When you start the keto diet, you might be feeling a bit uncomfortable in the initial days. These discomforts occur when your body goes through a metabolic change, which is called ketosis. These discomforts are combinedly called Keto Flu.
Read this article to find out why it happens and what measures you can take to avoid it.
What is Keto Flu?
You eat a high quantity of carbs each day. You do it unintentionally, but soon it becomes your body’s needs. When you start the keto diet, you severely restrict your carbs intake. Soon, your body starts using fat for energy, and this process is called ketosis.
Keto flu typically happens when you are in the initial days of the keto diet. Once your body gets accustomed to the keto diet, it stops automatically. The average lasting period of keto flu is just four days to a week. If you are starting the keto diet for the first time, keep in mind that having keto flu is common, and almost 70% of people have to face it.
Why Keto Flu Happens?
The prime reason of keto flu is that it happens due to the metabolic change in your body. When your body starts burning fat as its primary source of energy instead of sugar, during this process, your organs work overtime to compete with the changes. This process also causes dehydration, and it is also one of the symptoms of keto flu.
During this time, you might also have digestive issues. Once your body starts running into ketosis smoothly, you no longer get these issues and start having the prime benefit of the keto diet, i.e., weight loss.
The ketosis transition is individualistic, and each and everyone has a different transition. It means there are chances that two people won’t have the same outcome of the same keto diet. A person may feel tired and dehydrated on the third day of the keto diet, and another person might not even feel a thing while following the keto diet.
If you take proper care, you can eventually avoid having keto flu or minimize its impact.
Symptoms Of Keto Flu
Keto Flu is the combination of some discomforts, and a person may have one or two from the following:
- Irritability
- Headache
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Brain fog
- Cravings
- Dehydration
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Muscle cramps
- Sugar cravings
- Lack of motivation
How Can I Avoid Keto Flu?
Even though it is not sure that you will have keto flu or not, there are some steps that you can take to avoid it. These are:
• Begin Slowly
Do not rush up things when starting the keto diet. Take your time, research about it, and make sure that the meal plan you are following has adequate nutritional value so that you don’t have any vitamin deficiency in your body.
• Stay Dehydrated
Water is a perfect drink on the keto. Make sure that your body stays dehydrated throughout the keto diet and especially in the beginning. Dehydration is also a part of keto flu. But keep in mind not to drink too much water.
• Take Proper Rest
Your body needs rest to adapt to the keto diet. Do not strain your body too much, and take proper rest. Make sure to sleep at least 8 hours each night. If you are having difficulty sleeping, you can take naps during day time.
• Meditate
Meditation can help you in many things, and the keto diet is one of them. It helps you have a relaxed body and mind so that your body can adapt to the keto diet without any trouble.
• Have More Fat
If you are having trouble in the starting days of keto, there are chances that you might not be having proper keto foods. If you are following a meal plan, make sure that you are eating enough fat. Your body will get into ketosis only when you eat a proper amount of fat.
• Don’t Indulge In Heavy Exercise
While starting the keto diet, take it easy on your body while exercising. Try to focus on the areas where you want to burn more fat and work for them only in starting. Once you transit into ketosis smoothly, you can work out as you wish.
• Don’t Eliminate Carbs
Keto diet doesn’t mean eliminating carbs. You have to take it in small quantities to make sure you have some carbs. If you eliminate carbs from your diet, your body might take it pretty severely, and you might have to restart the keto diet all over again. You can have a keto diet meal plan to make sure that you have some carbs daily.
• Follow A Liquid Diet
If you think that you are having difficulty in following the keto diet due to keto flu, you can try to follow a mineral keto diet with minimal keto food. Once you start feeling good, you can simply return to a regular keto diet.
• Eat Fiber-Rich Foods
To counter keto flu, you can eat food items that contain a high amount of fiber. Cauliflower, green vegetables, avocado, and broccoli are some perfect foods that you can eat during keto flu.
Why is Keto Flu Different For Everybody?
It is quite possible that you might or might not have keto flu. The severity of keto flu differs from person to person, and if you follow the proper guidelines, you can stay clear of it.
Everyone’s metabolic flexibility is different, and they all take keto diet differently. If you are someone who usually does not eat carbs in a larger quantity, you might not have any keto flu. If you have a lazy lifestyle, which includes terrible dietary habits, you might be having inadequate metabolic flexibility.
People who are more metabolically flexible can stay away from the keto diet if they follow it correctly, as they might adopt the changes without any difficulty. You can start eating low carb food items before keto to understand how your body is reacting to a low carb diet.
How Long Keto Flu Last?
When one faces the keto flu, it usually stays for around a week. The metabolism of the person also plays a significant role in how old the keto flu remains. For example, a person with a strong metabolism may get over the keto flu within days, and a person with a lousy metabolism may face it for weeks.
If you think that you are not feeling well even in your second week of keto, it is time you stop doing it and consult with a doctor. People who have health issues should consider with a doctor before starting the keto diet.
Most of the keto flu issues get better itself with time. You can have digestive enzyme supplements if you are having some digestive issues.