Keto flu | What is it? | How to fight it?

Keto flu – what is it, why it happens, and how to fight it?

Let’s start with the definition – keto flu is the unpleasant effects of switching to a ketogenic diet. In other words – it’s the body’s reaction to the shock caused by this lifestyle change.

Keto flu happens because a ketogenic diet involves a major reduction of carbohydrates in your diet. This normalizes sugar levels in the body but also results in sodium deficiencies. Usually the kidneys keep the right sodium level but with the lack of insulin they switch to the diuretic mode and expel sodium and potassium from the body along with water. This can result in dizziness, fatigue, and feeling weak.

Other symptoms of keto flu can include nausea and diarrhea. These are normal symptoms because your body is trying to adapt to new circumstances which include getting very few carbohydrates and significantly more fats. This change can take some time because your body isn’t sure if the change is permanent or temporary. Your body doesn’t know how to react to this so it looks for an alternative source of energy. Then, it starts working in line with the new situation. This results in the change of the bacterial flora.

How to avoid the unpleasant issues that result from switching to the diet without giving it up?

Above all, eat a lot of fermented food (e.g. sauerkraut) and enough fiber. Ultimately, you can use probiotics from a drugstore.

To avoid dehydration and subsequently weakness, and headaches, you should drink a lot of water. As much as you feel you need. To supply your body with sodium and potassium,  you can make your own isotonic drink:

Recipe for a homemade isotonic drink:

• 1 L water (the best would be water with mineral content above 1500 mg per liter)
• 3 tsp honey
• lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• you can add mint, lemon balm, and other herbs if you like