Proper hydration is critical for optimizing mental and physical performance.

Hydration is not just about drinking enough water - to stay properly hydrated you need to consume adequate electrolytes. They help your nerve impulses fire, regulate fluid balance, help produce energy, and support strong bones.

When we follow a low-carb diet, we have a higher need for electrolytes, especially sodium. Here are two reasons why:

• Normally, insulin tells your kidneys to retain sodium. On a low-carb diet, your insulin levels decrease - which means your body releases too much sodium.
• Over 70% of the sodium in our diets comes from processed foods - when you go low-carb and cut those out, you are probably not getting enough sodium through your diet.

This deficiency increases even more if you are fasting - when carb intake is low, the kidneys excrete more sodium. In fact, no other dietary strategy out there lowers insulin more than fasting - it’s awful for retaining sodium. This is why those who fast often complain of unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue. For optimal performance, we need to pay attention to electrolyte and mineral intake - and our needs increase even more when we fast or switch to a low-carb diet.