Recharge Needed

(Internet source)

No fooling — Happy April 1 — but a recharge was needed last week, not for a battery, but a human, myself.

That's because electrolytes became depleted due to some sort of stomach bug.

It's resolved now, after a medical office visit, several tests and getting rehydrated over the course of several days.

Was it a stomach bug? 

There's uncertainty as to what initiated the issues as we had attended a couple of weekend events. One was a catered luncheon at the local historical society. Food served possibly could have been the cause.

Whatever the cause, early last Tuesday, my body was reacting to something that had been ingested or perhaps airborne. Sparing all the details here, but anyone who has dealt with the aftermath of food poisoning may already know the symptoms, which are most unpleasant.

By mid-week, not only was I not able to hold down anything, but was fatigued, disoriented and had a headache, despite having spent most of the previous 2 days lying down. 

It was time to seek medical advice.

An appointment with our medical provider determined that I had become severely dehydrated based on the above symptoms. Certain tests were also ordered to rule out an infection. The tests were all negative for any.

Sports drinks with electrolytes

The recommendation was to buy sports drinks with electrolytes and to drink several bottles over the following days. That being done, within a day, I was feeling better with less fatigue, eventually the headache and lightheaded feeling went as well.

I knew about electrolytes, but had never purchased or tried any of the available bottled sports drinks. All of which advertise replacement of electrolytes.

Now I know a lot more.

Symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance?

Depending on which electrolytes are too high or too low, you may experience a variety of symptoms. Some folks don’t feel any signs of an electrolyte imbalance; others may have severe symptoms caused by illness or other factors. Symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance can include: Nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, numbness and tingling, constipation, confusion. 

What electrolytes do

Quite simply, they help your body function. Electrolytes are electrically charged chemicals and essential minerals that include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and phosphate. These are located in bodily fluids, like sweat, blood and urine. When these minerals dissolve in the blood or other body fluids, they develop electric charges. These charges send signals to your nerves and muscles telling them what to do. Electrolytes also help balance pH levels (the measure of acidity and alkalinity) and support muscle and nerve function. They also help regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate. It’s important to replenish the electrolytes lost.

Essential body electrolytes (Internet image)

Some of the most common electrolytes in the human body include bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium and sodium. 

• Bicarbonate - balances pH levels and moves carbon dioxide through the bloodstream. 
• Calcium - supports strong bones and teeth)
• Chloride - regulates fluids and helps the body maintain a healthy blood volume
• Magnesium - supports heart, muscle and nerve function, and helps regulate blood sugar
• Phosphate - works with calcium to build healthy bones and teeth 
• Potassium - helps the body’s cells, heart and muscles function properly
• Sodium -  helps maintain fluid balance

How to get electrolytes

It's fairly certain that food provides enough electrolytes. You likely get all the electrolytes needed by eating a healthy diet. Usually, the amount of minerals being consumed through diet is beyond what's needed. and can replace them by eating food or drinking fluids that contain electrolytes. While it's needed for hydration, water doesn't contain electrolytes. Electrolyte products, often sold as powders or sports drinks help the body replenish its electrolytes.

There are times when it's necessary to supplement electrolytes from food, for example: 

• After illnesses with vomiting and diarrhea
• Before, during and after prolonged exercise or heavy sweating
• When in extreme heat for an extended period
• When suffering from a hangover.

The BRAT Diet 

No, it's not named after a badly behaved child, but when someone is dealing with digestive issues (diarrhea, nausea or vomiting) this diet is most recommended by medical professionals, including my own. 

BRAT diet foods: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast

The low-fiber short-term eating plan consists of Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. All these foods are easy to digest and provide essential potassium. The foods are easy to digest and are less likely to trigger nausea as they don’t have much fat (or flavor). The diet is very restrictive and lacks protein, fat, fiber and essential vitamins/minerals and isn't for long-term use.

These bland, stomach-settling foods might resemble those your mother served when you were as a kid during sick days. Mine used to give me ginger ale and saltines and it was always surprising how good they tasted afterwards.

Are other foods allowed?

Other light, bland foods work, even if they don’t fit the BRAT acronym. These include: plain crackers, cereals and oatmeal, eggs, skinless chicken that's baked or poached.

Foods to avoid on the BRAT diet include: dairy products (milk, cheese), fatty, fried, greasy foods, spicy foods, high-fiber foods (raw vegetables, bran), alcohol and caffeinated drinks.

(Internet source)

Describing an illness is never pleasant, but as a community, bloggers share what's been going on in their daily lives. Also, this information might prove helpful to someone else.

There hasn't been a clear determination of the cause for my illness, perhaps just a stomach "bug" that has passed (no pun intended). The sports drinks and Brat diet were very helpful.

Unfortunately, due to illness, there was no blog reading or posting done. I hope to catch up on what everyone's been doing as much as possible the rest of this week. Time is limited as we leave on our first 2026 travel adventure early next week. A brief overview will be posted. We're exploring more of the U.S., but it's not a road trip.