Has anyone dealt with any "overcorrections"?

[TheAndreaK]

Before my Whole30 my blood pressure was on the low end of healthy as was my blood sugar. Now, after my Whole30, they are both TOO LOW and I'm having dizzy spells, etc. 

 

Has anyone else dealt with this? My doctor wants me to add more sodium to my diet and now I guess I have to add in more carbs? Bah. 

 

I don't want these two things to void out all of the other good stuff that happened, like the sleeping well and the weight loss, and the development of healthy habits, but if I'm going to be dizzy to the point that it impacts my workouts and my blood pressure and blood sugar levels then I need to make some adjustments!

 

Anybody have any words of advice?! Please and thank you. 

[MeadowLily]

Andrea, as the book says, a Whole 30 is only 30 days.  So anything thereafter, is our own program.  Doctor's orders trump Whole 30. You have to do what works.  

 

Were you doing a low carb diet after your Whole 30 or without carby vegetables? As for carbs, you can up white/sweet/purple potatoes and dip your toes in the water with Greek yogurt, wild rice, lentils to get your balance where it needs to be.

[missmary]

It is easy to accidentally go too low sodium when you eliminate processed food. Adding high quality salt (celtic or Himalayan sea salt, etc.) would be a really great choice to get those minerals back to healthy levels. I would not just add more regular table salt or iodized salt. Go for the good stuff.

[Tom Denham]

We frequently tell people to salt their food generously because real, fresh food tastes better with salt and in the absence of processed foods, you are not consuming too much salt. So what your doctor told you fits with our standard advice. 

 

We frequently tell people to eat more food in general because they think to lose weight they have to eat small portions. Not eating enough food in general causes lots of problems. Most people need to eat starchy veggies every day to feel and perform at their best. Because conventional diet wisdom favors low carb, lots of people avoid starchy veggies and suffer for it. The reality is that a person who needs to lose fat can lose fat while eating potatoes at every meal. Carbs are not the demon some make them out to be. It sounds like you should add starchy veggies to your meals. 

 

We recommend that you drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. So a 120 pound person should drink 60 ounces of water per day. Coffee and tea are diuretics, so they don't really contribute meaningfully when you drink them. Many people live in a state of dehydration. 

[TheAndreaK]

While I was doing the Whole30, I just finished two weeks ago, I ate lots of sweet potatoes. I mean lots! I should BE a sweet potato. ha! But it just seemed like as I progressed into the 30 days the dizziness just got worse! And I was eating. And I drink lots of water all day long. I really thought it was just my body trying to adjust to not eating crap. And I was eating A LOT more than I used to, too. People at work looked at me like I was nuts until I started losing weight while having a whole plate full of food every day, three times a day. 

 

But then the lab work and my blood pressure don't lie. Everything else looks GREAT! But, to be fair, it did last year, too. So, I likely do need to start salting everything, which I'm not in the habit of doing. I have sea salt, not table salt. 

 

I'll experiment with different things to see how I can get my blood sugar to be a bit higher. I have to try to get this a wee bit under control before the end of the month. I'm backpacking across the Grand Canyon so I'll be losing a lot of sodium during that, too! I'll have to pack LOTS of electrolyte chews, etc. 

[pjena]

My blood pressure has always been on the low side and is now even lower.  My dr has run tests and everything is normal so she's not worried.  I do not, however, have dizziness.  I salt my food, which really does taste better, and also eat enough sweet potatoes to become one.  I'm actually a little orange.  I read licorice root helps with low blood pressure.  I've been playing with it but haven't really seen a change yet.  I might not be taking enough.  Anyway, it might be worth a try.  Good luck!

[TheAndreaK]

After talking to my Mom we have determined that I likely just need to eat more frequently. Even as a baby I had to eat every two hours and then wouldn't eat much. I've dealt with dizziness for most of my life, too. It just got WORSE as I went into the Whole30 while everything else got better!! 

 

So, I'm gonna just keep healthy snacks at hand and either increase how much salt I use or take a salt tablet each day. 

[MeadowLily]

Ooooo.  Sounds similar to low blood sugar.   

[pjena]

That makes a lot of sense.  Way to ride your own bike!

[TheAndreaK]

Ooooo.  Sounds similar to low blood sugar.   

 

Yep. My latest blood work showed low blood sugar along with a too low blood pressure. Which isn't too bad, really. Just causes dizzy spells. 

 

Thanks everyone!

[JaneBerkin]

TheAndreaK, I am just starting out on a Whole30 and have had the same problems as you. Until finally, last summer, I actually fainted. That had never happened before (I'm 35 years old). I've always had low blood pressure, low blood sugar, and am anemic, and am doing this Whole30 as a way of trying to balance my hormone levels, because it's started to impact my menstrual cycle. 

 

The thing I've noticed most is getting enough water, getting enough sleep, and whether I feel like it or not, I have to eat dinner. Sometimes I don't feel like it bc I've eaten a big breakfast and lunch. But, like you, I just need to eat something every couple hours to maintain proper blood sugar levels. I used to not really care, but as I've gotten older, it's started to become a little scary, as I've also started developing migraines too. 

 

I've also found acupuncture and ayurvedic diet/body typing very helpful and balancing as well. Good luck, and let us know how things are going!