Leg Cramps

[curliegirlie85]

Hey everybody! I'm on day 2 of phase 1 and everything is going great! My only concern is that for the past 2 mornings, I have woken up with my calves feeling like they are going to cramp. I have been able to stop them by immediately stretching but I am afraid one of these mornings I won't be able to. And anyone that has ever had a leg cramp before they even get out of bed knows it's not the best way to start your day!
Any suggestions? Cause I know I can't eat bananas!

[RedRox]

There are lots of foods on P1 that are rich in potassium and calcium. Tomatoes, spinach and beans/legumes are better sources than bananas actually. Make sure you are staying very well hydrated as well. Milk/Dairy provides both calcium and potassium so make sure you get your full 2 cup allowance in as well.

You can do an internet search for lists of potassium rich foods and find multiple sources. Here is one such list: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09355.html

[curliegirlie85]

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. My brothers advice was to take midol...
I've already lost 5 pounds in the first 3 days so I am even more determined to stick with it!

[Kimboroni]

Helpful list-- just be careful, as they are classifying some foods differently than we do on SB. For instance, they list some things as "vegetables" that we consider p2 starches, like sweet potatoes and winter squash, so you wouldn't be able to include those now. And don't disregard the entire "fruit" list, as they have avocado on there as a good source of potassium-- for SB, avocado is a fat/oil, so you would be able to eat that now.

[KitchenDweller]

One thing that has helped me and my husband in the past is to take a magnesium supplement at bedtime. But remembering to eat enough beans, tomatoes and dairy usually work. It seems to be more prevalent when losing excess water weight.

And then there's the strange home remedy of placing a bar of soap toward the foot of your bed between the sheets. I'm not joking! Google "bar of soap leg cramps". Some swear by it but no one seems to know why. When I've tried it I've had no foot or leg cramps, but who knows if I wasn't going to experience them on that particular night anyway.

[RedRox]

Helpful list-- just be careful, as they are classifying some foods differently than we do on SB. For instance, they list some things as "vegetables" that we consider p2 starches, like sweet potatoes and winter squash, so you wouldn't be able to include those now. And don't disregard the entire "fruit" list, as they have avocado on there as a good source of potassium-- for SB, avocado is a fat/oil, so you would be able to eat that now.

yeah I didn't mean to imply everything on the list would work in either P1 or P2. You'd still have to cross reference the respective P1 foods list against that list to find what would work in P1. People seem to think bananas are the only source of potassium or a very good one, and there are a number of P1 foods that are actually better sources than bananas.