Transition period tips

Difficulty digesting fats (heartburn, diarrhea)

1. try adding a spore probiotic and ox bile until your body can digest the fat properly.
2. try changing up the type of fat you are consuming or cutting back temporarily.  Problematic fats tend to be:
   1. 1. dairy
      2. pork
      3. chicken
      4. rendered
3. Check your salt intake or electrolyte intake.  Diarrhea could be due to taking in too much.

Constipation

1. Are you truly constipated or just not going as often as you did when you ate all the fiber? 
2. Try adding magnesium
3. Eat more fat and cut back a little on the protein
4. Drink more water or salted water
5. Have some homemade bone broth

Rashes – Rashes tend to be short lived but can last a couple of weeks.  If your rash persists longer and does not react to the below changes, then you should see a doctor as it may not be related to your dietary change.

1. try adding in electrolytes, homemade bone broth, more salt, or even a little carb to help curb the symptoms.  Keep the area clean and dry.  Use a topical anti-itch cream if needed.

Problems sleeping (going to sleep or staying asleep)

1. Have your last meal earlier in the day.
2. If you are only eating one meal a day try cutting it into two meals and try to make your larger meal the earlier meal, you may be eating more protein than your body can easily digest in one sitting. 
3. Take a warm Epsom salt bath about an hour before bed. 
4. Drink a cup of homemade bone broth before bed.
5. Once the sun goes down, keep lighting dim, and use blue blocker glasses if possible.
6. Avoid blue light emitting screens (electronics) for at least an hour before bedtime. 
7. Stick to a schedule for going to bed and rising even on the weekends.  This is especially important during transition. 
8. Keep your room dark, quiet with or without white noise, and cool. 
9. Exercise early in the day, but doing some light stretches an hour before bed can be relaxing
10. If you wake up and absolutely cannot go back to sleep, don’t just lie there.  Get up and quietly find something to do that does not involve blue light.  Try reading with your blue blockers on or writing in a journal until you start to get sleepy again and return to bed if you can. 

Cravings – Cravings are usually short lived in the moment but can recur for a while until you are fully adapted.

1. Abstinence works wonders but takes time to be fully effective. 
2. Avoid trigger foods.  Avoid putting anything sweet in your mouth, especially if you are a sugar or carb addict.
3. If possible, remove trigger foods from your home or office
4. Have animal-based products on hand like homemade bone broth, bacon, extra beef patties, cheese, coffee with pure cream, butter, tallow sticks, eggs
5. Make sure you are eating until completely full when you are hungry
6. Drink some water, flat, sparkling, salted
7. Look at the ingredients of any processed foods you may be eating.  Some ingredients can trigger cravings. 
8. Get a coach or call your support system
9. Join the MeatRx community meetings
10. Stay busy, do something else like go for a walk
11. Avoid trigger locations or trigger activities that you associate with certain foods until you can break that association or establish new ones.
12. Read your why list

Leg cramps – if related to the diet this can be from food intolerance, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, or too much protein. 

1. Take an Epsom salt bath
2. Add an electrolyte supplement
3. Cut back on the protein and up the fat
4. Check your water and salt intake
5. If a result of food sensitivity, try going strict.  Some choose to do beef, salt, water only.
6. Drink some homemade bone broth
7. Stretch
8. Eat earlier in the day