“Keto Flu” has been coined to refer to the quasi-flu-like symptoms some people experience when they first start a Keto diet. It typically lasts for a week or two and is caused by your body’s shift into ketosis. The Keto flu isn’t dangerous at all, just a minor inconvenience really. There are several things you can do to alleviate the symptoms or avoid them completely.
This article will teach you what the Keto flu is, what causes it, as well as what the common symptoms are and the cure.
What the Keto flu is
When most of your body’s carbohydrates are removed suddenly and the body shifts to transforming its stored fat to energy instead of using glucose as it normally does, it causes a huge change in metabolism. This metabolic change can produce a number of temporary symptoms we call the Keto flu.
What causes Keto flu
Your insulin levels decrease when your body adjusts to using fat for its energy, in turn causing your kidneys to work much more than before because converting fat into energy releases a lot of the water that’s stored in the fat cells. Even though it’s a short-term effect, this can cause dehydration and an imbalance in your electrolytes. A lot of the symptoms are caused by this process alone.
The feeling of brain fog and low energy are possible side effects of losing your stored glycogen that happens when you shift from eating high-carb grains and vegetables to the high-fat diet, low-carb diet that is Keto.
These are the symptoms of a normal transition to a Keto diet from the standard American diet and they’ll eventually dissipate and be replaced by the Keto diet benefits.
Keto flu symptoms
Everybody is different and these symptoms could last as long as two weeks, or just a few days if at all. You will probably only feel a few of these symptoms, and you’ll be Ok even if you feel them all.
| Brain fog Nausea Headaches Constipation Cravings |
Dizziness Irritability Cramping Muscle soreness Insomnia |
The cure to the Keto flu
1 – Keep moving to avoid muscle soreness
The more you move the better. But if you’re not feeling up to it, any body motion will help relieve muscle soreness, improve your mood, and give you more energy.
2 – Intermittent fasting
Fast daily for 13-16 hours to decrease your stored glucose and step up your ketone production more quickly. The sooner you are in a state of ketosis the soon the Keto flu symptoms will abate.
3 – Consume supplemental minerals
During the first week or so of starting the Keto diet, your body will expel minerals at a greater rate due to the extra work of the kidneys. To counter this try using sugar-free electrolytes or consuming high-quality bone broth supplements such as Natural Force Organic Bone Broth Protein.
4 – Drink plenty of water
Because of the potential of dehydration at the beginning of your Keto diet journey, you may want to increase your water consumption. It wouldn’t hurt to put some of those sugar-free electrolytes in your water either!
5 – Fat, more fat
You’re probably not eating enough fat. If you’re not certain add some healthy oils as listed by the American Heart Association (i.e, Olive, Safflower, Sunflower), butter, avocados to your diet. Fats will make you feel full quickly and keep you in a state of ketosis.
It’s hard to know if you’re eating enough fat unless you take the time to read all the food labels and plan your meals accordingly. One way to ensure you’re getting the right portions of macronutrients is to plan your meals out well ahead of time.
6 – More fiber
Often people don’t consume enough fiber in their diet because they focus too much on protein and fat and shy away from all the vegetables to avoid carbohydrates – this is yet another problem without proper meal planning (check out this Keto calculator). The symptoms include hard stools, cramping, or constipation. To alleviate this consume more low-carb veggies (avocados, leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower).
7 – Adjust your carb intake
We each have unique macronutrient requirements based on your height, weight, age, activity level, and so on. So if you’re taking in 25 grams of carbs a day and feeling the Keto flu, try adding another 10 or 15 grams to your diet and see what happens. Continue adjusting your carb intake until you find your own personal sweet spot. A Keto meal planning calculator is very helpful and figuring out a good starting point for you based on your own statistics and weight goal.
8 – Rest up
The correct amount of sleep is vitally important to your well-being regardless of your diet, or lack of one. To beat the Keto flu, get some extra rest. Take a nap during the day if you can. Go to bed 30 minutes to an hour earlier than you usually do, go even earlier if an extra hour isn’t enough.
Remember, it’s normal to have any, or all, of the Keto flu symptoms. Don’t quit. Follow these tips and you’ll quickly feel the benefits of a Keto diet in their entirety.