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  #1   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 06:28
Warbishop Warbishop is offline
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Posts: 11
 
Plan: Induction
Stats: 265/258/200 Male 6 ft
BF:
Progress:
Default Potassium solutions

My biggest problem with a stricter version of low carb is trying to control my potassium levels. A few times I've noticed it would get much lower than it should but I have a difficult time losing unless I am pretty strict.

So my question is, if you are doing the fat fast for a week or something similarly strict, what can you do to maintain proper levels of potassium. Couple years ago when I lost about 50 pounds on Atkins, everytime I'd go to the hospital they gave me a potassium pill saying my potassium was too low. And a few times I'd notice weakness and some heart palpitations I believe because mine crept too low. So obviously I'm struggling with that.

Any ideas on how to get more potassium on fat fast or stricter low carb approaches.
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  #2   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 08:09
teaser's Avatar
teaser teaser is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 15,075
 
Plan: mostly milkfat
Stats: 190/152.4/154 Male 67inches
BF:
Progress: 104%
Location: Ontario
Default

I use half-salt, liberally. If my potassium intake is going to be especially low, I'll also add it to my beverages. I'll add about a teaspoon per pot of coffee or tea. Over a certain amount it ruins the taste, but at a certain level it actually enhances it.
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 08:26
AVPX1 AVPX1 is offline
New Member
Posts: 20
 
Plan: PEdiet/OptimizedNutrition
Stats: 188/150/140 Male 5.6
BF:
Progress: 79%
Location: PA
Default

I use a 1\4 teaspoon of Mortens Lite Salt with every 16oz glass of water that I drink (minimum of 6 glasses each day). For each glass of water, I mix the 1/4 tsp with about 4 oz of water and down it, then top off the empty glass with about another 12 oz water and drink it as usual. This helps me hit my potassium, sodium, and iodine daily recommendations.

I really like the idea from "Teaser" of adding it to coffee, going to give that try.
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 08:45
cshepard cshepard is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 425
 
Plan: Low Carb Paleo
Stats: 156/120/125 Female 64"
BF:
Progress: 116%
Location: BC, Canada
Default

I put my no-salt, pink himilayan salt, and iodine drops in a dailymorning cocktail with apple cider vinegar and water. I use this a my drink to swallow my other supplements. I like it warm, it has a broth like flavour more palatable than just salty water (I also add these things to my home made bone broth, but I don't drink that every day).
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  #5   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 10:01
Robin120's Avatar
Robin120 Robin120 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,140
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 171/125/145 Female 5'9
BF:
Progress: 177%
Location: DC
Default

I had a problem with this last summer, while training for an intense 12-14 hour endurance challenge. It was scary- glad you are feeling better!

I second the advice re: Morton's lite.

3 awesome natural sources for when not fat fasting (and personally I wouldn't fat fast anyway):

1. An avo has about 925mg
2. A 5oz bag of spinach has 800 something. Cooking it or throwing in a smoothie makes eating all that spinach much easier.
3. This green juice has 9 carbs but 825mg, so I worked it into my 35 carbs per day.
It tastes pretty grassy, but you get used to it. It's not unpleasant. It also never spiked my blood sugar and I'm a type 1 diabetic....
http://www.evolutionfresh.com/juice/green-devotion/

Worked like a charm- nailed several 12-14 hour endurance challenges running up and down mountains, carrying weight, and my electrolytes stayed within range (I get constant blood work for health issues).

Last edited by Robin120 : Tue, Sep-19-17 at 11:34.
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, Sep-19-17, 11:13
Warbishop Warbishop is offline
New Member
Posts: 11
 
Plan: Induction
Stats: 265/258/200 Male 6 ft
BF:
Progress:
Default

Ty for the advice guys. And ladies.
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 10:49
msmum1977's Avatar
msmum1977 msmum1977 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,172
 
Plan: VLC/Carnivore
Stats: 369/301/299 Female 5'9"
BF:too much.
Progress: 97%
Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cshepard
I put my no-salt, pink himilayan salt, and iodine drops in a dailymorning cocktail with apple cider vinegar and water.


I do this too! no salt, pink or gray celtic salt in warm water/acv. I shoot it like tequila and chase it with a glass of cool plain water LOL
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 12:49
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

Hrm, this might be part of my problem, not enough potassium. What's wrong with just taking a potassium supplement?
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 13:21
Meme#1's Avatar
Meme#1 Meme#1 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 12,456
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
Default

For some reason the Potassium sold over the counter is such a low dose that some people would need to take 6-7 doses just to get close to the amount we need. I think there was some worry about people giving themselves heart attacks from overdose.

My DH finally had to get a prescription which is about 750mg each pill and we just share them, taking one every couple of days.

I think this is why Atkins said to eat a 1/2 an Avocado daily, for the Pot.
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  #10   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 13:54
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Meme#1
My DH finally had to get a prescription which is about 750mg each pill and we just share them, taking one every couple of days.


Ya - I was just looking. Seems silly to need a prescription. I was just looking at some of the other suggestions and it seems there's about 1400mg in a teaspoon of Morton Lite salt.
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 14:11
Meme#1's Avatar
Meme#1 Meme#1 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 12,456
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TucsonBill
Ya - I was just looking. Seems silly to need a prescription. I was just looking at some of the other suggestions and it seems there's about 1400mg in a teaspoon of Morton Lite salt.


Morton Lite salt, 1400mg is a pretty good amount.
I'll put that on the list because I'm sure I still don't get enough!
I've had some pretty bad issues before like extreme dizziness from not getting enough.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 14:15
teaser's Avatar
teaser teaser is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 15,075
 
Plan: mostly milkfat
Stats: 190/152.4/154 Male 67inches
BF:
Progress: 104%
Location: Ontario
Default

Years ago a baby died when given potassium in gram doses, this was inspired by the writings of a nutrition guru name Adelle Davis. So no potassium supplements above 100 mg, except by prescription.

Quote:
Two-month-old Ryan Pitzer was even less fortunate [5]. According to the suit filed by his parents, Ryan was killed in 1978 by the administration of potassium chloride for colic as suggested in the same book. The suit was settled out of court for a total of $160,000—$25,000 from the publisher, $75,000 from Davis's estate, and $60,000 from the potassium product's manufacturer. After the suit was filed, the book was recalled from bookstores, but it was reissued after changes were made by a physician allied with the health-food industry.


https://www.quackwatch.org/04Consum...tion/davis.html
Quote:
The Paragraph That Killed Ryan Pitzer
In a study of 653 babies, every infant with colic had low blood potassium. "Improvement was dramatic," and the colic disappeared immediately, when physicians gave 500 to 1,000 milligrams of potassium chloride intravenously or 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams by mouth. These doctors found that most babies needed 3,000 milligrams of potassium chloride (2/3 teaspoon) before colic was corrected. They suggested that potassium be given to prevent colic, especially during diarrhea, when much of this nutrient is lost in the feces. Potassium is also lost when too much salt (sodium) is allowed a baby, and/or when pantothenic acid is so deficient that the adrenals become exhausted.


According to wikipedia, a 60 kg adult might have about 120 grams of potassium, if you ignore differences in composition between adult and baby and guess the kid was 5 kg, then total body potassium might have been 10 grams, just to underline the enormity of the dose.
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  #13   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 14:33
Meme#1's Avatar
Meme#1 Meme#1 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 12,456
 
Plan: Atkins DANDR
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
Default

That's sad, poor baby.
I assumed the reasons were connected to some sort of litigation, liability issues with Pot. because otherwise why would the over the counter doses be so small to hardly make any difference at all.

Thanks for the answers Teaser!
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  #14   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 15:42
deirdra's Avatar
deirdra deirdra is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,324
 
Plan: vLC/GF,CF,SF
Stats: 197/136/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 130%
Location: Alberta
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by TucsonBill
What's wrong with just taking a potassium supplement?
Nothing wrong with it, but the pills are only 99 mg and more expensive than NoSalt or LiteSalt. And unprocessed real foods need some salt anyways, so why not kill two birds with one salt shaker.
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  #15   ^
Old Fri, Sep-22-17, 20:45
TucsonBill's Avatar
TucsonBill TucsonBill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 339
 
Plan: ≤ 20 carbs & IF
Stats: 292/235/170 Male 72 Inches
BF:
Progress: 47%
Location: Tucson, AZ
Default

FYI something it seems often overlooked is that a pork chop or a serving of pork ribs has about 500mg of Potassium. A cup of cooked Swiss chard, (great fried with bacon! - 44mg per slice) has about 1000 mg and only 3 "net carbs".

I think I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow
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