What is the Keto Diet Flu?
The keto diet flu happens commonly to keto dieters due to low levels of sodium and electrolytes and has flu-like symptoms including:
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Cough
• Sniffles
• Irritability
• Nausea
It’s important to note that this isn’t the real flu! It’s called keto flu due to similar symptoms but it is not at all contagious and doesn’t actually involve a virus.
Why Does It Happen?
The main cause for keto diet flu is your body lacking electrolytes, especially sodium. When starting keto, you cut out lots of processed foods and eat more whole, natural foods. Although this is great, it causes a sudden drop in sodium intake.
In addition, reducing carbs reduces insulin levels, which reduces sodium stored by kidneys. Between your reduced sodium intake and stored sodium flushed by your kidneys, you end up being low on sodium and other electrolytes.
Ending the Keto Flu
The best way to avoid (or end) the keto diet flu is to add more sodium and electrolytes to your diet. Here are the most effective (and tasty) ways to get more sodium:
• Adding more salt to your food
• Drinking soup broth
• Eating plenty of salty foods like bacon and pickled vegetables
Try to eat more sodium as you start keto to prevent the keto flu entirely. If you do catch it, just remember that it’ll go away quickly and you’ll emerge a fatburning machine!
Keto Diet Tip
Having tempting, unhealthy foods in your home is one of the biggest reasons for failure when starting any diet. To maximize your chances of success, you need to remove as many triggers as you can.
This crucial step will help prevent moments of weakness from ruining all your hard work. If you aren’t living alone, make sure to discuss with your family or house mates before throwing anything out. If some items are simply not yours to throw out, try to compromise and agree on a special location so you can keep them out of sight.
