Crashing after dinner

[spicegirl]

Hi Shelley,

Me again. I keep crashing after dinner. I do something to increase stomach acids (take HCL Betaine or lemon water) and take a digestive enzyme. I've tried having about 3/4 cup kichadi with additional steamed veggies. I put a little oil (walnut this time) on it. Afterward, I just couldn't stay awake. Same thing happened last night after I ate steamed veggies with shrimp and ghee (with spices) at about 5:30 pm.

I wondered if it was stress from work, but today was Saturday and I didn't have much going on.

I tend to skip dinner for this reason. Sometimes I'll have some sauerkraut or just and apple to keep from missing out on an entire evening.

Do you have any thoughts?

Thanks!
sg

[shelley]

are you taking calcium in the evening?

[spicegirl]

No. I'm not taking any calcium and I probably should be. I tried a cal-mag tablet a while back and it gave me leg cramps so I stopped.

[shelley]

I only asked because calcium can make you sleepy. It's a great cure for insomnia. Interesting that supplementing gave you leg cramps. Do you remember which leg?

[spicegirl]

No. I don't remember which leg. I tried cal/mag fizz just recently again and I got very slight leg cramps in my sleep.

Is there a good time to take calcium? Should I try it again at a different time of day?

thanks shelley!
sg

[shelley]

Okay. Nocturnal leg cramps are always always caused by calcium deficiency, so it's weird that you're getting them from taking calcium! It could be you're one of those people who tend to be higher in magnesium - about one third of people can take calcium without taking magnesium too. So switch from cal-mag fizz to a low dose of just calcium, or calcium with zinc. If it has D too that's fine. TAke about 100 to 250 mg of calcium right before bed.

As for crashing after dinner, that usually only happens when we're very toxic, protein deficient, have a lot of allergies/leaky gut, very defficient in the things we need to digest foods, or have a very slow metabolism or very compromised digestive tract. So look at what else is going on and figure out which it is. IT could be all of them but that's doubtful unless one is very chronically candida imbalanced, or aged or very constipated or your organs are shutting down.

[spicegirl]

Shelley,

I thought I should double check this with you before taking calcium alone. I sometimes take magnesium (Natural Calm) just before bed and it seems to really help me sleep nicely. It also keeps me regular. I don't take it all the time. But, I NEVER have gotten leg cramps when I take only magnesium.

Are you sure I should try calcium alone? I thought magnesium deficiency was more common.

Thanks!
spicegirl

[shelley]

It depends on which leg is cramping so I don't know for sure. If it's working for you, keep it up! It could very well be magnesium that you need, more so than calcium.

[spicegirl]

Thanks Shelley.

I'll try the cal/mag fizz and see which leg is cramping and then check back with you. It wasn't severe cramping, but certainly noticeable.

I hope you have a great weekend!

sg