Hello,
I am here again to tell you a little more about the dark side of the Keto Diet.
If you are visiting for the first time, then let me introduce you to myself; I am fat. Wait, don’t overthink. I am not an overweight person; I am that fat, the good one who lives in your body and doing some magical things in your body to live longer and healthy. If you know more about the keto diet’s bright side, you should visit our previous blog What is a Ketogenic diet?. Let’s go to understand what is the dark side of the keto diet.
What is Keto Flu?
When you start to follow the keto diet, some people experience Nausea, Vomiting, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Headache, etc. These symptoms appear within two to seven days after starting a keto diet.
This group of symptoms appear due to a keto diet called Keto Flu.
Why do you get Keto Flu?
Every person’s body adjusts differently to the keto diet.
The keto flu symptoms you experience depend on your body and its changes with the new fuel source. If you consume many refined carbs like white flour, white bread, white rice, pastries, sodas, snacks, pasta, sweets, breakfast cereals, and added sugars, you may face some difficulty when you start the keto diet.
Thus, high fat changes to low carbs will be difficult for some people, while other peoples switch easily between fuel sources. Some people adopt the keto diet easily because of genetics; they have flexible metabolism.
Symptoms
Do you think there is some negative effect on your body if you cut down carbs on a keto diet?
Yes, when you are cutting down carbs, your body will be in a Ketosis State.
Small fragments of carbon called ketones are released into the blood because the body is burning fat instead of carbohydrates. Fat is a slow fuel source, which means that the body takes a longer time to access it.
When you start the keto diet, you will experience some keto flu symptoms like;
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Stomach pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sugar cravings
As I mentioned before, These symptoms you will see within two to seven days. The body reacts to the depletion of carbs; that’s why insulin level decreases in the bloodstream; hence, the body’s flushing amount of sodium, potassium, and water will increase via urine, will cause dehydration and above-written symptoms. This condition is called Keto Flu.
Note: When your body burns fat as a fuel source, you can exercise only at a lower intensity than when your body burns carbs as a fuel source.
how long does keto flu last
Keto Flu symptoms appear within one or two days after reducing carbs. The average person feels keto flu for up to a week or less, but the keto flu lasts up to a month in some exceptional cases. It depends on your genetics; some people never experience keto flu because they are naturally “metabolically flexible,” which means they can easily shift metabolic states without experiencing any health symptoms.
You can cure Keto-Flu with the following tips;
- Start slowly- the first start with a low carb diet, and don’t cut your carbs too fast in the beginning. Start slow, and don’t starve yourself once your body is in ketosis; weight loss will be a breeze.
- Stay hydrated- when you are not eating carbs, your body doesn’t store water and flush out store water. So drink plenty of water throughout the day and add a pinch of mineral salt.
- Eat more- cutting carbs does not mean reducing your calorie intake too much. Don’t go low carb and a low-fat diet. Don’t worry; I am with you, so eat good and healthy fats.
- Electrolytes imbalance- When carbs intake decrease, electrolytes are flush from the body in urine. When the body has electrolytes imbalance, then keto flu is triggered, and the main minerals responsible most are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. So you can add some pinch of salt in water and your food and take sodium, potassium, and magnesium from bone broth. Doing this can stop nausea and cramps.
- Eat vegetables and fibre- Constipation is also one of the symptoms of keto flu. You should take enough fibre from low carb vegetables and take no sugar fibre supplements if necessary.
- Exercise- If you are new to keto, don’t try too much exercise at once. Try different activities like weight training and cardio and exercise 3-5 times a week is sufficient.
- Take rest- Fatigue and irritability are common who start the keto diet. Lake of sleep can raise stress hormone levels(cortisol) that can affect your mood. If you have any difficulty falling asleep, then reduce your caffeine intake and add Epsom salt or lavender essential oil to your bath; it can relax you.
Who should avoid the keto diet?
The keto diet may be helpful for many people, but it’s not suitable for everyone. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and teens, then medical supervision is advised. If you have specific health issues like kidney disease, liver disease, or pancreatic conditions and hypersensitive to dietary cholesterol, you should avoid the keto diet. If you have diabetes and want to follow the keto diet, you should consult with a doctor so he/she can tell you this is safe and suitable for you.
Note- Please consult with the doctor whenever you start the keto diet.
TL;DR - Long Story Short
When you switch your energy source, high fat and low carbs, your body takes time to adapt to these changes; that’s why keto flu symptoms appear.
Nausea, Vomiting, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Headache, Irritability, Weakness, Muscle cramps, Dizziness, Poor concentration, Stomach pain, Muscle soreness, Difficulty sleeping, Sugar cravings are some symptoms of keto flu.
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