Keto Flu: Strategies To Avoid The Symptoms

The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they start a ketogenic diet. This low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet can lead to side effects such as fatigue, muscle soreness, and gastrointestinal issues. To avoid keto flu, it is recommended to increase salt and water intake, gradually reduce carbohydrate consumption, and ensure adequate hydration and electrolyte levels. Light exercise, adequate rest, and a slower transition to the keto diet may also help alleviate symptoms.

How to Avoid Keto Flu

Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things to do when trying to avoid the keto flu. When you start a keto diet, your body switches from burning carbohydrates (glucose) for energy to burning fat. This metabolic process, called ketosis, causes your body to rapidly shed water stores, which can lead to dehydration.

To combat this, it is recommended to drink plenty of water. This is especially important if you previously consumed a lot of sugar-filled drinks, as you are cutting out a major source of hydration. To determine how much water you should be drinking per day, take your current body weight and divide it by two. This will give you the minimum number of ounces of water you should be drinking. If you are very active, be sure to drink more than this minimum amount.

In addition to drinking water, you can also increase your salt intake by 1-2 grams per day. An easy way to do this is by drinking 1-2 cups of bouillon per day, as each cube contains about 1 gram of sodium. You can also add a little butter and/or heavy cream to create a savory 'tea' that is also a great source of fat. Alternatively, you can make your own 'bone broth' from leftover roast chicken, beef bones, or ox tails, which will provide beneficial minerals and protein in addition to sodium.

Get enough rest

Getting enough rest is an important part of avoiding the keto flu. The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they start a ketogenic diet. This is because the body is adapting to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates. As a result, people may experience symptoms such as fatigue, muscle soreness, and insomnia.

To combat this, it is important to get enough rest. Lack of sleep can increase cortisol levels, which can amplify keto flu symptoms. Here are some tips to help you get enough rest and avoid keto flu symptoms:

• Stick to a sleep schedule: Try to wake up at the same time every day and avoid oversleeping. This can help normalize your sleep patterns and improve your overall sleep quality.
• Reduce caffeine intake: Caffeine is a stimulant that can negatively impact your sleep. If you consume caffeinated beverages, limit your intake to the morning so that it doesn't affect your sleep later in the day.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Avoid exposure to electronic devices before bed as the blue light emitted by cell phones, computers, and televisions can interfere with your sleep. Instead, opt for relaxing activities such as reading or listening to soothing music.
• Take a relaxing bath: Adding Epsom salt or lavender essential oil to your bath can help you unwind and prepare your body for sleep.
• Make sure your bedroom is comfortable: Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine to create an optimal sleep environment.
• Practice relaxation techniques: If you have difficulty falling asleep, try incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. These practices can help calm your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep.

Transition gradually

Transitioning gradually to a keto diet is one of the best ways to avoid the keto flu. The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start the keto diet. This occurs as the body adapts to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates. The symptoms can include fatigue, muscle soreness, and cravings, and can last from a few days to several weeks.

• Cut out refined sugar first: Start by eliminating refined sugar from your diet for a few days to a week. This includes cookies, cakes, candy, and other processed foods high in added sugars.
• Cut out starches: After cutting out refined sugar, focus on reducing starches such as wheat, rice, and potatoes. These foods are high in carbohydrates and can hinder your progress in entering ketosis.
• Progress to a low-carb diet: Once you have successfully cut out refined sugar and starches, you can move towards a low-carb diet. This means reducing your carbohydrate intake to a minimum and focusing on protein and healthy fats instead.
• Progress to a ketogenic diet: When you feel comfortable with a low-carb diet, you can then transition to a full ketogenic diet. This typically involves reducing carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day.
• Take it slow: Everyone's body is different, so it's important to listen to your body and progress at a pace that works for you. Some people may take a few days to progress through each stage, while others may take a week or more.
• Focus on nutrient-dense foods: While reducing carbohydrates, ensure you are still consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as leafy greens, avocados, nuts, and seeds. These foods will provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals to support your health during the transition.
• Stay hydrated: The keto diet can cause a rapid loss of water weight, so it's crucial to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Aim for around 2-3 litres of water per day, or more if you are very active or live in a hot climate.
• Replenish electrolytes: The keto diet can also lead to a loss of electrolytes, particularly sodium, potassium, and magnesium. To counteract this, increase your salt intake and focus on consuming electrolyte-rich foods such as bone broth, leafy greens, avocados, and nuts.
• Get enough rest: The transition to a keto diet can be tiring for your body, so make sure to get enough rest. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night and listen to your body if it needs more.
• Avoid strenuous exercise: During the transition, avoid intense exercise routines as they can be demanding on the body. Opt for lighter activities such as walking, yoga, or leisure biking to stay active without overexerting yourself.

Eat more fat

Fat is the primary fuel source on the ketogenic diet, so eating enough fat will help reduce cravings and keep you feeling satisfied. Eating more fat can also help speed up the transition of burning fat instead of glucose for fuel.

When starting a ketogenic diet, it is important to increase your fat consumption to help reduce keto flu symptoms. This can include snacking on half an avocado and some bacon, or loading up on egg yolks at dinner. You can also try adding more healthy fats to your diet, such as olive oil or avocado oil.

In addition to eating more fat, it is also important to ensure you are getting enough calories. If you are not eating enough calories, you may experience symptoms similar to keto flu. It is important to resist the urge to make your diet both low-carb and low-fat, as this will put your body into starvation mode.

It is also worth noting that if you are experiencing abdominal pain, you may need to ease into consuming medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut oil slowly to avoid stomach issues.

Drink electrolytes

Drinking Electrolytes to Avoid Keto Flu

The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start a ketogenic diet. These symptoms, which can feel similar to the flu, are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates.

Drinking electrolytes is one of the best ways to avoid keto flu. Electrolytes are essential minerals that regulate water distribution to the cells, keeping you hydrated. They are also responsible for regulating muscle contractions, controlling nervous system function, balancing blood pressure, rebuilding damaged tissue, and carrying messages to cells.

When you restrict carbohydrates, your body produces less insulin, causing your kidneys to flush out excess water and sodium. In order to maintain the balance between sodium and other electrolytes, your kidneys will also release extra potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Without enough of these important nutrients, you will experience signs of keto flu.

Drinking enough water is crucial when starting a ketogenic diet, as a keto diet can cause rapid water loss, increasing the risk of dehydration. However, if you drink a lot of water without also replenishing electrolytes, you will dilute the concentration of electrolytes in your body, which can make keto flu symptoms worse. Therefore, it is important to replace lost electrolytes as well as staying hydrated.

The most important electrolytes to focus on are sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Sodium is particularly important, as it is the most common electrolyte imbalance involved in keto flu, and it is also the easiest to incorporate into your food. Aim for 4000-7000 mg of sodium per day, which is approximately 2-3 teaspoons of salt. You can also get sodium from bone broth, bouillon cubes, bacon, salted nuts, and pickles.

Magnesium is particularly helpful for insomnia, constipation, and cravings, so it is important to ensure you are getting enough. Good food sources of magnesium include seaweed, hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts (especially almonds and brazil nuts), avocados, and leafy greens.

Potassium has serious side effects if you overdose, so it is best to get this electrolyte from whole foods. Avocados, bone broth, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, leafy greens, zucchini, beef, and pork are all good sources of potassium.

Calcium is crucial for building bone, as well as regulating muscle contraction, nerve impulses, and the actions of various hormones. Dairy, bones, and cruciferous vegetables are all good sources of calcium.

If you are struggling to get enough electrolytes from your diet, you may want to consider taking a supplement. However, always consult your doctor before starting any new supplement regimen, especially if you have impaired kidney function.

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