When following a ketogenic diet, you’re going to be restricting the types of foods that you eat to achieve ketosis at a quicker pace. While supplements aren’t always needed in these types of diets, they do help make the process easier and help prevent the likelihood of developing certain nutrient deficiencies. As well as helping make the effects of restricting your diet easier to handle, a lot of supplements will also boost your overall health and workout performance.
If you’re considering taking up the challenge of a ketogenic diet, or you’re wanting to give it another go after an unsuccessful last attempt, here are the main supplements that we recommend you take.
Magnesium
This is a nutrient that your body needs to support the health of your immune system and lower the likelihood of experiencing the feelings of fatigue. As well as boosting your energy and keeping you going, magnesium has an array of other positive benefits such as regulating your blood sugar levels. However, a lot of people who follow ketogenic diets find themselves at risk of a magnesium deficiency due to cutting out a lot of foods that contain magnesium.
This is due to the fact that many magnesium-full foods are also high in carbs, which doesn’t make them a perfect fit for a low-carb, high-fat diet. Therefore, magnesium is one supplement that’s recommended for Keto dieters to take to make sure they’re meeting their recommended amount each day. While ensuring that you’re getting enough magnesium is going to help prevent you from feeling the full effects of the well-known ‘keto flu’, it can also help to lessen other transitional effects such as difficulty sleeping and muscle cramps.
Fiber
Fiber is important in any diet, no matter what, and too little of it can see you facing some unpleasant side-effects. Being low in carbs, ketogenic foods are also rather low in fiber, which isn’t great if you aren’t actively making sure you’re getting enough of the nutrient. If you aren’t careful with monitoring and upping your intake, you’re likely to feel the effects of fiber deficiency, which can leave you feeling bloated, constipated, sluggish, and generally unpleasant.
To counteract this risk, it’s recommended that you take daily fiber supplements which will keep your digestive system working as it should. Those who are knowledgeable regarding ketogenic diets will also know that the higher fat content can also take it’s toll on your digestion, which is just another reason why it’s so important to ensure that your fiber intake is as it should be.
Collagen
Did you know that collagen accounts for over 30% of your body’s protein content? It promotes the health of your bones, tendons, and your muscle’s connective tissues, so it’s one of most important nutrients we have. No matter what diet you might be following, it’s vitally important to ensure that you’re meeting your necessary protein requirements to promote the overall health of your system.
Collagen is highly recommended for those following ketogenic diets because it’s a source of protein that’s easy to take and easy to digest. Some people are worried that taking too much protein will kick them out of ketosis, but collagen is the least likely to cause this. Generally, this supplement will help make the entire dieting process a lot easier on the body, and it can also help you handle the effects better at the same time. Protein helps us stay fuller for longer, feeling more satisfied after eating a meal, while also promoting muscle growth. Taking collagen peptides will help you curve the cravings that you might feel when experimenting with a ketogenic diet and will also help you stay in tip top shape after your workouts.
Among options for a collagen supplement, the collagen protein powder by Naked Nutrition is free from any unnecessary additives. Being unflavored it can be easily mixed into hot beverages such as your morning coffee, or into your post-workout protein shake, making it the perfect way to make sure your collagen stores are topped up.
Exogenous Ketones
These supplements are simply the ketones found in your body transformed into a handy physical form that you can take to speed up the process of ketosis. There have actually be a number of studies that show these supplements are effective in promoting your body’s move into ketosis. As well as getting you to your goals faster, exogenous ketones can help make the transition easier as the supplement is providing you with the ketones that you need to become adapted to the process.
When you first start cutting down on carbs, you’re likely to experience symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue until your body begins producing ketones at a high enough rate. By taking exogenous ketones, you’re already providing your system with the nutrients that it needs to prevent you from feeling so sluggish.
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are vital to support the health of our bodies, only our bodies can’t produce the fats themselves. This means that we need to ensure we’re eating enough foods rich in omega-3s to supply our systems with enough of the essential fats. The reason they’re so important is due to the fact that our bodies uses omega-3s to make cell membranes, produce energy to keep you going, and protect the ever-so-important organ that is your brain.
It’s also a good idea to take omega-3 supplements, such as fish oil supplements, because they help you get into the state of ketosis quicker, and they can help you maintain it too. Most foods are higher in omega-6 fatty acids, which are also important, but are shown to cause more inflammation which omega-3 fatty acids help counteract. Therefore, they help improve your general health on a high-fat diet too.
While keto diets are great, there are certain side-effects that you should be aware of before you set out on your keto journey. If you’re planning on starting a new keto-genic diet in the New Year and don’t quite know what you should be expecting, we recommend that you take note and stock up on the supplements that you’ll need to keep you feeling energized and healthy.