We need a little bit of a boost sometimes to help maintain and keep us happy, whole and healthy!
First things first, always quench your thirst!
Drink water every single day. Do you feel hungry? Drink some water first.
About to workout? Did you hydrate? Drink that water!!
Or maybe you feel a bit dizzy, sluggish and weak, or are you experiencing the "keto flu?" Maybe you need more than water!
Have you had any electrolytes? Well you better get the basics: Potassium, Sodium & Magnesium.
As I am not a doctor by any means, I relied on reading and watching YouTube videos to help me learn and understand this new way of life better. There are three information resources that I use to gain some of my knowledge and so far, they have not steered me wrong. I will share these with you to help you understand why we need to supplement with vitamins and minerals while on the ketogenic diet.
Meet Dr. Eric Berg, DC, Thomas DeLauer and Dr. Ken D Berry MD. Watch these videos explaining why we need to focus on certain vitamins and minerals.
How I Supplement
When I began the keto diet, I did experience a high amount of headaches and at the time, I was not aware of why and I left it at, I was just detoxing. The intensity and frequency of the headaches made me more worrisome as I was already taking a lot of medications for my medical issues. I contacted my primary care physician and he told me that I should not do the keto diet as it was not a good idea to stress my body out even more than it already was. I heard him, and asked if there were any other suggestions that he had as I felt this was a very good diet for me to follow as I was focusing on whole, none processed foods, and no sugar? How could this be a bad thing and why would good nutrition affect my body negatively? I am very happy to say that he agreed. He took the time to look up some information about the keto diet and asked me a few questions. His response in the end was that I should drink some electrolytes. He expressed his skepticism regarding the diet, but felt he needed to help me as he knew how stubborn I had been. I reminded him that it was not a matter of me being stubborn, but I try my hardest to never take anyone's word as final. I have to find the root of what I'm being told and understand it.
I did not particularly like the idea of getting some Gatorade as that was the first option that I thought of and it is not a drink I ever get. I went to the store and all they had were the ones with sugar. Oh well.
When I got home, I decided to find an alternative and try to make my own. It was easier than I thought. Thanks to YouTube, I found a very simple homemade keto electrolyte drink that I could make at home. This video helped me and I had all the ingredients. I used the apple cider vinegar, the juice of half of a lime, two shakes of pink Himalayan salt, water, and a few drops of my liquid monkfruit sweetener. I took a potassium pill and that was it. After drinking this, there was an almost immediate affect. I felt my energy level increase and slowly throughout the day my headache decreased. The next morning I woke up without a headache, and my energy was through the roof. I had figured it out!
I encourage every person to always try to investigate the whys and whats. No matter what is happening to you, outside of it all, You know your body and you know what and how you are feeling. Do not be afraid to ask the "stupid" question, and do not take those dismissive statements that doctors love to use to get you out of their office. Think about how much it costs you just to be in that space, so use that time to get all the questions out and have them explained. Keep in mind, their time is your money. Use that time full blown and get your money's worth.
Also keep in mind that there are many options for electrolytes out there that you can purchase. I try to learn and do things myself so that I don't make it about the cost as a lot of the keto-friendly products out there are pretty expensive. I also know that some of these companies just stick the work "Keto" on their product but the ingredients are not necessarily keto-friendly, but that is for another blog post.
Other Pills and Potions
Here is a list of all the supplements and powders that I like to use:
How I use each of these depends on what my body tells me it needs or how I know I need to feel. I think that we have all been so conditioned to look to pharmaceuticals to cure us and give us relief whenever we are in pain or when our bodies give us signs of distress. Eating a keto diet has opened my eyes and has completely rearranged my mindset when it comes to food, health and wellness. Considering my early stages of life where my food was farm to table verses before keto, where it was grocery store and convenience, there has been a huge difference having experienced those two methods and what they produce. I am so happy that I have reverted to the beginning. How we eat truly changes us, it has changed me holistically. I want the cleanest foods and products to be a part of my everyday living. Why am I obsessed? I love the way my body feels inside and out. I want to enjoy a long happy and healthy life, and I am choosing to see every part of how beauty surrounds me. My life is a gift and I have been given an infinite amount of wealth to live this life to the best of my ability. I can only control me and with that knowledge, my only contribution is to share the information. We all have been given this amazing power of choice. I hope every person that I am able to reach is willing to focus on the beauty that surrounds us and not only take in the negative that tries to push us out of the wealth and blessings that our source has given us.
My Observations
How I Use The Supplements
I use potassium in addition to my electrolyte drink and I have that occasionally when I feel lethargic or I wake up with a slight headache. I also take potassium when I feel like I'm having cravings. It's weird, but whenever the feeling arrives and I take one pill with water, it goes completely away. I have also observed that whenever I have cramps in my legs, potassium also helps with that.
Zinc is a mineral and is called an "essential trace element." This is because a very small amount of zinc is necessary for human health. Since the human body does not store zinc in excess, it must be consumed regularly as part of our diet. Knowing this, I decided to add this to my routine. Whenever I did get sick with a cold, I always used a product that used Zinc as its main ingredient and what I realized was that after using the product, I either shortened the time of the cold or the symptoms leading up to a cold ended the next day. In addition to that I also realized that taking zinc helped with the shedding of my hair and my nails seemed a lot stronger.
Note: Do not take this on an empty stomach. Oh my goodness, it made me so nauseous.
I simply use collagen hydrollysate as I found it in Trader Joe's for only $9.99. I like the idea of putting it in my coffee as I want to have radiant glowing skin. I am today years old and my body needs all the help it can get while it is changing and getting smaller. I have no other intense reasons for this and I am not in the mood or frame of mind to spend way too much money on a product because it has a pretty container and says "Keto" on it. This works great for me.
Before bed each night, it has become my routine and take 200 mg magnesium glycinate. It helps to relax my body and gets me ready for bed. I do not take more than that as I have experienced nightmares when I have taken the 400 mg recommended dosage. I did that experiment a few times and that was my finding. 200 mg is the perfect dosage for me.
When I first began the keto diet, I was constantly in pain and had a lot of inflammation throughout my body and having a warm cup of golden milk did a great job of helping to alleviate some of that. Thanks to the star ingredient Turmeric. I woke up many mornings after drinking this before bed feeling pain free. (I use almond milk, coconut milk or hemp milk and warmed that with one teaspoon of the golden milk powder and topped it off with a shake or two of nutmeg. It is a delicious warm treat before bed).
If you would prefer to make this at home without purchasing the powder, here's how to do it.
In a small sauce pan heat your milk of choice and for us keto dieters, use unsweetened of course. When the milk is warm, add 1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pinch of fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch of ground cardamom
Add your sweetener of choice, and for the non-keto people raw honey is used. Mix well and when all the spices have dissolved, pour and enjoy!
Did you know that nutritional yeast tastes like cheese? I love adding this to my eggs occasionally as it is packed full of protein, B vitamins, and minerals and also tastes really great on a salad. Talk about a nice energy booster.
When it is time for a smoothie, I get a little bit extra. It becomes my cold "cauldron" filled with magical ingredients to cast a spell of health and happiness. The base milk for my smoothies vary. I sometimes just use almond milk or coconut or hemp and sometimes, it becomes a milk party where all get to be a part of the magic. I love adding about one tablespoon of hemp hearts, one teaspoon of maca root powder and a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder in most of my smoothies. There is no one way, but I use these supplements mostly in my smoothies, shakes, smoothie bowls and to yogurt on some occasions.
I was recently encouraged by some really good friends to try this root out. I had never really heard of Ashwagandha Root, but from what I'm being told, they love it so far and believe in its claim to help with managing stress and anxiety. I am curious to see how this will work for me and if it works like they claim, I will keep this as part of my health routine and maintenance.
I hope this blog post helps you on your journey with weight loss and or overall health, wellness and recovery.
If there are any other supplements that you use and find beneficial to you, please share them with me. I welcome any of your suggestions.
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