Salt in the water
 

Hello,

I was at the gym the other day, and one lady was talking to me about Keto eating and said I should add a bit of salt to my water (not all the time, perhaps just one bottle each day). I was a bit surprised to hear that, did any of you ever hear about this and what are the benefits or reasons behind this? And is there any cons?

of course, my n=1

when i started atkins i would get cramps in the back of my lower leg between my knee and ankle. adding salt fixed that and stopped the cramps (first msg bullion cubes (didn't know), then salt under the tongue, then found some msg-free bullion).

ff to today, months later, i don't supplement with salt anymore and don't get the cramps either. when riding my bike though, i make it a point to add salt, and ^ that advice should do the trick i'd say.

:)

Salt is very important, especially in the first weeks of becoming fat-adapted. You can also drink salty broth as a snack.

Long thread on Salt: https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=445775

General advice on Side Effects, salt to reduce adaptation (aka flu) symptoms, constipation, etc. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/side-effects

I used to do this when I ran (long distance). It helps you absorb the water. It's the same idea behind mineral water.

Thanks guys, and thank you Janet on those links. I've tried to do a search about the salt on the forum, but I had no results. This helps, big time!

You have to use the "Advanced Search" box. If you click on Search this forum, that standard box was disabled, but right under it, open Advanced Search.

Thank you again, I'll try that next time.

It's also important to keep it in balance with other electrolytes. I tried upping my salt significantly and I just felt like I'd eaten too much salty food and was retaining water. But upping my magnesium and potassium (in pill supplements and drops for my water), really made my muscles feel more relaxed, stopped cramps in my feet and calves and really boosted my energy. I don't shy away from salting my food, and I think that's sufficient for me.

I put a little salt in my coffee. It's so nice!!!

I also add in the other minerals like magnesium and potassium. Magnesium citrate is FAR better than magnesium oxide for % absorbed; and lo-salt or no-salt is my go to for extra potassium.

In the kitchen I keep 3 salts and use all three: sea salt, iodized salt and no-salt!!

I salt my food with gusto. At home I use sea salt.

I take chelated magnesium, and this is a supplement where I get clear “good feelings” from.

Potassium, on my mostly-meat diet, I don’t worry about, since it is found so abundantly there.

But absolutely, electrolytes work better on keto. You just have to get them lined up right.

I do that with restaurant coffee - it's often too strong for me but a pinch of salt kind of sweetens it. At home, I make my coffee on the weak side, so it's not a problem. I love salt, so get plenty. :yum:

Isn't coffee also a potasium source?

I've gotten addicted to hot broth as a beverage... especially when I've got that "hungry" feeling that isn't really hunger. A little Simple Girl (only sugar-free instant bouillion I've found) + "Lo-salt" in my mug, some boiling water, and that fake-hunger feeling goes away. (If I'm *actually* hungry, that's a different matter.)

Side-note: It helped me kick my diet-soda addiction. (A lot of folks will crave soda as much for the huge quantity of SALT it contains as for any other factor.)