Tuesday, May 4, 2021

How much water should I drink while on keto

extracted from : https://www.carbmanager.com/article/xtqwcbeaaceacgke/how-much-water-should-i-drink-on-keto/

Everyone knows that staying hydrated is important no matter what diet you follow.

But during your low-carb journey, water intake is more important than ever.

In this Keto Beginners Series, we’ll dive into the importance of ample water intake on Keto and why you need more water on a low carb diet.

You Need to Drink More Water on Keto
Dehydration is one of the most common side effects of the Ketogenic diet. Many people overlook how much more water you should be drinking when you’re on a low carb diet.

Here’s why: Glucose from carbohydrates is stored in your liver and muscle cells as glycogen. Glycogen is basically a bunch of glucose molecules smashed together with water. In fact, there are approximately 3 grams of water for every gram of glucose stored in glycogen![*] Therefore, glucose is important for water storage in the body. 

Additionally, carbohydrate consumption triggers insulin secretion. Insulin tells your kidneys to keep sodium, as opposed to adding it to urine and peeing it out.[*] If you are eating a low-carbohydrate diet, then you are not triggering much insulin release and your kidneys will excrete more sodium than usual. 

More sodium excretion causes more water excretion. So, to accommodate for this effect, you should drink more water and add salt to your meals while on the Keto diet.  

The bottom line is that carbohydrates play an important role in holding water and sodium in your body. When you restrict carbs you retain less water and need to increase how much you take in. This means people eating Keto need to drink more water and eat more salt compared to other diets.

Side Effects of Dehydration
If you aren’t carefully monitoring your water intake, mild dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue, dry mouth, and flu-like symptoms.[*]

Chronic dehydration can deter you from getting the results you’re after on the Ketogenic diet and lead to long-term health problems.

Electrolytes are Crucial
Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium are essential electrolytes that are key for proper hydration.

On Keto, you’re eliminating various salty processed carbohydrates, so it’s crucial that you increase your sodium intake more than if you were following a diet that consisted of carbs.

Since Keto helps maintain low levels of insulin, your body flushes out more sodium than any other diet.[*] Make sure to replenish these essential electrolytes, especially sodium, to get the most out of the low carb, high fat lifestyle.

Keto-Adaptation Will Cause Water Weight Fluctuations
During the first week of Keto, you’ll experience a drastic water weight fluctuation. This is completely normal and should not be a cause for concern. It's just another way that the scale doesn't always tell the whole story when it comes to weight loss and diet progress.

When your body stores carbs, it holds onto water. For every 1 gram of carbs you store, you’ll store an average of 4 grams of water. Once these carbs are removed from your diet, water will come along with it, so it’s important to maintain proper fluid levels during this period.

Why You Should Drink More Water on Keto
Your body goes through major metabolic transitions as you become a fat burner. Here’s why adequate fluid levels are crucial on the Ketogenic diet.
#1. Replaces lost water
As mentioned previously, your body stores water when carbohydrates are present. When carbs are eliminated, water is also flushed out.

#2. Curbs cravings and regulates appetite
Often, when you experience hunger pangs or sugar cravings on keto, it’s most likely because you’re dehydrated. Make it a habit to reach for a glass of water instead of a sugary treat when these cravings arise.

#3. Less stress on your kidneys
Ketones are acidic and some of these ketone bodies are flushed out instead of used for fuel to ensure they don’t accumulate in the body. Drinking more water supports the kidneys’ role of filtering out any unnecessary toxins that may be lingering.

#4. Water helps fat metabolize faster
The process of beta-oxidation (where fats are broken down) requires water molecules. Burning fat costs more water during the process compared to carbs which means more water consumption will help your body break fats down more effectively.

How Much Water Should You Drink on Keto?
The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming between 91 and 125 fluid ounces of water per day as an adult.[*]

This amount will vary depending on the individual and lifestyle factors such as age, diet, weight, and activity level. For example, if you exercise frequently and work in hot weather, you’ll need to drink more water than someone who works a desk job and lives a sedentary lifestyle.

As a Ketogenic dieter, you’ll need to drink even more water because of the fluid excretion that occurs as a result of low carb eating.

A good rule of thumb is to drink when you’re thirsty but don’t overdo it. If your urine is a very light yellow or close to clear, then you are drinking the correct amount. If your urine is a darker yellow, consider drinking more water throughout the day.

Tips to Help You Drink More Water
If staying hydrated is a struggle for you during your Ketogenic journey, here are a few of our favorite tips to ensure you maintain proper fluid levels.

Drink a water bottle immediately upon waking up. Your body is most dehydrated after a full night’s rest. Drinking a couple glasses of water right as you wake up is a great way to start your day hydrated.

Flavor your water. If you can’t stand flavorless water, consider getting a zero-calorie flavoring to add to your water. Avoid anything that contains sugar or calories.

Keep a water bottle next to you. It’s much easier to drink water if it’s always within reach.

Stay Hydrated to Get the Most Out of Keto

Since carbohydrates are responsible for retaining water in the body, it’s crucial that you drink more water after following the Ketogenic diet.

If you are showing signs of fatigue, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and your urine is a darker yellow, there’s a good chance you’re dehydrated.

Make sure to prioritize adequate water intake to get the most out of the low carb, high fat Ketogenic lifestyle!


Note: The content in this article is not medical advice and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always talk to your doctor before changing your diet.



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extracted from : https://theketochart.com/how-much-water-should-i-drink-on-keto/

How much water should I drink on keto ?

It has been a long day and you’re tired of thinking “how much water should I drink on the keto?” or how will I stay hydrated throughout the day? Don’t stress out searching for answers because there is no rocket science involved in this.

A human  needs to have around 2 liters of water every day for the body to function normally. This is the least you can do whether in keto or not. Keto requires more than two liters of water (ideally 3 liters).

Drink as much as you can. There is no problem if you 5 liters of water during ketosis.  The basic reason being that each glycogen molecule holds a handful of water molecules which helps us stay hydrated. During keto, our body is deprived of these water molecules present along with glycogen due to the absence of carbs. This also signifies that the essential electrolytes present in the body also gets lost while it loses these water molecules.

Does water speed up ketosis?

Yes it does. Water is one of the key ingredients of ketosis. When you first start keto diet You body start to lose carbohydrates in a rapid speed . With carb it loses a lot of water along with minerals . Drinking ample amount of water is a must in this phrase. In this stage Water goes a long way in speeding up the process of Ketosis.


How much water should I drink on keto

Here are the five reasons why one should drink more water to speed up ketosis

1.Replenish the water you lose
Drinking water helps to replenish the water you lose in the process of ketosis. With the elimination of carbohydrates from the diet, the body loses water molecules along with glycogen stored in the muscles, which may lead to fatigue, lethargy and in severe cases, dehydration.

The lost water needs to be periodically replenished so that one might retain their optimum water levels without compromising on any other dependent or independent variable in context to the general process of ketosis.

2.Minerals and Salts 
The efficient bodily functioning among humans is rested upon the correct quantitative presence of minerals and salts. As the loss of water occurs during ketosis, the body needs to be able to rejuvenate these essential minerals to continue the smooth functioning of the body.

3.Natural lubricant to the kidneys
Water acts as a natural lubricant to the kidneys and catalyzes the general functioning of the organ. therefore, drinking optimal amounts of water, while undergoing the process of ketosis, ensures that and individual ends up with a healthier body, as well as a healthier, more efficient kidney!

the logic behind this being that the ketone levels in the urine fall over time, and need to be taken care of while partaking in ketogenic processes.

4.keto breath
One of the most pressing cons of a ketogenic diet is the eventual onset of bad breath, which is more commonly known as “keto breath”.

It is caused by the ketone acetate present in ketogenic foods, like raspberries and even pineapples. an increase in the quantity of water consumed helps to remove the bad breath and helps to maintain a fresh feeling in your mouth.

5.Increase Metabolism Rate
Metabolism rate tends to be higher for people having an ample amount of water throughout the day.

Keto water recipe

As we are all aware, the process of ketosis involves a lot of water loss and hence keep the body hydrated is something one must be consciously aware of.

Under normal circumstances, an average adult should drink at least two liters of water a day, and while on ketosis, that amount should ideally go up by at least half a liter to ensure optimum results.

Another well-known fact about the ketogenic dietary system is the near removal of carbohydrates from the diet. In an attempt to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods we often miss out on important mineral supplements such as potassium and sodium.

To avoid that, keto specialists have come up with a solution known as the keto water recipe. This is an electrolyte boost supplement drink that makes sure that the body gets the right amount of potassium and sodium without tampering with any carbohydrate at all.

How to use water for keto diet ?

There are two ways of going about this process.

First method

The first one is to add 5 grams of potassium bitartrate, which is more commonly known as cream of tartar along with one gram of sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt or even regular table salt.

Cream of tartar provides the potassium electrolyte while the salt provides the sodium electrolyte. The nutritional value of this drink is as follows.

The potassium mixture contains about 800 mg of potassium which is 20% of the prescribed daily requirement of the body. In terms of the salt, one gram of salt contains 500 mg of sodium which is again, approximately 20 % of the suggested requirement.

Second Method

The other method is to use a single ingredient, called Salt Lite. This is a salt which is a 50% deficit in sodium hence making it an equal supplement of both sodium and potassium.

To make the electrolyte booster using this technique, use 3 grams of the Salt Lite, in a glass of water and mix well. That pretty much sums up the making process. It is a super easy, nutritional booster drink that is quick and convenient to make.

In terms of health, 3 grams of Salt Lite contain 825 mg of Potassium and close to 500 grams of sodium which help replenish the lost minerals.

There are multiple ways to color and flavor this drink. You could add one single slice of lemon to the drink to add a little citric flavor to the otherwise bland drink.

To make it more interesting, you could add food coloring of your choice, drink it cold, and make other changes to it as you may like. But one thing to be taken care of is that the quantities of the ingredients should not be meddled with under any circumstances, as they may have a detrimental impact on your health.

Bottom line

Ketosis requires you to have water more than the normal level. You should have a minimum of 3 liters of water every day during ketosis. Thats the perfect amount of Water. Having plenty of water will make you feel fresh and hydrated throughout.

Supply of electrolytes which is essential for our body will also be fulfilled. You should try to drink water at regular intervals througout the day rather than one big gulp. Drink as much as possible and try out the above-mentioned keto water recipes as well for an electrolyte boost.

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Perhaps this was the reason why I didn't lose much weight. I did an experiment on self incidently. One day I was so busy that I didn't drink my usual "7 flask" amount of water, infact I only drank 2! So I decided that perhaps for the next few days I shall do an experiment on self. I put on less than a kg in a span of a few days. My ketone level was also low despite me religiously being on the 1M1E1V diet twice a day.  


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