Keto Adapting and The Keto Flu!

Our bodies have simply adjusted to the intake of carbs and the sugar contained within carbs we eat. When we cut out these carbs the body fights back. We feel tired, fatigued, irritable or even run into "brain fog" when carbs get too low.
Keto flu is the name given to a set of symptoms some people experience when first starting keto. It’s not actually a flu and definitely not contagious, but it can become quite tiring. Keto flu symptoms are very similar to that of your regular flu and can last anywhere from a day to a few weeks! You may experience

• fatigue
• headaches
• cough
• sniffles
• irritability
• nausea

Many people who experience these symptoms in the beginning of their ketogenic diet will believe the diet is to blame and carbs are good after all. Ironically, seeing these symptoms is a sign that you were very dependent on carbohydrates! Your body is going through withdrawal carbs and sugar loaded foods.

Readjusting to Fat

Headaches and fatigue can come from the sudden drop in carbs. When our bodies are used to using carbs for energy, it takes a little bit of time to readjust to using fat. This is the process of becoming keto adapted! It usually takes a person anywhere from 2-5 days to enter ketosis. When carbs are limited to under 50g (depending on the person, but textbooks seem to agree on this number) the body starts to break down fatty acids in ketones, which the brain then uses for fuel. This doesn’t mean they’re keto adapted though.

Becoming Keto Adapted

Becoming keto adapted means your body is now readily and easily converting those fatty acids you’re eating into ketones. In the beginning, the body may not be well equipped to convert. We all have fat converting enzymes, but the amount of them drastically increases when keto adapted. This is another cause of fatigue in the beginning of a keto diet, or during a keto flu: your body is building up the reserves to start running on fat (creating more enzymes to more efficiently burn fat).

I have experienced "brain fog before from going low carb and it was very, very unpleasant to say the least and lasted  about 4 weeks so in order to prevent experiencing the keto flu I have been slowly reducing carbs from my diet for the past several weeks and have been introducing more fats so that when I do switch to "full Keto mode" I can minimize my chances of experiencing the Keto Flu. - Time will tell.