Is there anyone reading that has not experienced the pure dread of waking up in the middle of the night with a knot in your leg that feels like the size of a basketball?

My experience is as follows:

Cramps weren't around during the day time, but loved showing up at 3-4am. Waking up - gasping for air - I would grab whatever leg was spasming and immediately leap out of bed to my feet. I would describe the pain as having felt like someone jabbed a knife in my calf and began to twist.

My nightly routine to counter these attacks was to hobble around for 10 minutes until they were gone. Once the cramp finally did go away, it was a toss up if I would wake up again from another cramp. It sucked.

Until now I thought this phenomenon was just part of the acclimation period to a very low carbohydrate diet (VLC) or carnivorous diet. My goal for this post is to garner some thought on the idea that cramps are related to a much bigger problem, a lack of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid).

Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is secreted in response to the food we eat, specifically protein. HCL in large is responsible for the energy intensive task of breaking down protein as well as promoting the absorption of many key vitamins and minerals. HCLs other duties include maintaining the acidic pH of the stomach and warding off bacteria, fungi and pathogens.

When we're low in stomach acid we're opened up to bacterial overgrowth, lowered resistance to infection, and high probability of nutrient malabsorption. If that wasn't bad enough, when the stomach lacks acidity, food will not be emptied into the duodenum for further digestion. Half digested food is now sitting in the stomach, fermenting, causing inflammation, stress and potentially causing acid reflux symptoms.

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Who hasn't heard of Ori Hofmeikler and his famous Warrior Diet? In the popular book Ori explains that under eating during the day stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which promotes alertness, competitiveness and energy expenditure. During this time: insulin falls to baseline, human growth hormone is elevated, and glucagon starts mobilizing fat. All of these hormonal traits are desirable as well as have anti-aging effects.

On the flip side, Ori makes the argument that over-consuming during the evening triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which promotes relaxation, digestion and recuperation. This controlled overeating is said to promote the body into an anabolic state, switching on one of man's most prized hormones, testosterone.

How legit is the science of Ori's Warrior diet? I'm not qualified in anyway to draw a conclusion, but based on my research and anecdotal experience, I would suggest that this way of eating is highly beneficial.

I've flirted with the one meal a day protocol for quite some time. I'm not quite sure why, but I have this romanticized view of it. Originally in my paleo days, I attempted to incorporate a warrior style meal plan. I would get off work at 6pm and rush home as fast as possible to gorge on my regimented 2000 calorie meal (planned on Fitday of course). My blood sugar and insulin still must have been out-of-control during this time, because waiting until 6pm in the evening to eat was pure agony. Only after more than a year and half on a zero-carb diet have things changed enough to where this pattern seems very appropriate and even natural.

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