The Art Of Keto

Dispelling keto misinformation and helping you lose fat.

SODIUM ON KETO

Why You Should Use Lite Salt On Keto Instead Of Plain Salt

There’s a super simple fix that people can often use to feel 100x better, and that’s by incorporating a bit of lite salt into their keto diet. People often make the mistake, usually unknowingly, of taking in too few electrolytes when transitioning to a ketogenic diet. Taking in too few electrolytes may lead to negative side effects such as the keto flu, something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst of enemies, but this is where lite salt comes in and why you should use it on a keto diet.

Many transitioning to a keto diet may suffer from an electrolyte imbalance due to its diuretic nature. Incorporating condiments, such as lite salt, a mix of sodium and potassium, or adding more salt combined with potassium-rich foods will help balance water and electrolytes and improve well-being.

In this article, I’ll go over why the need for electrolytes are increased when following a ketogenic diet, how to get enough sodium, and also how to get in enough potassium while on keto. 

Lite salt keto pinterest

What Is Lite Salt And Why You Should Consider It On Keto

If you’re not familiar with lite salt, you may wonder what it is and what it has to do with a ketogenic diet. 

Lite salt is a “lighter” version of salt, but what makes it great for those on a ketogenic diet is that it’s a blend of both regular salt and potassium chloride, two important minerals you need to be mindful of, especially on keto. 

When following a ketogenic diet, you may have noticed a sudden drop in weight in the first couple of weeks, and a big part of that was because of body water loss.

The big swing in water might explain why you may have been urinating more frequently, sweating a tad more, or maybe even craving a little more salt and water than usual.

A ketogenic diet, by nature, is very low in carbohydrates. And by nature, carbohydrates help your body store water, hence carbo ‘hydrate.’ In fact, for every gram of carbohydrate stored in your body, an additional three grams of water is stored with it. 

You can see now why reducing carbohydrates may lead to a sudden loss of water.

 Fewer carbohydrates equals less water stored in the body. As you burn your stored carbohydrates, the water has to be released somewhere, and usually that means frequent trips to the bathroom.  

While dropping a bit of water is not a problem your body is also flushing out vital electrolytes, and this is usually where the problems occur. 

Unless you’re mindful of your sodium and potassium, and drinking adequate amounts of water, you may find yourself in a world of hurt. 

How Do You Replenish Electrolytes On Keto

Sodium and potassium are arguably the most important electrolytes for maintaining fluid balance, after all… that’s their job. 

Water must be kept in the proper amounts in and out of your cells, 1 and this usually occurs through a process known as osmosis. 

If you remember from high school biology, both sodium and potassium are responsible to help maintain osmotic equilibrium and membrane potential in cells (aka the sodium-potassium pump). 2 Have a deficiency and things may not work as efficiently as they should be, hence why it’s important we ensure enough electrolytes are consumed either through foods and/or supplements.

How to get enough sodium on keto

Getting enough sodium is much easier than getting in enough potassium.

Many people make the mistake of not getting in enough sodium because of the switch in food choices when following a ketogenic diet. 

Most store-bought packaged and processed foods make up a large portion of many peoples sodium needs, 3 but those food sources are often exchanged for whole foods like meat and vegetables when on keto. 

Assuming you’re not doing lazy keto that is. 

You could still very well be eating keto friendly processed meats like spam or vienna sausages, which contain a lot of sodium.

In one study, as much as 71% of total sodium intake came from food outside the home and only 10% came from salt added during cooking and salt added at the dinner table. 4

Since you’re now getting in less sodium because of removing these processed foods I highly suggest adding sodium back in manually. So how do we solve this need for sodium? Easily. 

To ensure you’re getting in enough sodium salt your foods liberally and to taste. Yes, I am saying to SALT your foods. 

 Unless you’re someone who responds poorly to salt, there is no need to limit your intake. Your body is fully capable of regulating the sodium you give it.   

For a better understanding of salt and the negative implications of having too little salt, I’d recommend a great book called The Salt Fix. 

How to get enough potassium on keto

Potassium is a little trickier to get enough of, that’s why I say getting in enough sodium is much easier. 

All you have to do to get enough sodium is salt your foods, but what about potassium? 

That’s where lite salt comes in. 

Morton lite salt and keto

Adding lite salt to your keto diet is a simple way for you to get in additional potassium if you’re unable (or not wanting) to increase your intake of keto-friendly potassium-rich sources.

Keto-friendly sources of potassium include:

Lite salt has 350mg of potassium in a 1/4 tsp (1.4g) serving, which makes it easy to add to your diet adding no calories. 

For comparison, an entire avocado has about 975mg of potassium. 5 and an entire 10 oz package (which is a lot) of spinach contains 1585mg of potassium. 6

The recommended daily intake (RDI) for potassium is between 3,500mg and 4,700mg per day with nearly 98% of US adults not meeting this daily recommendation. 7 8

That means you would need to eat at least two avocados and a generous bag of spinach each day just to meet these recommendations, which sets you back close to 600 calories already.

While you can choose less calorically dense sources like spinach or mushrooms, the sheer quantity you would have to eat wouldn’t be workable for most individuals.

Using a lite salt or an electrolyte supplement like keto vitals or zip fizz for many individuals may be a more convenient option, but that’s up for you to decide.

Is Lite Salt Dangerous

Lite salt is not inherently dangerous, but too much of anything is never a good thing. 

If you do incorporate lite salt into your diet, just remember low and slow. Meaning, use a bit (~1/4 tsp) and slowly incorporate more to assess tolerance, and preferably spaced out over the course of the day.

You don’t want to throw back a teaspoon of lite salt in your glass of water or on your food immediately.

What I do is salt my foods with a high quality salt like Redmond Real Salt, then I will usually sprinkle a little lite salt on afterward, and this usually does the trick to prevent things like sluggishness, lethargy, and cramping.

Create Your Own Keto Electrolyte Drink 

An easy way to get in enough electrolytes is to make your own electrolyte drink. Many people in the keto community like to call this “ketorade,” which is as you guessed, a higher electrolyte and keto-friendly version of gatorade.

Flavor and change the ratios as you see fit, but here’s what I use:

  • 32 oz of water
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp lite salt
  • 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan Salt
  • A bit of stevia or favorite sugar-free sweetener
  • 1 lemon squeezed
  • A bit of ginger juice

I’ll usually make this and either use it as my workout drink or casually sip some throughout the day with my meals. 

If you don’t want to make your own, there are plenty of great electrolyte mixes on the market, one of which is Keto Vitals electrolyte powder. Also, if you’re blessed to have a Costco membership, you can usually find zip fizz, which has 950mg of potassium per serving.

The Takeaway

Lite salt is a great way to get additional potassium while following a ketogenic diet.

Many individuals end up with an electrolyte imbalance because of the diuretic nature of keto combined with a complete overhaul of food choices.

While it’s always recommended to get in your minerals from foods, using a lite salt or electrolyte supplement can make getting in the required amount more convenient.

How To Get A Pump While Following A Keto Or Low Carb Diet

One thing I struggled with when starting a ketogenic diet was achieving a pump, the feeling of my muscles swelling and about to burst through my skin. 

While it may be harder to achieve a pump on keto or low carb, here are a few tips someone can utilize:

  • Consume an adequate amount of electrolytes, mainly sodium.
  • Stay well-hydrated.
  • Strategically use carbs such as a targeted ketogenic diet or cyclical ketogenic diet.

I mean, there's nothing better than feeling your shirtsleeves stretch during or after a brutal workout, even if it is just a boost for my ego, but how do we get that same pump we had on a carbohydrate-based diet on keto?

In this article, I'll go over exactly how to get that pump back while following a ketogenic diet, what causes it, the best pre-workout to use for a better pump, and much more.

HOW TO GET A PUMP ON KETO PINTEREST

How To Get That Pump Back On Keto

So you started a ketogenic diet, and now you're feeling flat in the gym. You may feel that you simply don't have that same muscle swelling you once had on a carbohydrate-based diet, and you're not wrong.

But that doesn't mean you can't achieve that superhero feeling you once had after an intense workout, especially an arm day. 

Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction.

Increase electrolytes

When you first started a ketogenic diet, you may have noticed that your weight dropped rapidly during the first week or two.

While some of the weight you lost may have been fat, a more significant proportion of it was water weight and food volume. 

The average adult stores ~500 grams of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, located in both your muscles and your liver.

For every gram of carbohydrate your body stores, the body will store 3 grams of water.

In the beginning, when you're restricting carbohydrates, your body begins to burn through your stored glycogen. With no carbohydrates to bind to, the extra water is flushed from your body, usually through urination.

This may be why, if you noticed, that you pee more frequently when first starting keto. 

But, as your body expels this water, it will also flush out electrolytes with it, especially sodium and potassium.

The loss of electrolytes is usually exacerbated even further because you may be eating less sodium-filled foods in your diet now that you're keto.

 You can usually combat this by making sure you take in an adequate amount of salt by making sure to salt your foods but also supplementing with additional salts and electrolytes if you work out and sweat regularly. 

I recommend an excellent electrolyte supplement that has a sufficient amount of potassium, which most don't. 

Being deficient in electrolytes will do more than just keep you from getting a pump; it can make you weaker, and you may begin to experience muscle cramps.

Sodium and potassium are important minerals that help your body maintain fluid balance, so you must get in a sufficient amount. 9 

I'd recommend at least 4,000mg – 6,000mg sodium and potassium each per day MINIMUM. 

Here is one that I would recommend:

Stay hydrated

Playing off the previous recommendation, you have to make sure you're well hydrated. 

Along with electrolytes, you have to maintain adequate hydration to get a pump in the gym. Upwards of 60% of your body is made of water, but your muscles are made up of more than 70 percent water. 2 3

In short, drink enough fluid that your urine isn't super yellow, and not too much to where it's clear like water. Use the chart below as a reference as to where you want your urine color to be generally.

Keto flu hydration chart sore throat keto

This, along with the previous step (electrolytes), will solve most of your issues when it comes to getting a pump in the gym. 

Another trick I like to use is to take a teaspoon of salt with my pre-workout or dilute salt into a big jug of water and sip it throughout the day. This way, you get extra minerals and sodium while staying hydrated. 

HOW TO GET A PUMP ON KETO SALT

Specialized Ketogenic Diets

There's more than one way to do keto, especially if you're an active individual or an athlete. 

In general, there are three different kinds of ketogenic diets:

  1. Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)
  2. Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)
  3. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

Standard Ketogenic Diet

The standard ketogenic diet is most likely what you're doing now, very low to no carbohydrates seven days a week, somewhere in the ballpark of 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day.

Targeted Ketogenic Diet

A targeted ketogenic diet is how it sounds in that you target carbohydrates around your workouts. 

Most people following a ketogenic diet consume somewhere between 5-50 grams of carbs pre and post-workout while still being able to stay in ketosis. 

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

Cyclical ketogenic diets are the most complex of the three. During a cyclical ketogenic diet, you'll be mixing days of a standard ketogenic diet with a couple of high-carbohydrate days. 

Usually, people will do a 5/2 or a 6/1 ratio, so a 5-day SKD then 2-day carb-up or 6-day SKD then 1-day carb-up.

There's typically a specific workout regimen that would go along with implementing a CKD optimally, but it's not for the faint of heart.

By using a TKD or CKD, you're filling your muscles with a little extra glycogen that will help boost both your performance and pumps in the gym.

Why Does Salt Give You A Pump?

First, I should clarify that it's technically not salt that helps with a pump, it's the sodium. Salt is technically a 1:1 mix of both sodium and chloride. 

Crave salt on keto redmond analysis

That said, one of the responsibilities of sodium in the body is to help regulate blood volume and blood pressure. 

During a workout, we know that the primary reason we get a pump is due to increased blood volume to the working muscle. 

A low sodium intake translates into lower blood volume, and lower blood volume equates to little or non-existent pumps in the gym.

If you want a pump in the gym, then make sure you're getting an adequate amount of salt/sodium in your diet. 

Unless you have a specific condition that prevents you from increasing your salt intake, your body is well-equipped to process any excess.

For a good read on salt and all its health-promoting benefits, I'd recommend giving The Salt Fix a read.

What Is A Muscle Pump?

You may be wondering what exactly is going on during a muscle pump. 

When you lift weights and contract a muscle repeatedly, blood and water get diverted to the working muscle to support the increased metabolic needs. 

As the muscle swells, the surrounding veins are constricted, resulting in more blood becoming trapped in that specific muscle group.

It's like if you were to turn on the hose and fold or tie a knot somewhere in the line. The pressure would accumulate, and the water would get trapped at a certain point, thus expanding the hose at the point of constriction. 

Do Carbs Give You A Better Pump

People may confuse carbs with giving them a better pump because they don't give a ketogenic diet enough time to work out the kinks. After all, switching to a ketogenic is a significant shift and requires a bit of a learning curve. 

As I've alluded to earlier, carbs hold water, and your muscles are made up of mostly water.

However, while glycogen may be impaired during the beginning of a ketogenic diet, there seems to be no significant difference in muscle glycogen levels once you become fat-adapted. 4

Given enough time, your muscle glycogen stores will begin to re-fill, even without carbohydrates in the diet.

So while carbs give you a better pump “temporarily,” you should be able to experience these same effects by ensuring you have an adequate intake of electrolytes, water, and good ole' time to become “keto-adapted.”

Building Muscle On A Keto Diet

People always ask me, what's the best way to gain muscle on keto? And I usually respond “the same way you build muscle when not on a ketogenic diet.”

This means:

  • Adequate training stimulus
  • Sufficient nutrition
  • Proper recovery

The same principles that applied on a carbohydrate-based diet apply when you're on a ketogenic diet. 

If you want to learn more about how to bulk on keto without getting fat or how to implement bodybuilding principles, then give the two articles below a read.

What's The Best Preworkout To Get A Pump On Keto?

Now that we've gone over how you don't have to live a life of “flatness” during your workout, what else can you do to help get a pump on keto?

If you've taken care of the above points, there are additional products and pre-workouts you can take to help increase blood flow, blood volume, and get some sick pumps in the gym.

Creatine

There's often this misconception that creatine makes you bloated and hold water. 

Ok, it's not completely untrue, creatine DOES make you hold water, but it does so INSIDE the muscle. 5

Since muscles are made up of over 70 percent water, by saturating your muscle creatine stores, you'll increase intramuscular water retention. 

Meaning, you'll have bigger, rounder, and fuller muscles while taking creatine.

Creatine is also the MOST well-studied performance-enhancing supplement and very cheap at that.

I'd recommend supplementing with 5g of the monohydrate version per day, and don't bother with the “loading phase.”

L-Citrulline

Besides creatine, L-Citruline is another supplement that has a reasonable amount of scientific support. You may even find them in the current pre-workout you're using. 6 7 8

Unfortunately, though, MOST companies underdose L-CItruline in their pre-workout formulation. Either that or you don't know how much is in it due to their “proprietary blends.”

L-Citrulline can increase blood vessel diameter (vasodilation), allowing higher blood flow to your muscles.

And we all know increased blood volume and blood flow equals greater pumps.

According to the studies, a dose of 4-10 grams of l-citrulline has shown to be an effective dose.

Pre-workout

If you just want to take a pre-workout instead of buying L-Citruline separately, remember that most of them are underdosed.

Here are a few of the more reputable companies I would recommend that have clinically effective doses of the ingredients in their products.

The Takeaway

We all love that feeling of our shirts hugging our sleeves and our chest, but many people starting a ketogenic diet often lose this sensation due to being misinformed.

Achieving a pump on keto is all about understanding WHY you're not getting a pump anymore, and it's not because you don't have carbs in the diet.

Make sure you're getting in an adequate amount of electrolytes and water, followed by allowing enough time to keto-adapt, and you'll have all the same pumps you used to get following a carbohydrate-based diet.

If you want to step it up a little further, adding in some supplements like creatine or l-citrulline will help fill your muscles with water and increase blood flow, allowing more muscle growth and giving you a better pump.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I gain muscle while on keto?

It's definitely possible for your body to gain muscle while it's in ketosis. However, if you're just entering into ketosis it might decrease your workout performance.

How to gain muscle mass on keto diet?

To gain muscle mass on the keto diet its important to lift weights regularly. If you're lifting weights regularly, you'll need to consume enough calories and make sure you eat the right amount of protein.

Can I gain muscle without carbs?

It's definitely possible to build muscle while you're on a low carb diet. However, you will feel a definite reduction in your workout performance due to the lack of glucose.

7 Reasons Why You Crave Salt On Keto [Why You Need More]

What's weird is that before starting a ketogenic diet, I was more of a sweet than savory type, but after going keto, that completely reversed. Now, it's like I crave salt like there's no tomorrow.

Naturally, I questioned why this was, and through the years this is what I've learned,

Why are you craving salt on keto? The most often causes of craving salt when first starting keto is due to dehydration, an electrolyte imbalance, less insulin, and the stress your body is undergoing when transitioning into a ketogenic diet. 

In this article, I'll explain what salt does in your body, why you're having intensive cravings, how much you should be eating, the benefits, and even the best salts to use.

Crave salt on keto pinterest

Why You Crave Salt On Keto

There are various reasons why people start to crave more salt when switching to a ketogenic diet. Often, they are usually a result of the reasons I'm about to list for you below.

Dehydration

High carbohydrate consumption has caused your body to retain water and salt up until now. When you eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, you begin to expel pounds of water (yes, pounds).

On average, your body stores ~500 grams of carbohydrates (glycogen). With every gram of glycogen your body stores, an additional three grams of water is stored with it. 

That's 1,500 grams (1.5 kg or 3.3 lbs) of water that is stored just with the carbohydrates in your body. 

When you eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, the stored carbohydrates are eventually used for energy, and the water is expelled, primarily through urination.

Electrolyte Imbalance

Everything you ate previous to starting a ketogenic diet was probably salted up the wazoo. 

Now, chances are none of your food is pre-salted, and because you've eliminated a majority of carbohydrates when starting keto, your body is expelling water…

… and with that water, electrolytes are being lost. 

It's the same reason athletes need sports drinks because when they sweat, they also lose electrolytes. 

Sports drinks are fortified with sodium and potassium to help replenish sodium and potassium lost through sweat and urination. 

Electrolyte are important, especially when first starting a ketogenic diet, most notably sodium and potassium.

Electrolytes I recommend:

Low Insulin

You may think of insulin as the regulator of blood sugar, but insulin also helps the body retain sodium. Without insulin, the kidneys can filter it into the urine at a much quicker rate.

In a 2012 study, this was demonstrated by Type 1 diabetics who do not produce insulin, thus have low insulin levels. These individuals experienced high levels of salt loss through urination. 9

This study demonstrated the opposite effect; they found when given insulin, people's sodium concentration in their urine was reduced, meaning more sodium retention. 2

Low carbohydrates = low insulin and lowered insulin lead to increased excretion of sodium via the kidneys.

Caffeine

Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Many people following a ketogenic diet seem to increase their caffeine intake with keto or bulletproof coffees exponentially, and I get it… they are delicious.

One study found that one cup of coffee (about ~90mg of caffeine) led to 437 mg of extra sodium loss out the urine. When participants consumed around four cups of coffee, there was around a 1,200mg of additional loss of sodium from the urine. 3

If you're ridding your body of salt with extra caffeine, your body may be giving you a sign to replenish it. 

Stress

Changing diets, such as switching from a carbohydrate-based diet to a ketogenic diet, can be a lot of stress on a person's body. 

Craving salt is one way your body may be trying to deal with the stress your body is undergoing.

Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” is released by the adrenal glands as a response to stress. Some research indicates that people with higher levels of sodium release lower levels of cortisol. 4 

A craving for salt may be your body trying to deal with this stressful transition.

A deficiency

You might be asking what deficiency causes you to crave salt? And that's an easy one, salt! 

Duh! 

Think of your salt cravings as a built-in “thermostat” that helps you get in the right amount of salt.

The reason you're craving salt is that your body's “salt thermostat” is set at a certain level, and you're currently below it. Your body responds by increasing cravings for salt to bring your levels back up to where it believes to be sufficient. 

Your hypothalamus produces hormones that dictate your inherent needs. 

Hard-wired?

Some scientists believe that our salt cravings go back to prehistoric times, which makes sense. 

Salt was not as available as it is today. The though is that our brain developed a “reward system” that encourages us to seek out salt when possible; otherwise, we'd die. 

And this makes sense because certain animals in the wild go out of their way to seek out salt licks. https://www.ncpedia.org/salt-licks

Why You Need So Much Salt On Keto

You may be wondering, do you need more salt on keto? Yes, you do need more salt on keto. 

While following a ketogenic diet, your needs may be more significant than with a carbohydrate-based diet. 

Since carbohydrates help store water in our body, and we're severely limiting them from our diet, we don't have as big of a reservoir for holding water.

Therefore, the majority of the burden comes down to the intake of sodium to ensure proper bodily functions and water retention.

What Happens When You Don't Eat Enough Salt

In today's society, we're scare mongered into believing high salt intake will lead to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and hypertension In everyone. 

When you start cutting sodium to less than 3000mg/day, renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone begin to skyrocket. 5

Increased stress

The stress hormones noradrenaline and adrenaline are activated when we restrict salt intake. 

Higher risk of death or hospitalization

Restricting sodium to less than 2,500 mg per day was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality or hospitalization, compared to those who did not restrict sodium. 6 7

Decreased sodium also could lead to:

  • Increased cholesterol and triglycerides 8
  • Insulin resistance 9 10
  • Hyponatremia 11

How Much Salt / Sodium On Keto? 

 There's a difference between how much salt we need for basic survival and the necessary salt intake to thrive.  

How much salt you need is individual, your body controls your salt intake, and that's why someone may crave salt more or less than another despite eating the same amount of salt.

Your body has mechanisms in place to control these cravings.

As of 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reduced their Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of sodium from 2,400 to 2,300 mg/day. 

Based on what I've laid out for you in the previous section, you can see how a deficiency in sodium may lead to a whole host of adverse effects.

Why do you need so much salt on keto?

Combine a low sodium intake with a low carbohydrate diet, and you have a recipe for disaster. 

Are you craving salt and tired? This may be why you're feeling exhausted on a ketogenic diet or suffering from all the signs and symptoms of the “keto flu.”

You need more salt because:

  • You have fewer carbohydrates helping you store water
  • Producing less insulin due to lowered carbohydrates, which means more sodium excretion
  • Eating less salt in your diet due to eating more whole-foods 

So do you need more salt on keto? Yes, your need for salt will increase on a ketogenic diet; that's why you may experiencing these salt cravings.

 I'd recommend at least two teaspoons of salt a day (~4,000mg) when following a ketogenic diet. This much salt can come from foods you enjoy, like salted butter and bacon, etc., but it's also essential to salt your foods liberally and to taste. 

Salts I recommend:

Keto, salt, and exercise 

If you're a very active individual or athlete who sweats profusely, which I found out the hard way, then an additional ~ one teaspoon pre-workout may help keep you hydrated and even improve exercise performance. 

Taking salt before exercise can help:

  • Decrease thirst
  • Increase exercise capacity
  • Improve performance
  • Improve muscle gains
  • Decrease the risk of hyponatremia
  • Lower risk of iodine deficiency
  • Improve kidney function

Salt sensitive vs. salt resistant

Salt sensitive individuals are the ones who respond poorly to high salt intakes.

Salt resistant individuals don't respond very much in response to a diet high in salt. If you have healthy kidneys, they are capable of excreting excess salt very efficiently.

About a third of people with high blood pressure are actually salt resistant. 12 About 5% of these individuals have reverse salt sensitivity, meaning, their blood pressure improves when they increase their salt intake. 13  Increases in age and weight make you more susceptible to being salt sensitive. 

Additionally, here are a few more individuals who may be more salt-sensitive:

  • Women
  • African Americans
  • Diabetics
  • Those suffering from chronic kidney disease
 High doses of salt are not unhealthy for all individuals depending on your phenotype (sensitive vs. resistant). Eating so much salt that it becomes fatal is extremely unlikely in either case.[/su_highlight

Is Salt and Sodium The Same Thing?

So what does salt exactly do in our bodies? Why is salt so important?

First, let's distinguish a difference between salt and sodium.

Salt and sodium are not the same things.

  We get sodium from salt, but salt is not sodium. 

Instead, salt is sodium chloride, which is table salt. Sodium chloride is only 40% sodium and 60% chloride.

Take my favorite salt, Redmond Real Salt, as an example:

Crave salt on keto redmond real salt label

As you can see, 1/4 tsp (1.4g) serving has only 530mg of sodium and not 1.4g of sodium.

What Does Salt Do In Our Body?

Now that we know the difference between salt and sodium, why is it so important?

Salt, our primary source of sodium, is a mineral and electrolyte that does some of the following:

  • It helps maintain the right amount of fluid in and around our cells.
  • It helps muscles work efficiently.
  • It helps with nerve signaling throughout your body. 

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Sodium is ESSENTIAL for life!

What Are Symptoms Of Low Sodium and Salt On Keto?

There are many common symptoms associated with low blood sodium; they include:

  • Irritability
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Muscle cramps

Do these sound familiar? It should because these same signs and symptoms happen to people who suffer from the “keto flu.”

Most people suffering from these signs and symptoms think that they mean you're entering ketosis or expected to happen. Still, from my experience, it means you're dehydrated and have an electrolyte imbalance. 

Other symptoms that may indicate a greater need for salt:

  • Cold extremities
  • Dark urine
  • Decreased urine output
  • Dizziness and hypotension (occurs after rising from a seated position)
  • Thirst and salt cravings
  • Constipation
  • The “shakes”
  • Heart palpitations

What To Eat When Craving Salt?

There are no special foods you “should” eat when it comes to your salt cravings; this may be just your body's way of telling you it needs salt.

I recommend people salt their foods to taste, and that is often enough to solve the salt cravings.

Think about it. 

If you put TOO MUCH salt, you WILL know, because now your food just became inedible. 

Which Salt To Use For Keto?

It doesn't matter which salt you use since sodium is sodium. 

However, some salts do offer additional minerals and arguably taste a lot better.

Crave salt on keto redmond analysis

If you can, use unprocessed salts such as:

The Takeaway

If you're craving salt on keto, it's because your body may be signaling you that it needs sodium. 

Due to the low-carbohydrate nature of a ketogenic diet, less sodium and water are retained, thus increasing the need for salt in the diet.

For athletes or active individuals who excessively sweat, additional salt may be required and even suggested to help improve performance.

“You could live the rest of your life without eating another granule of sugar, but you can't stay alive for very long without salt.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What to eat on keto when craving salt?

When you have an intense craving for salts, there are quite a few things that you can enjoy eating while on keto. Some of them include canned sardines, olives, zucchini sticks, and macadamia nuts!

Why do you need so much salt on keto?

When the body loses electrolytes as it does while on the keto diet, your sodium levels will go down. To regulate them back to a normal level, it's important to eat salty foods.

How much salt should I have on keto?

When you're on the keto diet, ideally you'll need to consume between 4000-7000 mg of sodium to ensure that you don't run on an electrolyte deficiency.