How Much Water to Drink on Keto Diet
Dehydration is the leading side effect of ketosis. So If you've ever asked yourself, "how much water should I drink on a keto diet?" you are doing yourself a favor. It may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can have serious consequences, so it's best to prevent it entirely.
Studies have shown that you need about 64 ounces of water every day if you are into a keto diet – 16 glasses of water per day for men, and 11 glasses of water per day for women, or approximately 3.7 and 2.7 liters of liquids, respectively. But let's dig into why's and how's.
Do you have a particular question about drinking water on keto ? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Do you have to drink water on a keto diet?
Your body comprises 60% water, give or take. Regardless of what you eat, it is essential to your wellbeing to keep that balance. Most of the water you drink is lost through urine and sweat throughout the day, so your body needs to replenish the supply to remain healthy.
If you are into a keto diet, your water intake is even more critical. Low carb diets like keto increase your ketone levels, leaving you prone to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. These reactions may cause complications like kidney stones and muscle cramps.
If you have been thinking of going ketogenic for reasons like weight loss. Or maybe your doctor suggested you go for it to treat pre-diabetes, you have to be hydrated all the time.
Early signs that you are not drinking enough water are; feeling dizzy, headache, dry mouth, dry skin, and dark-colored urine. If you take the situation further, the more serious symptoms are severe headaches, rapid heartbeat, occasional fainting, etc.
And the worst of all (well, at least for me, and I am freak J ) – your productivity will be affected if you don't drink enough water.
What kind of water to drink on a keto diet?
You can go both for spring and sparkling water, carbonated either during manufacturing or naturally from a mineral spring.
However, check those labels as some sparkling water companies might add unsweetened flavors and artificial flavors to make their product more appealing.
As the recent study by Consumer report has found, many popular spring and sparkling water brands may contain a high level of "forever chemicals" and heavy metals. So you might want to stick with the good ones from the list (e.g., Dasani or Aquafina) or maybe even invest in an advanced filtering system.
How much water to drink a day on a keto diet?
Health experts recommend drinking between 11 and 16 glasses of water a day to maintain a normal lifestyle. However, you may need more on keto.
For a more accurate assessment of how much water you'll need to drink per day, you can use this simple formula.
Take 50-100% of your body weight and equate it to the number of ounces of water you should drink each day. And in case you are on keto (or maybe exercising a lot), you should stick to the higher range of the spectrum (e.g., 75%).
It may seem complicated, but it really isn't.
Here's an example: if you weigh 140 pounds, 75% of your weight is 105 pounds. This means you need 105 ounces of water each day.
What to drink on keto besides water?
Sometimes you'll want a low carb drink that isn't water. It's ok as long as it's keto-friendly; it can be a hot beverage, a cold drink, or even a soft drink.
Most fruit juices are high in sugar, so they aren't fit for keto diets. But, fruits like limes and lemons are low in carbs and can be added to other beverages or water as flavors. You can also make juice from vegetables like cucumber, spinach, or celery since they are keto-friendly.
As for soft drinks, be sure to read the ingredients list carefully. Drinks like Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi may be keto-friendly in terms of the net carbs count, but you should stay away from them because of all the chemicals that contain. In the long run, artificial sweeteners will surprisingly increase your sugar cravings. And you don't want that.
Is it bad to drink too much water on keto?
No. As a keto dieter, you need lots of water to curb the sugar cravings and regulate your appetite. Besides, water helps your body metabolize fats faster, resulting in weight loss.
In conclusion, the amount of water you drink depends on your body weight. It should average somewhere between 91 and 127 fluid ounces (2.7 to 3.7 liters), as recommended by the institute of medicine. If you don't like the idea of drinking this much water each day, don't worry. Herbal teas, soft drinks, and other keto-friendly beverages contribute to your target as well.
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How Much Water to Drink on Keto Diet
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