What is a keto diet?
Eating keto means limiting your net carb
intake to 20 grams per day. If you are looking to maximize
benefits like reversing type 2 diabetes or if you have a lot of
weight to lose, the keto diet may be right for you.
A keto or ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate protein,
higher-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively.
It has many benefits for weight loss, health, and
performance, as shown in over 50 studies.
A keto diet can be especially useful for losing excess body
fat without hunger and for improving type 2 diabetes.
What to eat on a keto diet?
Here are typical foods to enjoy on a ketogenic diet. The numbers
are net carbs per 100 grams of food. To remain in ketosis, lower
is generally better:
Try to avoid
Here is what you should avoid on a keto diet – foods containing
a lot of carbs, both the sugary and the starchy kind. This
includes starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. These
foods are very high in carbs.
The keto flu, other keto side effects, and how
to cure them
It has been a few days, and you are now feeling poorly. You are
tired, you have a headache, you are easily annoyed, and you are
having a hard time concentrating. You have what is commonly
referred to as the keto flu. It’s not really a flu, and it’s not
contagious or dangerous, but it can definitely be very
unpleasant.
Most people feel one or more of these symptoms during the
first one or two weeks of a keto diet, especially days 3-5.
Fortunately, it’s temporary, and you’ll soon feel fine again. In
fact, it’s possible you will have more energy than before you
started the diet.
Symptoms of the keto flu
Fatigue
Headache
Irritability: is a feeling of agitation.
Difficulty focusing (‘brain fog’)
Lack of motivation
Dizziness
Sugar cravings
Nausea
Muscle cramps
The cause
The keto flu occurs as your body transitions from burning sugar
to burning fat for most of its energy needs.
Switching from a high-carb diet to a very-low-carb diet lowers
insulin levels in your body, one of the primary goals of a
ketogenic diet.
When insulin levels are very low, your liver begins converting
fat into ketones, which most of your cells can use in place of
glucose.
When your body is mainly using ketones and fat for energy,
you’re in a state of ketosis.
However, it takes your brain and other organs some time to
adapt to using this new fuel. When your insulin levels drop, your
body responds by excreting more sodium in the urine, along
with water.
Because of this, you’ll likely find yourself urinating a lot more
often in the first week or so of keto eating.
This change is responsible for some of the rapid – and usually
very welcome! – weight loss that happens in the early stages of a
keto diet. However, losing a lot of water and sodium is
responsible for many of the unpleasant symptoms of keto flu.
It’s well known that response to the keto transition is very
individual. Some people may feel fine or slightly tired for a day
or two after starting keto. At the other extreme, there are those
who develop symptoms that strongly impact their ability to
function for several days.
However, the keto flu doesn’t have to be unbearable
for anyone if the proper steps are taken to remedy it.
The cure for the keto flu
Symptoms of the keto flu usually disappear by themselves
within a few days to weeks, as the body adapts. But rather than
suffering needlessly during this time, why not address the cause
and start feeling better right now? The first step is by far the
most important, and it’s often all that’s needed.
1. Increase your salt and water intake
whenever you develop a headache, lethargy, nausea,
dizziness or other symptoms, drink a glass of water
with half a teaspoon of salt stirred into it. This
simple action may alleviate your keto flu symptoms
within 15 to 30 minutes. Feel free to do this twice a
day or more, if needed.
In addition, make sure you’re drinking enough
water. The larger you are, the more water you’ll
probably lose in the early stages of keto, and the
more you’ll need to replace. A good rule of thumb
is to drink a minimum of 2.5 liters of fluid every day
during your first week of keto. This doesn’t mean
you must drink at least 2.5 liters of plain water in
addition to your other beverages. Although drinking
plenty of water is important, coffee and tea will
contribute toward your fluid intake as well.
2. More fat = Fewer symptoms
Increasing salt and fluid intake usually resolves
most of the keto flu side effects. However, if you
continue feeling poorly after following those
recommendations, try eating more fat.
3. Slower transition
Eating slightly more carbs may potentially slow
down weight loss and result in less rapid and
dramatic health improvements. However, it can still
lead to better health, especially if you are cutting
out sugar and processed foods. And keto flu will no
longer be an issue.
Once you’ve adapted to low-carb eating, feel free to
try eating less than 20 grams of carbs again to see
whether your body prefers this or slightly higher
carb intake.
4. Take it easy with physical activity
Many people find that their energy and stamina
improve on a keto lifestyle, trying to do too much in
the early stages can worsen keto flu symptoms.
5. Don’t consciously restrict food intake
Eat as much of the allowed foods as needed until
you’re no longer hungry, and have keto snacks like
hard-boiled eggs available in case hunger strikes
between meals. On the other hand, make sure to
avoid getting overly full by eating slowly and
paying attention to hunger and fullness signals.
