Dizziness, fatigue, and trouble focusing: Dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog are all symptoms of extreme calorie restriction. Researchers have found that even in healthy young women, balance and stability control may be compromised during fasting. When you don’t consume the number of calories your body needs, your body will struggle to perform at an optimal level. It may become difficult to focus at work or school during a water fast. Fasting can also cause mild to severe headaches. Cream of Tartar acts as a laxative so take only small quantities in a single serving (~0.25 tsp max), and be aware that it does provide (negligible) calories (~8 Cal/tsp) Inside your cells, there’s this thing called the sodium-potassium pump that regulates the flow of electrolytes and energy in the cell. During active transport of ATP, the sodium-potassium pump pumps out 3 ions of sodium and pumps in 2 ions of potassium. 3 going out and 2 going in. If you’re losing more sodium from the outside of the cell than you’ll also lose potassium from the inside of the cell because of offsetting the membrane potential of the cell. This can cause you to feel unusually tired and weak until things balance out more. This is often a symptom that causes people to quit fasting before they get into ketosis and see the benefits. Remember that this transition doesn’t occur immediately and you need to give your body time to adjust, since it’s not used to going long stretches of time without food. Don’t expect to be full of energy as you begin intermittent fasting. Hunger and Sugar Cravings

Arginine is an important one, especially in fasting, as it manages when substances get released, including insulin and growth hormone. Further, arginine could treat coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and even congestive heart failure. Alanine is an amino acid that produces proteins and absorbs vitamin B6 and tryptophan. Bone Broth However, not all fasts provide the same benefits. There are multiple stages of fasting, and the benefits you get from fasting depend on the length of your fast. Horne BD, Muhlestein JB, Lappé DL, et al. Randomized cross-over trial of short-term water-only fasting: Metabolic and cardiovascular consequences. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2013;23(11):1050-7. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2012.09.007When you consume a typical diet of carbohydrate rich foods, your body breaks down sugars and starches into glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy for the body. However, when you fast or go into ketosis glucose becomes limited, and your body must turn to fat stores for the energy it requires. Your body breaks fat down into glycerol and fatty acids. The liver synthesizes ketones using glycerol. The glycerol is broken down by the liver for additional glucose, and finally, those ketones are used by your brain as glucose becomes less available. [ 1] Benefits: Weight Loss and Cleansing There are various ways to get this extra sodium into your body, which I’ll explain further down. What about People with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)? Iodine is an essential nutrient that you will actually become deficient in if extended fasting, so EVERYONE should be using iodized salt with dextrose. What about the other electrolytes and minerals like calcium and phosphorus? Shouldn’t you have to worry about them as well? It’s true you need them but they’re not as important if you’re fasting for just a few days. That makes coconut water safe to sip on practically all day, but do make sure you’re counting calories each time you reach for this tropical-tasting, flavorful beverage.

Compared to Gatorade and other sports drinks, you get 10x the potassium in coconut water. The potassium content coconut water boasts is on par with a single banana as well. Further, coconut water contains amino acids like serine, cysteine, arginine, and alanine, with the quantities of arginine especially high.

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Long story short – not enough sodium will lead to potassium deficiencies, which will cause muscle cramps and indigestion. However, in heart failure, “The committee concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest a negative effect of low sodium intakes”. Oh my. The very patients we were most strenuously recommending to reduce their salt would be harmed the most. However, if you don’t plan or practice your fasting program carefully over a long time period or you deliberately restrict calories to an extreme level, you might experience malnutrition along with other health complications. Wright, E., J. L. Scism-Bacon, and L. C. Glass. " Oxidative Stress In Type 2 Diabetes: The Role Of Fasting And Postprandial Glycaemia." International Journal of Clinical Practice 60.3 (2006): 308-314. Here’s a look at the five main stages of fasting, the specific benefits that come with each one, and a brief look at how to incorporate fasting into your life. Stage 1 Fasting (8-12 Hours): Stable Blood Sugar