(Newswire.net — August 19, 2020) — The keto flu. It’s the curse of new ketogenic dieters, sapping their strength and making them burn through sick time as they lay on the sofa in agony.
If you’ve been through it, you know what we’re talking about.
This is the three to seven days you spend with no energy, puking and pushing your way through a mental fog. It’s when you start to question the idea of even going on the ketogenic diet to begin with. Surely, there must be a better way.
Relax. It happens to everybody.
The keto flu is a painful experience, but the good news is that it’s temporary. Better yet, you can take measures to help yourself feel better.
We’re about to discuss what the keto flu is and what you can expect. More importantly, we’ll talk about how you can manage your symptoms and stay sane during the experience. Let’s get started!
Why Does the Keto Flu Happen?
The keto flu happens because your body is struggling to deal with a lack of carbohydrates. This leads to a domino effect, where various body systems are affected.
For example, the lack of carbohydrates will cause your body to produce less insulin. If you go back to eating sugar after a time on the keto diet, you’ll experience quite the sugar high.
Similarly, your body will retain less sodium. This leads to more frequent urination, which in turn leads to lower levels of magnesium and potassium. To balance out your electrolytes, your body may release calcium from your bones to compensate.
This alone would be cause for concern, but the lack of electrolytes can also cause mental fog, which is one of the most common reasons for people quitting the ketogenic diet.
One way to handle mental fog is to drink caffeine, but this is an incomplete solution. For one thing, you’ll need to compensate for caffeine’s diuretic effect by drinking more water. For another thing, your electrolytes will still be out of whack.
Another way is to take supplements, which we’ll talk about in a second.
Regardless, it’s important to stay on track with your diet. Remember, your body will only remain in ketosis if you’re getting almost all of your calories from fat. Stay strong, stick with the program, and your keto flu will be over before you know it.
What Are the Symptoms?
So, you just started on the ketogenic diet and you’re starting to feel sleepy. Great. You’ve got the keto flu. What should you expect?
The short answer is that the symptoms of keto flu vary from person to person. The bad news is that everyone gets it.
This is unfortunate, since keto flu is the main reason people quit the ketogenic diet. They can’t work through the sickness, and end up cheating just so they can function.
The best way to manage this is to remember that the symptoms happen for a reason. If you understand them and the underlying causes, you’ll be able to manage them more easily.
Here are the most common symptoms of keto flu:
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Low energy. This happens because your body is not getting enough carbohydrates, and is not yet metabolizing enough fat to keep you moving.
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Irritability. This is similar to low energy. You’re tired, you have no energy, and you’re cranky.
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Nausea. Changing your diet throws your digestive system into disarray. It should come as no surprise if you get nauseous, or even vomit a few times.
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Muscle soreness and cramps. If you’re trying to maintain a workout regimen through all this change, your muscles will suffer. This is mostly due to a lack of energy, since there isn’t enough to go around.
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Frequent urination. Your body is trying to adjust its electrolyte balance, which requires a lot of waste water. Expend to spend a lot of time in the bathroom over the next few days.
What Can be Done About it?
How you can manage these symptoms is a different matter altogether. We’ve already talked about caffeine, but here are a few more ways to manage your keto flu symptoms:
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Electrolyte supplements. These are essential, since they provide the magnesium and potassium your body is so badly lacking right now. They also stop calcium from getting sucked out of your bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and improving your overall health.
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Drink plenty of water. You’re peeing a lot. You’re also drinking a lot of coffee. You need water. There’s not much more to say.
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Eat potassium-rich foods. Mushrooms, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, zucchini, and peas are all rich in potassium. Eat up, and get your brain back into working order.
Get plenty of sleep. Any dietary change is going to stress your body, and starting the keto diet is no different. Give your body a break, and get some sleep.