The Importance of Electrolytes in a Ketogenic Diet
A ketogenic diet or fasting causes the body to rely on fat to produce energy. This is because a ketogenic diet is very low on carbohydrates and proteins and high on fats. Many people use this form of diet to lose weight by burning or utilizing excess fat in the body. When a person consumes carbohydrates the body turns it into glucose. The glucose is contained in the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. When there is too much glucose in the body, the pancreas releases insulin hormone to regulate the glucose. The insulin unlocks body cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. Excess glucose in the blood is stored in form of fat. Excess proteins are also stored in the body as fat. Learn more here!
When the body does not receive carbohydrate or when it is insufficient, it utilizes the fat stored in the body to produce energy instead. This means insulin levels will reduce drastically. This is because the insulin hormone only works on the levels of glucose in the body. In essence, the insulin hormone is used in metabolism. The lack of it affects the process of metabolism in the body. For instance, when the insulin levels are low the body is not able to retain water in the body. The rate of releasing fluids is higher when insulin levels drop. As the body loses water, it loses a lot of electrolytes which are contained in body fluids. These electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which are used to maintaining a balance of the body fluids.
When one goes into a ketogenic state or has switched into a ketogenic diet, they should ensure that they take a lot of fluids. In addition to this, they should also feed on foods or fluids that are rich in electrolytes so that they replenish the levels of minerals in the body. This includes foods such as avocado, nuts, green vegetable, salmon fish and mushrooms. They should also increase their intake of sodium since sodium is used to retain fluids in the body. Learn more about the right foods to eat at https://ketogenic.com/importance-electrolytes-ketogenic-diet/.
Alternatively, the person on a ketogenic diet can take minerals that are rich in minerals. This is because it may not be easy to get all the minerals or sufficient portions from the meals that one is taking. The body requires a balance of all these minerals to function optimally. Therefore, when on a ketogenic diet, find out from your physician which supplements and the quantity that can help replenish electrolytes in the body. Discover more about dieting here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet.
