Just a quick message for folks who might be on a Keto or Carnivore diet. Today I woke up with a screaming headache over my left temple and a nauseated stomach. I sat in my easy chair and began to remain calm while watching some sports on television. As the day progressed my symptoms never abated and the nausea remained constant. My wife got onto a Carnivore site and read an article about the Carnivore flu. Come to find out, a lowering of carbs in your diet can lead to headaches and upset stomach. Their solution was to increase carb intake. I said, hmmmm, "honey, can you go and get that Key Lime pie from the freezer and cut me off a slice?" She did and within 15 minutes my headache vanished and the nausea disappeared. About a year ago I was on the Keto diet and while shopping at a local hardware store I began experiencing the Keto flu, a overall crappy feeling that comes over you quickly. We headed to Sonic and I had a hamburger and a coke and the symptoms passed.
So, if your are on a Carivore or Keto diet and begin feeling like the precursor of vomiting is fixing to hit, your headache won't go away, and you cannot control your body temp. (hot-cold-hot-cold). Try adding a bit of sugar to get your body some needed carbs it might be yearning for. All it took for me was one thin slice of Key Lime Pie and it worked quickly. Remember that if your are in Ketosis on a Keto diet this might kick you out of Ketosis, but I say it's better to feel better rather than worrying about staying in Ketosis. Heck, you can always pick up the diet tomorrow and the damage from one slice of pie is not going to hurt your weight loss program.
For me, it was either do this or the possiblity of seeing a neurologist and having him try to fix the problem with medication. I'd rather chug down some sugar and have my symptoms go away than chugging mind altering prescription drugs which has the horrible side effects of suicidal thoughts. (been there, done that and it sucked!)
I'm not a doctor, just a regular Joe who has come across a possible solution and thought it might be helpful. If it does, GREAT, if you think it's way out in left field, no hard feeling on my part. Just trying to help folks who might be in the same boat.
God bless and have a great day!
This is bad info. Keto flu is from your body flusing minerals out of your body. This diet is a natural diuretic and you lose fluids.
The "flu" is mearly a lack of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium). The quickest way to recover from the icky feeling symptoms is sodium. Broth is a common way to get lots of sodium quickly.
Look up a recipe for "ketoade", make a big batch and sip it all day.
The Keto "flu" happens most often while beginning the diet before becoming "fat adapted" which takes 6-8 weeks of consistent Keto. Once adapted, your body becomes efficient in using its own fat storage for energy purposes. This is when the pounds start melting off too along with amazing side effects like mental clarity, energy and rested sleep.
I agree with everything you've stated. I began my Carnivore diet on Jan. 1 so I'm about five weeks in. I should be getting adapted by now, but I haven't had any electrolytes in a week, thus I think this is the cause of my symptoms today. When I ate the pie I also had a bottle of LMNT citrus mix and for the past couple of hours I've felt fine. Yep, probably let my salt reserves go too far down. Thanks for adding to this post, LRAD. The more knowledge out there is better for the whole community. I just wanted to give folks an idea of what they might experience while on Keto and Carnivore. Hopefully this thread can do some good for folks.
Thanks Fren! LMNT is awesome BTW! Watermelon is my favorite.
FYI, the watermelon flavor tastes like the white rind to me. Aweful and without a purpose except to piss folks off thinking it would taste like the sweet heartfruit a watermelon is known to have. I think the LMNT citrus is the bomb. Thanks again for your input. I appreciate all the responses in this thread.
Keto flu is usually associated with high insulin that’s why you feel better when you eat carbs. You may never get fat adapted if you do not address having high insulin. Berberine supplement is useful for this or get metformin from your doctor. Also make absolutely sure to not have a single gram of fibre from any source. People who are vulnerable to keto flu have a much higher chance of developing autoimmune disorders on a regular diet with carbs. Get your insulin checked, not just your blood sugar, you must look at insulin.
I think that what you are describing is scurvy, the body can't manufacture vitamin C so it has to come from somewhere. This is why the Royal Navy started to issue lime juice and why they are called Limeys
^^^ I concur.
This, I did keto and fasting for quite some time, never experienced the keto flu using electrolytes