The ketogenic diet has gained popularity as a way to lose weight and potentially improve your health. The diet is very low in carbohydrates, high in fat, and moderate in protein. It's very popular because it puts the body into ketosis, a metabolic state. This results in the body burning fat instead of sugar for fuel.
A lot of people worry about dehydration on a keto diet. Dehydration often gets blamed for the headaches, weakness, and cramps that comprise the infamous keto flu. It seems logical. You lose more fluids on a low-carb diet, so you probably need to drink a bit more to replenish. However, a water-only hydration strategy usually makes things worse. Keto or otherwise.
The Keto Diet Explained
The keto diet is all about cutting carbs and eating more fat, similar to the Atkins diet from the 1970s. The keto diet reduces your total carb intake to less than 50 grams a day. This is the equivalent of a cup of white rice. 5% of calories come from carbohydrates, including low-carb, non-starchy vegetables and small amounts of leafy greens. The keto diet excludes carb-rich foods like grains, beans, fruits, and starchy vegetables. Overall, this diet is safe and can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.
Roshini G. Merneedi, RD, a dietitian at Northwestern Medicine, explains that your body's primary energy source is glucose, which comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates. The keto diet limits carbohydrates, forcing your body to burn fat for fuel instead. When these stores are full, they are converted into fat. In this state, your body breaks down fats into molecules called ketones. Ketones serve as an alternative fuel source.
The Myth of 8 Glasses of Water Per Day
You’ve probably heard of the 8×8 rule. It’s a slice of pseudo-wisdom that’s been handed down for generations. There was no supporting science, but the recommendation stuck anyway. He claimed the water was necessary for the kidneys to wash away fatty acids after breaking down fat. The punchline? “No scientific studies were found in support of 8×8”.
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Keto Flu: Causes and Symptoms
While the diet is considered safe for most people, it’s associated with some unpleasant initial side effects. Some followers of the diet refer to this as the “keto flu” or “carb flu.” This article investigates what the keto flu is, why it happens, and how to ease its symptoms.
The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start the keto diet. These symptoms, which can feel similar to the flu, are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very little carbohydrates. Reducing your carb intake forces your body to burn ketones for energy instead of glucose.
Ketones are byproducts of fat breakdown and become the primary fuel source when following a ketogenic diet. Usually, fat is reserved as a secondary fuel source to use when glucose is not available. This switch to burning fat for energy is called ketosis. It occurs during specific circumstances, including starvation and fasting. However, ketosis can also be reached by adopting a very low carb diet.
This drastic reduction can come as a shock to the body and may cause withdrawal-like symptoms similar to those experienced when weaning off an addictive substance like caffeine. Switching to a very low carb diet is a major change, and your body may need time to adapt to this new way of eating. For some people, this transition period can be especially difficult.
Signs of the keto flu may start popping up within the first few days of cutting back on carbs. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary from person to person. While some people may transition to a ketogenic diet without any side effects, others report symptoms such as:
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- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Brain fog
- Stomach or intestinal pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Food cravings
These symptoms are commonly reported by those who have just begun the ketogenic diet and can be distressing. Symptoms typically last a few days or, rarely, up to several weeks. While these side effects may cause some dieters to give up, there are ways to reduce them.
Hydration on Keto: Why It's Important
One common issue that many people experience while following this diet is dehydration. The nature of the high-fat and low-carb diet can cause an imbalance in electrolytes, leading to dehydration and other unpleasant symptoms. Proper hydration is essential to stay healthy and avoid dehydration while on the Keto diet. Water makes up a significant portion of our body, and proper hydration is essential for the proper functioning of the body.
When on the Keto diet, it is even more crucial to maintain proper hydration levels. The reason being that the Keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet, which means that the body produces ketones to burn fat for energy instead of glucose. This process leads to the loss of water and electrolytes, leading to dehydration. Carbohydrates are what holds your body's water and sodium to help ensure you stay hydrated. Because the keto diet involves eliminating carbohydrates, you can easily sweat and lose necessary electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium.
The risk of dehydration is greater when first starting a ketogenic diet because your body is undergoing a lot of changes in how it handles water and electrolytes. While water is important in any diet, it is even more so in low-carb diets where the loss of essential electrolytes can quickly lead to symptoms of dehydration. Water weight is also an important factor. When you start a keto diet, it is normal to lose several pounds of water weight in the first week or two due to glycogen stores being depleted and your body no longer absorbing as much water from carbs. Because you need to drink more water on the keto diet.
Electrolyte intake plays a vital role in weight loss in ketosis, as electrolytes help the body absorb and utilize nutrients. Electrolyte imbalance can lead to dehydration, and there are several signs that you should be aware of. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is crucial to increase your water intake and consider incorporating electrolyte-rich foods and drinks into your diet.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Preventing Dehydration: Strategies for Keto Dieters
There are two common hydration strategies:
- Drink on a set schedule (8×8, etc.)
- Drink to thirst
The first strategy is designed to prevent dehydration, or net water loss from the body. When total body water decreases by 2% or more, that’s called hypohydration. Dehydration is the process of losing water. Hypohydration is the undesirable consequence. Rigorous athletes often become hypohydrated due to sweat loss. It happens faster than thirst can keep up. In other words, drinking to thirst is inadequate to compensate for water losses in these people. For the ordinary individual though, thirst can often be a great indicator of hydration levels (of course there are exceptions where thirst becomes less accurate, even for the average Joe-high altitude training and very cold climates, to name two).
General Tips on How You Can Avoid Dehydration
- Start your day with water: Right when you wake up, drink a glass of plain water. Then, try to drink around eight glasses of water throughout the day. Keep in mind that this can vary based on things such as your location, activity level and weight. One way to see if you need to drink more water is to monitor the color of your urine. It should be either light yellow or clear if you are well hydrated.
- Keep water nearby: It is easier to remember to drink water if you keep a full glass near you.
- Buy a tracking cup or download an app: To visually see how much you drink in a day, you can purchase a daily water tracking bottle or download a water tracking app
- Keep hydrated with other liquids: While water should be your main source, you can also stay hydrated with low-sugar broths, juices, sports drinks and popsicles.
- Eat whole foods: Foods such as leafy vegetables have a high water content that can keep you hydrated, while nuts and seeds are high in electrolytes. Low-carb foods such as avocados, cucumbers and celery also contain a lot of water.
Fluid intake while being in ketogenic diets is recommended to be at least 2-3 liters per day. However, when following the Keto diet, it is essential to increase your water intake to compensate for the loss of water due to the production of ketones. A general rule of thumb is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink at least 75 ounces of water per day.
Tips to Help You Increase Your Water Consumption on the Keto Diet
- Keep a water bottle with you at all times and sip on it throughout the day.
- Set reminders on your phone to drink water every hour.
- Infuse your water with fruits or herbs to add flavor.
- Drink water before and after meals.
- Avoid sugary drinks and replace them with water.
Incorporating these tips into your daily routine can help you increase your water intake and stay hydrated on the Keto diet.
The Role of Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals that conduct electrical impulses in the body and play a crucial role in hydration. The most important electrolytes for hydration are sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. When on the Keto diet, the loss of water and electrolytes can lead to an imbalance in electrolytes, leading to dehydration. It is essential to maintain proper electrolyte levels to avoid dehydration. Fatty acids affect blood pressure, so it is important to ensure that electrolyte levels are balanced.
Brightly colored beverages have reigned in the sports beverage category for decades with the promise of replacing lost electrolytes. Simply put, electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge. They help the body retain water, keep muscles contracting properly, balance pH levels, and maintain nervous system function. When you sweat or urinate a lot - as may happen on keto - these critical substances can get too low in your bloodstream. If you’re low on electrolytes, your body will have a harder time staying hydrated. This is why drinking fluids alone may not do the trick to rehydrate you.
As with most things in the body, keeping the right ratio of electrolytes is a delicate balance - which can sometimes become disturbed. Electrolyte imbalances occur when your body stores up too many (or too few) of these electrically charged substances. The names for these imbalances have Latin roots. If you’ve ever learned a little Latin, you may remember that the prefix “hyper-” refers to too much of something, while “hypo” means too little. Each excess or shortage of a specific electrolyte will lead to unique symptoms. Certain health conditions can predispose you to experiencing electrolyte imbalances when you get dehydrated.
How to Increase Electrolyte Intake
- Eating keto-friendly foods that contain electrolytes, such as leafy greens, avocados and nuts, can help maintain the balance of electrolytes in the body.
- Supplements such as magnesium and potassium can also help replenish electrolytes lost due to dehydration.
- For a natural sports beverage alternative, try coconut water. It contains plenty of sodium and potassium, along with smaller amounts of calcium and magnesium.
- A DIY veggie juice or smoothie with ingredients like leafy greens and berries will also help replenish magnesium and potassium stores.
- For a hefty dose of sodium, sip a cup of broth or low-carb soup.
- To focus on potassium, reach for bananas, cooked broccoli, seafood, or tomatoes.
- Magnesium-rich foods include pumpkin seeds, cooked spinach, dry-roasted cashews and almonds, and dark chocolate.
- Perfect Keto Daily Electrolytes - Precise 4:2:1:1 Ratio.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods and drinks can make dehydration worse and should be avoided when on the Keto diet. These include:
- Alcohol: Alcohol can dehydrate the body and cause electrolyte imbalances.
- Caffeine: Caffeine can increase urine output and lead to dehydration.
- Processed foods: Processed foods are generally high in sodium and low in potassium, leading to electrolyte imbalances.
Hydrating Keto-Friendly Foods
Incorporating hydrating foods into your Keto diet can help you maintain proper hydration levels. Here are some hydrating Keto-friendly foods to add to your diet:
- Leafy greens: Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and lettuce are high in water and electrolytes.
- Avocado: Avocado is high in potassium and healthy fats, making it an excellent Keto-friendly hydrating food.
- Cucumber: Cucumbers are high in water and low in carbs, making them an excellent hydrating snack on the Keto diet.
- Berries: Berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are high in water and low in carbs, making them an excellent hydrating dessert on the Keto diet.
Incorporating these foods into your meals can help you stay hydrated and healthy on the Keto diet.
Monitoring Hydration Levels
Monitoring your urine color is an excellent way to know if you are properly hydrated. Urine color should be pale yellow or clear. If your urine is dark yellow, it is a sign of dehydration, and you should increase your water intake. However, if your urine is clear or colorless, it may be a sign of overhydration, and you should decrease your water intake.
Overhydration: A Potential Issue
I’m not saying that dehydration is never an issue. It can be. But overhydration is the problem that keeps me up at night, and not just because of the frequent bathroom breaks. The thing that concerns me is that overhydration may cause severe electrolyte imbalances. Add this to an electrolyte-depleting ketogenic diet and I’m very concerned.
It’s crucial to manage your electrolyte levels on keto. If you don’t, electrolyte deficiencies will manifest as symptoms like headaches, low energy, or muscle cramps. And drinking more water will only make the symptoms worse.
Hyponatremia: The Danger of Low Sodium
But isn’t dehydration dangerous? Again, perhaps not as much as it's cracked up to be. The symptoms of hyponatremia include muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, and confusion. In severe cases, hyponatremia can be fatal. Common causes of hyponatremia include heart failure, kidney failure, liver disease, cancer, diuretics, vomiting, diarrhea, and-relevant here-excess fluid intake. Excess fluids literally water down your blood. The sodium concentration plummets. Because the symptoms of dehydration mimic the symptoms of hyponatremia, people often get them confused. But drinking sodium-free water to treat “dehydration” only makes hyponatremia worse. He was given water when he needed sodium.
Most people, of course, won’t die from overhydration. The electrolyte deficiencies I see among low-carb and keto dieters are more subtle. But even subtle deficiencies can cause a constellation of keto flu symptoms.
Keto Hydration Strategy
A keto hydration strategy should:
- Provide sufficient fluids to cover baseline needs and any extra fluid losses
- Provide sufficient electrolytes (especially sodium) to cover baseline needs and any extra electrolyte losses
I recommend using thirst to guide your fluid intake.
Other Diets That Could Lead to Dehydration
Here are five diets that could lead to dehydration:
- High-Protein Diets: When you consume large amounts of protein, your body flushes out excess nitrogen with fluids and water.
- Ketogenic Diet: When you cut carbs, you end up releasing water,” Dr. Young says. “The body is going into its glycogen storage to break down the carbs, so you end up losing more water from a diet like that.”
- Intermittent Fasting: You’re allowed to drink water if you’re intermittent fasting, even outside of your eating times. But the problem, Gans says, is that some people forget. “You’re sitting down to less meals,” she points out - and mealtime is a natural opportunity to have a glass of water.
- Dry Fasting: Dry fasting is a version of intermittent fasting that requires followers to restrict both food and drink. During the fasting period, you can’t have any type of liquid: Water, broth, tea, coffee, and all other beverages are off-limits.
- Diets That Eliminate Fruits and Vegetables: “If you’re eliminating fruit and vegetables, which are hydrating foods, you’re putting yourself at higher risk of dehydration,” Gans says.
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