Dehydration

On a long-term fast, dehydration can creep up on you like fog in the night and the symptoms of your body desperately needing water might not appear to be related to lack of adequate hydration at all. Today, I want to explore the varying symptoms of dehydration and how I found out that they were all related to my need for more water intake.

Most people understand that the first sign of dehydration is a dry mouth or a feeling of being thirsty. But, on a long-term fast the normal signals your body gives off don’t always exist. For one thing, the hunger hormone is completely turned off and so one doesn’t feel hungry, which also stimulates a desire to drink. Secondly, your taste buds become extremely sensitive and most liquids other than water are no longer appealing. Lastly, you might find that you are consuming a lot of water, but still the feeling of being hydrated does not return.

I have found that the basic reasons for this are that the body may not be taking in enough sodium, which is the essential mineral that allows the body to retain water in the cells. Without adequate sodium, the body takes in the water it needs for the moment you drink it and then processes the remaining water for waste. You could eliminate most or all of the extra water you drank instead of being able to store it in your cells for use later when you are not drinking. To be more efficient at taking in the water you drink, be sure to consume adequate amounts of sodium so that you do not lose the benefits of the life-giving water you consume.

Also, I have found that on a extended fast, it is necessary to drink copious amounts of water, beyond your normal allotment when not fasting. This is because the food you eat has water built into it that your body also adds to its daily use. Many foods we eat also have an abundance of salt, which adds a lot more sodium that we would think to consume while fasting. This combination of sodium and water in the foods we eat allow us to maintain an adequate water storage in our cells when eating.

Consume enough water and salt during your fast to stave off the effects of dehydration! You’ll require more than you think.

Jennifer Stoeckl

Starting about Day 20 of my long-term fast, I found that I began having some strange symptoms in my mouth. My mouth wasn’t dry, as I would have thought it would be if I were dehydrated, but instead my saliva was foamy. Because I did not recognize the foamy substance of dehydration, I simply kept drinking the same amount of water as I had normally been, which was about 60-70 oz a day. But, this foamy substance was extremely uncomfortable and nauseating. I used up an entire box of tissues and brushed my teeth constantly trying to get the awful taste out of my mouth, but nothing worked.

Then, I happened to think perhaps others had felt similar symptoms and sure enough a simply Internet search revealed that one of the major symptoms of dehydration was foamy saliva! I had no idea.

At the same time the foamy saliva appeared, I found that my tongue began to develop this odd creamy-colored coating. I scraped it off each day when I brushed my teeth, but it would return once again. Let me tell you, it was disgusting. That sensation caused many gagging moments and I was a little worried that something was seriously wrong.

After a few days of searching, I finally put in the right keywords and found the answer to my distressful mouth condition. This odd discolored substance on my tongue is called oral thrush and appears when the normal yeast in your mouth gets out of control. It can be caused by many things, but notably for me, it can also be a symptom of dehydration.

The lightbulb clicked on and I knew I needed to seriously consume major amounts of water and salt to get myself hydrated once again. I downed an entire 33 oz SmartWater bottle in 10 minutes and the foamy saliva instantly vanished.

Unfortunately, my problems didn’t end there. Only an hour later, I had to use the bathroom and found myself eliminating a bunch of water that I had just consumed. My mind reeled on why my body would choose to eliminate the water that it desperately needed instead of use it more efficiently to rehydrate itself.

Then, it dawned on me that I had not been taking as much salt as I normally did on my last long-term fasting experience. My mind found itself clicking through the information recesses in my brain until it hit upon an important factor. Everytime I consumed a bunch of salt, I would not lose weight on the scale – even though I had not eaten anything. The only change happened to be that I had consumed more salt the day before. I knew I had found the answer. Salt had to be the catalyst that aids in my body’s ability to retain water. Without it, my body simply cannot effectively hold onto the extra water I consume.

The moral of the story is: consume more salt and water than you think. If you feel the symptoms of foamy saliva or you experience thrush on your tongue, add more salt and drink more water and the symptoms will completely disappear. Don’t be like me and skimp on your water and salt because you don’t feel like drinking it and the salt tastes too strong. Do it anyway. Your body will thank you… and you will save a lot on tissues.

About Jennifer Stoeckl

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Hello there! I am a former special education teacher turned business owner who is now the CEO and founding member of Dire Wolf Project, Inc. I wrote a non-fiction book on the Dire Wolf Project and am fully immersed in the world of dogs. However, I have also spent my entire life trying to find a permanent solution to my morbid obesity, which has plagued  me since adolescence. Now, I have embarked on a  long-term fasting adventure to turn my life around  and take control of my body’s cries for help.

	TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BODY, DON’T ALLOW FOOD TO RUN YOUR LIFE! Record Breaking Fast is all about helping you  free yourself from the food addition causing  you to eat uncontrollable amounts of food  and gain weight at a rapid pace. Don’t allow food  to dictate who you are and what you will become.  Live free from the foods that cause you to binge.