How do you up your sodium?
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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 -
Still felt rather dizzy today...but I did manage to get in 6034mg of sodium. Hopefully I will be able to keep my sodium intake up and start to feel better. Everything else is going great! I have really low blood pressure so I don't think I have to worry about any HBP from sodium. My dr once told me because my BP is so low, not to worry to much about watching my sodium.
Could there be anything else adding to feeling crappy? I am just finishing week 2...maybe I just need more time to adjust?2 -
Plenty of fluids? Potassium, magnesium?
(Tequila?)1 -
I have a feeling Tequila would make the dizziness worse...lol. I will up my water intake and maybe get a magnesium supplement.1
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Misskim121211 wrote: »I have a feeling Tequila would make the dizziness worse...lol. I will up my water intake and maybe get a magnesium supplement.
Haha! Could be...
The Keto-Ade recipe above is a great way to hydrate.
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »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.
Thanks for your help. So hypothetically - just so I can get a clear idea of how much that is - if I'm aiming for 5000mg - that would be about 2 1/2 tsp of salt per day (obvs not taking into account food diary, pickle juice and other exciting suggestions!). If I've got that right then what about potassium? I've been grossly underestimating this!
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »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.
Thanks for your help. So hypothetically - just so I can get a clear idea of how much that is - if I'm aiming for 5000mg - that would be about 2 1/2 tsp of salt per day (obvs not taking into account food diary, pickle juice and other exciting suggestions!). If I've got that right then what about potassium? I've been grossly underestimating this!
You get about 2300mg per teaspoon of table salt. A little less if actually measuring by spoon with large crystals of sea salt, but by weight they are pretty much the same.
Since you're also eating salty foods and salting your food you can probably make it a point to supplement that with about 3000mg and you can at least be sure you're just above the bare minimum that way. So I would just aim for 1.5 tsp to start. If you have a day that you take in a lot more liquids than normal or are working out really hard or sweating a lot, you'd need to be aware you may have a need for a bit more sodium on those days.
If you're doing all this and you still have symptoms of dizziness, especially upon standing, or headaches... you may just need more than the lower end of the recommendation. So add another half teaspoon and see if that fixes you up.
As far as potassium, other than maybe using a lite salt made of potassium chloride, I wouldn't bother supplementing it. You actually eat more than you realize because it's not required to be on nutrition labels so you eat more than you realize. Even coffee and tea have potassium. Your potassium needs should be fine with food as long as you're keeping sodium up. I personally believe very much in supplementing magnesium though. Even our foods are deficient in it so it's pretty much impossible to get enough magnesium for optimal use. Your body uses it for over 300 enzymatic processes every day and if you don't have enough, some of those things are de-prioritized.
Use a form of magnesium that ends in "ate" like glycinate, malate, carbonate or citrate... there are others too. Any that end in "ate" will be more bioavailable. You can take as the bottle directs to get a basic level or you can choose (totally optional) to maximize the amount your body can use by finding your personal maximum dosage.
This would only be if you wanted to try to provide absolutely as much magnesium as your body could possibly use each day. If you want that, I can explain it more but again, that's totally optional and not necessary.
If you want to learn more about magnesium there's a great book called The Magnesium Miracle5 -
Thanks for the Na clarification. I agree with your thoughts on K, the lo-salt does it's job there (toe-cramps tell me if I've forgotten it!). I've started supplementing the magnesium, because it's a tricky bugger to get right. I lived in the tropics for years and thought about electrolytes every day. You could go from feeling a little 'low' to really ill in a matter of hours there. But somehow, didn't see the same symptoms creeping in with Keto. You've helped a lot. Thanks. BTW keto-sticks responded rapidly with those dark-purples you mentioned once the Na was right. I know,
they don't really matter. Just a curiosity!
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »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.
Thanks for your help. So hypothetically - just so I can get a clear idea of how much that is - if I'm aiming for 5000mg - that would be about 2 1/2 tsp of salt per day (obvs not taking into account food diary, pickle juice and other exciting suggestions!). If I've got that right then what about potassium? I've been grossly underestimating this!
You get about 2300mg per teaspoon of table salt. A little less if actually measuring by spoon with large crystals of sea salt, but by weight they are pretty much the same.
Since you're also eating salty foods and salting your food you can probably make it a point to supplement that with about 3000mg and you can at least be sure you're just above the bare minimum that way. So I would just aim for 1.5 tsp to start. If you have a day that you take in a lot more liquids than normal or are working out really hard or sweating a lot, you'd need to be aware you may have a need for a bit more sodium on those days.
If you're doing all this and you still have symptoms of dizziness, especially upon standing, or headaches... you may just need more than the lower end of the recommendation. So add another half teaspoon and see if that fixes you up.
As far as potassium, other than maybe using a lite salt made of potassium chloride, I wouldn't bother supplementing it. You actually eat more than you realize because it's not required to be on nutrition labels so you eat more than you realize. Even coffee and tea have potassium. Your potassium needs should be fine with food as long as you're keeping sodium up. I personally believe very much in supplementing magnesium though. Even our foods are deficient in it so it's pretty much impossible to get enough magnesium for optimal use. Your body uses it for over 300 enzymatic processes every day and if you don't have enough, some of those things are de-prioritized.
Use a form of magnesium that ends in "ate" like glycinate, malate, carbonate or citrate... there are others too. Any that end in "ate" will be more bioavailable. You can take as the bottle directs to get a basic level or you can choose (totally optional) to maximize the amount your body can use by finding your personal maximum dosage.
This would only be if you wanted to try to provide absolutely as much magnesium as your body could possibly use each day. If you want that, I can explain it more but again, that's totally optional and not necessary.
If you want to learn more about magnesium there's a great book called The Magnesium Miracle
Great insights - thanks for your contributions.
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This thread has perfect timing! I've also been feeling a little dizzy/light headed when standing or lifting. Only been doing the lowish (~100) carb thing for a week but wasn't paying any attention to sodium intake.3
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Thanks for the Na clarification. I agree with your thoughts on K, the lo-salt does it's job there (toe-cramps tell me if I've forgotten it!). I've started supplementing the magnesium, because it's a tricky bugger to get right. I lived in the tropics for years and thought about electrolytes every day. You could go from feeling a little 'low' to really ill in a matter of hours there. But somehow, didn't see the same symptoms creeping in with Keto. You've helped a lot. Thanks. BTW keto-sticks responded rapidly with those dark-purples you mentioned once the Na was right. I know,
they don't really matter. Just a curiosity!
You'll just have to pretend you're in the tropics again!
Glad you're feeling better. Congrats on the ketones! 0
