What if those hunger pangs are a sign of low minerals?

I write a lot about thyroid, insulin, and cortisol, the 3 hormones at the center of metabolism. It's possible for your body to become resistant to one or all 3 of these hormones. It's also possible that as you improve sensitivity to one of these and there's still resistance to one or two of the others, you find yourself in a place where you feel you can't eat enough.

The only thing that seems to take the edge off the hunger is either dairy or a sugar cookie (or 8)... which means falling off that tightrope into insulin resistance (at a minimum), again.

When the body's been used to either insulin or cortisol resistance especially and is just starting to build back in sensitivity, there can be this perceived energy gap that causes that insatiable hunger as all the tissues of the body are clearing the rust off the cell's receptors and beginning to respond more readily to these hormones.

Rather than reach for the sugar cookies, there's actually another way to encourage cells to take up glucose in this transition phase. One of the best ways?

The Adrenal Cocktail

Small amount of fruit juice (orange juice is frequently recommended, but because citrus is a huge trigger for many people struggling with inflammation, cherry or pomegranate juice are better choices) with a hefty pinch of sea salt and a splash of coconut water (or cream of tartar, both rich in potassium).

The adrenal cocktail does a few things:

1. Gives the brain an immediate hit of glucose (juice is actually preferred so your body doesn’t consume energy in breaking down the fruit and the sugars from the juice hit the bloodstream quickly!). OJ has a 1:1 ratio of fructose:glucose plus it’s rich in vitamin C (actually a critical nutrient for the adrenals, which is why you'll find it so frequently in adrenal cocktail recipes).
   
   Again, if you struggle with inflammation, cherry or pomegranate are usually better tolerated than citrus.
   
   A good rule of thumb is diluting the juice (1-2 tablespoons of juice) in a full cup of either coconut water or water with a pinch of cream of tartar.
   

2. Sodium and potassium: oftentimes, hunger is a cue that your cells are mineral thirsty/mineral hungry.
   
   Sodium and potassium are both involved in an alternate way for glucose to enter cells known as Secondary Active Transport. Here’s an overview of that system:
   

   • The Driving Force: The Na+/K+-ATPase pump uses ATP to push 3 Sodium ions (Na+) out of the cell and pull 2 Potassium ions (K+) in.
     
     

   • The Gradient: This creates a massive electrochemical gradient where Sodium seeks to get back inside the cell by any way possible (state of high potential energy).
     
     

   • The Hitchhiker: The SGLT transporter acts like a revolving door. It only turns if Sodium enters. Glucose "hitchhikes" onto the Sodium; as Sodium rushes down its gradient into the cell, it pulls Glucose along with it—even against a glucose concentration gradient.
     
     

When potassium is low (which is common in low metabolic tone and high stress states), the sodium-potassium pump revolving door slows down. If the sodium gradient is weak (i.e. if you don’t have high enough sodium in the blood or the sodium concentration inside the cell is too high), the revolving door also slows down.

So,... to get it to turn faster, we give the body some salt (sodium chloride) and potassium (coconut water or cream of tartar).

NOTE: If you just read that and thought “I need to get a potassium pill.” Stop. Potassium is one of those minerals that is easily overdone with potentially devastating effects. The body needs it. The body knows how to get it from food. Potassium pills are too much of a good thing at once and can cause extreme effects.

2. Magnesium: The Na+/K+-ATPase pump is Magnesium-dependent. Without Magnesium, the pump physically cannot turn, no matter how much salt or sugar you eat.

A few more notes on this…

If you are low on sodium (because you are stressed, your adrenals are "leaking" salt, or you are over-hydrating with plain water), the SGLT doors in your gut and kidneys slow down.

• In the gut: You don't absorb the carbs you ate efficiently, leaving them to ferment (bloating) while your brain thinks you’re starving.
  

• In the kidneys: You lose more glucose in your urine, which is a massive waste of energy. (Also, ahem, that excess glucose becomes available to bacteria for fuel, which… establishes an environment where you’re more likely to develop an actual UTI).

Low sodium also leads to Low Blood Volume. When blood volume is low, the body compensates by increasing Adrenaline to keep blood pressure up.

As we've established: High Adrenaline = Mast Cell Activation = Bladder Flare.

Eating salt (especially with a bit of fruit juice) does two things simultaneously:

1. It provides the pressure to "vacuum" glucose into the cells (SGLT).
   

2. It expands blood volume, which tells the brain it can lower adrenaline, which gets mast cells to stand down, reducing inflammation.

This content is fairly dense. Take your time going through it. Key takeaways:

1. Adrenal cocktail (make 8 ounces, sip slowly over half an hour or so). Making an adrenal cocktail two to three times a day can curb hunger and bridge this in-between state.

2. Magnesium is your friend. RDA for magnesium is 400 mg. Magnesium glycinate is considered a highly bioavailable form. You may need well over 400 mg. Taking in split doses (if they’re tablets, breaking the tablets into three or four pieces) usually helps with digestive trouble if magnesium causes diarrhea.