Potassium is an essential vitamin, and when on keto, we don’t get enough of it. In fact, most people in the US don’t get enough of it, period. Being able to properly manage your potassium intake while dieting can keep you healthy while being able to stick to your diet and manage your carbs. But why is potassium important on the keto diet?
What Does Potassium Do For You?
Potassium is one of the most vital elements in your body. It is crucial that its absence can cause keto flu symptoms and cause even more severe illness. Let’s break down exactly how potassium can help you.
Fluid Regulation
Keto helps keep your fluids adequately balanced. If you have an issue with water retention, potassium can help.
As you drink water, your body must regulate where it goes and how it's balanced in your cells. Potassium helps to do that.
Nerve Impulses
Ever had muscle contractions because you were dehydrated? What about leg cramps? That was because you didn’t have enough potassium in your system! Electrolyte drinks like Gatorade were developed with that need in mind. Today, we have better formulations, like Intentionally Bare’s Keto BHB + Electrolyte Drink, which is formulated with potassium to help with muscle contractions that can happen if you become dehydrated.
Headaches
There are a number of ways in which potassium may help headache sufferers. From high blood pressure to a possible link to migraine, potassium may be an area to look into if you have issues with chronic headaches.
Potassium also has several health benefits. It may:
- Protect against heart attack
- Protect against stroke
- Help prevent osteoporosis
- Help your kidneys stay healthy
Why Is Potassium Important on the Keto Diet?
Many of the most common sources of potassium, including bananas, sweet potatoes, and pinto beans, are not keto-friendly foods. But it’s an often-overlooked supplement, and most people don’t think to add it until they are really struggling with the keto flu. By that point, some people have gotten frustrated, thinking that they can’t do keto because they feel tired all the time.
Additionally, people who have low potassium levels may make less insulin. Because your insulin levels decrease naturally when on keto, you run the risk of having them fall too low if you're not supplementing your potassium. Getting a minimum of 3000 to 4000 milligrams of potassium daily is vital for maintaining your health on the keto diet.
How to Get Potassium on Keto
Since potassium is essential to a healthy keto diet, how will you get it if you can't eat potassium-rich food? Surprisingly, there are better sources of potassium than bananas or potatoes! Eating leafy greens, nuts, avocados, and seeds are all surefire ways to stay healthy on keto. Supplements are also great for keeping up with potassium and maintaining a healthy keto diet. Electrolyte supplements help maintain potassium as well.
Remember, eating keto isn’t just about healthy weight loss; it’s about creating an overall healthy lifestyle! That means that in addition to eating some amazing foods, we may need to supplement some vitamins and minerals that our body needs because they aren’t always present in keto-friendly food choices. While eating spinach salad and snacking on nuts will help increase our potassium levels, making sure that we have something like my Intentionally Bare Keto BHB + Electrolyte Drink on hand will help ensure that we are getting the minimum amount of potassium each day.
Are you sometimes confused about what supplements you may need as part of a healthy keto diet? Be sure to join my Intentionally Bare Keto Support Group on Facebook! With over 18,000 members on their keto journey, there is always someone around to answer your questions. I do a live feature every week called Coffee with Leta, where I talk about a current topic, and I would love to see you there!
You got this!
Leta
~ Intentionally Bare
❗️ DISCLAIMER: Health information given here is based on public research and is not meant to take the place of your doctor's advice. Always do your own research and discuss it with your health practitioner before trying a new diet, supplement or exercise plan.
❗️ DISCLOSURE: I manufacture a line of 100% natural keto products under the brand name, Intentionally Bare. These products will be mentioned from time to time because they are amazingly healthy and fantastic for those on a ketogenic diet or anyone looking to improve their health. I am also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.** I ONLY ever post a link to products I personally USE and LOVE!
