Keto Headache And Neck Stiffness: Natural Remedies For Quick Relief

The keto diet is a popular eating pattern that replaces most of your carbs with fat. While it is effective for weight loss, it often comes with uncomfortable side effects, especially when you're just starting out. One of the most common symptoms is keto headaches, which are typically caused by dehydration, low blood sugar, or electrolyte imbalances. These headaches can vary in severity and duration but usually go away within a few days to a week. To alleviate and prevent keto headaches, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and consuming water-rich, electrolyte-rich, and nutrient-dense foods. Additionally, avoiding intense workouts, limiting alcohol intake, and consulting a healthcare professional if symptoms persist are recommended.

Drink more water

Drinking more water is one of the most important things you can do to alleviate keto headaches and neck stiffness. Here are some reasons why hydration is critical and tips on how to ensure you're getting enough water while on a keto diet:

Prevent Dehydration

Dehydration is one of the most common side effects of the keto diet. This occurs because people tend to urinate more frequently as their bodies enter ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Drinking plenty of water will help replenish lost fluids and prevent dehydration, which can contribute to headaches and neck stiffness.

Replace Lost Electrolytes

The keto diet can also affect your electrolyte balance. As your body excretes water, it also loses electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium, which are essential for maintaining proper nervous system function and fluid balance. Drinking enough water and consuming electrolyte-rich foods or supplements can help maintain optimal hydration and electrolyte balance, reducing the risk of headaches and neck stiffness.

Combat "Keto Flu" Symptoms

The transition to a keto diet can cause a range of flu-like symptoms, often referred to as "keto flu." These symptoms include weakness, tiredness, muscle stiffness or aches, and edginess. Staying properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water can help alleviate these symptoms, including muscle stiffness in the neck and headaches.

Maintain Brain Function

Water plays a crucial role in brain function. Dehydration can cause the brain to shrink and pull away from the skull, leading to headaches. By ensuring adequate hydration, you can support your brain function and potentially reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches.

Tips for Staying Hydrated on Keto:

• Aim for at least 68 ounces (2 liters) of water per day as a general guideline.
• Increase your intake of water-rich, low-carb foods such as cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, celery, cabbage, and raw tomatoes. These foods can help you stay hydrated while also providing essential electrolytes.
• Consider drinking electrolyte-infused water. Adding electrolytes to your water can help maintain hydration without diluting blood sodium levels.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a diuretic and can contribute to dehydration.
• Listen to your body and drink water throughout the day. Thirst is a good indicator that your body needs more water.

Eat more low-carb, water-rich foods

Drinking water is not the only way to stay hydrated. Eating water-rich foods can also help you stay hydrated while losing weight. Some foods that are high in water content are also good sources of electrolytes.

• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Raw tomatoes
• Cabbage

In addition to the above, avocados, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes are high in potassium, and kale, almonds, oysters, and pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium.

Avoid intense exercise

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but when starting the keto diet, it is best to avoid intense workouts. This is because your body is already under stress from the dietary changes, and intense exercise can add to that stress, leading to increased headaches.

The keto diet involves a significant reduction in carbohydrate intake, which means your body has to adapt to using fat as its main source of energy instead of glucose. This transition can be challenging for your body and can lead to a range of side effects, including headaches, muscle stiffness, and fatigue. Intense exercise during this transition period can further stress your body and make these side effects worse.

Additionally, glycogen stores, which are used for quick energy during workouts, can become depleted on a keto diet, leading to reduced workout performance. Research shows that ketogenic diets can inhibit performance by up to 20% during the initial phases. However, after your body adapts to using fat for fuel, performance can actually improve.

Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from intense exercise during the first few days or weeks of starting the keto diet. Instead, opt for lighter activities such as walking or yoga, which can help reduce stress and improve your overall well-being without adding further strain to your body.

Once your body has adjusted to the keto diet and you are no longer experiencing the initial side effects, you can gradually resume your regular workout routine. Remember to listen to your body and adjust your exercise intensity as needed.

It is also important to stay properly hydrated and ensure adequate electrolyte intake, especially during exercise, as this can help reduce the risk of keto headaches and other related symptoms.

Increase salt intake

Salt is often associated with dehydration, but it can also help with hydration. When you start a keto diet, your insulin levels will naturally decrease. This means that you will not retain as much sodium as you did when you consumed a moderate amount of carbs. As a result, you may experience sodium deficiency, which is one of the main causes of keto headaches.

To mitigate this, you can add more salt to your diet. Aim for 5,000 to 7,000 mg of sodium per day. You can consume this in the form of pink Himalayan sea salt, bouillon, bone broth, or even sodium pills. By increasing your salt intake, you can help to maintain proper sodium levels in your body and reduce the severity of keto-induced headaches.

In addition to increasing your salt intake, drinking plenty of water is also crucial. This is because drinking more water will flush out sodium from your body. Therefore, by increasing your water intake, you can help to replace the fluids lost during the keto diet and maintain hydration.

However, it is important to note that simply increasing your salt intake may not be enough to fully prevent keto headaches. Other factors such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and carbohydrate or sugar withdrawal can also contribute to headaches during the keto diet. Therefore, a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple factors is recommended for the best results.

Take supplements

Taking supplements can help alleviate keto headaches. However, it is important to remember that supplements should not be used as a replacement for dietary deficiencies.

Some key vitamins and minerals that can help mitigate keto headaches include:

• L-carnitine: As the keto diet involves a high-fat intake, more fatty acids need to be moved into the mitochondria for fat oxidation. Carnitine is required for effective transportation.
• Co-Enzyme Q10: This antioxidant is responsible for the cellular process of creating energy. It is another supplement that helps mobilise fat and will help you transition into ketosis faster.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Fish oil is a potent natural anti-inflammatory and will help to lower triglyceride levels in your body.

Additionally, taking exogenous ketones can be an effective way to elevate your ketone levels and mitigate the severity of keto-induced headaches. Exogenous ketones can also cause a decrease in blood glucose due to an increase in insulin sensitivity, which is important during the induction phase. They also contain ample amounts of calcium, magnesium, and sodium, which are critical electrolytes your body needs for peak brain and body functioning.

Frequently asked questions