Keto Flu Symptoms with Remedies from the Top Keto Blogs

I find the best way to push through the keto flu is to try and prevent it by making sure I'm drinking enough fluids and getting enough electrolytes. I mostly drink mineral water, and will also supplement with electrolyte powder if I'm doing a lot of sweating!

Salting food liberally with a mineral-rich salt like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt is also helpful, as is drinking herbal teas. While these foods only contain trace levels of minerals, it's usually enough for me to avoid any keto-flu symptoms! This strategy also works if the keto flu has already started to set in. I really can't say enough good things about maintaining a proper balance of electrolytes!

To quickly remedy the keto flu, make sure you have proper intake of these:

1. Drink more water.
2. Supplement with sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
3. Eat more fats (especially MCTs)
4. Do low-intensity exercise first thing in the morning.

Just these 4 things will usually push you past the keto flu within a matter of hours, let alone days. Getting water and mineral intake correct is vital when it comes to going keto. You can always read more here as well for specific amounts and other tips: https://www.ruled.me/keto-flu-remedy/

The only significant keto flu I've ever experienced was the very first time I started keto at the beginning of 2016. At the time I lacked knowledge on how to beat it quickly and efficiently. I still find it quite logical that an average person will have to fight through feeling at least a bit unwell when doing keto for the first time, despite the theoretical knowledge, as every process of adapting to something entirely new has to show up somehow.

Anyways, these days I tend to jump in and out of ketosis on a regular basis, taking an occasional carby vacation. Having chronic migraine under control, and no other neurological disorders, that is something I can freely afford.

My strategy against keto flu is merely adding more sea salt to my plates. If I feel off (which, in my case, usually feels like a headache "on standby" or dizziness), I take a dose or two of electrolytes supplement. Besides, I find taking good care of sufficient protein intake crucial to keep stamina in my workouts or other activities. Failing in any of these (salt, electrolytes, protein) will result in having the first three "re-keto" days feeling lethargic and undesirably underproductive.

Getting past the keto flu starts with prevention - make sure you're hydrated, eating plenty of fat and veggies and not skimping on the salt! Micronutrients and electrolytes are very important. When starting a ketogenic diet, your body flushes out the excess water it's been storing along with many electrolytes.

If you find yourself with the keto flu, don't worry - replenish those electrolytes by eating vitamin and mineral rich foods and supplementing some extra salt. Snack on pickles, bacon and other natural, high sodium (and low carb) foods. Drinking bone broth or a bit of unsweetened coconut water is a great way to introduce electrolytes back into your system.

My best tips for getting through keto flu are to be sure you are fully hydrated, you are taking in enough salt/magnesium/potassium, you are getting plenty of sleep, and you are hitting you macros and simply eating enough the first few days.

I like making "Ketoade" which is Crystal Light and some magnesium citrate powder to help boost my magnesium levels and prevent muscle cramps. I think it's important to remember the flu typically only lasts a few days and once you push past that, it becomes much easier to make keto part of your daily routine.

Keto adaptation is a lengthy process, and you might encounter a few bumps along the road. While some people don't get keto-flu at all, I wasn't so lucky. I experienced most of the symptoms you can imagine: headaches, muscle cramps, digestive issues, heart palpitations and fatigue. The good news is that you can easily minimize or even avoid these symptoms - here are my top tips:

1. During the initial phase of the keto diet, your body will need more electrolytes (that is, foods high in sodium, potassium and magnesium). That's why I regularly eat foods like spinach, avocados, salmon, beef, nuts & seeds (especially almonds and hemp seeds), and I drink bone broth almost every day.
2. Don't be afraid to use salt every day. When your insulin drops, it will cause your sodium levels to drop significantly, too. I use pink Himalayan salt and sea salt.
3. Stay hydrated, ideally by drinking beverages high in electrolytes. I make my own electrolyte drink which has helped many of my readers too: https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/10/19/beat-keto-flu-with-homemade-electrolyte-drink
4. Try high-absorption magnesium supplements. I use Doctor's Best (Magnesium Glycinate/Malate) and Calm (Magnesium Citrate). Another good option is Espom salt baths (Magnesium Sulphate).
5. If you are too tired to exercise, slow down. Instead, go for a walk. It will take a few weeks before your body gets keto-adapted.

Gorge on fat, meat and salt. Kratom, topical Mg and keto-diet-cokes are awesome too. Exercising in the 180-method shortens duration. But mindset is our best weapon in the war on carbs. Keto-flu sucks, you will feel like dog shit. But you still control your attitude.

We’ve done this for millions of years. Suck it up. Fat-adaptation will be the best thing you ever do for your health. Lay low for a week, experiment with fat-bombs, Netflix and chill. You realize you can eat all the steak, butter and chocolate whipped cream, right?! Optimism and acceptance are highly underrated. When you're done, tackle the carnivore-flu, it's way worse 😉

Keto flu really comes down to electrolytes. When you first start keto your body carries less water, and that throws off your electrolyte balance. You HAVE to supplement these when doing a keto diet, but it's even more critical at the start. Getting the necessary electrolytes isn't that hard. Sodium can be supplemented by salting your food and even adding salt to your water and coffee throughout the day. Potassium can easily be achieved through food. Avocados and spinach are great options. Magnesium is something you may want to supplement. I like taking 300mg of magnesium in pill form before bed.

First of all, if you have any pre-existing medical condition, or if you are on diabetes medication, it's important to discuss this with your primary physician as insulin will need to be titrated to an appropriate level.

A ketogenic diet can bring about side effects due to dehydration and loss of electrolyte minerals in the early stages. As a result, it's important to drink more water and ensure sufficient intake of nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium (salt food liberally!) 

Lastly, when replacing energy from carbohydrate with fat it is important to actually make that replacement. Up your fat intake; don't fear fatty cuts of meat, and eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods without worrying about their fat content. For your body to adapt to burning fat for fuel, you need to actually eat enough of it!