Water Intake: To Sink or Swim...
Today kicks-off a new weekly blog post series I'm entitling #MondayMusings over here in Keto with Courtney world! These little weekly snippets will be informative and engaging quick and easy reads about a variety of topics as they pertain to the Keto Lifestyle, Weight Loss and Wellness journey.
These will be posted each Monday ( unless I'm closed for business). You can always find these by searching my website or blog for "#mondaymusings".
Today's Topic: Water Intake on the Ketogenic Diet:
Water is a main source of life. It makes up more that 70% of the earth's surface and between 50%-75% of the human body. Without water, we are little more than dust.
The MAYO CLINIC advises (based on info from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) that women consume about 11.5 Cups of fluid per day, and that men consume about 15.5 cups per day. This translates to around 90 oz per day for women, and 124 oz per day for men. This is considering ALL fluids across the board. It may seem like a lot-but, once you factor in easy sipped faves like coffee and tea, flavored drinks and plain ol' water...it's not quite as extreme sounding as it may seem.
Water and fluid intake are particularly interesting topics to consider when factoring in being in a state of Nutritional Ketosis, via a properly calculated Ketogenic Diet. This state creates a natural diuretic effect in the body, that is dramatized in the early stages of "going Keto" which can make maintaining proper electrolyte balance (maintaining proper balance of potassium and magnesium, specifically) a bit challenging.
There is SO much conflicting information on the web regarding how much water is enough, how much is ideal ,and how much is too much that is can make knowing what to even aim for extremely overwhelming. The goal of my post today is to share with you my personal approach to fluid and water intake, as well as what I recommend for my Keto-Gold & Personal Meal Plan clientele. Before you take the advice of this or any other article you read on the internet, discuss with your trusted medical provider what she or he recommends a healthy daily fluid intake would be for you personally.
The issue with taking the approach of "there is no limit to how much water I should get in per day" or taking on the "Gallon a Day" challenge, is that being in a state of nutritional Ketosis (as mentioned above) means you are naturally expelling larger portions of your body's important electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and potassium at a greater rate than you would if you were not on a Ketogenic Diet. This is due to the process in which your body begins to deplete/use up the glycogen (stored carbs) in your cells when the absence of sufficient dietary carbohydrate is present. As these cells each need 3-4 grams of water for every g of glycogen stored...depleting and using them up causes a flood of water to hit your system...which means for many, the toilet becomes a close and personal friend during the early stages of a Ketogenic Diet.
Because you are urinating more, you are expelling greater quantities of the important electrolytes mentioned above...and that can mean BIG TROUBLE if those electrolytes aren't replenished ( stay tuned for more #MondayMusings on the important of Electrolyte Supplementation on your Ketogenic Diet).
Adversely, proper water intake on a Keto diet is absolutely essential for consistent success and health. In order to replace the excess water you are losing via the glycogen depletion mentioned above, put less stress on your kidneys (Ketones are acidic, so some of your ketone bodies are flushed out rather than burned for energy to make sure they don’t accumulate-even in deeper levels of fat adaption. Your kidneys concentrate the ketone bodies and urea into urine. So the continued health of your kidneys relies heavily on your body having plenty of water so that the concentration of these acids doesn’t become high enough to harm the kidneys), and simply battle less hunger and "cravings" on your ketogenic diet....you MUST be getting in enough water.
So...what does that look like practically for me and my clients? I advise drinking half your body weight in ounces per day-with a minimum 60 oz and a maximum of 100 oz. per day for most people. If you are dealing are dealing with more than 100 pounds to lose you should consider increasing up to 150 oz. per day. Keep in mind this is my recommendation for consumption on JUST WATER ( naturally flavored waters, or my Apple Cider Vinegar Water Drink).
Other drinks like coffee, teas, Keto friendly flavored beverages, naturally sweetened sodas, carbonated drinks and the like should not be counted toward these baseline numbers-they are considered supplementary hydration.
So today on this Monday, consider setting a goal to make proper hydration an important part of your day and week. Pay attention to how you feel: are you less hungry? Do you have fewer cravings? Does your skin, hair or nails seem anymore supple? Are you sleeping better? Is your exercise performance improved? Do you have more energy? There are SO many positive benefits to be had when we properly hydrate: No need to "sink" yourself in water- focus on getting in plenty to find your perfect "swim" pace.
-Courtney
*PROGRAM DISCLAIMER- ALL Articles, Recipes and Meal and Fitness plans available via my website www.ketowithcourt.com are designed from the vast information I have gathered through personal research and study; they are my opinion and personal philosophy and have been used by myself for my 185+ pound weight loss transformation. I am not a certified personal trainer, registered dietitian, or a physician, and I have no formal training in any of those fields. I encourage all to consider consulting one of the above before beginning any and all nutrition or fitness programs or adopting any dietary changes mentioned on www.ketowithcourt.com. By purchasing and/or participating in any or all Keto w/ Courtney program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, and are voluntarily purchasing & participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury, and agree to release and discharge Keto w/ Courtney, Inc. from any and all claims of action, known or unknown, arising out of this program. Finally, all content received from Keto with Courtney is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced or shared in any form without the express written consent of the author.
