<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

When I told of my personal experiences of eliminating the afternoon slump &
dry skin with salted water, I didn't state or even imply that everybody's
afternoon slump is caused by sodium deficiency.  The afternoon slump is a
common problem with many causes.  For me the salt water thing worked because
that's what MY body needed.  Some of the many causes of afternnon fatigue
are:  low blood pressure, adrenal dysfunction, anemia, blood sugar problems,
food allergy reactions, gluten reactions, caffiene rebound, hormone
imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, infections, arthritis, chronic pain, side
effects of drugs, nutritional deficiencies, and genuine fatigue from being
up & working hard all day!  [Sometimes you just need a little rest!]

In my case, I'd already eliminated the other causes of my troubling fatigue,
so when I tried the salted water thing, the results were dramatic.  But, if
I hadn't eliminated all the other sources of my fatigue, I may not have
noticed the salt water helping like it did.  So if you don't get relief from
trying salted water, it may be that you still have other issues to deal with
-- OR -- it may mean that you don't need it!  It's up to you to do the
detective work to find out what helps you.

[For more information on adrenal fatigue as it applies to electrolyte
imbalances, read Dr. James Wilson's book, ADRENAL FATIGUE: THE 21ST CENTURY
STRESS SYNDROME.  His book includes a self test to help determine if you
have adrenal problems.  He also discusses various medical tests for adrenal
dysfunction.]

And, of course, there are those people who respond to increasing dietary
sodium exactly the opposite of me.  It can make them sick.  I know of one
individual who is sodium sensitive & was actually hospitalized after
increasing sodium intake.  So remember the electrolyte testing that Donna
originally posted is only a TEST & should be applied the due care & caution
Donna described in her post.

Also important to note is that even though we are all on the GF or wheat
free diet, we in this group have VERY different intakes of sodium &
potassium.  Some, like me, are on whole food diets and consume very low
amounts of sodium in the first place.  So we may have to make an effort to
increase our sodium intake.  Whereas others may include soda pop, chips,
processed foods & cured meats in their diets which provides higher amounts
of sodium.  These people may not need extra sodium.  And, of course, still
others of us don't have normal adrenal function or kidney function so we
don't retain or eliminate electrolytes normally.  It's all an individual
thing.

What I meant to say in my post is that I know Donna's ELECTROLYTE TESTING
works for me because I've tried it.  I've been drinking salted water for
over a year now and have found I consistently have more energy when I do &
consistantly have more fatigue when I don't.  And, please note that she
posted instructions for testing of several electrolytes, not just sodium.  I
did not say that everyone needs to drink salted water to eliminate afternoon
slump.

Valerie in Tacoma

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *