When you are following a keto diet, any other low-carb diet, or do intermittent or extended fasting, it is essential that you remain hydrated and have a sufficient amount of electrolytes in your body.
Although there are many ready-made electrolyte powders you could buy, you can easily make one your own using just three simple ingredients.
This simple homemade electrolyte powder blend contains all the vital minerals our body needs; it has no food dyes or artificial flavoring.
It is cheap and easy to make; it is convenient to take with you anywhere you go and can be easily mixed with water whenever you feel a need to replenish your depleted electrolyte store.
Extended fasting and restricted diets can cause an electrolyte imbalance in your body, making you feel sluggish, weak, dizzy, tired, and sometimes even confused. [1]
Combining these simple ingredients below and mixing them with water gives you a perfect electrolyte-infused drink for helping you stave off muscle cramps, tiredness, hunger, headaches, and, most importantly, cravings. And all that without breaking your fast or kicking you out of ketosis.
Homemade Electrolyte Powder Mix Recipe
Ingredients: (one serving)
- 1/4 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of Potassium Gluconate
- 1/2 teaspoon of Magnesium Glycinate
Instructions:
- Shake up all the ingredients in a glass jar, or even better, blend everything together in a Nutribullet to grind it into a fine powder and distribute all the ingredients evenly.
- Store in a dry place in a tightly sealed container or a jar.
- To make a drink, use 1.25 tsp. per 16 oz glass of water – shake or stir till well dissolved. If you find the taste is too strong, use more water. You can drink it as is or pour it over ice.
Use one serving 1-3 times a day.
You can store the liquid in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then, anytime you want to drink it, be sure to mix or shake the liquid.
The amount of the ingredients above makes one serving. You can make individual packages to make one serving at a time.
To make a larger batch, increase the amount of each ingredient accordingly to have more powder available to you when you need it.
You can store the powder for up to two years. If you keep it longer than two years, the quality can begin to degrade. When you put it in a container, you should write the date of expiration on it, so you know when it expires.
Nutritional Facts:
One serving provides
- 0 grams of total carbs
- 0 grams of net carbs
- 0 grams of protein
- 0 grams of fiber
- 0 grams of sugar
- 550 mg of sodium
- 225 mg of magnesium glycinate
- 175 mg of potassium gluconate
Ingredients Breakdown And Benefits
Himalayan Pink Salt
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Himalayan pink salt comes from a mine in the Himalayas. It was formed millions of years ago and is packed with more than 84 nourishing trace minerals and elements.
In addition to containing essential electrolytes, such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium, Himalayan Pink salt has numerous other benefits. It can boost your energy, detoxify your body, enhance digestion, and promote healthy nails, skin, and hair.
Although it is lower in sodium, Himalayan Pink salt is chemically similar to regular table salt. However, it is not heavily processed and is free of anticaking agents and other additives, making it much more natural than regular refined table salt. [2]
Also, table salt doesn’t contain some essential electrolytes that Himalayan pink salt does, specifically calcium and potassium, which are two of the most important electrolytes.
Does Salt Break A Fast?
Unprocessed salt without any additives, like Himalayan pink salt, will not break the fast but help maintain your body’s physiological functions. It is an excellent option for fasting, Keto, or low-carb diets because it does not contain any calories, sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, fat, or protein. [3]
Potassium Gluconate
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Potassium Gluconate is both a mineral and electrolyte. It is essential for heart function, water balance, and muscle contraction. [4]
Although most people usually get enough potassium in their diet, if you follow low-carb diets or do an extended fast, your body’s potassium level could get too low.
Potassium gluconate is considered a more palatable and non-acidifying form of potassium. It is typically the preferred compound for replenishing potassium rather than potassium chloride, potassium citrate, or potassium phosphate.
Magnesium Glycinate
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Magnesium is another essential mineral, that our body cannot make itself, so we have to get it from our beverages, food, or magnesium supplements. So, if we are doing extended fasting or even intermittent fasting or following restricted, we deplete this electrolyte. [5]
Our body needs magnesium to aid with deep sleep, muscle recovery, enzymatic reactions, membrane function, energy production, potassium and calcium regulation, and brain and cardiac function.
So, if you experience some muscle cramping, fatigue, weakness, moodiness, or vertigo, then it could be a sign that you need to add some magnesium to your diet.
Magnesium glycinate is a better-tolerated and absorbed form of magnesium. Magnesium glycinate is less likely to have an unwanted laxative effect than magnesium citrate.
Keto K1000 Electrolyte Powder
If you are too busy or too lazy and do not want to make your own electrolyte powder, you can buy a ready-made blend.
However, for people who are fasting or following Keto or low-carb diets, most of these powders are not suitable as they contain sugar, sweeteners, flavorings, and other ingredients that could break your fast.
Even the powders that are said to be Keto friendly would still sometimes contain stevia, monk fruit, citric acid, beetroot powder, or other sweeteners, colorings, and flavorings. So you really have to read the labels and make sure that the electrolyte powder only contains the minerals and nothing else.
So if you want to get a ready-made electrolyte powder rather than making one on your own, then Keto K1000 Electrolyte Powder is a good choice. This powder was created with those who are fasting and following the Keto diet in mind.
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- It has a subtle natural mineral flavor
- It is easily dissolvable in water
- It has no sweeteners
- It has zero sugar
- It has zero calories
- It has zero carbs
- No stevia
- No artificial ingredients
- No maltodextrin
- No gluten
- No GMO’s
It is just straight electrolytes and nothing else, giving you everything you need to restore electrolytes while not interfering with your intermittent fasting or weight loss goals.
How Do You Make Electrolyte Water Taste Better?
This electrolyte water has many benefits, but I must say it is not a tasty drink. So, if your diet or fasting regimen allows, then here are some natural and low-carb ways to make it taste better.
You can add these extras into your drink after you have mixed the powder with water. These additions may improve the taste of your drink, but some of them may not be so Keto-friendly, and some sweeteners will certainly break your fast so it is best to leave them till your eating window opens. [6]
Lemon Juice
You can add some freshly squeezed lemon juice. However, lemon does contain a small amount of carbs, so it is not truly an ingredient used in fasting, but it is still safe for the Keto diet if it is only a small amount.
Coconut Water
If you find the drink a little bland, you can substitute regular water with coconut water. Coconut water itself already has some natural electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium, and manganese.
However, if you are fasting, do not use coconut water as it contains simple carbohydrates, and it will certainly break your fast, but if you do, then only use it during your eating window.
Stevia
There has been a lot of debate about the healthiness of stevia. Much of the research shows that stevia does not elevate blood glucose and does not spike insulin. However, this flavoring is not typically allowed for fasting, but since stevia contains little to no carbs, it is suitable for a keto diet.
Powdered Allulose
You can use powdered allulose to make your electrolyte drink taste better and more tolerable to drink. Powdered allulose is a rare sugar that does not have carbs or calories. It dissolves well and tastes like sugar but does not give you the sugar spike.
Powdered Allulose is Keto friendly as it does not affect insulin and blood sugar levels, but it is still generally not recommended during fasting.
Also, to mask the mineral taste, you can add a little bit of ginger juice or kombucha and even apple cider vinegar. All these would give you some extra benefits, but some would say it makes the drink taste even worse, so approach it cautiously.
Electrolyte Drinks You Should Avoid During Fasting
Store-bought electrolyte-infused waters are incredibly convenient, taste good, and are found easily at your local grocery store. These popular sports drinks include Gatorade and Powerade, and many others.
While these commercial drinks improve your electrolytes, they have a major downside to them. They may contain a large amount of sucrose (table sugar). [7]
It is important to check the labels carefully for any electrolyte-infused water that you are considering. Ensure it does not have sugar or other ingredients that will take you out of ketosis or elevate your insulin levels.
Too Much Of A Good Thing
If you drink too much of this electrolyte drink, you may get too much sodium or potassium. If you have too much sodium, you may feel dizzy, vomit, or have diarrhea. When you have too much potassium, it may interfere with kidney functioning, and cause irregular pulse, nausea, or heart arrhythmia. So it is recommended to check with your doctor to see if electrolyte drinks or supplements are right for you. [8]
Conclusion
This is the best electrolyte powder for fasting, and it is also an excellent option for those following the Keto or any other low-carb diet. It gives you the essential electrolytes you need for your body to function properly while helping you avoid the Keto flu and without breaking the fast. In addition, it is easy to make, and it is much cheaper them most electrolyte powders on the market.
