Trying to walk on the balls of my feet

[sovay]

And then later in the evening my body apparently ran out of electrolytes and spent the next seven or eight hours in a nearly full-body cramp, which was much less fun than just about anything I had planned or imagined spending the rest of the night doing. We think I may have accidentally flushed all the salts out of my body. Today I am mostly prone and drinking Pedialyte. I have books and movies, but could use interesting links and also suggestions for electrolyte replacement that don't taste like Mixed Fruit. (No, we have no bananas, we have no bananas or I would have eaten them last night.)

Comments

[sovay]

Electrolytes aren't a thing I've needed so far in bulk, but I have heard good (informed) things about

Thank you! I had not heard of them. I am not traditionally prone to electrolyte weirdness—I had something like this happen once before, but it involved colonoscopy prep made from Epsom salt and potash, so, you know, that was already weird.

[thistleingrey]

I am not traditionally prone

Sometimes bodies do weird things, and then they decide randomly to do even weirder ones. As you know. :) I think having a non-sweet option can be useful if it's a recurring issue, to avoid futzing with gut bacteria. Pickles tend to be too sweet(ened) for me, re: ideas downthread, but at the end of a jar of mild kimchi (no red pepper), I add some of the liquid to my rice rather than pour it out--bonus of helpful bacteria, not only tiny fiber bits and salt/acid balance. I suspect one could do something similar with a decent jar of sauerkraut--anything lactobacillus-fermented that isn't spicy or overly sweet.

[thomasyan]

It does seem crazy to me how sweet things like Gatorade are. (And how nasty Gatorade can taste.)

If taken with food, maybe (added) sugar is not needed, but apparently sugar is key to making oral rehydration solution work, to help the ions get absorbed, or something like that.

I would love to learn that it is actually medically indicated to prevent cramps by eating fried clams with lots of tartar sauce (salt and pickles), French fries with lots of ketchup (salt, sugar, vinegar), and a slice of key lime pie (sugar, just in case).

[sovay]

It does seem crazy to me how sweet things like Gatorade are. (And how nasty Gatorade can taste.)

Pedialyte is ungodly sweet. My tongue keeps feeling like it's crinkling up on itself.

I would love to learn that it is actually medically indicated to prevent cramps by eating fried clams with lots of tartar sauce (salt and pickles), French fries with lots of ketchup (salt, sugar, vinegar), and a slice of key lime pie (sugar, just in case).

I'm in favor of this research. I personally have always found fried clams restorative.

[thistleingrey]

That lineup sounds delicious, and the cumulative oil alone would outdo my ability to digest :)

[thomasyan]

I can sympathize with that!

A less oily regimen might be:
* steamers, and if you don't have high blood pressure, drink all the broth!
* lobster, but dip in cider vinegar mixed with grated ginger instead of using butter and lemon
* roasted purple or yellow sweet potatoes (yams? I always forget the distinction)