Maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance is crucial, especially when following a ketogenic diet. This article explores the importance of electrolytes, particularly on a keto diet, and provides a variety of homemade electrolyte drink recipes to help you combat the dreaded "keto flu" and optimize your overall health.
Why Electrolytes Matter on Keto
Ketogenic diets, characterized by low carbohydrate and high fat intake, shift the body's primary fuel source from glucose to fat. This metabolic state, called ketosis, can lead to increased water loss and electrolyte excretion, especially during the initial adaptation phase. When shifting into ketosis your body flushes water and electrolytes. Increased urination is one of the earliest signs of the transition into ketosis.
Electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and magnesium, are minerals that carry an electric charge and play a vital role in various bodily functions. These include nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and maintaining pH balance. When electrolyte levels drop, it can lead to unpleasant symptoms commonly referred to as the "keto flu". Examples of the most common symptoms include headache, brain fog, low energy, fatigue, cramps, and even weird dreams.
Therefore, replenishing these lost electrolytes is essential for preventing these symptoms and supporting overall well-being on a keto diet.
Understanding Keto Flu
"Keto-flu" is generally caused by dehydration and a loss of electrolytes. Fortunately, keto-flu is 100% preventable! Hydration and replenishing potassium, sodium, and magnesium are key strategies to ward off the symptoms of keto-flu. An electrolyte drink is an easy way to meet these needs.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
The Problem with Store-Bought Electrolyte Drinks
While convenient, many commercially available electrolyte replacement drinks are not ideal for those on a keto diet. Many of the well known electrolyte replacement drinks include added phosphorus, sugars, and artificial colors. Store bought electrolyte drinks like electrolyte water, sports drinks, coconut water with added lemon juice or lime juice, and Himalayan salt have flooded the market. However, they are all so expensive and, truthfully, not for any good reason. Many of them do not contain expensive ingredients at all.
DIY Electrolyte Drinks: A Customizable Solution
Making your own electrolyte drink at home offers several advantages. It's cost-effective, allows you to control the ingredients, and ensures a sugar-free and additive-free hydration solution. I wanted to create an electrolyte drink recipe that was cheap (it is so cheap to make it is ridiculous), and easy. The ingredients needed to be accessible and easy to source for everyone worldwide to access. The recipe is also gluten free, sugar free (including no natural sugars like honey, fruits, or maple syrup) and can be enjoyed during intermittent fasting.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Electrolyte Drinks:
- Water: This forms the base of your drink, keeping you hydrated.
- Sodium Source: Sea salt, Himalayan salt, or table salt can be used to replenish sodium levels.
- Potassium Source: Options include potassium chloride, lite salt (a blend of sodium chloride and potassium chloride), or cream of tartar.
- Magnesium Supplement: Essential for muscle function and helps alleviate symptoms of keto flu. When choosing magnesium powders please be mindful that some do contain sweeteners. In my opinion, you do not need any sweetener at all in the electrolytes.
- Low-Carb Sweetener (Optional): Use Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit or stevia to sweeten your electrolyte drink. These natural low-carb sweeteners make the drink tasty without adding carbs or sugars. Not a fan of sweetener? A more pure way of sweetening this electrolyte mix is to add ½ teaspoon stevia powder, I love this but the boys find it a bit bitter.
- Flavor Enhancers (Optional): Lemon juice, lime juice, flavored herbal teas, mint sprigs, cucumber slices, or extracts can be added for flavor.
Base Recipe
- 16-32 ounces of water
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan salt (provides ~1,000 mg sodium)
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of potassium chloride or lite salt (provides ~200 mg potassium chloride)
- 1/10 teaspoon di-magnesium malate (provides ~60 mg magnesium)
- Optional: Low-carb sweetener to taste
- Optional: Lemon or lime juice for flavor
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a glass or shaker bottle.
- Stir or shake well until the salt and powders are fully dissolved.
- Add some ice cubes if needed and enjoy!
Important Considerations:
- Taste: Adjust the amount of salt and sweetener to your liking.
- Magnesium: Natural Calm's proprietary magnesium citrate (made from magnesium carbonate and citric acid) is important to mix it thoroughly and let it fizz and dissolve completely. This process creates a highly absorbable form of magnesium. Ideally, drink it with meals, not on an empty stomach. Start with 1-2 cups a day to see how your body responds. If you're physically active and sweating a lot, you might need more, but go easy and don't exceed 3 cups a day.
- Listen to Your Body: If you suffer from keto-flu symptoms, have 2-3 cups per day with meals (3 cups only if you are physically active and have no stomach discomfort) and also add more sodium to your diet (try Homemade Bone Broth).
LMNT-Inspired Electrolyte Recipes
Here are recipes inspired by LMNT flavors that you can easily make at home:
#1: LMNT Citrus Salt
INGREDIENTS (serves 1):
- 16-32 oz water
- 2,500 mg sodium chloride (for 1,000 mg sodium)
- 385 mg potassium chloride (for 200 mg potassium)
- 390 mg magnesium malate OR 265 mg di-magnesium malate (for 60 mg magnesium)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Dash of stevia, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Stir or shake to mix well, and serve over ice.
#2: LMNT Raspberry Salt
INGREDIENTS (serves 1):
- 16-32 oz water
- 2,500 mg sodium chloride (for 1,000 mg sodium)
- 385 mg potassium chloride (for 200 mg potassium)
- 390 mg magnesium malate OR 265 mg di-magnesium malate (for 60 mg magnesium)
- ¼ cup whole raspberries
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Dash of stevia, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Stir or shake to mix well, and serve over ice.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
#3: LMNT Orange Salt
INGREDIENTS (serves 1):
- 16-32 oz water
- 2,500 mg sodium chloride (for 1,000 mg sodium)
- 385 mg potassium chloride (for 200 mg potassium)
- 390 mg magnesium malate OR 265 mg di-magnesium malate (for 60 mg magnesium)
- 3 orange slices
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Dash of stevia, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Stir or shake to mix well, and serve over ice.
#4: LMNT Watermelon Salt
INGREDIENTS (serves 1):
- 16-32 oz water
- 2,500 mg sodium chloride (for 1,000 mg sodium)
- 385 mg potassium chloride (for 200 mg potassium)
- 390 mg magnesium malate OR 265 mg di-magnesium malate (for 60 mg magnesium)
- ½ cup cubed watermelon
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Dash of stevia, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Stir or shake to mix well, and serve over ice.
Bulk Preparation
Preparing a bulk mix can save you a lot of time and mess. Simply multiply each number above by however many servings you’d like to prep, and blend them together thoroughly. Then, when you’re ready to get salty, scoop about 3.2 grams into 16-32 oz of water, and add a dash of your preferred sweetener and flavors.
If you don’t have a blender or shaker, you can always pre-measure your individual servings into a smaller container, such as a monthly pill box. That way, you only need to measure ingredients once per month.
Measuring Without a Scale
It’s worth noting that we intentionally share our electrolyte homebrew formula with weight measurements rather than volume measurements (like teaspoons) because volume isn’t always a consistent measure of quantity. The salt and electrolyte powders you buy may be more or less dense than some others on the market, which may skew how much electrolytes you’re getting in each serving.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
However, if you don’t own a scale, you can get pretty close to the formula above using the following volume measurements (in teaspoons):
- About 1/2 teaspoon sodium chloride (provides ~1,000 mg sodium)
- About 1/15 teaspoon potassium chloride (provides ~200 mg potassium chloride)
- About 1/10 teaspoon di-magnesium malate (provides ~60 mg magnesium)
That said, teaspoon sets typically don’t come with a 1/10 or 1/15 teaspoons to measure with, and measuring each serving individually can be quite tedious. To save time and measure more accurately, you can make 30 servings at once. Simply combine:
- 15 teaspoons sodium chloride
- 2 teaspoons potassium chloride
- 3 teaspoons di-magnesium malate
Be sure to mix them together thoroughly afterwards. Then, to get a single serving, scoop about 2/3 teaspoon into 16-32 oz water and flavor it to suit your taste!
Keto Mojo Electrolyte Recipe
Since launching Keto Mojo in 2021, the electrolyte recipe has been enormously popular. The ingredients for homemade electrolytes are easily accessible from your local supermarket. However, the ingredients used will not be shared online. It is good to know they are all supermarket-friendly ingredients, so it’s easy to make your own homemade electrolyte drink. I do buy all my ingredients in bulk to cut costs. It is simply mixed with water or soda water, or you can even add the electrolyte powder to gummies or smoothies if you prefer.
Key Points about Keto Mojo Electrolytes:
- Is the electrolytes recipe exclusive to Keto Mojo? Yes, the ingredients list used in the Keto Mojo recipe is exclusive to the cookbook or eBook.
- Are sweeteners added to homemade electrolytes? No, the Keto Mojo Electrolytes contain zero sweeteners.
- Can additional supplements be added to homemade electrolytes? Yes, additional supplements can be added to suit your needs. I add extra supplements from time to time, including the list below. These are supplements I have tried in the mixtures.
- How much does making electrolytes at home cost per serve? Store-bought electrolytes can cost $60-$80 for 30 servings. Keto Mojo Electrolytes cost approximately $0.08 AUD per serve for the basic recipe.
The standard powdered electrolyte mixture has the nutritional values below. There are no additional added supplements. The mixture contains no sweeteners of any kind. I mix mine with soda water. I use a 64oz insulated Yeti Rambler and fill it up with almost 2 litres of soda water, ice and 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) of electrolytes. I may drink 1-2 of these per day. The amount you consume will vary. If you are the kind of person always running around or very active, then you will likely have more than I do. The standard recipe makes 6 serves, and it is 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of liquid. I make it in bulk as it makes it so easy when there are two of us drinking it constantly. Mix it with water if you prefer a flat drink or mix it with soda water. Electrolytes can be flavoured with extracts, spices, sugar-free cordial (added to the water), flavoured magnesium powder, flavoured protein waters, or flavoured collagens. The options are endless. Note: When choosing any flavourings to add to the electrolytes mixture or your glass of electrolytes check the nutritional labels of what you are adding. Many flavourings, especially flavoured collagen or protein powders, contain calories and carbs.
Storage Tips for Homemade Electrolyte Mixes
Just like spices, homemade electrolytes can clump up and go hard if there’s any moisture involved. The mix itself doesn’t have any anti-caking agents or junk added to it, so it’s a bit more sensitive-but totally manageable if you treat it right.
- Use a dry, airtight container - I love reusing an old magnesium or supplement jar. Just make sure it seals tightly. And please-don’t wash it out first.
- Add a couple of silica gel packets - You know those little “do not eat” packs?
- Keep the jar closed tight - Every time. Even if you think “I’ll just leave it open for a second,” don’t.
- Divide large batches into smaller jars - If you’re working with a 1 kg batch, keep the main stash sealed and only use a small jar for daily scooping.
Things to Avoid:
- Leaving the container open during humid weather - If the humidity’s up, your mix will soak it in like a sponge.
- Double-dipping your spoon - Stirring your drink and then putting the damp spoon back in the jar? Instant moisture transfer.
- Spooning the powder directly over your drink - If you’re hovering over your glass and it’s already fizzing up, that effervescence sends steam and moisture up into your jar.
- Scooping with wet or greasy hands - Grease, oil, or even just sweaty hands can transfer enough residue to start a reaction in the jar.
- Using a jar that had food or oil in it previously - Even a trace of leftover coconut oil or butter from a reused jar can be enough to trigger clumping.
If your electrolyte mix does go a bit hard, it’s annoying-but not the end of the world. The electrolytes are still totally usable and effective.
tags: #keto #electrolyte #recipe