KETO FLU: What I wish I knew.

MikeCrazy

So I'm getting into ketosis and have come across something that all new should know about...(if they don't already), the keto flu, so to speak. It feels like the flu and/or food poisoning, and can scare the willpower out of you, if you don't know what's going on. Let me explain:

WARNING THIS COULD BE SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC - THOSE WITH SENSITIVE STOMACHS BE ADVISED

I'm on day 12 of this diet, and last night I over exerted myself with some exercise. As a result, a mild feeling of nausea that had been subtly bugging me, turned into some quality time with my head hanging over the porcelain throne. I was like WTF is wrong with me? My gut hurt so bad that I almost considered going to the hospital, and my nausea was through the roof. This coming from a guy who was known for the "iron stomach," needless to say, had me very worried. Had I understood what was happening, and what would happen, while transitioning through what's called induction, I would have prepared better, and it wouldn't have been as bad, or maybe almost unnoticeable.

Things to know:
1 - Enzymes. Your body makes enzymes for the digestion of fat and starches/sugars, in your stomach. These enzymes are fairly specific, and if they are out of balance you can get a bit upset in there.

2 - Fungal. Candida cultures (yeast) throughout our bodies, and especially in our gut, thrive on sugars. If you cut the sugar, they die in swaths leaving toxins behind. All those toxins, if not properly flushed, will cause gastronomic distress, a temporary increase in acne, and even cough, stuffiness, and nasty achy flu symptoms. Flushing is the key, leading to the next point:

3 - Fluids. Not drinking enough water, and not getting the proper balance of electrolytes in your system, will allow a build up of all the toxins release from all sources, including toxins stored in your fat cells. You can have all sorts of issues from it, let alone the dehydration issue – in and of itself.

4 - Liver. Your liver must deal with all these toxins in your system, and if you are already on the toxic side of the coin, a keto induction can throw your liver into overtime. This causes pain, nausea, and more flu like symptoms. You can feel like death warmed over, when your liver is weak and over-taxed. Again, fluids help, but you may need to reduce fat, and total caloric intake for a few days, to give your liver a chance to catch up. I also hear that turmeric tea helps the liver detox, but I don't know much about it yet.

So there you have it folks. That’s the scary side of keto induction. It's not so scary and bad, if you know what's going on, and you prepare for it. The biggest key is to drink lots of water with electrolytes.

Good luck, and stay healthy!

SnowFlinga

Be careful with the exercise while keto-adapting. You're in a kind of "limbo land" while still in the adaptation phase; you're no longer giving your body the carbs it expects to refuel your glycogen stores and you're not quite efficient yet at burning ketones for energy. So exercise during this period can be a real mixed bag and for some people can sideline them in their attempt to adapt to this WOE.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

It's hard to prepare and depends on individual. I probably had worst 4 weeks of my life when I started eating this way, but it's been very easy for me to maintain with out any cravings for carbs.

MikeCrazy

I figured I'd go through some of that, but was not ready for what I experienced. Two things put me over the edge, lack of water, and too much exercise. The last one I'd have a hard time not doing again, but may make it a little easier on myself.

Note: When the wife says come and "exercise" tonight, by golly you go "exercise."

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

I didn't even exercise for first 4 weeks, it wasn't worth exercising or increasing carbs to get through workouts. Fix the diet first and worry about workouts later should be focus of keto adaption.

msnucerity

Excellent stuff!

Just throwing in my experience but when I've gone through induction there are two things that are an absolute must to get through it:

1- broth. I found having at least 3 mugs of broth each day during the flu helps. (mineral/vitamin rich bone broth is the best)
2- fat bombs. When I go through induction I get a sore throat because it's my Achilles' heel- having a few fat bombs soothed my sore throat as well as ensured I was getting enough fat when I didn't feel like eating.

recker80

I had the keto flu from day 3-7. I also was scared. As a nurse, I did some home testing to see what was going on. I was severely dehydrated, blood pressure low, pulse increased and thready ,blood sugar normally elevated at 93, my sodium was depleted, my urine was a ph of 5 (very acidic and not good). I was dizzy often, if I sneezed I felt like I was going to faint or black out. I was weak, difficult time regulating body temps I would go from too cold to dripping sweat in 5 minutes. I knew how to "fix" myself and I got better real fast but every moment of every day was "work" to ensure I don't cause harm to myself or get sick. Every hour I drank 6-8 ounces of room temp plain water (this was in addition to my 4 flavored beverages)
I ate a steak (best treatment in the world by the way) every night with Morton's lite salt (potassium chloride) and a little lawrys seasoning salt. I added lemon juice to all my salads to alkalinize my body, stopped drinking coffee for a few days, I drank 4 ounces of almond milk morning and night for the nutrients.i did not over exert myself but I did do body stretches and 10 minutes of Pilates each day. I bounced back quick. Today is day 13 and I feel great!!! I still have to chug water but my body is now telling me to drink, so I find I'm not dehydrated. I wish everyone luck. I am fortunate to have my doctors supporting me as well.

sophiathedss

Thank you! This partly explains this horrible acne I have been getting!

:noway:

MzSmythe

So I'm getting into ketosis and have come across something that all new should know about...(if they don't already), the keto flu, so to speak. It feels like the flu and/or food poisoning, and can scare the willpower out of you, if you don't know what's going on. Let me explain:

WARNING THIS COULD BE SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC - THOSE WITH SENSITIVE STOMACHS BE ADVISED

I'm on day 12 of this diet, and last night I over exerted myself with some exercise. As a result, a mild feeling of nausea that had been subtly bugging me, turned into some quality time with my head hanging over the porcelain throne. I was like WTF is wrong with me? My gut hurt so bad that I almost considered going to the hospital, and my nausea was through the roof. This coming from a guy who was known for the "iron stomach," needless to say, had me very worried. Had I understood what was happening, and what would happen, while transitioning through what's called induction, I would have prepared better, and it wouldn't have been as bad, or maybe almost unnoticeable.

Things to know:
1 - Enzymes. Your body makes enzymes for the digestion of fat and starches/sugars, in your stomach. These enzymes are fairly specific, and if they are out of balance you can get a bit upset in there.

2 - Fungal. Candida cultures (yeast) throughout our bodies, and especially in our gut, thrive on sugars. If you cut the sugar, they die in swaths leaving toxins behind. All those toxins, if not properly flushed, will cause gastronomic distress, a temporary increase in acne, and even cough, stuffiness, and nasty achy flu symptoms. Flushing is the key, leading to the next point:

3 - Fluids. Not drinking enough water, and not getting the proper balance of electrolytes in your system, will allow a build up of all the toxins release from all sources, including toxins stored in your fat cells. You can have all sorts of issues from it, let alone the dehydration issue – in and of itself.

4 - Liver. Your liver must deal with all these toxins in your system, and if you are already on the toxic side of the coin, a keto induction can throw your liver into overtime. This causes pain, nausea, and more flu like symptoms. You can feel like death warmed over, when your liver is weak and over-taxed. Again, fluids help, but you may need to reduce fat, and total caloric intake for a few days, to give your liver a chance to catch up. I also hear that turmeric tea helps the liver detox, but I don't know much about it yet.

So there you have it folks. That’s the scary side of keto induction. It's not so scary and bad, if you know what's going on, and you prepare for it. The biggest key is to drink lots of water with electrolytes.

Good luck, and stay healthy!

Excellent post! Who knows how many people don't persevere through the keto flu because it makes them feel so damn rotten.

I'd also recommend potassium and magnesium supplements if you're having a bad time. Preferably ones ending in -ate as they are more readily absorbed by the body. And avocados!

pfmf

Great points here.
I want to underscore adding electrolytes.
For the first two months of keto I had no "flu" (probably because I already ate low sugar low grain), but I felt draggy and less motivated than usual. I was eating typical amounts of salt, homemade (unsalted) bone broth, and a half avocado a day, so I thought I was covered.
Turns out ... nope, that wasn't enough.
When I bought Lo-Salt and added it to everything (in addition to sea salt) I immediately felt better. This has continues for more than a month.
I feel SO much better!

jonnerzl

I heard eating plenty of spinach (for potassium) and getting around 5000mg of salt per day can really help. I'm currently in my 2nd day and doing my best to avoid any form of flu like symptoms.

KatinaBB

Yeah, I'm in keto flu (day 4 for me). I'm not nauseous anymore, just really dizzy. Water really does help. At least I have a water bottle that's 33 fl oz and I drink like 3 of them a day.
I can still exercise, but I will pause and rest if it gets too much. I need to exercise, I don't want to be in pain again. I just hate that soreness and stiffness when you quit exercising and start back up.
I don't miss bread. I miss starchy fruit.

courtneymaybe

This is interesting! Thanks for the information. My keto "flu" is usually just being foggy-headed for a few days, and then 60-90 minutes of extreme dizziness and nausea, after which I'm fine. I wonder why mine is so short; maybe some sort of "tipping point" at which the levels of toxins are at their highest, before being flushed out? Huh.

SnowFlinga

This is interesting! Thanks for the information. My keto "flu" is usually just being foggy-headed for a few days, and then 60-90 minutes of extreme dizziness and nausea, after which I'm fine. I wonder why mine is so short; maybe some sort of "tipping point" at which the levels of toxins are at their highest, before being flushed out? Huh.

My understanding of becoming keto-adapted is more about the development of the proper enzymes in sufficient volume to handle the processing of ketone bodies. It's not about toxins at all (or being "flushed").

Have you actually verified that you are keto adapted?

MakeupJedi

I can't thank you enough. It explains so much to me. Thank you thank you thank you. I work in film and tv. I started this diet about 9 days ago, I am fully committed to it but I got a bad sore throat at the beginning. The sore throat led to heavy coughing and asthma. And I have major fatigue but can not sleep.

I am NOT blaming the diet so no haters please. I just want to get better. I can not drink honey or do cough syrup or I had thought lemons. I can not be coughing on set. I work long hours, I work in the elements or old dusty moldy buildings and stages. I can not stay sick.

I read another great article with great remedies which I will start tomorrow.

Article can be found ....
http://www.wickedstuffed.com/keto-tips/remedies-for-keto-flu-sore-throat/#nogo

And I look forward to going to my favorite store Lazy Acres to get some helpful bacteria.

I appreciate the info. It resonates with me. All the best to you, Jed

KnitOrMiss

diluted apple cider vinegar can help with the sore throat issue.

The main issue not really touched up on above is that you must REPLACE the 5000 mg of sodium daily that your are dumping while your body dumps and balances stores of water generally set aside for carb processing.

The so-called keto flu is 100% avoidable...

Most folks do not need any potassium supplementation if they are eating real, whole foods... I can't supplement potassium unless I'm massively dehydrated or under heavy exertion (like moving in August), or I will dump magnesium like crazy. It's also something to be wary of, as over supplementation can trigger heart issues.

natedecker13

hahaha i have to laugh at myself started back up recently after a few month bender... Remember lamenting to my wife that this hit me so hard this time... probably because the other times i hadn't forgotten the extra sodium! nice to be around like minded people. Still haven't met another keto in the flesh yet....

Sunny_Bunny_

Keto flu is nothing more than low sodium. It's 100% avoidable. You must replace the sodium you are losing every single day. 3000-5000mg minimum. Possibly more. Just depends.

IngridDoerksen

Phew, that should be easy, as I love savory and salty. Very helpful comment, thanks.

mjj79

How do you get in all that extra sodium?

Sunny_Bunny_

mjj79 wrote: »

How do you get in all that extra sodium?

You can drink bone broth or boullion or store bought broth. Just make sure it's salted we'll.
Or just add salt to water.
Drink pickle juice.
Eat pickles and or olives.
Swallow salt crystals like pills.
Or just take sodium chloride tablets you buy at the pharmacy.
You cannot get enough sodium just by salting foods.

RalfLott

MakeupJedi wrote: »

I can't thank you enough. It explains so much to me. Thank you thank you thank you. I work in film and tv. I started this diet about 9 days ago, I am fully committed to it but I got a bad sore throat at the beginning. The sore throat led to heavy coughing and asthma. And I have major fatigue but can not sleep.

I am NOT blaming the diet so no haters please. I just want to get better. I can not drink honey or do cough syrup or I had thought lemons. I can not be coughing on set. I work long hours, I work in the elements or old dusty moldy buildings and stages. I can not stay sick.

I read another great article with great remedies which I will start tomorrow.

Article can be found ....
http://www.wickedstuffed.com/keto-tips/remedies-for-keto-flu-sore-throat/#nogo

And I look forward to going to my favorite store Lazy Acres to get some helpful bacteria.

I appreciate the info. It resonates with me. All the best to you, Jed

Thanks for the link to the Wickedstuffed article on Keto, pH, and sore throats.

Did you give any of the recommendations an audition?

mom2claire09

Today is day 3 for me, and I woke up with a scratchy throat and a headache. I'm not sure if it's coincidence or not. Thanks for all of this great advice!