diet and muscle cramps

[Ioanna]

so, i recently have been trying to increase my carbs to see if that would help me get my female cycle back on track... 1.5 weeks and it worked after 3 months without.  looking for nonsweet carb ideas, i ate steamed broccoli, raw jicama, sea greens powder and avocado.  i also ate a teaspoon of honey each day (something i used as a jump start, but not continuing this because i turn into an addict with raw honey!), but i found that if i ate more than that i would get charlie horses that were so darn uncomfortable until i could them to go away!.. .argh!!! i don't remember having this problem with sweets before, but a google search showed that diabetics have horrible muscle cramps. they can be associated with high or low blood sugar, so diabetics don't know which they are, but they know their blood sugar is off.

anyone else experience this? i've otherwise been relatively low carb and wonder if i now have sugar sensitivity issues?

[cherimoya_kid]

Sounds like you might not be getting enough salt.  Carbs tend to have a lot of potassium, and very little sodium.

[Johan August]

Try to build up your magnesium store first, if you have low magnesium your body will lose its potassium and in a causal chain the body then reduces sodium to keep the sodium/potassium balance therefore working against any attempt to increase either. I have been supplementing with magnesium because it is too difficult for me to do it by diet alone. In my case it was years of SAD which finally had serious consequences for me.

 I  take magnesium citrate powder, 1.1g 5 times a day (giving me a total of 0.9g of magnesium) together with potassium and salt, but it might be  quicker for you to initially to just start with the magnesium for a month.  Start low and increase slowly till you get a bit loose and cut back a bit from that to establish your dose.

Some people recommend slow release magnesium pills which I myself have not used.

 If you then concentrate on getting enough sodium and potassium and continue the magnesium you should get rid of the cramps. But do not increase your sodium unless you are low carb.

What you call "sugar sensitivity issues" may well be that the potassium, salt and magnesium imbalance has gradually got worse over the years and finally got to the point of breakdown. I stay away from sugar and that includes honey of any kind. I regard it as a cause of my problem.

[Ioanna]

great advice, both of you, thanks!! i'll work on these. ck, i think you use a magnesium citrate powder too?? i got the 'calm' brand, i think that's what you use?  will work on teh salt too.  how long should it take to normalize?

[cherimoya_kid]

great advice, both of you, thanks!! i'll work on these. ck, i think you use a magnesium citrate powder too?? i got the 'calm' brand, i think that's what you use?  will work on teh salt too.  how long should it take to normalize?

I have used the Calm brands, although I've found that tablets seem to work too, at least for me. The main issue with magnesium is loose stools. Once your stools get too loose, either take some calcium, or back off the magnesium.

I think the salt is the bigger issue, but try the magnesium first.  If that fixes it, then that will be good to know.