Kidney discomfort

[favetelinguis]

After a few weeks into ZC diet i start to feel a tensing in the back area where my kidney are located, this goes so far that i sometime have nightmares about someone kicking me in the kidneys. I do know that the two minerals that im constantly low in are Mg and K. Any ideas or experiences with similar issues?

[jessica]

you could potentially be giving yourself kidney stones if you are low in mag.  try a supplement, mag glycinate is a good form, and see if that doesn't alleviate the pain.  how are you about getting vitamin c?  that is also a great help to kidney issues.

[goodsamaritan]

Yes I experienced that... kidney discomfort.  Right kidney in my case.

For me I was just eating too much protein.
Why I started out low protein... then moved to ridiculously high protein experiment try to wolf down 1kg a day of raw meat... to now instinctively low levels of protein consumption... to feeling my kidneys all better when I did a long diluted orange juice fast.

Now I watch my protein consumption.  If I don't feel like eating meat for 1 day or 2 days, I don't worry.  I know I will be hungry when my body is hungry for meat.

I'm 44 years old today and a sedentary computer geek so my only exercise is really just walking, trampoline and sex... and my brain consuming a lot of my energy.  (yes, yes, I should be working out or getting into more physical activity)

Just for your reference.

Try fasting on 2 - 3 tablespoons of raw fat and water for a few days.

Ditto on the magnesium.  Try magnesium oil.   Or take a vacation by the beach swimming every day... along with the raw fat and water fast.

[Dr. D]

+1 for what GS said. On ZC you cannot, I repeat cannot!!! let yourself eat too much protein. This does multiple things against yourself:

1. Gluconeogenesis limits your ketosis and you end up feeling tired and weak because you aren't running on ketones.

2. Your kidneys are what processes the extra protein and you get kidney stones, usually pain in them is the first symptom. Water can flush out extra protein instead of letting it sit in there and solidify.

3. At .82 g of protein per pound of bodyweight, you should have the correct amount necessary for your body without too much extra. When consuming only fat as the rest of your calories your body gets into the correct level of ketosis (ketonemia instead of ketonuria). This creates fuel for your brain whereas the protein cannot fuel your brain. Your brain runs on either glycogen or ketones, not protein. Protein must first be converted via GNG for the brain to use it.

You ask about my experience and when I first started ZC I had a few weird issues that went away in about 3-4 days and I've felt pretty much great since. Nightmares... hmm, actually I think I only have nightmares now with carbs or drugs (stimulants in particular).

Cut down protein, increase fat. A fat only fast is a GREAT idea for deepening ketosis and adapting more quickly. I'm pretty sure a day or two of no protein will do absolutely NOTHING to change your muscle mass, ketosis is muscle sparing. So as long as you get enough fat, when your glycogen runs out, your body will not eat it's muscle.

Also, lift heavy things to speed it up too.

[dair]

I agree with GS. Too much animal protein gives me kidney pain, (and strangely, always much stronger on the right kidney). I have very sensitive kidneys and slightly damaged kidney since childhood, so this affects me strongly. Still, I choose and enjoy to eat meat/fish almost everyday, but sometimes it's just tiny amounts. I definitely feel more balanced than on a vegan/fruitarian diet. Just need to find the right balance to works for me.

[Xisca]

Could each tell how to know if this is kidney pain and not muscle pain? I can have pain in the big square muscle just bellow ribs. If I put my fingers in the trigger point, it is really the muscle.

So, where and how does it feel?

[tding]

How much water have you been drinking?  Have to keep the system flowing

[dair]

If you eat one day really a BIG amount of meat, you'll notice that your urine will smell strong/different. This is definitely affecting the kidneys. But my personal view on healing is that there is no ultimate diet, its a balance, and every diet has it's side effets, which will eventually make us old/kill us. I just need to find the diet that -at this moment- is what I need. Sure, junk food I know I can do without. But I have to say, I (and many others) experienced veganism and fruitarianism as healing the first weeks/months... I don't say it's good for everybody, and certainly not in the long term.
What about Fallon, she wasn't exactly that healthy and glowing in my opinion, I definitely dont wanna end up like her... but neither do I want to go back to that fruitarian feeling, where you're always hyper, manic, hungry, cold, nervous, ungrounded and paranoid. Eating too much meat (I mean protein meat) takes away my drive when I need to accomplish things and be active. I would say, eating a high fruit/sugar diet is like being on natural speed. Not healthy. But too much meat make me feel heavy and slow.
Variety is the key good I think, eating high meat/liver, fermented stuff, overripe fruit (yeah I know some of you eat unripe fruit which I could absolutely not digest, that would give me a terrible stomach ache, plus it is not good for teeth, all this talk about anti-nutrients, and then they eat unripe fruits. Come on.), low alcohol mead/cider made with natural yeasts. Well, we talk about raw stuff. Maybe the next level is... live stuff...??