Less than 2% of the United States population reaches the daily 4,700 mg potassium recommendation. (1) It tends to sit on the backburner of standard diets. But in reality, it’s a powerful mineral that does more for the body than we realize.

Let’s break down what potassium is, why we need it, and how to get it.

What is Potassium?

Potassium is one of the seven most important macrominerals, the third most common mineral in our bodies, and also an electrolyte. This means when it’s placed inside of our body’s water content, it turns into either negatively or positively charged ions.

In potassium’s case, it carries positively charged ions that conduct electricity throughout the body. In turn, these electrical abilities help vital functions like contracting our heart muscles to keep us alive and thriving.

Almost all the potassium in your body is found in your cells, of which 80% are muscle cells and 20% are liver, bone, and red blood cells. (2)

Why You Need Potassium

The electricity created by consuming potassium is used to maintain fluid balance, nerve signals, normal blood pressure, and muscle contractions. (3, 4) Without these regulations, our bodies would suffer from serious dehydration and the inability to move our muscles, sustain a steady heartbeat, or have responsive reflexes. Those are big deals!

On top of being responsible for those fundamental functions, eating enough potassium can reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, protect muscles, fight kidney stones, and aid bloating. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

As a critical mineral, potassium plays an enormous role in our overall wellbeing. And it’s not the only one! Magnesium is, too. Read What You Need to Know About Magnesium on Keto.

6 Signs of Potassium Deficiency

Since 98% of the population is not eating enough potassium, there’s a chance you may be potassium deficient. Here are some signs to look out for:

1. Fatigue/Weakness

If your potassium levels are low, your muscles aren’t able to make strong contractions, which makes you feel weak and tired. (12)

2. Poor Digestion

Your brain needs potassium to convey signals to your gut, and if it isn’t able to “talk,” the result could be digestion issues like bloating and constipation. (13, 14)

3. Muscle Cramps

When your brain doesn’t receive the potassium it needs, it could also result in muscle cramps or spasms. The nerve signals to your muscles may be weaker than usual, which can lead to prolonged muscle contractions. These longer, often painful contractions are cramps. (15,16)

4. Tingling and Numbness Sensations

Tingling and numbness are other results of a lack of potassium straining the communication from your brain to your body. It’s called paresthesia and usually appears in your legs, feet, hands, or arms. (17, 18)

5. Heart Palpitations

When potassium is in the blood and travels to your heart, it helps regulate your heartbeat. But when you don’t have enough potassium, it can cause heart palpitations. Usually, they make your heart beat faster, harder, or skip a beat. (19,20)

6. Shortness of Breath

The muscles in the lungs contract and expand because potassium helps the brain send those clear signals. But if you don’t have a good storage of potassium, your lungs might struggle to complete those contractions all the way, resulting in breathing difficulties. (21)

Potassium-Rich Keto Zone Foods

Now that you know why potassium is important, it’s time to eat it. Here are the top keto-friendly sources of potassium (22):

• Spinach (2 cups): 334 mg
• Chicken Breast (3 oz): 332 mg
• Salmon (3 oz): 326 mg
• Beef (3 oz): 315 mg
• Greek Yogurt (6 oz): 240 mg
• Broccoli (1/2 cup): 229 mg
• Turkey Breast (3 oz): 212 mg
• Cashews (1 oz): 187 mg
• Coffee (1 cup): 116 mg
• Iceberg Lettuce (1 cup): 102 mg
• Peanut Butter (1 tablespoon): 90 mg
• Black Tea (1 cup): 88 mg
• Egg (1 large): 69 mg

Bottom Line

Without potassium, our bodies would be in a world of trouble! It’s super important to make sure you’re aiming for the recommended daily dose. And thankfully, foods like spinach, chicken, and salmon are incredibly high in potassium while being keto-friendly. Win/Win!

Along with eating the above foods, you can also balance out your electrolytes with Keto Zone Instant Ketones.

The post Are You Getting Enough Potassium on Keto? Why You Need It & What to Eat appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

While there are some potential issues to watch for with digestion and keto, they all have healthy fixes. This is true for any eating style.

Here are the potential (unnecessary) issues and benefits for digestion and keto zone eating, and how to fix any problems you encounter.

Digestion and Keto Concern #1: Low Fiber

When you remove most carbs from your diet, you also remove most of the fiber.

Fiber is necessary for healthy digestion and whole-body health.

Is Keto Zone a low fiber diet?

Of course, you could eat nothing but coconut oil and go into ketosis. This would be low fiber. It would also be unhealthy and unsatisfying.

Keto can be low-fiber. But, it certainly shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be. Like with any diet, it takes some proactive, healthy, eating choices to keep it well-rounded and fiber-full.

The Truth: When you follow Keto Zone recommendations, you’ll begin to replace low-fiber refined carbs with high-fiber vegetables (using cauliflower in place of rice), nuts (using almond flour in place of wheat), even high-fiber fats (avocados).

In fact, while those who eat the Standard American Diet typically consume less than the recommended 20+ grams (1), Keto Zone eaters can easily eat much more.

Digestion and Keto Concern #2: Keto Causes Constipation

Typically, if a diet or food is causing constipation, it’s not due to what’s been eliminated, but what’s been added.

Some people simply don’t digest certain foods well. This can be highly individual.

Foods that commonly cause constipation include:

• Nuts and Seeds – Anytime you go from eating very few nuts and seeds to eating everything with nuts and seeds, you risk digestion issues. If you’ve added nut flours, nut butter, nut fat bombs, and nut snacks rather suddenly, a may be a problem for you. Try omitting them for 2-3 days and see if it helps. Then, if you want to reintroduce, do so one at a time. Try sprouted nuts and seeds, or nut/seed butter instead of whole.
• Red Meat – For some people, red meat is simply difficult to digest. Most people who have slow digestion of red meat, know it. It doesn’t matter if they’re keto or not, this has been an issue for most of their lives. To resolve, decrease red meat and try poultry and fish instead.
• Full-Fat Dairy and Cheese – Dairy can be another slow digester. In addition, up to 50% of American adults do not have sufficient lactase to break down the lactose in dairy products. So, if you’re eating more cream or cheese than ever, you may want to take a step back. Try using coconut products instead, and omit the cheese for 1-2 weeks. A good substitution in meals is avocados. Obviously, they don’t taste the same or melt. But, when you use sliced avocados or Keto Zone Guacamole over a taco bowl, rather than cheese, the richness and creaminess is a great substitution and you likely won’t miss the cheese.

Digestion and Keto Concern #3: Healthy Gut Bacteria Suffer on Keto

There are two ways healthy bacteria in the gut suffer:

1. They don’t get the prebiotic fibers they need to consume and proliferate.
2. They aren’t readily replaced with fermented live-bacteria-containing foods when needed.

This is actually not a problem on Keto if you proactively eat foods with soluble fiber and live bacteria. And, this is true for any diet.

It’s actually very easy to include prebiotic foods on Keto Zone, like avocados, vegetables, chia seeds, and more.

Next, there are many fermented foods that can be included in Keto Zone: Try Fermented Green Supremefood, Organic Red Supremefood, plain yogurt, Hydrolyzed Collagen with Probiotics, Inulin and Psyllium Husk Powder and more.

Digestion and Keto Concern #4: Keto Causes Dehydration

It’s true that hydration can become a bit tricky on Keto Zone due to the body’s changing use of electrolytes. But, this is mostly true during the initial phase, while getting into the Keto Zone.

To make sure you don’t become dehydrated while getting into the Keto Zone, you’ll want to consume water to thirst (usually ~64-80 oz. per day), add Instant Ketones any time you are re-entering the Keto Zone or feeling dehydrated, add extra sodium (add to meals throughout the day or drink broth), use a magnesium supplement, and add more fluids and sodium if exercising).

If you follow these tips, you can easily enter the Keto Zone without dehydration or constipation.

Benefits of Digestion and Keto Zone

1. Elimination of Foods that Cause Many Food Intolerances

On the flip side, if you’ve suffered from poor digestion or digestive issues on the Standard American Diet, Keto Zone can help.

Unfortunately, according to the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 60-70 million Americans are affected by all digestive diseases (2).

That’s quite a lot of people.

Fortunately, Keto Zone eliminates many foods that cause intolerances, right off the bat.

For example, by eliminating gluten and wheat, many intolerances are resolved.

By including diets too high in fermentable carbs and using more low FODMAP foods, many issues are improved (3, 4).

What’s more, many Keto Zone eaters easily eliminate dairy, which can be another type of food that’s difficult to digest.

2. Reduction in Inflammation

In addition, Keto Zone can drastically reduce bodily inflammation. This helps because some digestive disorders are rooted in inflammation, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (5).

One 6-month study concluded a low-carb diet like Keto Zone decreased several markers of inflammation more than a low-fat diet (6).

In addition, reduced inflammation is great for whole-body health and wellness.

Steps to Ensure Healthy Digestion and Keto Together

1. Proactively Use High-Fiber Keto Zone Foods

Adding these foods daily will eliminate many digestion issues, and provide 20+ grams of fiber:

• 3 servings of vegetables (6-10 grams of fiber) including greens
• ¼ cup nuts or 2 tablespoons nut meal (4 grams fiber) in place of refined flours and snacks (if tolerated)
• 2 tablespoons of seeds such as hemp heart seeds (4 grams fiber)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, like Living Chia with Probiotics, per day using recipes, like overnight chia “oatmeal” or chia pudding (8 grams fiber)
• 1/2 avocado per day (5 grams fiber)

2. Add Inulin and Psyllium Husk with Fiber Zone

You can also add fiber supplements like Inulin and Psyllium Husk. In fact, inulin is a key ingredient in Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder, and it provides many health benefits.

For example, one 4-week study found that 15 grams of inulin per day improved constipation in older adults (7).

Inulin promotes healthy gut bacteria balance and stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria. When beneficial bacteria proliferate, yeast overgrowth is inhibited, digestion improves, and the immune system is supported (8, 9).

BONUS: If you have a difficult time getting enough fiber, there’s now a Keto Zone product to help. Try Fiber Zone. It’s formulated with psyllium husk and inulin and will support health, as described above, in an easy-to-take powdered supplement.

3. Stay Hydrated

As noted above, it’s important to stay hydrated on Keto Zone. Make sure to consume enough water, and especially while getting into the Keto Zone, add electrolytes and Instant Ketones.

4. Make Note and Avoid Foods That Constipate You

While this one seems obvious, it’s often overlooked. It’s not always what you’re missing in a diet that constipates, but what you’re eating. Try to document your diet and your issues, and find the culprit.

5. Try Adding any of these Pro-Digestion Keto Zone Foods

• Probiotics and Fermented Foods – Antibiotics and unhealthy lifestyles can destroy colonies of healthy bacteria in your small intestine. You can add them back with probiotic supplements and fermented foods or powders. In fact, most adults with chronic constipation have fewer probiotic colonies than those with healthy digestion. Probiotics can improve gut motility (10) and the frequency of bowel movements.
• L-Glutamine – This amino acids is a food source for gut cells, and can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and other digestive ailments.
• Magnesium – Among its many benefits, magnesium promotes regular bowel movements. In fact, it’s speculated that many who suffer from constipation are deficient in magnesium.
• Warm Drinks, such as Coffee and Tea – Tea and coffee have natural chemical laxative effects and stimulates bowel movement and relaxes digestive smooth muscle with warmth.

Bottom Line

As with any style of eating, some people are simply going to have to work harder to make sure digestion is working well. Keto Zone is no exception.

You can optimize digestion and Keto Zone eating by proactively eating prebiotic foods, fermented foods, hydrating well, identifying foods that constipate, getting enough fiber, and more.

Don’t let poor digestion get you down. Improve your digestion with Keto Zone.

The post The Facts About Digestion and Keto Zone appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Luckily, Ketone Zone can help you fight constipation.

How?

First, learn what does and doesn’t cause constipation for most people.

Then, figure out your own culprits by eliminating and re-adding foods and supplements.

Here’s what causes constipation, diet’s effect, and how you can fight constipation with Keto Zone.

Does Keto Cause Constipation?

Any google search of constipation will suggest you lack of fiber in your body.

But is this true?

Many individuals on high-fiber diets, whether vegetarian, paleo or otherwise, also suffer from constipation.

In fact, it seems to be a bigger issue with gut health itself, rather than a specific diet.

In fact, there have actually been studies showing dietary fiber causes constipation (1).  You can take this with a grain of salt, of course, because some people respond well to increasing fiber. But, it’s not an absolute certainty, like it’s made out to be.

Why Am I Constipated on Keto?

If your bowel movement was regular before keto, and you’re now constipated, it’s likely due to a certain food you’ve added, instead of not a lack of fiber.  Meats and most proteins are completely broken down, digested, and absorbed. So meats aren’t foods that increase the bulk of bowel movements.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, isn’t completely broken down by humans. Unlike animals, we don’t have enough enzymes to break them down and use them for energy. On the bright side, it can keep our guts strong. But, too much, or too many changes therewithin, can cause constipation.

Of note, there are two kinds of fiber: 1) Insoluble fiber is the type we can’t break down. It’s eliminated. 2) Soluble fiber actually promotes healing in damaged guts, gently increases fecal bulk, and is the better choice when used therapeutically.

So what’s the issue?

Many Keto Zone eaters become very concerned about fiber, and they can go overboard with nuts, seeds, and low-carbohydrate vegetables. All of these can be good, but they can also constipate.

For others, constipation is caused by an increase in red meat (red meat is not undigested, it can just be slow), or full-fat dairy.

If there’s one thing that’s sure, digestion is a very individual situation.

Fight Constipation with Keto Zone

Find the Offender 

If you’ve added any of the following foods, whether for Keto Zone eating or otherwise, try decreasing them or making substitutions. Potential constipation causes:

• Nuts and Seeds – Eating way more nuts and seeds than you used to? This is likely part (or all) of the problem. Try omitting them for 2-3 days and see if it helps. Then, if you want to reintroduce, do so one at a time. Try sprouted nuts and seeds, or nut/seed butter instead of whole.
• Red Meat – Most people who have slow digestion with red meat, know it. It doesn’t matter if they’re keto or not, this has been an issue for them most of their lives. To resolve, decrease red meat and try poultry and fish instead.
• Full-Fat Dairy and Cheese – Are you eating more cream or cheese than ever? If so, try using coconut products instead, and omit cheese. A good substitution in meals is avocados. Obviously, they don’t taste the same or melt. But, when you use sliced avocados or Keto Zone Guacamole over a taco bowl, rather than cheese, the richness and creaminess is a great substitution and you likely won’t miss the cheese.

Identify any Foods You’re Missing That Previously Promoted Good Digestion

If eliminating a food from your diet is in fact, the reason for constipation, replace it with a similar food:

• Missing fruit? Choose Keto Zone vegetables instead. You’ll get similar nutrients without the carbohydrates.
• Missing grains? Try adding daily chia, whether in overnight chia “oatmeal” or chia pudding, or try Living Chia with Probiotics.
• Missing yogurt? Try making daily chia pudding and adding 1 scoop Fermented Red Supremefood.

Add Non-Fiber Nutrients that Promote Healthy Digestion

For many people, it’s simply an unhealthy gut that is the issue. It may be from antibiotic use or antibiotics in foods. It may be from a diet full of processed foods.

No matter the reasons, there are many proven non-fiber foods that promote gut health and healing.

• Probiotics and Fermented Foods – Antibiotics and unhealthy lifestyles can destroy colonies of healthy bacteria in your small intestine. You can add them back with probiotic supplements and fermented foods or powders. In fact, most adults with chronic constipation have fewer probiotic colonies than those with healthy digestion. Probiotics can improve gut motility (2) and frequency of bowel movements.
• L-Glutamine – This amino acids is a food source for gut cells, and can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and other digestive ailments.
• Collagen – Type II collagen, found in high-quality collagen powders made from bovine or chicken, can improve the structure of the digestive walls and tissues. This can promote overall digestive health.
• Soluble Fiber – One-hundred percent soluble fiber promotes regularity and is typically very well tolerated. However, it’s usually not found in natural foods. These are a combination of insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Usually, 100% soluble fiber needs to be consumed via supplemental powders. It also acts as a prebiotic (3).
• Fluids – Even mild dehydration can increase the risk of constipation. In fact, increasing daily fluid intake can completely improve digestion and regularity in some (4).
• Magnesium – Among its many benefits, magnesium promotes regular bowel movements. In fact, it’s speculated that many who suffer from constipation are deficient in magnesium.
• Warm Drinks such as Coffee and Tea – Tea and coffee have natural chemical laxative effects and stimulates bowel movement and relaxes digestive smooth muscle with warmth.

Bottom Line

Constipation is often the result of an unhealthy gut or one that needs healing. Whether this has been a chronic problem for you or not, you can fight it with Keto Zone eating plans and supplements. By systematically figuring out the issue and applying the remedy, you can be regular and healthy.

The post Fight Constipation with Keto Zone appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Why do you need more?

No matter the number of carbs you eat, some of the healthiest carbohydrates come from vegetables.

In fact, when you eat vegetables, especially powerhouse green vegetables, your body receives a lot of benefits including:

• Anti-Cancer Nutrients
• Insoluble Fiber for Digestive Health
• Prebiotic Fiber for Healthy Gut Bacteria
• Cholesterol-Reducing stanols and sterols
• Nutrients that promote cellular detox

Even when you eat multiple servings of low-carb vegetables per day, you can keep net grams of carbs below 20 grams and keep 75% of your calories from fats.

Ready to add more? Here are our 5 Keto Zone Hacks to Eat Greens and More Fermented Vegetables.

5 Keto Zone Hacks to Eat More Greens and Fermented Vegetables

First, get to know the best vegetables for Keto Zone eating. Here’s a list of low-carb veggies:

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Green Beans
• Asparagus
• Bok Choy
• Leek
• Spinach & Green Leafy Vegetables
• Avocado
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Radish
• Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts

How can you add more?

1. Add Fermented Green Supremefood

Divine Health has created an amazing powder to help Keto Zone dieters obtain the vegetables they need, in the most nourishing form.

Specifically, our Fermented Green Supremefood contains carrot, beet, parsley, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, onion, and pea protein. Why is this important?

Fermented vegetables have been exposed to yeast or bacteria, or fermenters. These fermenters eat natural sugars and starches in the food, thereby changing it.

What changes take place? Fermented foods contain:

• Decreased Sugar. Fermentation vastly decreases sugar, since it has been used as food for the fermenters. The remaining sugars become more easily digestible.
• More Nutrients. As bacteria ferments the foods, it breaks down tough fibers and makes nutrient available to humans for absorption. This means many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients become easier to digest and absorb.
• Healthy Bacteria. As the fermenters proliferate, healthy bacteria multiply.
• Natural Food Preservation. Byproducts of fermentation, like alcohol and lactic acid, naturally preserve food.
• Better Proteins. As fermenters eat, they often alter proteins such as gluten, making them more digestible.

In healthy individuals, fermented foods fortify the digestive tract with more healthy bacteria. This can crowd-out and starve unhealthy bacteria and yeasts (1). What’s more, by protecting gut health, they can even reduce the toxicity and build-up of heavy metals in the body (2).

Fermented vegetables also improve immune function, dental health, promote weight loss and improve skin condition.

2. Make Concentrated Vegetable Soups

You can pack a lot of healthful green vegetables in a pureed soup. These vegetables are easy-to-digest since they are cooked and pureed.  What’s more, when made with healthy fats, they are a great Keto Zone choice. Try our Keto Zone Broccoli Puree Soup.

3. Add More Avocados to Your Diet

Since avocados offer many vegetable-like nutrients AND healthy fats, they are perfect for Keto Zone.

What’s more, avocados are extremely versatile and flavorful. They can take an otherwise bland meal to the next level.

Use avocados for fat bombs, avocado chocolate pudding, and guacamole.

And, if you’ve gone dairy-free and miss cheese, add avocados to dishes. The rich, delicious avocado flavor will help you forget about any dairy you used to have.

4. Sneak Greens into Shakes and Smoothies

If you’re in the habit of making delicious Keto Zone Smoothies, make sure to add a cup of greens. You won’t likely notice them, and they add a nutrition punch to a food/drink that would otherwise not contain them.

Try adding spinach, green mixes, basil, arugula, and more.

“Green smoothies” are a refreshing, detoxifying, energizing, satisfying, gut-improving meal.

5. Use Low-Carb Keto Zone Vegetables in Place of Grains at Dinners

You know the drill: Cauliflower mashed potatoes, rice, and pizza crust. Zucchini noodles. Lettuce wraps for tacos and burgers. While these choices may be a bit cliche within low-carb eating, they are delicious and effective.

Not only do they help you omit harmful inflammatory carbs they pack a nourishing punch. You’d never get this from a taco shell, white rice, or pizza crust.

Bottom Line

The benefits of fermented vegetables, grasses and greens are far-reaching, and your body needs more. Many keto eaters only focus on the fats and carbs and miss out on all the benefits of fermented greens. Take your diet to the next level, to the Keto Zone. Start with our Fermented Green Supremefood, and then add more low-carb Keto Zone greens in general.

Keep your diet low-carb, high-fat, and green.

The post 5 Keto Zone Hacks to Get More Greens and Fermented Vegetables appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.