Keto Flu Symptoms
Keto Flu usually happens during the first two weeks of a start of a keto diet. It’s the natural response of the body to the change of the diet.
What are Keto Flu Symptoms?
Most common keto flu symptoms are:
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Foggy brain
- Constipation
- Difficulty sleeping
- Low mood
- Fatigue
- Cravings
Less common but still possible symptom is diarrhea. Keto diet has high fat content. The body takes longer to digest fat compared with carbs or protein. Diarrhea is the body response to digest big amount of fat.
Dehydration and diarrhea go together. Plenty of water intake with electrolytes is a good solution for dehydration.
To kick off the keto diet the body needs to get into the state called “ketosis” when the body starts burning fat as the source of energy and produce ketones. This change affects hormonal system, and the body experiences also changes at cellular level.
Usually, keto flu symptoms last for few days but in some rare cases they can last few weeks.
Keto flu is also called “induction flu”. You can experience low energy levels or low desire to do anything.
Don’t give up on the diet if you experience keto flu symptoms! Understanding the nature of them can help to beat the keto flu.
As you know, sugar is highly addictive. By starting the keto diet, you significantly lower carbs and sugar, and your body starts craving them badly.
Not eating carbs also resulting for your blood sugar not spiking up when you eat. Low blood sugar pressure can cause dizziness.
Main causes of keto flu are genetics, electrolyte loss, dehydration and carbohydrate withdrawal.
What can help you to beat keto flu and ease keto flu symptoms?
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat foods high in electrolytes: avocado, cheddar cheese, salmon, dark chocolate, pickles, canned fish with bones, chicken breast
- Eat often – especially colourful and green leaf keto-friendly vegetables. Don’t stick to 3 meals per day. Use snacks between meals
- Include regular berries and nuts which are keto-friendly. They contain low carbs and will help you to cope with keto flu symptoms. You can find more information about keto-friendly berries here:https://freeketoeasy.com/carbs-for-strawberries/
- Avoid intense workouts – at least at the beginning of the keto diet
- Get enough sleep – go to bed early and take plenty of rest
- Add a bit of salt in your water, since you’re a lot of sodium and potassium.
Tips for Busy Bees
When I first heard and read about keto flu, I was wondering do I need at all voluntarily to make my body go through all of it? Having a busy lifestyle as many others I thought it would be hard to be low on energy for a few days. That was my biggest concern before starting the keto diet.
What I did – I read a lot on the subject, prepared to-do list and decided to try. My keto flu journey was quite short, it lasted around 4 days. I kept on working and exercising moderately. The hardest was sugar cravings.
Keto-friendly deserts helped to beat those. My biggest advice for keto beginners: get prepared well. Draft weekly grocery list, spend weekend preparing meals. I store mine in the fridge as during weekdays have little time to cook.
You can use this keto-friendly coconut spray for baking:
I also prepare keto snacks and have them handy in my bag. Like any other diet, if you are hungry and don’t have ready meals its easier to grab something with lots of carbs and get out of ketosis.
I don’t like drinking plain water. Adding lemons and cucumbers to it will give nicer taste to the drink.
Keep few boiled eggs in the fridge. In a hurry it can be a good simple keto snack to grab.