Can we talk about supplement?
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GSD_Mama
Posts: 629 Member
im reading a lot about potassium, magnesium and sodium being some of the major role players while living Keto style. I drink a lot, or at least try to. I can only eat so much avocados before I puke, seriously, I eat lots of greens, and drink some bouillon for my sodium along with lite salt. I have purchased magnesium and potassium supplements, however potassium is only 99mg per pill, that's only 3% of RDA. I keep track of my macros and add more of the supplements in the evening to keep up, but I can't seems to reach the full amount. I don't do multi vitamins, should I? I do take Biotin, C, D and glucosamine/msm, etc
What is your take on this? Do you find it to hard to keep us with all that stuff? Do you have a routine? Any suggestions are welcome.
What is your take on this? Do you find it to hard to keep us with all that stuff? Do you have a routine? Any suggestions are welcome.
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If I'm not feeling spectacular all the time I find I can get in phases where I'm just willing to try anything based on a single anecdotal thread on the internet, and I may keep doing it even if I don't see the benefit. I've been purging a lot of things that I was randomly trying for a time and feel like I'm down to some basics that I'm comfortable with:
Sodium - I get this entirely through food/salt. If I am not feeling my best I make some chicken broth and drink it.
Potassium - The 3% supplements seem useless to me. I use lite salt, which is half potassium/half sodium, and I salt most things that I eat liberally. A lot of MFP entries on meats are incomplete here. There is a decent bit of potassium in chicken/pork/beef. I didn't know this for awhile and was getting more potassium than I realized.
Magnesium - Magnesium Citrate Supplement. Easy one here, clear measurable benefits (leg cramps if I don't take them, feel fine if I do).
Multivitamin - I take one, I have for years, I've thought about dropping it but this one seems so basic that I keep doing it.
Vitamin D - I have a specific, measured Vitamin D deficiency that comes up in bloodwork if I don't take Vitamin D. Easy choice for me.
Fish Oil - I don't eat as much fish as I should or as I'd like to. I still have some cholesterol issues, and I am pretty comfortable with the immense amount of positive things I've read about Omega-3 fats.
That's all I'm taking right now.
Things I used to take and why I stopped:
Probiotic - I was throwing all kinds of potential solutions blindly at digestive issues. I think I *mostly* have digestive issues resolved.
Mineral Supplement/Iodine - I see this mentioned occasionally on fitness/keto forums. Seems like its legitimately helped some people. I've tried taking it, but I have never noted any actual benefit myself and am not convinced I needed it at all.
Vitamin C/Calcium Supplements - Things I started taking b/c of random things I read and thought "oh yeah why not", I've stopped for the same reason I stopped taking mineral supplements. Couldn't identify what it was doing for me in any measurable way.
For a lot of these things I do think that if I liked liver and ate fish more I could do a lot of this more easily/more naturally and feel more confident that I'm getting all the nutrients I should. But so far, what I'm doing seems to work for me, even if it feels a little haphazard at times.0 -
Are you feeling any of the effects of imbalanced electrolytes? Muscle cramping, sleep issues, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, etc?
If not, I wouldn't worry too much about it, except to keep your sodium intake up. If so, supplement if you need to with the mineral(s) based on the symptoms you experience.
You won't likely lose potassium or magnesium until you start getting low on sodium, so unless you were already deficient (which is possible, especially for magnesium; most of the population is deficient in magnesium), you should be fine.
To compare, my potassium is spot on where it needs to be, even though I don't really consume much in the way of the usual potassium containing foods. Here's a list of potassium containing foods; you're probably getting more than you think, even without the avocados -- http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Are you feeling any of the effects of imbalanced electrolytes? Muscle cramping, sleep issues, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, etc?
If not, I wouldn't worry too much about it, except to keep your sodium intake up. If so, supplement if you need to with the mineral(s) based on the symptoms you experience.
You won't likely lose potassium or magnesium until you start getting low on sodium, so unless you were already deficient (which is possible, especially for magnesium; most of the population is deficient in magnesium), you should be fine.
To compare, my potassium is spot on where it needs to be, even though I don't really consume much in the way of the usual potassium containing foods. Here's a list of potassium containing foods; you're probably getting more than you think, even without the avocados -- http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html
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Thank you for the link, I will check it out.
I don't get cramps or feel lightheaded as I did when first started, but for the last few days I've developed some tightness is my tummy and constipation
so I thought maybe my potassium is low? I don't know what I can do to keep it regular. I take a table spoon of olive oil with lemon, and I put coconut oil in my coffee, it helps at times but not alway 0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Are you feeling any of the effects of imbalanced electrolytes? Muscle cramping, sleep issues, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, etc?
If not, I wouldn't worry too much about it, except to keep your sodium intake up. If so, supplement if you need to with the mineral(s) based on the symptoms you experience.
You won't likely lose potassium or magnesium until you start getting low on sodium, so unless you were already deficient (which is possible, especially for magnesium; most of the population is deficient in magnesium), you should be fine.
To compare, my potassium is spot on where it needs to be, even though I don't really consume much in the way of the usual potassium containing foods. Here's a list of potassium containing foods; you're probably getting more than you think, even without the avocados -- http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html
Flip, I wondered why my heart was behaving weirdly the other night! Not painful but like a fish was flopping about on land. Couldn't sleep! When I remember my magnesium it doesn't happen, nor do the leg cramps.0 -
Thank you for the link, I will check it out.
I don't get cramps or feel lightheaded as I did when first started, but for the last few days I've developed some tightness is my tummy and constipation so I thought maybe my potassium is low? I don't know what I can do to keep it regular. I take a table spoon of olive oil with lemon, and I put coconut oil in my coffee, it helps at times but not alway
Without seeing your diary, it's hard to tell. It might also be too much protein and not enough fat. Magnesium is also useful for that, as it has a laxative effect (and it's possible you are deficient in it; like I mentioned, magnesium deficiency is common in Western countries).0 -
My protein is actually very moderate and fat is high, I stick to 5/15/80 ratio pretty much all the time. How much magnesium does one require? I take sups with 500mg0
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How much magnesium does one require? I take sups with 500mg
I take 400mg, but its important to note the difference between magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate. You want magnesium citrate, but if you pick up a bottle of magnesium at CVS or wal mart you are almost certainly grabbing magnesium oxide. Its not absorbed as well and doesn't really work all that well for keto purposes.
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How much magnesium does one require? I take sups with 500mg
I take 400mg, but its important to note the difference between magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate. You want magnesium citrate, but if you pick up a bottle of magnesium at CVS or wal mart you are almost certainly grabbing magnesium oxide. Its not absorbed as well and doesn't really work all that well for keto purposes.
Ditto on the different forms of magnesium and impact on absorption. I found bulk mag citrate powder on Amazon and it works great for me. The recommendation on the bag is one tsp which is 2500mg...I alternate between 1/4 tsp-1 tsp, mixed in something like Crystal Light or other SF juice, as needed (the higher the dose, the more likely you get hit w/ the laxative effect, which isn't necessarily a bad thing sometimes): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GW5NX9C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Magnesium is required for many different functions in our bodies...do just a little research and you immediately see why it's beneficial to supplement.0 -
I take mag citrate from Nature Bounty0
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I take vit C, multivitamin, a fatburner (for some extra energy) and omega 3 supps (dont take omega 6, we get enough of it through the food we eat). At night, when I remember, I also take a magnesium citrate supp.
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