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Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink

★★★★★★★★★★
4.8 stars, average of 2,103 ratings
By Martina Slajerova, updated September 12 2024162
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This homemade keto electrolyte drink is a lifesaver for anyone experiencing keto flu. It's sugar-free, tasty, and packed with essential electrolytes to keep you hydrated. And most importantly, it works — just check the reviews!

Why Make Your Own Electrolyte Drink?

Staying hydrated and energized is super important, especially when you're on a keto diet. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium help keep your muscles working and your body balanced. On keto, your body flushes out more electrolytes, which can lead to keto flu symptoms like headaches, muscle weakness cramps, and fatigue.

I make my own electrolyte drink because store-bought options often have added sugars and artificial stuff that I don't want. By making it myself, I know exactly what's in it, making sure it's healthy, sugar-free, and loaded with the right electrolytes to keep me feeling great.

How to Make Your Own Electrolyte Drink

Making your own electrolyte drink is super simple and totally worth it. The ingredients are easy to find and each one has a purpose.

  • Water: This forms the base of your drink, keeping you hydrated. You can also use fizzy (sparkling) water for a refreshing twist.
  • Lemon or Lime Juice: Adds a refreshing flavor and a good dose of vitamin C.
  • Potassium Chloride: Food-grade potassium chloride helps replace potassium lost during ketosis and physical activity.
  • Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt: Provides sodium, which is crucial for maintaining fluid balance and preventing cramps.
  • Magnesium Supplement: Essential for muscle function and helps alleviate symptoms of keto flu. Powdered magnesium supplements like Calm work best.
  • Low-Carb Sweetener: Use Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit or stevia to sweeten your electrolyte drink. These natural low-carb sweeteners make the drink tasty without adding carbs or sugars. Read healthy low-carb sweetener guide. for more options. Not a fan of sweetener? You can skip them!

How To Prepare Calm

When magnesium carbonate and citric acid are combined in hot water, a chemical reaction takes place resulting in the formation of magnesium citrate. Calm becomes absorbable faster when dissolved in hot water but you do not have to use hot water to make it. The same result can simply be achieved by waiting for 5 to 10 minutes. You know it's ready when it's no longer cloudy and any fizzing has settled.

Recipe Variations and Swaps

Everyone's tastes and needs are different, so here are some great swaps and alternatives to customize your electrolyte drink:

  • Potassium Source: Instead of potassium chloride, you can use lite salt or cream of tartar. Both options provide a good potassium boost to help keep your muscles functioning properly.
  • Coconut Water: Swap regular water for coconut water to add extra electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium. Just keep in mind that coconut water has more carbs, so it might not be suitable for everyone on keto. There are about 6 grams of net carbs, 600 mg potassium, 252 g sodium and 60 mg magnesium per cup of coconut water.
  • Flavored Tea: Use flavored herbal teas instead of plain water for an extra kick of taste. This can make your drink even more enjoyable without extra calories or carbs.
  • Flavored Magnesium Powder: You can use plain, unflavored, unsweetened magnesium powder like Calm, or use flavored options sweetened with stevia or other low-carb sweeteners.

When using Natural Calm's proprietary magnesium citrate (made from magnesium carbonate and citric acid), it's important to mix it thoroughly and let it fizz and dissolve completely.

This process creates a highly absorbable form of magnesium. The reaction between magnesium carbonate and citric acid forms magnesium citrate, which is easier for your body to absorb. So, take the time to let it fully dissolve before drinking to ensure you get the maximum benefits.

How Much Electrolyte Drink Can I Drink?

Ideally, drink it with meals, not on an empty stomach. Start with 1-2 cups a day to see how your body responds. If you're physically active and sweating a lot, you might need more, but go easy and don't exceed 3 cups a day. Too much magnesium citrate can cause stomach issues like loose stools or diarrhea, so it's best to increase gradually and listen to your body.

Recipes with Electrolytes You'll Love

Looking for more ways to stay hydrated and boost your electrolytes? Check out these delicious and refreshing recipes that are perfect for anyone on a keto diet or just looking for a healthy drink option:

Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink
Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink

Want to learn more about electrolytes? Check out these posts:

Note: This recipe was inspired by an electrolyte drink created by Wellness Mama.

Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte DrinkPin itFollow us 148.4k

Hands-on Overall

Serving size 1 cup, 240 ml/ 8 fl oz

Allergy information for Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Egg free
✔  Nut free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian
Vegan

Nutritional values (per 1 cup, 240 ml/ 8 fl oz)

Net carbs1.7 grams
Protein0.1 grams
Fat0 grams
Calories6 kcal
Calories from carbs 90%, protein 4%, fat 6%
Total carbs1.7 gramsFiber0.1 gramsSugars0.8 gramsSaturated fat0 gramsSodium104 mg(5% RDA)Magnesium179 mg(45% RDA)Potassium216 mg(11% EMR)

Ingredients (makes about 6 cups)

Instructions

  1. Juice the lemons or limes (or a combination of both). Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink
  2. Place everything in a jug and stir until well combined and no crystals appear on the bottom, and the fizzing has completely settled (this is essential for best magnesium absorption). Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink
  3. Add some ice cubes if needed and enjoy! If you suffer from keto-flu symptoms, have 2-3 cups per day with meals (3 cups only if you are physically active and have no stomach discomfort) and also add more sodium to your diet (try Homemade Bone Broth). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Beat Keto-Flu with Homemade Electrolyte Drink

Homemade Electrolyte Drink
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.8 stars, average of 2,103 ratings
Homemade Electrolyte Drink
The best way to replenish electrolytes with a healthy sugar-free electrolyte drink. A simple, tasty and natural keto flu remedy!
Hands on5m
Overall5m
Servings6
Calories6 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Juice the lemons or limes (or a combination of both).
  2. Place everything in a jug and stir until well combined and no crystals appear on the bottom, and the fizzing has completely settled (this is essential for best magnesium absorption).
  3. Add some ice cubes if needed and enjoy! If you suffer from keto-flu symptoms, have 2-3 cups per day with meals (3 cups only if you are physically active and have no stomach discomfort) and also add more sodium to your diet (try Homemade Bone Broth). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per 1 cup, 240 ml/ 8 fl oz)

Calories6kcal
Net Carbs1.7g
Carbohydrates1.7g
Protein0.1g
Fat0g
Saturated Fat0g
Fiber0.1g
Sugar0.8g
Sodium104mg
Magnesium179mg
Potassium216mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 1 cup, 240 ml/ 8 fl oz)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per 1 cup, 240 ml/ 8 fl oz
1.7 g0.1 g0 g6 kcal
Water, still
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Lemon (juice), fresh
1.3 g0.1 g0 g4 kcal
Potassium chloride, supplement
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Natural Calm, magnesium supplement
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.3 g0 g0 g1 kcal

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Martina Slajerova
Creator of KetoDietApp.com

Martina Slajerova

I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food.

More posts by Martina Slajerova
Martina Slajerova

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Comments (162)

★★★★★★★★★★

Literally the one thing that saved me from giving up keto! It is so so important to get your electrolytes. I'll be forever grateful for this amazing recipe! ❤

I’d really like to avoid the issues with magnesium citrate (calm) as well as citric acid, which is GMO corn….could I use magnesium malate with no additives? Would it be the same 2T  for the 6 servings with magnesium malate?
Thank you!
As usual, love your blog and recipes!!!

You could definitely do that 😊 I haven't used magnesium malate myself but the one I found is not powdered - comes in tablets which can be crushed into powder.
The best way to measure how much you need to use (whether tablets or powder) is to look at the dosage. I used 2 tablespoons of Calm which contain 1,200 mg of magnesium.
Here's some more info on other magnesium options like glycinate: Complete Guide to Magnesium Supplementation
Also this is directly from Calm website:
The unflavoured version of our Natural Calm does not contain any corn or derivatives of corn. The flavouring used in the other varieties (Raspberry Lemon, Sweet Lemon, Orange, and Cherry) does have a sub-ingredient that is derived from corn (organic maltodextrin); however, there are no corn proteins in the product and all flavours of Natural Calm have been verified as non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project. (Calmful Sleep is also Non-GMO, but certification status is pending for Calmful Sleep in 2017; the process takes time.)

Hi Martina,
I have been in a ketogenic diet for a year now, with my doctors approval (health reasons). Any way, can this be used for someone that is long term keto? I have been extremely tired, I believe I may need all that is in your keto flu beverage help.

Hi Marianna, it should help if it's keto-flu related. I hope you are feeling better now!

I love your books and recipes. Just a note for those who  don't know: Natural Calm is magnesium carbonate, not citrate but becomes magnesium citrate (more bioavailable form) through a chemical reaction with the citric acid after dissolving in water. In hot water this is instant. In cold it can take 15 minutes so people should be sure its completely dissolved first before drinking to get the most benefit.

Thank you so much Sara, that is great to know!

Fabulous info - Thank you Sara!! ♥

In order for the Calm mag to work you need to heat water and add the calm. This causes the chemical reaction. I don't see this in your directions. Or am i missing it?

Hi Dawn, Sara mentioned it above - you can also wait for a few minutes for this to happen.

I have the same background and find your recipes inspiring

Thank you!

great drink. been on and off keto diet for over a year, each time the flu totally floored me. I feel great , managing to stay awake and physically do stuff, found energy otherwise lost, so yeah, 100% recommend this recipe/drink.Thanks.

Thank you Tina! It's my favourite recipe for electrolytes. Sometimes I use just lime or lemon, or I even add some frozen berries.

Thanks for your recomendation!

Have been on and off keto about 3 times in past year. The flu almost flattened me each time. Thank Goodness for this drink. Totally different energy with it, no return to flu like symptons and more encouraged and incentivated to carry on. Thank you for the recipe.!!! xx

Thank you so much Tina, it's a favourite in my house too, especially now as we have a heatwave in the UK 😊

Martina, I make a similar drink.  I use 2 tsp Redmonds, 1/2 tsp potass. chlor., 2 oz lemon jc,  2 TSP Calm ( I also take a mag pill before bed) and 64 oz water. Some times I sweeten, other times..not. I don't mind the salty taste and I use that much to be sure I get at least 2 tsp salt a day (I usually drink about 3/4 of the container)+ whatever I use on food.  Any thoughts on my recipe?  Thank you. (In the beginning of keto when I didn't understand a lot of things I had a low sodium episode that put me in the hospital for 4 days on a drip!)

I'm sorry to hear that Judy, that sounds terrifying! I think the drink you make sounds good - more potassium and salt, less magnesium (as you drink the whole 2L so you don't want more than that). If you also take magnesium pills (which you don't necessarily need if you drink the whole 2L), just avoid citrate - instead magnesium glycinate is a good choice. Too much citrate may add up and cause GI distress. More potassium is ok here (far from toxic levels) and the sodium I assume is what you were advised by your doctor. All sounds good to me!

Hello! I needed to find an alternative for electrolytes so this will help. Which potassium chloride did you use?
Thanks!

HI Alejandra, I used food grade potassium chloride which I got from Amazon - you can find the link in the list of ingredients ❤

Hi,
Can these be made into gummies for on the go, or should I just leave it a drink?

That's a great idea! The only worry I'd have is that it needs more flavour. If you make this as gummies you'll need to use less water.

Thank you, Martina fo this much needed electrolyte drink. It helps me so much when I experience the Keto flu. I've been wondering if magnesium malate powder can be substituted for the magnesium citrate, or if there is a particular reason for using the latter. Thank you.

Thank you Diana! If it's powdered it will work just fine. I don't know how it tastes compared to citrate (refreshing, lemony, sour) but I assume that the flavour will be similar.

Thank you so much for your beautiful, very helpful, interesting , marvelous ketodietapp.
God bless you and whoever has helped you gathering all these information for people like me. After 5 months being in keto diet and searching finally i think i m lucky enough to find you with so much support. I will recommend you to all my friends in different keto community that i m in .
Thank you 🙏.

Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words!❤ I'll let my partner reply to the printing question.

Hi
I really appreciate your Homemade Electrolyte Drink to beat the Keto-Flu. It works !!! But I cannot print the recipes with my Windows 10 Desktop. Any suggestions ? I really appreciate your great website and books - I have just purchased several of them on Amazon.   R.C.  

Hi Robert,
Thank you for your feedback. I just tried this on Windows 10 using Microsoft Edge and Chrome, can I ask which browser you're using? Do you get an error when you click to print?
Thanks, Nikos

The serving sizes are supposed to be 2 teaspoons for the natural calm, not tablespoons. For the love of God edit this before someone dies.

Brian, before making these claims, please do check the serving size. This recipe makes 6 servings. Not to mention that you are confusing magnesium with potassium.

These numbers seem a bit extreme, just curious how you came to these proportions? And if what's listed below is accurate.
Sodium    0.25 tsp  (590mg)  
Potassium  0.5 tsp  (2160mg)
Magnesium  2 tbs  (1950mg)
Most keto electrolyte supplements have more sodium than anything.

Hi Ben, keep in mind you are looking at the whole recipe so a "serving" is a lot less than that - it's certainly not extreme. One or two servings are ideal for most people. The amounts are also a matter of flavour. More salt would make this drink unpalatable. I've tried it and I was aiming for the "sweet spot".
This means that the sodium values are not too high but enough to help you replenish electrolytes. This drink is not meant to provide 100% of your daily values - apart from supplements you also need to consider the electrolytes you get from whole foods (the majority). Some electrolyte supplements may have higher values but the ones I've seen come in pills so you can't really taste them.

I love this drink. I found that I like this without the added sugar. Thank you for this great recipe!

Super yummy!   Have to watch not to drink to much.  I am glad to have found this recipe as I have a colonoscopy scheduled this week.   They suggested an electrolyte drink so I will add this to my beverages.  Thanks so much!

Thank you Tanya, you might also like this one 😊 Sugar-Free Blueberry & Lemon Electrolyte Drink

I drink electrolyte replacement drinks with ACV and lime equal parts.  when taken along with cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and cream of tartar, it works well.  I will want to look at magnesium, so thanks about that.

Hi can or should you take this at least once a day even if you haven't gotten the "keto-flu" or would that do something bad? I'm brand new to the keto diet (just started Monday) so if you have any advice for me let me know.
Oh and is coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar ok for the keto diet or not I've read a ton a different stuff about it.

I don't drink this electrolyte drink every day but I do drink magnesium (Calm) almost every single day (or take magnesium supplements). I find that even with more carbs (30+ g net) I can't get enough magnesium.

Now I know where the dizziness was coming from. It was an element of the keto flu. I even had a little slight nausea! So I made your delicious electrolyte drink, just now and drank a glass and I am already feeling better. Was I supposed to use a half teaspoon of cream of tartar? Probably doesn't matter if it's too much for now since I'm low in potassium. Your recipe calls for half a teaspoon of potassium chloride but your recipe is  not specific about how much cream of tartar? Thanks for your answer in advance.  

Hi Jen, there is potassium in cream of tartar but not as much as in supplements or some keto foods like avocados. You can use 2-3 teaspoons per recipe but to get the same effect you'd have to use a lot more - and there are extra carbs (there is only 330 mg potassium and 1.2 g net carbs per 2 teaspoons). I hope this helps!

Good recipe.  I didn't read all the instructions, so I made a quart and drank the whole thing.   DO NOT do that.  Trust me 😲

I totally agree - do not exceed the recommended serving size (GI distress).

Every time I try to go Keto, I get the awful Keto flu so I am hoping this will help. My question is do I drink this instead of Pickle juice or should I still use Pickle juice along with this electrolyte drink?  Thanks for suggestions and recommendations on this.  

I have never used pickle juice in that way but I assume that's for additional sodium? I'd swap it with bone broth. My worry is that pickle juice may have added sugar or sweeteners.

Hi Martina.  Thanks for the recipe.  I was looking at reviews for this potassium you recommend and some say that potassium citrate is a better potassium to take.  Not sure why but what do you think and why you chose the chloride over the citrate?  Thanks.  

Hi Judy, I don't have a preference because I use it sparingly and only in my electrolyte drinks. Both options are suitable!

Potassium Glycinateis the most absorbable of the types of minerals but it is a challenge to find and more expensive as a result.

Just made up a batch as a preventative measure. We aren't more than a week on Keto, but we are trying to avoid the worst of the symptoms if possible. Thanks for this.

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