Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I switched to paleo 5 days ago, and doing pretty well. I have avoided most common symptoms of starting paleo by being sure to include fats, I think, but I had a question about thirst. I woke up today and it feels like no matter how much water I drink, I still feel parched. Does that eventually ease up, or am I going to be this thirsty for a while? Other than the thirst, doing excellent. Energy levels through the roof, sleeping better, and best of all, my blood sugars are back down to prediabetic levels(I have type 2 diabetes, trying paleo as an effort to avoid medication such as glyburide). Any tips for the thirst, or do I just need to ride it out? Thanks. :)

flag	asked Jun 10 at 19:43 PixieMama 23●2

I just learned that low carb and very low carb eating has a natural diuretic effect. So that may be part of it. – Crowlover Jun 10 at 19:57

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You need to make sure you are getting enough salt. It is easy to lose a lot of water in the beginning. – Happy Now Jun 10 at 19:58

Thanks! I cook and season with sea salt, maybe I should use a touch more. Once again thanks for the help. – PixieMama Jun 10 at 20:07

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you might need iodized salt, sea salt doesnt have the same effect – Kelly Jun 10 at 21:17

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Salt your food extra much for a while. That will make going LC or VLC a lot easier. – Karen Jun 10 at 23:22

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Ebice · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-10 22:18:56Z UTC

My system occasionally decides to flush itself. I'll be thirsty all day, and going to the bathroom to match. It usually happens after I eat something questionable. I'm thinking your body is looking to detox. My recommendation is to roll with it for a day, and if you're still thirsty tomorrow, try adding more salt or mg.

foreveryoung · Answer 2 · 2012-06-10 23:05:46Z UTC

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IF you have reduced carbs from your former diet, you will have to drink more water because carboHYDRATES are inherently hydrating.

answered Jun 10 at 23:05

foreveryoung
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Nice connection...I never thought about that! – MathGirl72 Jun 10 at 23:40

Aglaee the Paleo RD · Answer 3 · 2012-06-11 10:02:34Z UTC

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Diets with a lower carbohydrate intake can be mildly diuretic, which would explain why you feel thirsty. You can alleviate the thirst by drinking more water of course and by increasing your sodium intake (from bone broth, mineral salt like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt). =)

answered Jun 11 at 10:02

Aglaee the Paleo RD
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Not as bad today, but I will definitely look into the salts you mentioned, I think they sell both at the specialty market here. Thanks :) – PixieMama Jun 11 at 19:49

PaleoUK · Answer 4 · 2012-06-10 21:32:59Z UTC

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I experienced this a few times and read on here that magnesium supplements help. Started taking magnesium and no longer get the raging thirst.

answered Jun 10 at 21:32

PaleoUK
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liebe · Answer 5 · 2012-06-10 23:00:04Z UTC

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This happened to the in the first few days as well and I just rolled with it. I thought it was only because of the major increase of fat, but I'm seeing there can be other possible variables. Must look into magnesium supplements.

answered Jun 10 at 23:00

liebe
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Kevin Greene · Answer 6 · 2012-06-11 01:52:15Z UTC

I agree with the other posts about magnesium supplementation, but you might also do something like Emergen-C for dehydration. I went to a functional medicine doc after a couple weeks on paleo, and she said dehydration was a major factor for me. You must replenish electrolytes! I do one per day, unless I'm working outside in the heat (or working out hard). Then maybe 2 or even 3. It's a good fairly low carb (5g) way to go. Doc recommended only the "citrus" flavor as it has extra zinc. Good luck!

Newb question, on Day 5 and wondering about extreme thirst.

6 Answers