Tingling in extremities can be a symptom of low blood sugar. This may be either an intermittent problem (usually triggered by a burst of sudden exercise/activity) or one that goes away in a few days (low blood sugar when starting atkins is common; it takes your body awhile to adjust insulin output to match the new very low carbs) when you are keeping your carbohydrate extremely low. Are you having any accompanying symptoms of low blood sugar such as dizziness, fainting spells, fatigue, light headedness, headache, a trembling sensation in the body, and feelings of aggression/discomfort/having no patience for environment/etc?
I'm not sure about this but it can also be a symptom of poor blood flow/circulation, which could be caused by a number of conditions. Sometimes when we keep our carbohydrates very low, we inadvertantly wind up taking in insufficient potassium as well as excreting our minerals and electrolytes more rapidly than normal. This can cause electrolyte imbalances which produce hypotension, dizziness, inadequate circulation (resulting in the pins & needles) and heart rythm disturbances. Is your heart rythm normal, or are you getting palpitations? Dizziness when standing / rising quickly?
Either way, I don't think people should be on induction for extended periods of time. I know there are some who swear by 20 carbs for life, but in my PERSONAL experience that wasn't optimal for promoting health nor is it realistically sustainable (come on... 20 grams of carbs is extremely low, how can you possibly be eating enough fresh produce on that amount?).
I feel so much better on more carbs (although it should be mentioned that the line between an amount of carbs which makes me feel better... and too many carbs... is very very thin). I used to get this, tingling in my feet and hands, which turned to dizziness, which eventually turned heart palps, etc. The heart palps scared me bad enough to go to the doctor. Add more fresh produce into your diet (in the form of very low carb berries, fruit, cruciferous veggies) and it will likely resolve itself, whichever issue it is.
By the way, electrolyte imbalances are very serious, so don't keep going on like this. It can cause a fatal heart attack (this is typically what all those teenage girls who diet / have an eating disorder are dropping dead from in the papers). This is also how those anti-low carb scare sites say Atkins is linked to "sudden death". I'm not trying to scare you to say you're gonna die or anything, I'm just telling you this to let you know that you shouldn't ignore the minor symptoms because there is more to it than dizziness and a skipping heart.
If you really have your heart set against raising your carbs, but you think the problem is related to electrolytes, then I suggest eating far less sodium-rich, potassium-depeleted foods like bacon, pork rinds, etc. Instead, eat things very high in potassium and low in sodium/carbs like fresh fatty salmon (a wonderful food btw), beef, spinach, carrots, and avocado. Make sure to eat lots and lots of veggies and fresh meats. Make sure you are properly hydrated - dehydration and losing water/electrolytes too rapidly exacerbate this problem.
Last edited by ItsTheWooo : Wed, Aug-18-04 at 09:03.
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