Keto flu is a typical side effect that many people encounter when they begin a low-carb, high-fat diet.
The intensity of the keto flu can vary depending on the factors listed below.
Learn about the symptoms and causes of keto flu, as well as how to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
What is Keto Flu?
The keto flu is a short period of time when your body begins to become keto-adapted as a result of the carb withdrawal response that occurs when you begin a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
Keto-adaption occurs when you transition from using carbs (glucose) as your primary energy source to utilizing fat (ketones).
Symptoms of Keto Flu:
The following are some of the most prevalent keto flu symptoms:
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Nauseous (upset stomach)
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Muscle twitching, cramping, or weakness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- The term “brain fog” refers to a lack of mental clarity.
- Drowsiness, weariness, or lethargy is all symptoms of sleep deprivation.
- Sugar cravings are intense.
Things that is helpful During Keto:
Step 1: Make Sure You Have Enough Electrolytes & Minerals.
Step 2: Season your food with more salt.
Step 3: Stay hydrated.
Step 4: Consume more fat.
Step 5: Consume more low-carb vegetables.
Step 6: Consume Bone Broth.
Step 7: Engage in Some Moderate Exercise.
Step 8: Exogenous Ketones.
Step 9: Get a Restful Night’s sleep.
Step 10: Sit tight and wait.
Must take your essential Mineral:
Your body needs two types of minerals in order to stay healthy and function properly.
The first type is trace minerals. These are minerals that the body just requires a minimal amount of in order to function properly.
The second type is macro-minerals. These are minerals that your body requires in greater quantities.
There are six minerals that are required for life:
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Magnesium (300 mg per day) – Magnesium L-Threonate & Glaciate supplement or other Magnesium supplements will help with this.
- Phosphorus
- Potassium (1 g/day) – Potassium Chloride or other Potassium supplements will help with this.
- Sodium (5g/day) – Redmond Real Salt is a good choice.
When you transition from a high-carb to a low-carb diet, you may be limiting your intake of each of these vital minerals, perhaps leading to a deficiency.
These shortages can be overcome by eating certain meals, using the best ketogenic supplements, or taking decent multivitamins that contain these minerals.
Addition of Salt
When you go “low-carb,” one of the things that happens is that your insulin levels plummet. Because your kidneys are excreting sodium at a faster rate than they used to, your body doesn’t hold onto as much sodium as it used to. Because your body processes salt so quickly, you’ll need to increase your intake of healthy salt.
When your sodium levels are low, your body compensates by releasing potassium from your muscles. This potassium release is harmful to your muscles and might cause your potassium levels to decline. Adding a pinch of salt to your food can help you maintain a healthy sodium and potassium balance, which can help you avoid frequent symptoms.
Stay Hydrated
When you have the flu or another illness, it’s critical to stay hydrated and drink enough of fluids. It’s the same with the keto flu. When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body excretes water at a higher rate than it did before you started. As a result, you should drink enough of water to replenish your fluid levels and avoid dehydration, which can exacerbate the flu.
Keeping oneself hydrated can help you avoid the headaches that come with the flu and will give you more energy. Drinking water can also help you maintain a healthy salt and potassium balance. Electrolyte-containing sports drinks are also permitted.
Checking the colour of your urine is a simple technique to see if you’re receiving enough fluids. You’re probably well-hydrated if it’s a pale yellow, like lemonade, or a clear tint. However, if the colour is darker, such as apple juice, you may need to drink additional water.
Increase Fats Intake
Because a ketogenic diet eliminates the utilization of sugars and carbohydrates as fuel sources, your body must rely on the fats you consume to provide energy. Increasing your fat consumption will hasten your body’s transition from carbohydrate to fat as a fuel source.
Here is a list of good fats to include in your diet:
- MCT Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Lard
- Olive oil
- Ghee
- Tallow
One of the issues that people on ketogenic diets face is that they eliminate carbohydrates from their diet but do not compensate for the calorie deficit with the other items they consume.
If you’re feeling sluggish and hungry, simply increase your meal intake to compensate for the calorie deficit caused by eliminating carbohydrates.
Low carb vegetables are great Option
“Wait, isn’t ketogenic dieting all about cutting carbs?” you might be thinking. Yes, but the carbs you should avoid are the ones that are bad for you, which are typically found in processed meals. There are, however, “clean” carbs that are beneficial to your health, such as those found in fruits and vegetables.
During the transition time, these carbs will help you feel better. You can gradually reduce the quantity of “clean” carbs you eat with each meal until they account for only around 5% of your total daily calories — this is when you can enter ketosis.
Bone broth can do Wonders
Drinking bone broth can help your body get the critical amino acids it requires.
Due to the electrolytes included in bone broths, certain amino acids (such as arginine, glutamine, and cysteine) can increase your body’s natural immunity, raise your mood through your gut microbiota, and help you rehydrate better than just drinking water.
Some light exercise will Help
When you’re unwell, the last thing you want to think about is exercising. Regular physical exercise, according to one study, promotes metabolic flexibility, or your body’s capacity to flip back and forth between using carbs and fats as an energy source.
If you make it a habit to exercise every day, the transition phase will be easier and shorter since your body will be able to swiftly convert from burning carbs to burning fat if carbs become unavailable or if your carb intake ceases.
Use exogenous Ketones
Exogenous ketones, such as ketone salts or HVMN ketone esters, are a new technique to try to gain relief from keto flu symptoms quickly.
Because your body is attempting to adapt to running on ketones as a primary fuel source, a good ketone salt or ketone ester drink can help improve your beta-hydroxybutrate blood ketone levels. Electrolytes are also present in ketone salt drinks, which may aid in recovery.
Good Sleep is key
Recovery is critical to performance, and the best form of recovery for our bodies is a good night’s sleep.
When your body’s energy metabolism is forced to work harder during the keto-adaptation period, making sure you don’t stay up too late and disrupt your sleep is a simple solution. Sleep deprivation can cause your stress hormone, cortisol, to rise, making you feel tense and keto symptoms can get worse
Sit tight and Wait
Keto flu usually only lasts a few days to a week, although it can last up to two weeks in exceptional situations. Don’t get disheartened, and don’t give up on your diet. Many people believe that “if giving up carbs makes me unwell, then I must need them to keep healthy.”
In fact, carb flu is one of the leading causes of diet failure. However, this is a ruse by your body; the most important thing to remember is that during carb flu, your body is experiencing carb withdrawal. Staying strong and waiting it out is the greatest way to get through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long keto flu does last?
Symptoms of Keto flu starts almost right away when carbohydrates are given up
It can last up to a week for an average person. Extreme conditions make it last a month
Final Thoughts
Keto flu is a state of mind that can be cured as soon as you adapt into the diet and your body adapt to changes. As soon as your body get along it start to cure. Above mentioned stuff helps with the keto flu cure. Hope it helps your condition as well.
