No licorice for you!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokalemia
i had never heard of this before but specifically potassium deficiency, which can also be associated with low levels of magnesium, is a strong factor in cramping
i knew that sodium was associated with the transit of the "clench" signal to muscles, and i always figured there was a contrary one, sodium and calcium are associated with clench and potassium and magnesium are needed for "relax"
> A special case of potassium loss occurs with diabetic ketoacidosis. Hypokalemia is observed with low total body potassium and a low intracellular concentration of potassium. In addition to urinary losses from polyuria and volume contraction, also an obligate loss of potassium from kidney tubules occurs as a cationic partner to the negatively charged ketone, β-hydroxybutyrate.
> A low level of magnesium in the blood can also cause hypokalemia. Magnesium is required for adequate processing of potassium. This may become evident when hypokalemia persists despite potassium supplementation. Other electrolyte abnormalities may also be present.
it is uncommon, but boron deficiency can cause magnesium deficiency, and i already had explored this avenue, and mainly it caused me to get more hungry and put on weight, but the cramp problem continued, so i considered that the magnesium was not a big factor in the slowly increasing cramp problem, and had just been taking salt... now i am aware of this, i am going to try out adding a potassium salt to my diet
and the diabetes and kidney problems and dehydration all amount to a likely result of potassium deficiency, and now i understand where the tachycardia i have experienced on and off for some years now was coming from
interestingly the local supermarket does not stock any low sodium potassium salts, but they do have potassium bitartrate, aka "cream of tartar" which i have mixed at a ratio of 130:42 with the sea salt
after a little consideration, i may add a 10g of sodium borate to the mix as well, a similar ratio to what i was getting with 5g/L sodium borate
trying it for the first time on some food, some beef mince patties, the acidity of the potassium bitartrate is quite pleasant actually
sodium borate has a "fishy" taste to it, which also probably will go really well as part of the condiment mix
sodium bitartrate is a residue found on the side of wine fermentation vessels, and is quite a rich source of potassium
this cramping problem is debilitating, i am hoping this is the biggest part of its etiology, that would be nice
Discussion
i love the sweetness of that stuff but yeah, some problems i think?
ah, it causes issues with kidneys?
ahhh yeah, too much of it causes hypokalemia... got it
My missus used itas substitute when quitting smoking and ended up in hospital with everything out of whack cause body trying to manage salt concentration with severe potassium depletion.
and yes, potassium deficiency... low carb diets can cause this!!!!
what are the highest sources of potassium? seeds and tubers
i used to be a fiend for potatoes but the seed oils muddied the waters
i now have type 2 diabetes symptoms so i'm gonna assume it's best if i go real easy on the taters, and i have celiac, have had symptoms of it since my early 20s, so potassium is definitely a weak point in my system
dehydration and diarrhea are two major factors in hypokalemia
Why not simply try a banana and some coconut water every day?
i get an allergic reaction to coconut water and both it and potatoes and bananas are all high in starches and sugars, and celiac means no bread
i also have to keep my blood sugar down, or i lose my vision and i can't work in that state, so, yeah, just using some potassium salt will be fine, thanks
i'll also be adding a bit more milk to my diet, i need to get some seed culture to make it properly, really need to ferment out the lactose in it because that shit makes me put on weight and even though it's not high glycemic like potato, banana and coconut water it's still bad when i put on the weight, i have never been so fat in my life as i was a few months ago from primarily eating milk and yoghurt and cheese
Findingwhats personally correct seems to be a constant journey of change and review
yeah, i'm trying the bananas btw, it is banana season right now, and i just picked up a nice big hand of little straight lady fingers... getting my potassium levels back to normal is top priority right now... the most depressing symptoms i get at the moment are those cramps... i have learned to mitigate them effectively, but still sometimes i'm fighting to keep them from pulling, so getting that to ease off is a hugely important goal, and also why i've moved to a strict 1 coffee a day regime
I suffered lots of crsmps moving to Costa Rica. If I don't take rehydration salts once per week they come back. Sweaty nation!
i used to sweat like a pig but then i usedto always eat loads of salty potato chips!
now i see it lol
i'm adding potassium chloride to my salt anyhow
it must be the water though surely? common thing between madeira and costa rica = islands...
i think possibly larger land masses the main water supply has more sodium and potassium in it
it may only be like 20% difference but if you don't know it kicks your arse
Costa rics not island but small land mass. It's all volcanic here so very heavy water. Lots of iron but not sure on potassium
As for potatoes, I'm mostly carnivore but get potato cravings and I think it's body saying there's a need so I simply boil and load up with butter