What about Calcium and Potassium?

5 Smooth Stones · September 28, 2023

Hi, This is my first post. I've been doing Carnivore for a couple of months and I'm wondering what you seasoned pros are doing for minerals, especially calcium and potassium. I do use liberal amounts of Himalayan salt on my beef so I probably don't need sodium.

Thank you. I'm looking forward to this forum

Bob · September 29, 2023

10 hours ago, 5 Smooth Stones said:

Hi, This is my first post.

Welcome Randy!

:welcome:

10 hours ago, 5 Smooth Stones said:

I'm wondering what you seasoned pros are doing for minerals, especially calcium and potassium.

Currently nothing special for calcium. Just whatever is in my carnivore or animal-based food choices.

For potassium, I occasionally use a product called Daily Minerals from Keto Chow, about once or twice a week. I only use this "as needed" for leg cramps because I have a kidney issue, and I can become hyperkalemic. This stuff tastes like pure nightmares, so you have to dilute it in something and spread the dose out throughout the day.

Something less potent and actually quite tasty is the LMNT electrolyte drink mixes. You would have to drink 5 of these a day to match one dose of the Daily Minerals content. These taste delicious even just mixed with water.

Some carnivores eat several pounds of meat per day, like 4-5 pounds minimum and so they get their electrolyte requirements met and don't take anything at all. I don't get that hungry myself, lol.

Qapla · September 29, 2023

My doctor recommends

They claim - "Our soy-free Two-Per-Day Capsules contain a bioactive form of the B-vitamin folate, 5-MTHF; quercetin; zinc citrate; vitamin E as mixed tocopherols and more" and the link from the image will take you to a page that lists all the info on them.

Not sure if they will help you but they have not seemed to harm me - yet

MissLaceyD · January 5

If you are eating a wide variety of animal foods, like meat, seafood and dairy, then you should be getting the required amount. If you have had recent testing that shows otherwise, I would not recommend supplementing blindly.

With that said, I do not eat dairy products with exception of butter, and choose to make my own eggshell powder from soy/corn free pastured eggs (you would buy or raise the eggs, clean and bake, then grind into a fine powder) and sprinkle into food or drink of choice. I don’t do this often, but when I feel I need it (when I go for long time without seafood or variety). Another recommendation is making bone broth, it’s very easy! I buy a whole chicken and some chicken feet, put the whole thing in a large pot with fresh water and salt, and slow cook for 8 hours. I let it cool then strain the broth into mason jars and wear gloves to pull apart the chicken meat into a separate container (I don’t eat the feet tbh). Then I have broth for a week and shredded chicken for easy meal prep. You can do this with a meaty bone from beef or lamb if preferred. I just recommend doing a large batch to last a week or so, because it is a long process and I personally don’t want to be making every other day.

Hope this helps! Of course you can take a supplement, if it is more convenient to you and you can see exactly how much you are dosing. I just feel like if you can eat it, then you get the natural cofactors as well. Cheers!

Bob · January 6

23 hours ago, MissLaceyD said:

I would not recommend supplementing blindly.

This is good advice. That was precisely what I was doing and ended up hyperkalemic (high potassium). The general thing you hear is that if you take too many minieral you will just pee it out. And while that may be true for a healthy person, for someone like myself with kidney issues it isn't going to be so simple. Now I am a blood test junkie, lol.

23 hours ago, MissLaceyD said:

make my own eggshell powder from soy/corn free pastured eggs (you would buy or raise the eggs, clean and bake, then grind into a fine powder) and sprinkle into food or drink of choice. I don’t do this often, but when I feel I need it

I've done this too. It was a little grainy for me. The food processor I have didn't get it powdery enough to my liking. So my sprinkles still had a little crunch.

Orweller · January 6

I think the rules for supplement is, don't take multi-vitamins. Target your needs with specific vitamins that you lack in your diet, no more. Some vitamins can turn toxic. And then we have to consider the quality of such vitamins, bio-availability, etc. Food tends to do the thinking for you.

Bob · January 6

19 minutes ago, Orweller said:

don't take multi-vitamins... Some vitamins can turn toxic.

I was a vitamin junkie since the mid 90's which in hindsight may have attributed to my kidney issues. This was in part to how much vitamins and supplements are marketed, and Dr. Atkin's was a proponent of supplementation as well.

MissLaceyD · January 6

2 hours ago, Bob said:

This is good advice. That was precisely what I was doing and ended up hyperkalemic (high potassium). The general thing you hear is that if you take too many minieral you will just pee it out. And while that may be true for a healthy person, for someone like myself with kidney issues it isn't going to be so simple. Now I am a blood test junkie, lol.

I've done this too. It was a little grainy for me. The food processor I have didn't get it powdery enough to my liking. So my sprinkles still had a little crunch.

Best to test than to guess, I too used to supplement with the “highest quality” brands out there, back when I was vegan - that habit stuck with me until I found Weston A Price lifestyle. Another perspective on supplements is that you would never encounter such a dose in nature, without any cofactors. I know getting numbers up to healthy range is important - but low and slow is better/more natural than high and fast.

as for the egg shells, coffee grinder works best since it is such a small amount for a standard blender you won’t get it fine enough, hence the extra grit.

Orweller · January 7

16 hours ago, MissLaceyD said:

Best to test than to guess, I too used to supplement with the “highest quality” brands out there, back when I was vegan - that habit stuck with me until I found Weston A Price lifestyle. Another perspective on supplements is that you would never encounter such a dose in nature, without any cofactors. I know getting numbers up to healthy range is important - but low and slow is better/more natural than high and fast.

as for the egg shells, coffee grinder works best since it is such a small amount for a standard blender you won’t get it fine enough, hence the extra grit.

Another idea I'll blatantly steal from you.

Orweller · January 7

18 hours ago, Bob said:

I was a vitamin junkie since the mid 90's which in hindsight may have attributed to my kidney issues. This was in part to how much vitamins and supplements are marketed, and Dr. Atkin's was a proponent of supplementation as well.

It's for me vitamins and protein shakes over the years I fear have done their damage. No only target supplementation for me.

My remaining concerns on this diet are calcium, vitamin E, vitamin A. Not highly concerned, but watching it.

Geezy · January 7

Best to test than to guess,
Another perspective on supplements is that you would never encounter such a dose in nature, without any cofactors. I know getting numbers up to healthy range is important - but low and slow is better/more natural than high and fast.

Good points.
It’s also good to point out that our ancestors got minerals naturally through the water they drank and foods they ate. Unfortunately our soils have been depleted of their minerals from over farming and our water supply cannot be trusted.
I have well water which was a great source of natural minerals but it was so heavily laden with minerals that it was calcifying everything in my house so I had to install a soft water system and filters.

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Bob · January 8

On 1/7/2024 at 6:29 AM, Orweller said:

My remaining concerns on this diet are calcium, vitamin E, vitamin A. Not highly concerned, but watching it.

Vitamin E is in seafood.

Vitamin A is in liver, fish, and cheeses.

Calcium is in cheese, yogurt, and canned sardines and canned salmon (with the bones).

Orweller · January 9

4 hours ago, Bob said:

Vitamin E is in seafood.

Vitamin A is in liver, fish, and cheeses.

Calcium is in cheese, yogurt, and canned sardines and canned salmon (with the bones).

It's the sea food that I find lacking here in (north west) Ohio, where is the mackerel, herring, eel, where are the fish markets other than getting my fish in a box? It would mean going to a restaurant or eat salmon once again. I was spoiled all those years in a coast town by the sea. I did find a good braunschweiger for my liver needs. Also plenty of venison from my hunting friends. I try not to consume too much cheese or yoghurt at the same time. Thanks for the reply.

Geezy · January 9

It's the sea food that I find lacking here in (north west) Ohio, where is the mackerel, herring, eel, where are the fish markets other than getting my fish in a box? It would mean going to a restaurant or eat salmon once again.

Even where I find fresh seafood I’ve never seen mackerel, herring or eel. The only place I’ve ever see fresh eel for sale was in South Korea.
I eat sardines, mackerel and herring but it’s always from a can. Just can’t get around that. I like eel but I’ve never come across it in America.
Now fresh salmon and tuna I can get and I make the most of it.

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Bob · January 9

I occasionally go to a restaurant for a seafood boil. We're about to try and do our own again here soon. We did over summer once and it was just okay but we have some new advice and recipes in mind to try. We get our seafood at the store, whether a regular store or a bulk warehouse club like Sam's Club. Tilapia, Mahi Mahi, Salmon, Snow Crab legs, Lobster tail, Shrimp, Scallops, and more. The lean fish get the butter treatment, lol.

Geezy · January 9

Down here in the south when we do a boil it’s not centered around seafood but instead, crawfish. Man we do love our mudbugs. Always toss in some shrimp, andouille sausage, hard boiled eggs and this next season I’m going to put some oysters in the boil. Aaayyyeeee!

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Orweller · January 10

On 1/8/2024 at 9:56 PM, Geezy said:

Even where I find fresh seafood I’ve never seen mackerel, herring or eel. The only place I’ve ever see fresh eel for sale was in South Korea.
I eat sardines, mackerel and herring but it’s always from a can. Just can’t get around that. I like eel but I’ve never come across it in America.
Now fresh salmon and tuna I can get and I make the most of it.

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That's because I grew up by the North Sea. Fish markets galore. I make do with the resources I have. 40 days into carnivore and still going strong. Salmon from the store but I make sure it is Alaskan.

Orweller · January 10

13 hours ago, Geezy said:

Down here in the south when we do a boil it’s not centered around seafood but instead, crawfish. Man we do love our mudbugs. Always toss in some shrimp, andouille sausage, hard boiled eggs and this next season I’m going to put some oysters in the boil. Aaayyyeeee!

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I just had andouille sausage for the first time. Packaged of course. I am still quite unsure about some of the sausage and their ingredients.

Geezy · January 10

I just had andouille sausage for the first time. Packaged of course. I am still quite unsure about some of the sausage and their ingredients.

You are correct, it’s hard to find any sausage that’s clean. I haven’t had any since becoming carnivore so I haven’t tried to find some. If I can’t find any then I’ll just have to do without the next time.

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