Cramps
 

Are cramps another side effect to the WOE? Since I began this I took on a nasty cramp in the tendon of my lower calf that has been ongoing.

Any suggestions on how to remedy it if it is a side effect?

Low-carb diets, when done properly, make you lose a lot of water. With the water goes electrolytes -- calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium -- to varying degrees. Muscle cramps are commonly symptomatic of either magnesium or potassium deficiencies.

For the quickest fixes, take a bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), and pop some potassium pills (up to 3 g/day). To get more magnesium into your life for the longer term, consider magnesium supplements (the form affects absorption; so a search for discussions on this), spinach, and pumpkin seed kernels. To boost your potassium intake, a potassium broth will help.

If you eat a lot of processed foods, you're getting a lot of hidden sodium, which unbalances the potassium:sodium ratio (best between 3:1 and 5:1),so substitute less processed versions of those foods, or eliminate them for a while.