Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I take a lot of psychiatric medications for a serious mental illness. I can't stop taking them, even if I slightly reduce, I can get mentally unstable and do a lot of damage to my life/relationships. So I don't want to stop them.

But my question is about, my circumstances being different since I am on psychiatric medications, that make me excessively thirsty, drinking 3-4 gallons of water a day. It's a unfortunate side effect. But I think I am flushing out nutrients, salt etc.

And was wondering, since I drink so much water, flushing electrolytes/nutrients etc. out of my system, do I need to supplement, with a little salt, or add in juicing once a day, to get more absorption of greens/nutrients?

I know juicing isn't part of the program, but would a glass of nutritious juice help with minerals, vitamins et, I may be flushing out.

I can't comment on the salt intake, and obviously you should check with your physician. That said, my instinct is to say you'd do far better to eat whatever produce you intended to juice. Adding more liquid into the mix will not help with your sodium balance, whereas fiber will help slow the transit time of the nutrients. (Paradoxically making it more likely you'll absorb what you take in, should you actually need it. And you might not need it in the first place.) Also, psych meds tend to trigger an increase in appetite. The fiber of whole, natural foods will give you a lower calorie density overall and help you feel full. You'll have a better chance of maintaining a healthy weight on a whole foods plant-based diet.

For what it's worth from a layperson's perspective.

Thanks for the reply. I sold my juicer, and think I will be fine.

Managed to cut out artificial sweeteners and diet drinks, replaced with lemon water and seltzers.

I was a heavy diet soda drinker since my teens, I could go through 6 liters of diet drinks a day, insane amounts, so glad I stopped.

Next to cut out, is too much condiments. I eat healthy then add something toxic like fake bac O bits, to my potatoes etc.