When I am fasting most of the time, I have all this energy and clarity and I am like OMG this is the best day ever! And there are other times that my staff calls "Meltdown Mode". They can see it in my eyes, I start staring in space, I am so tired, I have no energy! My staff starts laughing at me because sometimes I can't complete my thoughts or things I say don't make sense. They will ask if I need a coconut water from Whole Foods or what they can do to help!
When you are extremely tired during a fast, there are several reasons:
1)Electrolyte and mineral deficiency
You need to have balanced electrolytes. When your kidneys detect that you have less insulin in your body it flushes water out. You will tell when you fast that you pee a lot because it flushes you out. If you drink too much water, your electrolytes will be unbalanced. So the first thing I will do, if I am being extraordinarily strict is
put some salt in my water if I am sodium deficient. I will also take these Nuun hydration capsules. They do have 15 calories and some of them have around 2g of sugar, but they have a ton of minerals and electrolytes.
Your kidneys excrete minerals from your body to be sure you have the right balance, so you want to be sure you have the right potassium. Whenever I have my meltdowns, I know my potassium is low. When I take potassium and iron, I feel like a new person. Another tip is right before I start my fast, I like to eat foods that are high in potassium like avocados and potatoes.
The seven major electrolytes in your body are sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonate. The three most important being sodium, magnesium, and potassium. So taking an electrolyte tablet when you are fasting is important because when I get in complete and utter meltdown mode and take an electrolyte tablet, it really helps me.
2)Lack of Movement
When you are tired and don't feel good, you just want to lay down! But that is not going to make you feel better. What will make you feel better is to go for a walk! Especially in the middle of the day when I am in meltdown mode, getting Vitamin
D and going for a walk is the best thing for me. Have you ever gone to the gym tired, and when you leave, you actually have more energy? Crazy how it works!