How do you up your sodium?
Misskim121211
Posts: 28 Member
Hi Everyone!
So I am on week two of lchf eating and have been doing pretty good. No major issues, except for the last couple days. By the evening I am feeling a little low energy and dizzy almost weak. After following along I am pretty sure its my sodium. I do use lots of high sodium seasonings but I still think I need more. So how do you get more sodium?
Thanks all!
So I am on week two of lchf eating and have been doing pretty good. No major issues, except for the last couple days. By the evening I am feeling a little low energy and dizzy almost weak. After following along I am pretty sure its my sodium. I do use lots of high sodium seasonings but I still think I need more. So how do you get more sodium?
Thanks all!
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Replies
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My favorite is salty bullion with extra salt added. Usually about 1/4 teaspoon for ~1700mg total. Also dill pickles and pickle juice.5
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I'm a plain kind of person. A teaspoon of salt in some water was usually enough to set me straight.5
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Keto-ade:
1/4 tsp. salt (sodium chloride)
1/4 tsp. "lite" salt (potassium chloride)
1 Tbsp. lime juice
4 drops liquid stevia
16 - 20 oz. water
Some people prefer Mio instead of the lime juice and stevia. I hope you get the electrolytes worked out soon!8 -
I use Ultima (recommended from someone else on this forum and available on Amazon...usually one dose a day...sometimes two...I usually dilute more than recommended to get a little more water in).
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Pickle juice. I've always loved it so it's really just giving me a reason to drink it nearly daily. lol
Otherwise I've started making bone broth too and boullion is ok also.6 -
Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
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Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
I needed 4500-6000mg to feel OK! I suspect 2300mg on a ketogenic diet may be far too low, especially in the early going. 8 -
Wow..ok. I will up it more. I love salty things so that won't be hard!
Thanks
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When I'm feeling the need I put 1/4 tsp and juice half a lemon into about 4 oz of water and shoot it. It works like a charm. 3
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Misskim121211 wrote: »Wow..ok. I will up it more. I love salty things so that won't be hard!
Thanks
Here are a couple good guide books, if you're interested: Stephen Phinney, Jeff Volek, Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Living (technical) and New Atkins for a New You (popular/practical), which also has meal plans.
Their YouTube vids are very informative, too. They explain that it can take weeks to compete the transition from carb- to fat-burning. I'd recommend the JumpstartMD YouTube site, which has not only a long, comprehensive introduction to ketogenic diets by Phinney and Volek, but also segments from the interview separated by topic.
Phinney's most recent YouTube videos on the Low Carb Down Under site are full of fascinating info.
There's a chart and discussion on sodium at around 12'45":
https://youtu.be/Qk0U006YZ2w
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Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
2300 is an outdated standard for high carb eaters.
Low carbers bare minimum would be 3000 but there's no way that's enough in the beginning.
Definitely watch that linked video. Sodium deficiency isn't something to play around with.
The video states it would be less dangerous to consume 8000mg a day than to only get 2000..7 -
Pickle juice is the best!4
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I drank plain old salt water last night. I think it's just easier for me, to make it quick and painless in one swoop.3
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Read this for some more explanations on Electrolytes:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/keto-flu-dizzy-weak-tired-headaches-cramping-muscles-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest5 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
2300 is an outdated standard for high carb eaters.
Low carbers bare minimum would be 3000 but there's no way that's enough in the beginning.
Definitely watch that linked video. Sodium deficiency isn't something to play around with.
The video states it would be less dangerous to consume 8000mg a day than to only get 2000..
That's another one of those individual things. Absolutely right on the low end being too low, but I learned the hard way that even when I was lifting 9-10x per week, if I exceeded about 7500 or so, I'd start developing temporary hypertension. A couple of days I went to 9000 accidentally, and I thought that my brain was going to explode out of my temples, the headaches were so bad.1 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
2300 is an outdated standard for high carb eaters.
Low carbers bare minimum would be 3000 but there's no way that's enough in the beginning.
Definitely watch that linked video. Sodium deficiency isn't something to play around with.
The video states it would be less dangerous to consume 8000mg a day than to only get 2000..
That's another one of those individual things. Absolutely right on the low end being too low, but I learned the hard way that even when I was lifting 9-10x per week, if I exceeded about 7500 or so, I'd start developing temporary hypertension. A couple of days I went to 9000 accidentally, and I thought that my brain was going to explode out of my temples, the headaches were so bad.
Whoa. Thanks for the red flag.
How did you get to 9g accidentally? Were you able to flush it out (w fermented diuretic products?) or didn't you realize till later what had happened?0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
2300 is an outdated standard for high carb eaters.
Low carbers bare minimum would be 3000 but there's no way that's enough in the beginning.
Definitely watch that linked video. Sodium deficiency isn't something to play around with.
The video states it would be less dangerous to consume 8000mg a day than to only get 2000..
That's another one of those individual things. Absolutely right on the low end being too low, but I learned the hard way that even when I was lifting 9-10x per week, if I exceeded about 7500 or so, I'd start developing temporary hypertension. A couple of days I went to 9000 accidentally, and I thought that my brain was going to explode out of my temples, the headaches were so bad.
In the video, Phinneys chart shows that 8g starts to have a negative effect, but he still says you're safer getting too much than too little. I wasn't actually saying for her to get 8g. Just referencing that he compared the two2 -
Yes, yes, yes to the pickle juice! Also, the link posted by @baconslave above is a wonderful resource!0
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Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Misskim121211 wrote: »Mmmm pickle juice ..lol. I have no problem trying that! The bullion could work to. I just looked at my food diary and I am getting my 2300mg a day... some days a little more. Maybe it's not the problem.
2300 is an outdated standard for high carb eaters.
Low carbers bare minimum would be 3000 but there's no way that's enough in the beginning.
Definitely watch that linked video. Sodium deficiency isn't something to play around with.
The video states it would be less dangerous to consume 8000mg a day than to only get 2000..
That's another one of those individual things. Absolutely right on the low end being too low, but I learned the hard way that even when I was lifting 9-10x per week, if I exceeded about 7500 or so, I'd start developing temporary hypertension. A couple of days I went to 9000 accidentally, and I thought that my brain was going to explode out of my temples, the headaches were so bad.
Whoa. Thanks for the red flag.
How did you get to 9g accidentally? Were you able to flush it out (w fermented diuretic products?) or didn't you realize till later what had happened?
It was during my firsr two weeks of keto bulking. I just kept eating the same stuff I had been, but in larger amounts. When a lot of your fat comes from cheeses, olives, and the occasional hunk of spam or canned ham, 9g is easy to oops in at 2800 kcals.2 -
thank you for the links, video and all your input! Very interesting, and obviously something I need to learn more about. Felt bad again today...I feel like I am on the verge of fainting and my muscles feel weak. How long does it take to see an improvement once I have increased my sodium?0
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Misskim121211 wrote: »thank you for the links, video and all your input! Very interesting, and obviously something I need to learn more about. Felt bad again today...I feel like I am on the verge of fainting and my muscles feel weak. How long does it take to see an improvement once I have increased my sodium? [/quote
I was always helped within 15-20 minutes of intake but don't think I ever got too needy.2 -
Here's a question. What do people with HBP do about larger intakes of sodium like this? Is there an alternative that can be used?2
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My favorite is salty bullion with extra salt added. Usually about 1/4 teaspoon for ~1700mg total. Also dill pickles and pickle juice.
I'm with kpk54. Salted bullion is my go to. I add half a teaspoon of Morton Lite Salt which sodium and potassium. Then I take a magnesium tablet to round out my electrolytes and it works for me.4 -
Catawampous wrote: »Here's a question. What do people with HBP do about larger intakes of sodium like this? Is there an alternative that can be used?
I'm not a doctor and this is NOT medical advice but I, too, was concerned about added sodium and HBP so I did an internet search on the topic and asked my doctor for her recommendations. Everyone is different in how they metabolize things so we're all pretty much on our own when it comes to figuring out what is best for us.
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@Catawampous, it's cheap, quick, and easy to check your BP.
Inquiring minds (like doctors') will want to know if it changes. (Like underwear - if it changes, better if the number goes down. )
How high does your BP run? Are you on BP meds?0 -
Catawampous wrote: »Here's a question. What do people with HBP do about larger intakes of sodium like this? Is there an alternative that can be used?
This is definitely a question for your doctor but not all all HBP is sodium sensitive. Cutting sodium is just a "better safe than sorry" default kind of like the way they assume IR for all T2 which is not true.1 -
OK, intensely stupid question, but how do you know what you're getting each day? I only ever eat home prepared stuff, the recipes have a measured amount but most of what I get is just sprinkled over the plate (I mix the sodium and potassium salts). Just bought some magnesium tablets. MFP tracks the recipes, but do you actually measure and log the sprinkles? BTW reading this because there's something up - dizziness.1
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Catawampous wrote: »Here's a question. What do people with HBP do about larger intakes of sodium like this? Is there an alternative that can be used?
Usual disclaimers about not being a doctor, but you'll be interested in this thread -- http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257118/sodium-blood-pressure-and-the-russian-nephrologist/p1
tl;dr -- Sodium intake isn't, in and of itself, the cause or exacerbation of high blood pressure. Like everything else with the body, it's more complicated than that, and ironically, HBP could just as likely be too little sodium (particularly on low carb) as too much.3 -
OK, intensely stupid question, but how do you know what you're getting each day? I only ever eat home prepared stuff, the recipes have a measured amount but most of what I get is just sprinkled over the plate (I mix the sodium and potassium salts). Just bought some magnesium tablets. MFP tracks the recipes, but do you actually measure and log the sprinkles? BTW reading this because there's something up - dizziness.
You know you're getting enough of you specifically seek out added sodium. You can't get enough from just salting food. You get symptoms like dizziness when sodium is low.
And you can't just treat it when a symptom arises. You need to get a bare minimum of 3000mg - 5000mg a day knowing that may not be enough.5 -
I will add the 'not a Dr or medical professional' disclaimer here, but I think that most studies have shown that the HBP/soduim link is tenuous at best.
I have slightly elevated BP, but I am also on test-replacement therapy which is known to increase BP. I personally have tried both low sodium and high sodium and neither seems to have any effect on my BP.0
This discussion has been closed.