Dehydration

[eclectikat]

In reading the following thread I thought it might be important for a discussion to happen with regards Dehyration.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...want-quit.html (Help, I don't want to quit..)

I believe that you can be perpetually dehydrated regardless of the amount of water you drink. I know this from personal experience. I was chronically dehydrated and experienced alot of detrimental consequences because of it. Dangers of Chronic Dehydration THis link is a good description of what it is to be dehydrated.

I hold a belief that if you are already chronically dehydrated your body may not be able to assimilate an increased water intake, and because of this you may be fooled into thinking you are hydrated yet still you continue to suffer the same symptoms. I think that most clinically obese persons are chronically dehydrated. I also think that because of the obesity our bodies simply are not functioning properly. They are in starvation mode and all wacked out of shape.

Initially when I started increasing my water intake I would drink and pee and drink and pee... that seemed like all I was doing. It was inconvienient and uncomfortable and actually had an impact on the amounts of water I was consuming. I actually began thinking about how on earth I could be dehydrated when I was drinkning as much as I was. During some intense research into dehydration I came across something called "ORT" or "Oral Rehydration Therapy" Oral rehydration therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and thought man... I have those symptoms and felt it was an easy enough thing to put to the test.
AND LET ME TELL YOU... it works.

If you don't want to read the Wikipedia version, simply put doctors have successfully treated millions of people in starving nations who are sick with chronic diahrea ( which was a struggle I dealt with) using the ORT and enabled them to survive. WE (formerly) obese people may not be classified as being one of those starving people, but in essence that is exactly what are bodies think. Our bodies are holding onto the reserves because of the high carb/ low fat diet we have been taught is appropriate. Like we store fat for the future someone whi is dehydrated retains water. People who feel they are retaining water often drink less and become dehydrated, which might exacerbate their problem.

Anyways, the therapy is simple.

Oral Rehydration Solutions ORS Made at Home - Rehydration Project

I know that we are here on a low carb forum but I really think we need to address dehydration before we can successfully loose weight on Atkins. It

When I have needed to do this, it works relatively fast. within 4-12 hours I feel way better depending in how far I have let myself go. I cut the sugar to 2 tsp and salt to 1/2 tsp to 1Litre of water, and consume that until I feel better. I am not recommending that, I am only stating that is what I do and it works for me.

In one tsp of sugar there are 4 grams of carbs.

They say that this mixture should taste like salty tears.

I am not advocating this as a regular addition to our WOE... just as a suggestion to those struggling dehydration issues... and possible with water retention issues.

I know I might get some flack about this post but really wanted to open a dialogue about being dehydrated and how to overcome it.

Gotta run for now... I need to pee

[Chicklady]

I only skimmed the last link, but I maybe you've seen it elsewhere....what does sugar do to rehydrate?

[carbless_in_seattle]

Originally Posted by Chicklady

I only skimmed the last link, but I maybe you've seen it elsewhere....what does sugar do to rehydrate?

replenishes electrolytes, i believe. I guess that's why my mom always said sugar water for hangovers.

[eclectikat]

YUP CARBLESS IN SEATLE has it right its all about the electoliytes....

This is taken from one of the links I provided...

"It is important to rehydrate with solutions that contain electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, so that electrolyte disturbances may be avoided. Sugar is absolutely essential to improve adequate absorption of electrolytes and water, but the presence of sugar in ORS solutions does tend to cause diarrhea to worsen. Although oral rehydration with a sugar solution does not stop diarrhea, and the diarrhea contributes to further loss of fluids, oral rehydration helps replace these fluids. It thus keeps the body hydrated and gives the patient a greatly improved chance of surviving the diarrhea. If a broth can be prepared from simple carbohydrates and substituted for sugar in the solution, diarrhea can sometimes be reduced while oral rehydration remains effective."

I hope this helps.

[Creek]

I completely agree that dehydration is more frequent than many of us are aware. I was stunned, when I went to my doctor for my blood tests before I started Atkins, to find that I was dehydrated.

I currently drink 20 to 40 fl oz per day of a product called Owater. It is nothing more than purified water, flavor (mine is lemon lime) , and electrolytes (calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium bicarbonate), with potassium sorbate (preservative). It has no natural or artifical sweentner, no calories, and no carbohydrates.

Sugar is not an electrolyte and might only be used in the above links to provide energy after being depleted from diahrrea.

Here is a link that explains the ionic activity of electrolytes.

Electrolyte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia