Intermittent Fasting Headache | Intermittent Fasting Headache Cure
Article published originally on -Simplebodyfitness.com
Intermittent fasting is a really helpful eating pattern to follow to help you achieve your health and fitness goals but like other diets or eating patterns, there are some things which you need to keep in mind otherwise there may be side effects of intermittent fasting.
One of the such is Intermittent fasting headaches, sometimes these headaches can be easy to deal with but sometimes these headaches can be severe and can be really difficult to deal with.
In this article, we will be providing detailed information on Intermittent fasting headaches and how to cure intermittent fasting headaches.
First of all the most common reason to get headaches and other side effects from intermittent fasting are following a wrong approach to fasting, so before going on your intermittent fasting journey you need to be completely informed about fasting
Here is our guide for you to help you get started with intermittent fasting Intermittent fasting complete guide for a beginner
Why does intermittent fasting cause headaches?
There are so many reasons from dehydration to low blood sugar levels that can cause headache while fasting let’s discuss every reason in detail
Other situation when you can have headaches while intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting headache after eating
Sometimes you might face intermittent fasting headache after eating it is basically due to hypoglycemia only but sometimes it is due to other reasons such as food allergy, food intolerance, or disturbed hormone levels.
To help with these types of headaches the most important thing is to stay hydrated and try small eating windows also try different food choices.
Intermittent fasting headache salt(low sodium)
Sometimes you can face headaches because your body is low on sodium. Sodium is an important part of your diet and when your body has fewer calories in your fasting window your kidney will start to excrete more water and in that case, it can excrete more sodium too and can cause headaches.
Increasing our sodium intake or having some sodium supplements will help you in this case.
Here are some symptoms of low sodium
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps
How long do Intermittent fasting headaches last
Intermittent fasting headaches can last up to 72 hours in extreme cases. Normally a headache caused by intermittent fasting will go away in some time after having your meal but in rare cases, it can take 72 hours to fade away.
It is not necessary that you will get a headache every time you fast you might experience this headache for around a week until your body adjusts to it and then you will not have fasting headaches.
If your headaches last for more than a couple of days you should consult a doctor for it as it might due to other problems, or it can be a sign of other problems in your body.
Do fasting headaches go away on there own
In some cases, yes and in some cases no they won’t go away on there own but intermittent fasting headaches will go away in most of the cases after you eat or drink.
After your meal, if your headache is not completely gone it will improve for sure.
What helps a headache when fasting
There are so many things you can do that will help you with your fasting headache. Let’s address some tips to help you with a headache while fasting
- Have a meal — Sometimes it is ok to break your fast and have a meal if you have a serious headache and you can’t tolerate it because when our body is low on energy than it can trigger headaches and energy from your will help you especially sugary food.
- Caffeinate — Drinking caffeine while fasting will help you with hunger and headache. It will somewhat instantly help you with a headache for at least sometimes. It also won,t break your fast.
- Saltwater — Saltwater will help you with dehydration and low sodium at once which will really help you with headaches.
- Avoid stress and fatigue — Stress and fatigue can also cause headaches so try to stay away from them while fasting. Sometimes if you workout while fasting that might fatigue your body and cause a headache so keep an eye on it too.
- Lack of sleep — Sleep is a very important factor for our body grows and recover while we sleep. So a bad sleeping schedule is definitely going to harm your body and also cause headaches while you fast. So improving your sleep schedule will not only help you with a headache but overall for your health too.
Can I break my fast if I have a headache
Yes, you can break your fast if you have a headache and you should break your fast if nothing seems to help you. Fasting will be only beneficial if don has any side effect on your body so don’t hesitate to break our fast if nothing helps you.
So the bottom line is that Intermittent fasting headache is common with people who fats on a regular basis but they are easy to deal with it. Most of the time dehydration is cause so keep an eye on your water intake.
They will fade away in some time but if they don’t go away you should probably consult a doctor.
Originally published at https://simplebodyfitness.com on July 13, 2020.
