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Be Wary of Eating the Right Foods When Eating Healthy
My wife and I began eating healthy after several months of consuming everything in sight. We designed our change based on her workout facility’s desire to have their members participate in ten-day sugar detoxification. I decided I would participate as I felt I could benefit. The sugar detox would pair well with beginning to work out again after a lull due to COVID-19. My pulmonary rehabilitation center had recently called and invited transplant patients to come back and participate in phase 3 pulmonary rehab. My doctor approved and I began working out the first day of my sugar detox.
Along with eliminating sugar, we eliminated all flour products and processed foods. The change in eating helped as we each lost weight. However, last week I encountered some problems that I am still experiencing. The lactic acid build-up was a possibility and after my labs on Friday, August 21st, the real culprit has come to the surface. Without getting into specifics of my metabolic test, it appears I have an electrolyte imbalance. This was the last thing I expected as my diet was considered healthy. Unfortunately, it seems like I didn’t eat enough of the right foods and most likely drank too much water.
I experienced headaches (I never get headaches), fatigue, and my legs felt like they were in quicksand. I will remember this experience and relay this information to my physician this week at my transplant appointment.
The website Medical News Today published an article titled, “Electrolyte imbalance: Symptoms and treatment.” I found the article informative and a useful guide in identifying what you may experience if you have an electrolyte imbalance and how to avoid it. My suggestion for all of our members is to be wary of how your diet and hydration can affect your body.
Have any of our members experienced an electrolyte imbalance? How did you rectify this situation?
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4 Replies
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Beginning a low carbohydrate diet like the one you described will usually result in the loss of body fluid. This often results in loss of electrolytes as well. This happened to me when I first adopted a low carb lifestyle. I now supplement with unrefined salt, magnesium, and potassium. I havent had a problem in years since supplementing with these minerals.
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Hello Regina, thank you for sharing. I take magnesium and usually my potassium runs a little above the high normal but this time it was normal in the middle. I take over 20 pills a day for transplant regimen. Some are supplements. Over this weekend I upped my carbohydrates and began to indulge in fruit. Yesterday I felt really good and had an excellent workout. My o2 sats were 99% at rest which have never been that high. I was very pleased. I’m gonna gonna ask my transplant doctor to refer me to a dietician when I see her on Thursday, so this never happens again and my consequences could be more severe. Thank you again, Mark.
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Mark, I was glad to read that you have gotten better results with a few tweaks to your healthy diet plan. We need you around here, fella, so you take good care of yourself! 🙂
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Hello Karen, thank you for your kind words. Yes, I am relieved the symptoms didn’t last long. I tool a couple supplements to rehydrate myself with electrolytes. On Monday it was if nothing happened. I took it easy over the weekend. Thank you again, Mark.
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