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The Top 5 Tips to Prevent the Keto Flu
So you are ready to start your keto journey, but you are nervous about getting the dreaded keto flu. This doesn’t have to be something you experience when starting the keto diet.
In this article, I will discuss 5 tips that will help prevent keto flu.
These tips will also help you get into ketosis faster.
Get ready to burn fat and start to look and feel your best!
What is the Keto Flu?
The ketogenic diet primarily uses fat as its fuel. This is done by significantly reducing carbohydrates, increasing fats, and keeping moderate protein in your diet.
The standard keto diet is broken down to 70% Fat, 25% Protein, and 5% Carbohydrates.
This switch allows your body to then tap into its fat stores and allows optimal weight loss. You don’t just lose weight, you lose body fat. This is the first diet I saw a significant change in body composition. I kept the muscle I wanted but dropped the fat!
Your liver takes fat that you consume, or stored fat, and converts it into ketones. Ketones are like rocket fuel for your brain. Most people who are on a ketogenic diet not only achieve their weight loss goals but also report more mental clarity and focus. I could go on and on about the benefits of keto.
If you want to read more about the advantages of keto check out this article!
The benefits of Keto are many but include:
- Weight loss
- Muscle Sparing
- Improved body composition
- Better Endurance
- Stable Blood Sugar
- Improved Cognitive Function
- Lower Insulin
- Overall improvement with mood and energy
With the keto diet, carbohydrates are generally set at 50 net grams (or less) per day. When you initially cut carbohydrates the body can go into a state of shock and experience some withdrawals. This all depends on your body, your previous diet, and your ability to adapt. Some people do not experience what is known as the keto flu, while others do.
The keto flu is not a virus, but merely a combination of symptoms one can experience due to sugar detox and dehydration.
For every 1 gram of carbohydrate you consume, your body holds up to 3 grams of water.
Naturally, you lose a significant amount of water weight when you decrease carbohydrates. With that loss of water also comes a loss of minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
symptoms of keto flu may include :
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Stomach pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sugar cravings
These symptoms can start to develop within a few days after starting keto and will last a week to 10 days. It is rare for the keto flu to last longer than 7-10 days, but everyone is different.
But if you follow the 5 tips below, hopefully you can be that person who will never know what the keto flu is like!
Tip #1: DRINK WATER
As mentioned when you reduce your carbohydrates, you are going to lose water, electrolytes, and minerals. Staying hydrated is essential for any healthy diet and especially so when you are on keto.
Aim to drink about ½ to an ounce of water per pound of body weight.
So if you weigh 150lbs, try to drink between 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. You may need more or less depending on your activity. Keeping a water canteen with you and sipping on it through the day helps to ensure you stay hydrated.
You can also add pink himalayin salt to your water.
It is full of minerals your body needs and helps to regulate blood sugar and sleep cycles.
Try adding ½ tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt per 8 oz of water.
Tip #2: ELECTROLYTES
As you are losing more water weight, you are also losing electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Replenishing your electrolytes with diet and/or supplements will help prevent some of those not so fun flu symptoms.
You can try incorporating foods that contain those electrolytes but it doesn’t hurt to have an electrolyte powder on hand especially when you first begin keto.
It’s also a nice way to spice up all that water you will be drinking too. There are several electrolyte supplements on the market, but I love Dr. Berg’s Electrolyte Powder.
It’s a simple and clean supplement and contains no fillers like maltodextrin that can spike insulin and kick you out of keto.
Tip #3: INTERMITTENT FASTING
Intermittent fasting is a set time in which you chose to not eat.
This has so many benefits which you can read about here, but the main benefit to mention in this article is it will help get you into ketosis faster.
Ketosis is achieved when all glycogen,or stored glucose, is depleted. Once that occurs your body is forced to use fat and create ketones for it’s energy source.
The faster you can deplete that glycogen, the faster you can be in ketosis and start feeling all of the benefits keto can offer.
You can double down on this by adding in fasted workouts!
which is actually my next tip!
Tip #4: FASTED WORKOUTS
Now this may sound like a bad idea, but activity will help your body deplete those glycogen stores even faster.
Exercise helps your body become metabolically flexible, and eases the keto flu-like symptoms.
Try some fasted walking or light circuit training first thing in the morning.
Initially your energy levels might be lower, so you may have to dial back the intensity of your workouts. Eventually when you are fat-adapated you will be able to perform as good or better.
Tip #5: MCT OIL
MCT, or medium-chain triglycerides, are a must have when you first start keto. Even afterwards too!
The body takes MCT and immediately processes it in the liver and it’s turned into ketones. This is incredibly helpful as you aren’t producing your own ketones yet.
You can add MCT oil into coffee, salads, on top of veggies, or in smoothies and protein shakes.
When you are first starting with MCT, try 1 tsp and see how your body reacts, then you can increase from there.
Also, MCT powders can be easier on the gut when you are first starting.
Ketones created from that MCT will help your energy, and eliminate any headaches or brain fog.
No Keto Flu for You!
Now you are armed with 5 great tips to prevent the keto flu.
While these will help when you are starting keto, they are also good habits to continue with along your keto journey.
You may want to start your keto diet on a Thursday of Friday, just in case you don’t feel your best.
This will allow you time to rest and ride through that transition.
Remember that first phase of keto is temporary!
Stick with it and you will be rewarded with energy, weight loss and better health in no time!
