Less Water, More Salt

stsfut

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Dec 12, 2017
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I have tried drinking almost no water (instead milk, oj, coffee) and increasing sodim intake. Not sure if this is working for me. I feel much better after drinking a glass of ice-cold water. There are times now that I feel like ***t and it was simply because I was dehydrated. Before discounting this post as being as useless, clearly the answer is to just give my body what it needs, I am just trying to understand the science here. On all of my Metabolic panels, sodium is always near the top while potassium is chronically low. Have I been hurting my health by consuming so much sodium without really needing it? As a note, I was hypothyroid but am now on medication that’s sits my levels near the top of each range.
 

achillea

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Nothing wrong with water. Ray feels that if you are going to drink you might as well get some nutritional benefit at the same time. It works but even after the two years I have been doing this I still enjoy plain old water. I do not drink a lot but maybe a glass a day. It is like salt, use it to taste.

Nothing is written in stone, it is all experimenting and learning.
 

tara

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Nothing wrong with water. ... It is like salt, use it to taste.
+1

Have I been hurting my health by consuming so much sodium without really needing it? As a note, I was hypothyroid but am now on medication that’s sits my levels near the top of each range.
Why are you eating a lot of sodium? Is it habit from back when you were hypothyroid and losing it faster?
If you've been force-feeding yourself salt beyond what tastes good, I'd stop that.
If your sodium is near top of range and potassium is a lot lower, have you looked at your intake of potassium-containing foods, and whether there's a case for increasing them?
You may find that if you eat more potassium-rich foods you crave less NaCl.
When water tastes good or makes you feel good, that's a good reason to drink it. Dehydration is harmful. Drinking water can prevent it.

I don't know your diet. If you have much refined or low-potassium carbs in there, you may be able to swap some of them out for more high-potassium veges, fruits, juices.
 
OP
S

stsfut

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+1


Why are you eating a lot of sodium? Is it habit from back when you were hypothyroid and losing it faster?
If you've been force-feeding yourself salt beyond what tastes good, I'd stop that.
If your sodium is near top of range and potassium is a lot lower, have you looked at your intake of potassium-containing foods, and whether there's a case for increasing them?
You may find that if you eat more potassium-rich foods you crave less NaCl.
When water tastes good or makes you feel good, that's a good reason to drink it. Dehydration is harmful. Drinking water can prevent it.

I don't know your diet. If you have much refined or low-potassium carbs in there, you may be able to swap some of them out for more high-potassium veges, fruits, juices.
Not really craving salt at all but I guess I have taken it too far while following Ray’s research. And from what I have learned from Ray and Haidut, there really is not a huge potassium requirement (the body adapts well to low intake). I do get a good bit though. OJ, bananas, potatoes are a regular part of my diet. Milk eggs rice are some other staples. Butter and coconut oil are what I use for cooking. Cheeries and berries are my other fruits. Not as much veggies as I’d like to have. Mainly raw salads with with salt and a little melted butter instead of dressing.
 

SOMO

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I probably drink ...

-3 cups of coffee (24-48oz)
-1 cup tea (8 oz)
-1 cup of water + liquid supplements (Aspirin, B vitamins, magnesium, glycine etc.) (8oz)
-1 cup whey protein or milk (8-12 oz)
-Small cup of water before bed to avoid dry mouth (4oz)
Total = at least 64oz (8 Cups) throughout the day.

I'm not trying to reach 8 cups of fluids daily, it just happens that way. I don't believe in that 8 glasses of water a day trope, but it's coincidental that I happen to drink that much. I also make sure to salt my food heavily so I don't piss out too much electrolytes because too much water can actually cause dehydration (that is, the kind of dehydration that will land you in a hospital ER and with a Saline drip in your arm to rebalance your electrolytes.
 

tara

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And from what I have learned from Ray and Haidut, there really is not a huge potassium requirement (the body adapts well to low intake).
That's not my reading of Peat. (I may have missed Haidut's comments on it.) Looks to me as though Peat routinely recommends basing diet on foods that contribute quite a bit of potassium amongst other minerals, and has talked about their importance.
But at any rate, at this time you personally seem to be low in potassium, so for now you probably need more of it. And since now you are high in sodium, and not craving salt, maybe you can reduce it a bit and still be eating within the realms of taste and Peat's advice.

I also make sure to salt my food heavily so I don't piss out too much electrolytes because too much water can actually cause dehydration (that is, the kind of dehydration that will land you in a hospital ER and with a Saline drip in your arm to rebalance your electrolytes.
It's try that too much water can cause dehydration, but if the OP has high blood sodium, that doesn't look like his current hazard. And most people don't need to salt heavily to avoid it, unless they are losing electrolytes at an unusually high rate, eg if hypothyroid, or hard labour in hot conditions, or mineral poor diet, drinking more than they can handle, etc.

I would expect 8+ cups a day of fluids to be pretty normal consumption.
 
OP
S

stsfut

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It's very difficult to have potassium deficiency as the body has strong affinity for it and absorbs it like crazy from every food that contains it, if the organism perceives a deficiency. Potassium and magnesium are intracellular minerals. Magnesium can be easily lost when ATP synthesis is low but potassium is not easily lost unless there is cell damage and then it spills in the blood. Even a suboptimal potassium intake does not tend to create deficiency as long as there is no tissue damage like over-exercising or severe hypothyroidism that can cause rhabdo. But trying to eat potassium rich foods like OJ, potatoes and even ripe/cooked bananas should address any deficiency concerns. I don't think there is a sodium : potassium ratio to be striving for.

@tara this is what I was going off of. While I still consume a good amount of K I probably don’t hit the crazy high RDA. I am wondering if my high sodium to low potassium on blood workups has more to do with high or low aldosterone instead of actually their respective intake?

For a little more background on me, I am a 27M who has been low on all my hormones since my early 20’s. Low testosterone, hypothyroid, low dhea, low progresterone. I suspect either chronic high cortisol or LH resistance was the route cause. I am now on TRT, HCG and thyroid medication and feeling a million times better. Doctors have been no help; my own research, blood work and trial/error has gotten me here.
 

tara

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@tara this is what I was going off of.

Glad you've figured out how to get things working better for you. :)

OK, that's Haidut's view, and he does have the proviso about damage or hypothyroid. Nevertheless you apparently had lowish blood potassium levels, so that seems like maybe a relevant indicator of being able to use some more.
I do expect other factors in addition to intake to affect tissue and blood levels. But if blood sodium is high, I'd be considering ether lowering sodium intake or increasing fluids somewhat, and seeing if it feels OK.
Not medical advice at all, just amateur hunch.
 

Bladezz

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Glad you've figured out how to get things working better for you. :)

OK, that's Haidut's view, and he does have the proviso about damage or hypothyroid. Nevertheless you apparently had lowish blood potassium levels, so that seems like maybe a relevant indicator of being able to use some more.
I do expect other factors in addition to intake to affect tissue and blood levels. But if blood sodium is high, I'd be considering ether lowering sodium intake or increasing fluids somewhat, and seeing if it feels OK.
Not medical advice at all, just amateur hunch.
That's not my reading of Peat. (I may have missed Haidut's comments on it.) Looks to me as though Peat routinely recommends basing diet on foods that contribute quite a bit of potassium amongst other minerals, and has talked about their importance.
But at any rate, at this time you personally seem to be low in potassium, so for now you probably need more of it. And since now you are high in sodium, and not craving salt, maybe you can reduce it a bit and still be eating within the realms of taste and Peat's advice.


It's try that too much water can cause dehydration, but if the OP has high blood sodium, that doesn't look like his current hazard. And most people don't need to salt heavily to avoid it, unless they are losing electrolytes at an unusually high rate, eg if hypothyroid, or hard labour in hot conditions, or mineral poor diet, drinking more than they can handle, etc.

I would expect 8+ cups a day of fluids to be pretty normal consumption.
This reminded me of when I was sick with ortharexia I had to really salt and lower water intake to feel better. The Matt Stone RRARF. The old habits stuck and I got really dehydrated after awhile. Still get into the habits sometimes I got to remember I'm in alot better place now
 

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