these lists if you’re keto or low-carb.
Potassium supplements are available but taking too much can be dangerous so I would just stick with eating your potassium by eating lots of green veggies and foods high in potassium. Do not increase these foods if you have advanced kidney disease.
Avocado 1,000 mg per large avocado (200 grams)
Swiss chard, cooked 950 mg per cup (175 grams)
Spinach, cooked 840 mg per cup (180 grams)
Mushrooms, cooked 550 mg per cup (150 grams)
Brussels sprouts: 500 mg per cup (160 grams)
Broccoli, cooked 460 mg per cup (160 grams)
Salmon 430–500 mg per 4 ounces (114 grams)
Meat 400–500 mg per 4 ounces (114 grams)
Flounder 400 mg per 4 ounces (114 grams)
Artichoke 345 mg per medium artichoke (121 grams)
Hemp seeds 335 mg per ounce (30 grams)
Almonds 200 mg per ounce (30 grams)
Sodium
If you’re deficient in this mineral you can feel tired, weak, foggy or have headaches.
There’s a lot of controversy on how much we need daily, but here’s my educated answer on this: if you cook mostly from scratch, avoid eating too many heavily processed foods, and salt your meals liberally to taste- you’ll have adequate sodium. The goal of 1500-2300 mg daily may be too low for a healthy person on a low-carb diet. Please reach out to me if you have questions about your specific condition- I’m a registered dietitian and happy to help :) If you eat a highly processed food diet and have fluid balance issues, hypertension or diabetes- you should keep your salt intake within the AHA’s guidelines above.
Fiber
The goal is 25-35 g daily, which is honestly difficult on keto. Download the low carb, high fiber food list below for ideas or google foods high in fiber. Just be sure to avoid the carb-loaded options!
Note that Keto Katz hotdog buns, hamburger buns and rolls are all made with whole psyllium husk fiber so that will really add to your daily load. And your daily load 🚽! Buy some here.
You can also purchase PaleoFiber by Designs for Health and take as directed for 1 net carb per serving.
Other supplements to consider for basic, good health
Omega 3 fatty acids, 1-2 grams daily. Don’t just grab a bottle from Walgreens folks, you want third party tested product that’s free of heavy metals. See the above list of approved companies you can trust. Watch the video below to see how this supplement can help if you don’t already know :)
Probiotics as directed. I think by now, even toddlers know that probiotics are good for you. Just take them. See my video for details on types of blends to take.
Vitamin D3/K2, 2,000 IU’s daily, maintenance dose. Vitamin D is a hormone, did you know that?! If you don’t live in a sunshine state, you’re deficient for sure. Get tested to know where you stand, the goal is 40-80 ng/dL. Vitamins K and D work together to support cardiovascular and bone health!
NOTE: if you do all that you can and still feel poorly on the ketogenic diet, it just might not be the right diet for you. It’s OK to stop! Don’t force it, just try a low carbohydrate diet instead. If you need direction and one-on-one attention, make an appointment with me at www.nutritionuprising.com.