Keto Flu? Really?

Getting started with Keto is hard enough. What happens when you do everything right and end up feeling like crap? You might have Keto Flu... 

What is Keto Flu? 

While it's not contagious like a normal, viral flu, the symptoms can feel rather similar and very flu-like. Not everyone gets Keto flu, but it is a common side effect of switching your body to fat burning mode. It is temporary and if you know what to look for, it's effects can be minimalized. Some of the effects of Keto Flu are stomach pain, brain fog, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramping, and sleeplessness. The symptoms can start as early as the first 2-3 days on Keto and can last a week to 10 days, just like a cold. 

The typical factors which cause Keto flu are things such as dehydration and electrolyte depletion, loss of micronutrients, and carb withdrawal. Naturally, any abrupt change in diet has the potential for causing some physical symptoms. Once you get thru the Keto flu, your body will be a leaner, meaner, fat-burning machine :-) 

Dehydration
When you switch from high-carb foods to low-carb consumption, your body naturally loses fluids which causes dehydration and loss of electrolytes. You want to be sure to drink lots of water and replace your body's stores of potassium, sodium, and magnesium. The first weight you lose will be the water molecules which have formerly been bound to the glucose stored in your system (1 gram of glycogen gets stored with 2-3 grams of water). Drinking more water will help eliminate the headaches and fatigue.  It will also help flush the remaining stored glycogen from your system, shortening the time you feel the effects of Keto flu.

Micronutrients
During the beginning phases, as you are learning what to eat and how to get your nutrients, many people fail to consume the right micronutrients. Removing grains, fruits, and many vegetables from the list means that often the substitutes we choose don't have the same nutrient mix and this change also causes symptoms of Keto flu. To help combat this deficit, make sure your diet is filled with things like fatty cuts of meat; grass-fed butters and meats; healthy oils like coconut, olive, and avocado oil; nuts and seeds; poultry and fish, full-fat dairy, and lots and lots of leafy greens. One of the easiest additions is to increase your salt consumption. (Yay salt!) Taking a vitamin supplement is also a good way to ensure balance in your diet. 

Carb Withdrawal
I know we've said time and again that your body does not need a lot of carbohydrates, but that doesn't mean that your body didn't want them or wasn't using them.   Research has shown that sugar has the same potential for addiction as many hard drugs such as cocaine and heroine.  The actual addiction is to dopamine (the feel good hormone) which is released when sugar is consumed.  The severity of the symptoms vary depending on how carb-dependent you were. 
The way to beat this withdrawal is just to stick it out and wait for the sugar to be eliminated from your system. Meanwhile, fill your diet with healthy fats (butter everything).  These will provide fuel replacement for the missing carbs and improve your satiety levels.

And finally, like we touched on before, exercise.  Light exercise, just enough to get your body moving and your muscles awake will help through the transition phase as your body is becoming fat-adapted.  Once you get through the adaption part, and your body is regularly burning fat for fuel, you will have more energy and can begin to develop more stamina.  As the weight comes off, let the movement begin!

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Have a blessed day!