The keto diet is a popular diet promoted for weight loss and better health. This diet is low in carbs, high in fat, and moderate in protein.
Though the diet is safe for most individuals, it’s linked with several unpleasant side effects. One of them is the carb flu or also known as the keto flu.
This term was coined by the keto diet followers as an umbrella term for the symptoms they deal with at the beginning of the regime.
The Keto Flu Explained
The keto flu manifests in different symptoms that happen to some individuals following this diet.
The symptoms, that may feel similar to the flu symptoms, are believed to be a reacton of the body adjusting to the new diet which is scarce in carbs.
When we lower our intake of carb, our body is forced to burn ketones for enegy rather than glucose. Ketones are the byproducts of the breakdown of fat and they become the main fuel during a keto diet.
In normal conditions, fat is reserved as a secondary source of fuel that’s used when glucose is unavailable. Ketosis is the turn to burning fat for energy.
It occurs under certain circumstances like fasting and starvation. But, ketosis may also be achieved through a low-carb diet.
People following a keto diet reduce their carb intake to no more than 50 grams daily. This is a shock for the organism and may trigger withdrawal-like signs like when a person is weaning off caffeine or tobacco.
5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Keto Flu
If you’re on the keto diet, here are five useful ways to lower your risk of the keto flu symptoms:
- Get sufficient sleep
Tiredness or irritability is one of the common keto flu symptoms. This is why you need to make sleep a priority.
Get enough hours of it at night to lower the unpleasant side effects. This will optimize the rest and reduce the risk of low energy. Sleep without distractions like phones or TVs.
- Don’t forget to drink water
Dehydration is common among keto dieters due to the fast shedding of the water stores. Therefore, it’s essential to increase the water intake to prevent dehydration side effects like lightheadedness and headaches.
- Replace the electrolytes
When you’re on a keto diet, your insulin levels tend to drop.
This hormone helps our body absorb glucose from the blood.
This diet also restricts plenty of other fruits abundant in potassium like starchy veggies, beans, and fruits. Therefore, it’s essential to replace the nutrients you’re not consuming regularly.
Sports drinks free of sugar are praised for bettering the keto flu symptoms. They’re an easy way to replenish the lost electrolytes and hydrate the body without calories and carbs. Another great option is bone broth.
- Consume more fat
When you remove carbs from your diet altogether, you need to make sure you’re adding up for those calories as extreme hunger may mimic the keto flu symptoms.
Add more oil to meals or boost the consumption of foods that are naturally rich in fat and that will ease your transtion to keto.
- Avoid strenuous workouts
In the first few weeks of a keto diet, you may experience cramps, muscle aches, and belly discomfort.
This is why it’s essential to give the body the rest it needs and avoid strenuous workout sessions.
This can additionally deplete the body’s resources and cause extreme lethargy.
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