What Is Keto Flu ?
So What is Keto Flu Anyways!? I posted this What is Keto Flu article below back in the summer of 2013 when I had no idea what I was doing or what keto flu was. All I knew is that I was sick as a dog! I’ve learned so much since then and so many people manage to find this article, so I thought I should update it with the solutions that work! The Keto flu is also called Ketosis Flu, Ketogenic Flu, Induction Flu and Carb Flu depending on what groups you hang out in. It normally is what happens after your first couple of days without carbs. Not to every single person, but most people go through some sort of carb withdrawal and/or carb detox. What actually causes the Keto Flu Symptoms? Keto flu happens when our bodies shift from glucose or sugar burning mode to fat burning mode. It is basically an electrolyte imbalance. On a keto diet we need more magnesium, potassium and sodium. Luckily, this is a pretty easy problem to solve and I wish I had known about this 3 years ago! Can You Stop Keto Flu ? You know, for some of us, the keto flu is something we just have to go through for a few days. Think of it as a detox because bottom line, that is what is happening. You are detoxing from sugar, carbs, wheat, all those things that are holding you back from optimal health. But even though you likely can’t stop keto flu, you sure can minimize the symptoms! Drink lots of salty chicken broth. Use a magnesium supplement. You will be amazed at how helpful this will be! I recommend using Lo Salt or any similar blend that has potassium and sodium. My other go to remedy is a nightly drink of Calm. This is a magnesium drink that I swear by and I still use it almost every night. Not only does Calm prevent leg cramps but it also keeps me regular, which can be an issue for low carbers. It is Continue reading >>
Keto-flu: Cheating On Keto Will Give You A Bad Time
“Keto flu” is very common state during induction phase of Ketosis. This state is also followed by dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, or muscle cramps. Ketogenic life is real science, but don’t let loose yourself in a whole bunch of numbers. This article is very important for beginners, because they often have higher goals than experience. For some keto beginner’s, “Keto-flu” can be a real challenge for continuing or stopping with keto diet. Normalize your blood pressure People who ends up on Keto diet automatically ends up with cutting a lot of processed food rich with sodium. Reduced intake of carbs causing proper leveling of blood sugar, for that reason our body doesn’t need to elevate levels of insulin to stabilize blood sugar. The final effect is, low blood pressure In normal conditions our kidneys tend to store high levels of sodium. But on low insulin levels, kidneys change their behavior. There are a lot of hormonal activities which the kidneys put in diuretic type mode. In this mode kidneys release stored levels of sodium, potassium, and water through the urine. The major function of the salt is maintaining blood pressure, but if you do not replace your daily needs of salt as a side effect you can feel dizziness, fatigue, or weakness. For that reason introduce salt and fluids in your diet. Fluids are essential part for right leveling blood pressure. There are certainly kind of beverages that are carb-free or very low in carbs. Check out a few ideas in the link below (Premium Collection of Keto Beverages) Another easy way to overcome this state is preparing (Natural Sugar-free Ketogenic Electrolyte Drink). This drink refuels your daily needs for sodium, magnesium and potassium. Prevent nausea and diarrhea Some people have bad experience with Keto-flu foll Continue reading >>
Remedies For Keto Flu Sore Throat
My throat started hurting a couple days ago. Until today, I considered a sore throat as a sign of success. I’ve gone through keto induction four times. Every single time I’ve gotten a rotten, awful sore throat. It’s pretty much like, “oh! my throat hurts! must be in ketosis!” Pee on a keto stick. Confirmed. But it still hurts like hell, and today I connected the dots and realized that it’s a symptom of a bigger keto problem. Searching through the internets will give you a bunch of people who will ask “does keto give you a sore throar?” Followed by a bunch of keto-ers and low-carbers who will tell you going on keto won’t give you a sore throat, and neither will keto flu. I can’t blame them, they’re just speaking from their personal experience. But they’re a little wrong, and that’s the puzzle piece I figured out today. A keto diet naturally lowers your pH, which can do a whole host of bad things to your body. Last year I went to a natural health clinic where they tested my blood and pH. This was about a month after being in ketosis. One major red flag that came up was my pH. My pH was around 6 when it’s supposed to be between 6.4 and 7.4, ideally closer to the 7.4. In fact, they say Cancer dies at a pH of 8. A pH of 6 might not look far off, but it is. A reading of 5.5 is acidosis. Guess what one of the side effects of having a pH around 6? Oh you know, just a SORE THROAT, amongst lots of other issues, like being a magnet for infection and sickness. Did you know that when your pH is low, you also absorb 20% less oxygen, too? So regardless of whether your sore throat comes from your low pH balance directly, or because you got sick based on your low pH balance – this is something to watch. It’s not healthy, in fact I think eating bread and s Continue reading >>
"low Carb Flu" What Was Your Experience?
I've seen quite a few of newcomers to PaleoHacks. In order to help them out, I thought sharing each other's "Low carb flu" experiences might help keep them on the right path. Everyone is different, so a good broad range of answers would likely help a lot of people. I personally had a longer low carb flu experience than most of the stories I've read on this site. I want to say mine lasted a couple months. The symptoms I dealt with were, sugar cravings, fatigue, overall downtick in happiness (definitely not depression though) and a noticable decrease in performance. Looking back, I would say I was probably still scared of the dreaded "fat", and as such, did not consume enough of it. Also, I think trying to maintain a ridiculous exercise schedule throughout the process (Chronic cardio + weight training) and not embracing the importance of quality sleep factored in. So I ask, Did you go through a low carb flu, and if so, what was it like? EDIT: Added link - link text Continue reading >>
Are You Lower-carb Than You Think?
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been discussing the benefits and risks of low-carb and very low-carb diets. Laura, one of my staff nutritionists, kicked things off with an article called “Is a Low-Carb Diet Ruining Your Health?”, and I followed up with an article called “7 Things Everyone Should Know About Low-Carb Diets”. Then Kelsey, my other staff nutritionist, wrote an article called “The 3-Step Process for Determining Your Ideal Carbohydrate Intake”. In the near future, we’ll be featuring an article about the therapeutic uses for very low-carb and ketogenic diets. Are you on an “accidental” very low-carb diet? Find out here: The takeaway from all of these articles is relatively simple and uncontroversial—at least according to anthropological and clinical research: Very low-carb (VLC) and ketogenic diets are useful therapeutic tools in certain conditions. Some (but not all) people experience adverse effects from following VLC and ketogenic diets—especially when done over an extended period of time. Very low-carb diets were extremely rare during the course of our evolution and are not the “default human diet” (as some have claimed). Before we move on to cover the therapeutic uses of VLC/ketogenic diets, I want to address an issue that I see relatively frequently in my private practice. I’ve begun to think of it as the “accidental low-carb diet” phenomenon. The best way to explain this is to share a case study. The accidental low-carb diet: Frank’s story A few months ago I spoke to a patient—we’ll call him Frank. Frank is a 32-year old male who is on the SWAT team in a major metropolitan city. He came to see me complaining of extreme fatigue, insomnia, and exercise intolerance. These issues were obviously of paramount import Continue reading >>
Quick Guide To Keto-flu Remedies
Hi Everybody, Together with out talented designer Ola, we created yet another infographic for you. It explains what keto-flu is, who may experience it and how to lessen the common symptoms like headaches or muscle cramps. I've had keto-flu myself so I know how bad it can make you feel. Once you give up most carbs, make sure you include foods like avocados (potassium), nuts (magnesium), bone broth or sauerkraut (sodium) in your diet. If you want to learn more, have a look at my post here: "Keto-flu" and Sufficient Intake of Electrolytes Please, feel free to pin it and share it with your friends. You can find the Carbs vs Fat infographic here. Have any comments? Let us know! :-) Do you like this post? Share it with your friends! I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight. That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food. Continue reading >>
Should You Stay In Ketosis While Sick?
This is a tough question for those low carbing out there. There is no doubt that ketosis is a fat burning state that forces your body to metabolize food differently. But what about staying in keotsis while sick? Should you call it quits for the week? The month? The answer is a bit more complex. How sick are you? “sick” can mean a variety of different things. If you are having a cold for instance, staying in ketosis should be okay. Symptoms of runny nose, sore throat, cough, mild congestion, mild fever, are all generally manageable with over the counter meds and hydration. Generally if you feel you are up to the task, staying in ketosis when you have the common cold is usually safe and reasonably easy to manage. Some tips and tricks… Sugar Free Cough Drops. Dont forget that cough drops are loaded with sugar, which can throw you out of ketosis. I like to get HALLS Sugar-Free Cough Drops {affiliate link} and only use them when absolutely necessary Other great foods when your sick is homemade chicken zuchini noodle soup, scrambled eggs, pot roast, egg drop soup or basically any low carb soup you can make. Noatmeal is another low carb hot cereal option. Some people prefer to make bullet proof tea instead of bullet proof coffee. Even plain tea is a great option, just try to avoid the honey if you can resist. For a sore throat, sugar free jell-o with whipped cream is always an option for food. If you have more of a flu like sickness, or If you are having more of a stomach upset with nausea and vomiting, then perhaps keeping down what foods you can is better strategy. Sometimes when it is hard to keep anything down, it is better to eat something rather than nothing at all. The tried and true method of ginger ale and crackers is probably one of your best bets. There are op Continue reading >>
7 Things To Do At The First Sign Of A Cold
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If there is one thing I can not stand it’s getting sick. It’s so frustrating to not be operating at your optimum level. You know that feeling when your throat gets a little tickle and you feel a cold coming on? Maybe you feel a bit tired, flushed, achy or your nose starts dripping. At the first sign of a cold there are a number of things you can do to help kick it before it turns into a full blown cold. Sometimes when I feel a cold coming on I am able to get rid of it before it turns really nasty. Here is a list of 7 tactics you can try to kick a cold before it gets you down. 7 Things To Do At The First Sign Of A Cold 1. Sleep: The first day you start to feel symptoms, get to bed as early as possible that night, aim for 8 hours. If you can’t get a full nights sleep (which is common for moms) try and squeeze in a 30 minute nap! Giving your body ample sleep will help give you the energy you need to fight off the germs. 2. Water: I’m a water drinker to begin with but when I feel a cold coming on I really start chugging. This helps to soothe a sore throat, break up congestion, and get lymph and fluids flowing which will help carry the germs out of you. 3.Light Exercise: Taking a gentle walk or doing yoga can help boost your immune function. Since your symptoms are mildest at the onset of your cold, take the time to squeeze in some light exercise, like brisk walking for 15-30 minutes. If it’s cold bundle up really well. If it’s too cold do some yoga inside. 4. Probiotic Foods: If you aren’t already making probiotic foods part of your daily diet (which I highly recommend) you should at least when you feel a cold coming on! The easiest thing to do it purchase some plain yogurt from the store, sweeten with honey or ad Continue reading >>
The 4 Ketosis Symptoms You Should Be Looking For
Ketosis is the condition in which your body begins burning fat instead of carbs for its energy source. The benefits of ketosis range widely, but some of the best include: fat loss increased endurance less cravings shredded physique neurological optimization But how do you know when you’re in ketosis? Are there symptoms that you’re in ketosis? Is there a way to “feel” like you’re in ketosis? Obviously the best way to see if you’re in ketosis is to test you breath, blood, or urine. However, we’ve constructed the following list to help you detect the signs that you’ve transitioned into ketosis and turned your body into a fat burning machine! If you’ve been on the Ketogenic Diet for at least a week, run through this list of ketosis symptoms, and see if they fit what you’re experiencing! 1. Ketosis Breath A popular report from many low-carb and keto dieters is that their breath is less than desirable. The smell has been compared to fingernail polish remover, which is believed to come from the presence of acetone. Acetone is, of course, a ketone body, and is also found in many brands of nail-polish remover. 2. Keto Flu After a life full of ingesting large portions of carbs for energy, dropping carbs and moving into ketosis can often result in ketosis symptoms known collectively as the “keto flu.” It’s not unheard to feel light-headed, fatigued, or anemic when your body runs out of carb stores and begins turning to fat for its fuel source. You might feel irritable, or short-tempered; this is your body’s natural reaction to having sugar removed. Much like an addict in rehab, when you cut out mass amounts of processed sugars, you turn into a bit of a monster. Ketosis symptoms also include nausea, or stomach aches. These can be caused by your stomach r Continue reading >>
You Know You’ve Reached Ketosis When…
you can smell how weird your pee and sweat smell, through your snot-laden plague. TMI? TMI. so yea, i’ve definitely reached ketosis. which makes sense, according to the standard timeline. i started keto on friday, but had a slightly high carb intake for keto (although 48 net carbs would be the equivalent to death for me six months ago). but by this morning i was definitely, 100% sure that i had reached ketosis. **cue shimmery music and rays of sunlight** i was so damn sick yesterday that i had no appetite, and for the first time in my life could not hit my macros. i ended up making (brace yourselves) a heavy whipping cream and protein powder pudding concoction. not the worst thing i’ve ever had; not the best, either. coach suggested i acquire a taste for avocado ASAP. (i hate avocado. blech.) i was wondering how early morning training was going to feel without my usual pre-workout of oatmeal & pb. today was my experimental first attempt. for starters, i wasn’t even super-hungry this morning (which is strange because [a] i barely hit my numbers yesterday, [b] i went to bed at 8pm, which was three hours after my protein pudding adventure, and didn’t get up until a little after 6am, and [c] i’m usually ready to devour the kitchen when i wake up), but the last thing i wanted was to start getting hungry in the middle of my squat workout. soooo…i had four slices of bacon. A+ decision. didn’t feel hungry at all – it held through a car de-icing expedition, a workout, and a shower – and my apartment smelled like bacon-heaven when i got back four hours later! as for the workout – i mentioned yesterday that my DOMS from friday’s squats was almost unbearable. it got a little better by this morning, and i went in, rowed for a few minutes to warm up, foam rolled Continue reading >>
Top 10 Ways To Overcome A Sore Throat
Top 10 Ways to Overcome a Sore Throat Few people actually seek out their family practitioner for aid to heal a sore throat but many of us often experience this signal that our immune systems are being strained. Sore throats are most common during early schooling years and are predominantly a concern during the fall and winter months. This article will arm you with 10 ways to overcome a sore throat naturally. Accounting for one-third of bacteria caused throat infections, GABHS (A B-hemolytic streptococcus) affects children from ages 5 to 15 years of age the most. You may likely already know if you are a carrier of this form of strep although these individuals carry a low risk of infecting others. Viruses account for 95% of sore throats in children younger than 5 years of age. Later into adult years, viruses are responsible for up to 95% of sore throats. (7) Causes There are a variety of causes of a sore throat, many of which you can prevent. Sore throats unrelated to infection generally arise from inflammation from: (8) Shouting Smoking Medication use Indoor and outdoor air pollution Temperature and humidity conditions Snoring Exposure to Mold Infectious sore throats however are more common. In fact, the rhinovirus and adenovirus account for up to 40% of sore throat cases alone. Although bacteria, fungi and parasites may attribute to a sore throat infection, they are less likely or at least documented less frequently to be the originating cause. (8) Here are some of the symptoms associated with infectious sore throats. Foods to Avoid One of the best things you can do when struggling with any illness is to encourage your body to use all its energy to heal itself. Consuming less food will circumvent the energy your body requires to metabolize food during digestion for the Continue reading >>
Keto Flu: Symptoms And Relief
Many people (not everyone!) who start a low carb diet experience what’s called the “keto flu” or the “induction flu” in the first few days while the body is adapting to burning ketones instead of glucose. What is keto flu? The basic symptoms are: headaches nausea upset stomach Lack of mental clarity (brain fog) sleepiness fatigue It’s called the “keto flu” for a reason: you feel sick. I’ve gone through it, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Fortunately, it only lasted four days (2 of them were pretty bad) but then suddenly I woke up feeling much better, less hungry and my energy level was high and consistent throughout the day! While at one point (or three or four) I thought to myself: “what the serious F am I doing? I’m going to die!” but I plowed through it, and when it was over I didn’t regret a thing because what I gained mentally and physically was 100% worth it. Keto and autoimmune disorders I have an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Fibromyalgia to top it off. So, I’m no stranger to brain fog and fatigue, but the fatigue and brain fog that comes with keto flu is a little different, and feel much more like having the regular flu. How long will the keto flu last? It depends. Some people don’t experience any symptoms at all, but some suffer anywhere from a day to a week. In rare cases up to 15 days. Everybody’s bodies are different, and some people handle switching over better than others. You might consider starting keto on the weekend or sometime when you’re able to get good rest deal with the symptoms. For those of you that are going through the keto flu, don’t give up! I know you feel like it’s never going to get better but stick with it and you´ll be so happy you did! I’m telling you, waking up r Continue reading >>
Healing A Sore Throat Without Honey
NEW Keto-Adapted Video! We are always trying to improve our services and make life easier for you. We have made a very in-depth and detailed video on Keto-Adaption, how it works, how to calculate the right ratios of protein, fats and carbs, as well as how to test if you are in ketosis. This video is included in my nutrition packages. Click HERE to get started on your path to health and healing today! Testimony of the Day “Hi Maria!! I need to tell you Thank You!! I wanted to let you know 2013 has been the best year of my life. I am so happy I found your blog, and signed up for a consult. I’m down over 60 pounds, and off all but 1 prescription medication!!! I was taking over 600 pills a month, prescription and non-prescription. I had headaches everyday, had no energy, severe acid reflux and had severe IBS. For the first time in my life I feel amazing!!! My body is changing, and it feels great. I used to be a carb loader, now I have turned my body into a fat burner thanks to you!! You have given me back my health, which I am forever grateful!!!! -Tanya Have a sore throat? Skip the trick of using honey in your tea for it’s healing properties! Honey may be less refined and more natural than white sugar, but honey is still high in calories and fructose. It contains sugar and calories just like any other sweetener. One teaspoon of natural honey contains 22 calories. Honey actually contains more calories than sugar, as one teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories. The biggest problem with honey is that it is roughly 50% fructose. One of the big contributors to the aging process and the development and perpetuation of degenerative diseases is Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). Glycation is when a chemical reaction occurs between proteins and either sugars, lipid peroxi Continue reading >>
Nourishing Foods For A Sore Throat
Nourishing Foods For A Sore Throat – food and drink ideas for when you have a sore throat, are sick or have a cold to heal you fast. Nourishing Foods For A Sore Throat Today I’m sharing what I do when I wake with a sore throat. I fill my day with the following nourishing foods and drinks. The potent combination usually results in feeling better within a day or two. Chicken Soup Chickn soup or bone broth is the ultimate nourishing food when you have a sore throat or are feeling poorly in general. A bowl or mug full has sublime healing properties. Anti-Inflammatory Foods Cooking with ginger, garlic and turmeric can help soothe a sore throat. You can even incorporate these healing foods into your chicken soup mentioned above. Another favourite is Turmeric Cauliflower Rice which is a vibrant bowl full of nutritious cauliflower rice infused with healing turmeric. (Click here for the recipe) Tea Herbal teas that contain ginger, lemon and other healing ingredients are helpful. Raw honey would be incredibly soothing mixed through too. My tea of choice when I have a sore throat is Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea. It soothes my throat and I feel so much better after a nourishing mug full. Probiotics Water Keeping hydrated is vital. Drinking more water than usual is so important to help heal and prevent your condition from worsening. Rest Be kind to yourself. Try not to overdo it and rest as much as possible. This isn’t always easy given our busy lifestyles, just rest whenever possible and give your body time to heal and recover. Nourishing Foods For A Sore Throat Video Here’s the video sharing nourishing foods for a sore throat. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube. I launched the Quick Start To Keto Diet recently to help those of you wanting to start the Keto Diet but Continue reading >>
Here Are The Keto Flu Symptoms And How To Beat Them
Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard from a few low carbers who had questions about some issues they experienced. They all say that they had rapid weight loss, but some had severe headaches, some had joint pains, one even claimed they had diarrhea. One lady thought that I didn’t know these diets can do this, but alas I was fully prepared. These people were suffering from dreaded keto flu symptoms. Not only was she wrong in assuming I didn’t know about these pains, I’ve actually experienced all of these over the last few years. Some of these are easier to manage than others, but any one of these will send you running to the nearest fast food restaurant. That’s why I wanted to write everything I know about the keto flu and how to get over each of these common symptoms. Update: If you take a look at the comments section, you’ll see that MCT oil is my recommendation for many of the issues people ask about. So, I decided to write a few posts on what it is and why you HAVE to include MCT in your diet. Here’s the first post! Keto Flu Symptoms The format for this post will be where I list each of the common symptoms and I’ll describe it as best as I can. After that, I’ll write everything I know about how to beat the pain. Most of my recommendations come from my own experience while others will be from trusted sources. Also, I’ll continue to update this page as people reply with more symptoms. The Ketosis Headache Often describe as a migraine, the ketosis headache is one of the most painful of the keto flu symptoms – in my opinion. This mostly occurs in the first 24-76 hours of an LC diet. People suffering from this describe the pain as being in the head but hard to pinpoint it to any particular region. The entire outer head feels stuffy and the pain is ofte Continue reading >>
