We all love the ketogenic diet for its amazing Health benefits: It slays harmful belly fat, increases our calorie burn during exercise, improves our insulin resistance, cholesterol, and possibly even helps us fight cancer.
But…
Have you ever actually tried to get on it?
According to Healthline, the Keto Flu is most commonly suffered by the following symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Irritability
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Poor concentration
- Stomach pain
- Muscle soreness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sugar cravings
If you’re anything like me, a list this intimidating is the kind of thing that makes me re-think my commitment.
Luckily, you do not have to be destined for Keto flu. In fact, with just a few small tweaks, you may forget it exists entirely.
Below, my 5 best tips for kissing Keto Flu Goodbye forever!
- Enter Ketosis Slowly
As the Healthline article and many others suggest, it can often be helpful to enter ketosis slowly. My all-time favorite keto app, Carb Manager, does a fantastic job of this. You can easily make your descent into ketosis over 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, or 14 days, and slowly wean your body down to the world of low carb.
2. Consider Incorporating a Few Complex Carbs
While it may seem counter intuitive, it’s important to realize that keto is more of a “guideline” than a list of strict foods that you “can” or “cannot” consume (although certainly we could make the case for those which we “should” and “should not”). Ultimately, though, keto can be a sliding scale, and using that to your advantage in the beginning can still help you burn fat while alleviating symptoms.
Incorporating a small portion of complex carbs (beans, popcorn, sweet potato, etc), which are generally easy-going on your bloodsugar, may help curb the effects of flu. Sometimes even as much as a ¼ c. serving of these foods can give your body the boost it needs to cope with your new lifestyle without significantly impacting your overall weight loss goals.
Added bonuses (as in the case of home-popped popcorn, or beans), you often get a decent serving of electrolytes (via sea salt) and (in the case of beans), some added magnesium and trace minerals, all of which can aid with keto flu symptoms.
To be extra careful, be sure to try to consume these carbs early in your day, so you have a better chance of burning the associated carbs and calories off with daily motion and movement.
3. Increase Your Electrolytes & Water Consumption
A common “cure” for keto flu is often electrolyte supplementation. While there are many ways to do this, I’ve found that most of my clients have had great success simply adding a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon to their water. Whatever your methods, just be cautious of “sugar laden” electrolyte replacements like Gatorade.
Bear in mind, also, that entering ketosis is as much of a “cleansing” impact on your body as a “ketosis” effect, and drinking lots of water can help flush the toxins or other die-off that you may be experiencing due to a lack of sugar in your body.
4. Consider Exogenous Ketone Therapy (aka: Keto Salts)
“Keto Salts”, or Exogenous Ketone Therapies, are supplements comprised of sodium, magnesium, and calcium, specially blended to mimic a state of ketosis in your body.
While there is still some controversy regarding the effectiveness or wisdom of Keto Salts, the reviews of those who have tried them certainly speak for themselves. Most people who have used Keto Salts to enter ketosis feel the supplementation helped considerably, and some opted to continue to take them on a maintenance schedule.
5. Intermittent Fasting for Keto Flu
A lot of people are familiar with the idea of blending the principles of Keto and Intermittent Fasting for increased results. Few, however, realize how valuable it can be to start using them together IMMEDIATELY.
In the case of Keto Flu, using Intermittent Fasting to help curb the side effects can be very powerful. The majority of those who try it experience headache (which is common with fasting OR keto flu), but few other symptoms, and find that they can start eating a “more keto” (if not “full keto”) diet soon after breaking the fast.
Related Article: How to Rescue Your Diet When It Seems Absolutely Hopeless: 5 Simple Steps
Other Options to Consider
If the thought of keto and intermittent fasting is too overwhelming for you, I still can’t say enough good about Weight Watchers. My husband has lost and kept off over 25lbs, despite having a very complicated and demanding job as an airline pilot (a guy can’t exactly fast for 24 hours when you’re flying a plane load of people!). Another close friend of mine who is a Mom of 2 has recently lost almost 40lbs on their new program, and that is with 2 children under the age of 2 at home!
If it’s been a while since you checked Weight Watchers out, it’s worth a second look. They have completely revamped their process, and the results are undeniable. There is now a ton of great focus on real food, with a realistic approach to the inevitable moments of “cheat” (some say “cheat”, I just say “living life without being a robot!). And yes, I know, we all still think of Weight Watchers as that Granny-diet plan from way, way, (wayyy!) back, but I assure you: WW is still around for good reason!
If learning the trick to licking keto flu using intermittent fasting has given you a new-found determination to try the lifestyle, consider joining our VIP Club! We have a library of great resources for Keto and Intermittent Fasting Lifestyles like a comprehensive list of over 40 must-have keto snacks, an entire page of keto Starbucks Recipes, Intermittent Fasting Logs, and more!
It’s completely free, just sign in. You can find more info HERE.
Cheers to Great Health!
XoXo,
*Health advice disclaimer: While I am a prior certified NSCA personal trainer, the thoughts, opinions, and advice I supply on this site are merely my personal opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the professional advice of Doctors, Nutritionists, or other certified Health Providers as they may pertain to you and your health needs. Please consult a Doctor or Certified Medical Professional before taking any action in your health or lifestyle changes. Your health may depend on it!!! For more information, you can visit our legal section here.*
