> I'm curious about this, because I'm trying to follow a diet which is both > Atkins-consistent and paleo i.e. low carb but excluding the junky and salty > low-carb foods and dairy which Atkins allows. So what is it specifically > about Atkins that makes it diuretic? Is it ketosis, in which case wouldn't > a low-carb paleo diet produce the same effect? > > Jo, According to Protein Power (p144-145), extreme fatigue when first starting a low-carb program is due to the adjust period required to develop new sets of enzymes. Enzymes developed during consumption of a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet help store, retrieve, and break down carbohydrates. It takes a few days for your body to produce the new enzymes to deal with the composition of a low-carb diet. According to the Eades, "after a couple of days of a little tiredness, your energy levels should rise considerably, and you should actually end up with a lot more energy than you had before you started the diet." Once this period of "feeling fabulous" is established, some people lapse into feeling exhausted and their legs sometimes ache. This is caused by hypokalemia or low blood potassium. Because a low-carb diet has such a diuretic effect on the kidneys, it often gets rid of enough potassium along with the excess fluid that some people become potassium deficient. Low potassium can cause all kinds of different symptoms such as tingling, light-headedness, fatigue, muscle aches, and especially deep muscle fatigue and cramps. The Eades recommend using Morton's Lite Salt or NoSalt because these are pure potassium salts and usually will compensate for the potassium lost through the kidneys. Potassium supplements are also available in 99 mg capsules. Rob