Adapting to carbohydrate restriction can cause flu-like symptoms that many people call the “keto flu.”
In general, the potential symptoms of keto flu are:
- Sugar cravings
- Dizziness
- Brain fog
- Irritability
- Poor focus and concentration
- Stomach pains
- Nausea
- Cramping
- Confusion
- Muscle soreness
- Insomnia
These flu-like symptoms are caused by the rapid changes that occur as a result of keto dieting, including excessive fluid and sodium excretion and hormonal changes throughout the body.
Fortunately, most, if not all, of these keto flu symptoms can be remedied by:
- Drinking more water
- Consuming plenty of sodium, potassium, and magnesium
- Including MCTs in your diet to boost ketone production and energy levels
- Doing low-intensity exercise (like walking) first thing in the morning
- Making sleep and stress reduction a top priority
For most people, the keto flu will go away as soon as their body starts entering ketosis and begins the process of keto adaptation.
To gain a deeper understanding of why keto flu happens and how you can remedy it, read through our in-depth article on the topic.