The Professional Electrolyte Water Recipe (Per 1 Litre / 1 Quart)

1. Sodium (Table Salt / Sea Salt): ~1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon

Purpose: Maintains extracellular fluid volume, blood pressure, and cellular signaling. Unrefined sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is often preferred for trace minerals, though standard plain iodized or non-iodized sodium chloride works effectively.

2. Potassium (Potassium Chloride): ~1/4 teaspoon

Purpose: Manages intracellular balance, muscle contraction, and cardiac function. Low-sodium salt substitutes (often marketed as "NoSalt" or "Morton Lite Salt" blends) are the standard source.

3. Magnesium (Magnesium Malate, Glycinate, or Citrate): Taken separately or dissolved.

Purpose: Prevents neuromuscular cramping, supports cellular energy production, and aids sleep. Many fasters prefer taking magnesium orally as a capsule in the evening rather than dissolving it in their daytime water bottle, as high concentrations of dissolved magnesium can have a strong laxative effect.

Recommended Brands & Sourcing Options

When selecting products for a prolonged fast, purity is key—avoid added sugars, artificial sweeteners, fillers, or maltodextrin, which will break a true water fast.

Sodium Sources:

• Redmond Real Salt: Unrefined mined sea salt containing natural trace minerals.
• Celtic Sea Salt: Coarse or fine grey sea salt with high mineral integrity.
• Morton Iodized Salt: Perfectly acceptable for pure sodium chloride if unrefined options are unavailable.

• Potassium Sources:
• NoSalt (Original Sodium-Free Salt Alternative): Composed of 100% potassium chloride. (Check the label to ensure it is pure potassium chloride without additives).
• Morton Lite Salt: A 50/50 blend of sodium chloride and potassium chloride; helpful if you want to combine your sodium and potassium sources into one measurement, though it requires math adjustments to hit exact targets.

• Magnesium Sources:
• Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate or Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium (Glycinate/Lysine): Gentle on the stomach and well-absorbed without causing immediate gastric distress.
• Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Malate or Glycinate): High-purity clinical-grade supplements free of unnecessary excipients.

Practical Implementation Tips

• Do Not Chug: Sipping this mineralized water steadily throughout the day is critical. Downing a liter of heavily salted water at once will trigger rapid osmotic shifts in your digestive tract and lead to immediate diarrhea (often called the "snake juice flush" error).
• Listen to Your Body: If you experience lightheadedness upon standing, heart palpitations, or severe muscle twitching, your sodium or potassium is likely too low. Conversely, if you experience persistent nausea or severe bloating, dilute your water mixture further or back off on the salts for a few hours.
• Plain Water Alternation: You do not need to make every single glass of water an electrolyte drink. Alternating between plain filtered water and your mineral blend according to thirst helps avoid over-supplementation.