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The Ultimate Keto Food List with Printable

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OK. Let’s get to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Are you fed up with all the lists of thinks you can’t eat on keto?

I sure am!!

All this talk about don’t eat this, and can’t have that. Too many negative vibes for me!

Especially because when someone says I can’t have it, that’s all I want now.

Why focus on the negative when you can focus on the positive?

Let’s talk all about what we can eat today. Ummkay?

My friend Sasha from Life’s Carousel wrote this article for me. She has had amazing results from following the Ketogenic Diet that I am excited to share with you.

Knowing how difficult it was to navigate the keto waters in the beginning, she came up with this Ultimate Keto Food List for newbies and pros alike. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Keto Food List

Why Keto?

When I first heard of the ketogenic diet I thought it was just another fad diet that only the rich and famous could follow. I dismissed it and couldn’t understand why my friends were trying it.

I changed my mind when I bumped into a friend who I hadn’t seen for 6 months. She looked amazing! She had lost a LOT of weight, her skin and hair looked amazing and she was exuding confidence – I almost didn’t recognize her!

How had she changed so much in just 6 months? Keto! (The keto food list is coming up below… just bear with me!)

I decided to research more into the ketogenic diet to find out exactly what it was all about. To start with it seemed confusing, but it’s really not that complicated once you get your head around it.

I’m a bit of a science nerd (OK, a LOT of a science nerd!), so the science behind the keto diet intrigued me and made perfect sense! Once you understand how our bodies produce energy, then it all makes sense!

It also makes sense why I was never successful with diets in the past!

The best “side effect” of the keto diet is the energy boost you get. I now have more energy than I’ve ever had before – seriously, even as a child I don’t think I had this much energy!

My hair and skin look great too (gone is my horrible adult acne!).

One thing that I wish I had when I first started on keto was a comprehensive keto food list. I spent hours (seriously!) in the grocery store reading every single food label to see what the nutritional values were.

So that’s why I decided to put together this keto food list to help beginners know what they can and can’t eat.

(Want the good stuff? Scroll down for the Keto Food List!)

Ketogenic Diet for Beginners

So what is Keto? What is the cool science?

A keto diet is basically a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. This might sound like some of the low carb diets you’ve tried before but this is different! I promise you!

By eating a particular combination of foods you stimulate your body to go into ketosis. When your body is in ketosis it changes the way it metabolizes food and basically makes your body burn more fat! How awesome is that?

When we eat a carb and sugar-rich diet our body’s use the glucose in carbs and sugars for energy. We produce insulin that transports that glucose around our bodies. This has been an effective way for bodies to get energy for millennia, but our diets have changed!

We now eat a LOT more sugar and carbs than ever before (seriously… there’s even sugar in bread!) and our bodies can’t store glucose, so it is converted into fat. The trouble is when there is a ready supply of glucose, our bodies don’t use that fat.

It just sits there (on our tights, hips, tummies….. you get the idea!).

The other problem is that once our bodies have used up all the available glucose (our body has turned the extra into fat already), then we get an energy crash!

We all know what that feels like! And what do we do? Reach for something that will give us another energy boost – like a candy bar or cookie! The cycle continues!

Fat Burning Machine

BUT… what if we can restrict the amount of glucose, so our bodies burn the fat instead? That’s ketosis!

When we restrict the amount of glucose in our diet, our bodies go into a state called ketosis. In this state, we literally burn fat for energy! Even while you are sleeping you will be burning fat!

On a traditional diet, you starve your body of calories, but you still will be producing insulin to handle the carbs and sugars that you eat – this insulin INHIBITS the release of fat as energy (it STOPS your body burning fat).

This is why you can restrict your calories a lot but still not lose weight.

But by restricting JUST carbs in your diet, then your body will gladly burn your fat stores! And the other bonus is that your fat stores are a constant supply for your body, so you won’t get the energy dips you get with glucose!

Stable, all-day energy!

Macros

So now you know how great keto is, you are probably wondering how you can get started! Well, first off you need to calculate your “Marcos”.

“What the hell are Marcos?” I hear you say!

Marcos is short of macro-nutrients. Those are the big general parts of your calorie intake – fat, protein, fiber, carbohydrates etc.

In the keto diet, you will be monitoring your fat, protein and carb macros. That’s why it’s so important to use a keto food list to help guide you towards the right foods and stay away from the bad foods!

You can go to this website to get a calculation of exactly how much of each you want to be consuming each day – Macro Calculator.

The numbers will be different for everyone depending on your lifestyle and weight. But generally your diet will consist of:

Fat: 75%

Protein: 20%

Carbs: 5%

Keto Food List

So now you need to start paying attention to what is exactly IN all your foods! Enter… the Keto Food List!

It takes a bit of work to start with, but within a couple of days you will be a pro and know exactly what you can and can’t eat!

Below is my Ultimate Keto Food List to help you slide right into your keto diet.

Meat for keto diet

Meats

Fish & Seafood

  • Oily Fish
  • Cod
  • Salmon
  • Halibut
  • Lobster
  • Mackerel
  • Muscles
  • Oysters
  • Sardines
  • Shrimp
  • Trout
  • Grouper
  • Tuna
  • Clams
  • Scallops

cheese for keto food list

Dairy

Oils & Fats

  • Coconut Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Nut Oils
  • Avocado Oil
  • Duck/Goose Fat
  • MCT Oil
  • Tallow
  • Lard

Veggies for keto food list

Vegetables

  • Leafy Greens
  • Bok Choy
  • Cucumber
  • Celery
  • Eggplant
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Lettuce
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Artichokes
  • Zucchini
  • Spinach
  • Radishes
  • Sauerkrut
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Cauliflower
  • Green Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Kimchi
  • Fennel
  • Okra
  • Spaghetti Squash (learn how to cook it 2 ways)

Fruits

Keep fruits to a minimum as they are high in natural sugar

  • Avocado
  • Berries
  • Coconut
  • Lime
  • Lemons
  • Olives
  • Rhubarb

Nuts for keto food list

Nuts & Seeds

  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Pine Nuts
  • Pecans
  • Hazelnuts
  • Brazil Nuts
  • Macadamia Nuts
  • Cashews (occasionally)
  • Pistachios (occasionally)
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Flaxseeds
  • Chia Seeds

Flour

  • Almond Flour
  • Coconut Flour
  • Other Nut Flours

Drinks

  • Coffee (try Bullet Proof Coffee!)
  • All Teas, especially Green Tea
  • Bone Broth (check out how to make that here)
  • Seltzer Water
  • Lemon/Lime Juice
  • Milo Water Flavors
  • Unsweetened Nut Milk
  • Coconut Water

Avoid

  • Added sugars, such as soda, candy, cookies, doughnuts etc.
  • Carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice, couscous, corn, grains, oats, wheat flour etc.
  • Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy
  • Root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes etc.
  • Fruits, such as apples, bananas, pineapple, orange, peaches, raisins etc.
  • Alcohol (check out this post with a list of some alcoholic drinks you can have!)

This isn’t an exhaustive list because I can’t possibly make a list of every single food allowed in a ketogenic diet! But it will give you a good idea and a framework.

I hope this keto food list helps and that you enjoy eating Keto as much as I do! I’m always amazed that keto never feels like a diet because I can eat so much food (I’m never hungry!) and so many yummy foods too!

Here’s a printable Keto Food List that you can take to the grocery store when you do your shopping. So you can always have the food you need to keep you on track on your keto journey!

I hope this list helps you out next time you go grocery shopping! It makes it so easy to always have the right food in the house to keep you in ketosis.

Don’t forget to download your copy today!

Peace, love, and shop on!

Love the list but need some inspiration? Here’s some awesome Keto & Low Carb recipes that you should try!

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Ultimate Keto Food List

 

What is the Keto Diet? Here’s the Only Guide You’ll Ever Need

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What is the Keto Diet?

Keto is very trendy these days.

You’ve all heard about it.

You see it everywhere.

Even that person on facebook that you have no idea why you’re friends with is talking about it.

But what is it really? A fad? A hoax?

Here’s everything you need to know!

And maybe a little bit that you don’t need to know, necessarily, but it’s kinds interesting…

The Keto, or Ketogenic Diet, is a way of eating that involves a lot of fat (75%), a small amount of protein (20%), and a tiny amount of carbs (5%).

That seems like a crazy amount of fat, doesn’t it? It kinda freaked me out a little at first. I was always taught that fat makes you fat.

But guess what? It doesn’t! As it turns out it’s all the sugar and all the carbs (that turn into sugar) that make you fat.

How Does Sugar Make Us Fat?

Unfortunately a lot of us eat more sugar and carbs than we can burn off in a given day.

When we have too much sugar (glucose) in our bloodstream it triggers our pancreas to produce insulin.

Insulin is kind of like blood sugar cowboys. It rounds up all the excess glucose and puts it into corrals.

Which are really fat cells.

And then locks the gate so that it can’t get back out.

It really does.

And as long as the insulin is roaming about, it keeps the fat from being released.

So when we eat a high carb lunch, (burgers, fries, and soda anyone?) all that free range blood sugar gets rounded up and locked away as fat.

And then we crash. Because our body is out of energy.

So then what do we do?

We head on over to the vending machine or the snack bar or Susan’s candy bowl that she always has out on her desk.

And the whole crazy blood-sugar-stampede/glucose-wrangling/fat-corralling rodeo starts all over again.

And again.

And again…

There’s a reason the Standard American Diet is called SAD.

So why in the world does all this happen, you might be wondering.

Our bodies were actually designed (or evolved, if you prefer that terminology) to burn fat for fuel.

Down through the ages people didn’t have access to all the sugary junk that is thrust upon us modern folk every time we go to the grocery store.

I would wager none of those people would even recognize most of our “groceries” as food.

But I digress.

People used to only get small amounts of carbs from fruits and veggies, so their bodies primarily burned fat for fuel.

Are You a Fat Burner or a Sugar Burner?

Over the years as we have added more and more sugar into our diets, our bodies mostly don’t get a chance to burn fat any more.

Since the glucose is a more readily available fuel source we burn that first.

In order to burn fat we have to stop the cycle.

And that is where the ketogenic diet comes in.

What is Ketogenic?

Ketogenic means that it cause ketosis.

And what is “ketosis”?

Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body unlocks the fat stores, converts it into ketones, and burns it for fuel.

So, just like sugar and carbs are converted into glucose, fat is converted into ketones.

And ketones are a much more efficient and steady form of energy for our bodies.

Ketone energy doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. It doesn’t mess with our brain chemistry. And it doesn’t promote inflammation.

That means no afternoon crashes, no foggy thinking, and fewer aches and pains.

Lose Weight on Keto

What are the Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet?

Other that the ones listed above, the major one is losing weight! If you’re reading this, I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re after.

Other benefits include:

  • Increased and consistent energy
  • Better sleep
  • Normalizing blood pressure
  • Lowering bad cholesterol
  • No more food cravings
  • Fewer mood swings
  • Healthier skin and hair

The keto diet has also been associated with lessening the frequency of anxiety and panic attacks.

All of which sounds pretty cool, right?

But I know what you’re thinking. Because I thought the same thing.

You think that you’re going to have to give up all your favorite foods.

But that’s not true!

Unless your favorite foods are mini Reese’s and Dr. Pepper.

In which case you are 100% correct.

What Can You Eat on the Keto Diet?

Here’s what you’re going to have to give up. Take a deep breath. Picture yourself not overweight anymore. Got it? OK.

Foods to Avoid on the Keto Diet

  • Grains and foods made with grains – wheat, corn, rice, quinoa, pasta, granola, etc.
  • Sugar in all it’s forms – table sugar, soda, sports drinks, honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
  • Pretty much all fruits – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
  • Root vegetables – potatoes, yams, carrots, etc.
  • Beans and Legumes – pintos, kidney beans, lentils, etc.

Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?

And there are some amazingly delicious substitutions for most of the things you can’t have.

But here’s what you really want to know.

Foods to Eat on the Keto Diet

  • Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.
  • Dark leafy greens – kale, spinach, etc.
  • Low-carb vegetables – asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, and other low carb veggies
  • High-fat dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, cream cheese
  • Nuts and seeds – pecans, cashews, walnuts, flax seeds, etc.
  • Avocado and berries – blueberries, blackberries, and other low carb fruits
  • Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners
  • Healthy fats – coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, lard, tallow

The eat list is way better than the don’t eat list. That’s looking a lot more doable right now. That’s going to be pretty easy, right?

At least at home.

But what about when you go out?

Eating out on Keto

How to Order on a Keto Diet

It’s actually pretty easy to eat out and stick to your diet.

You can’t go wrong with fish or meat as long as it’s not breaded or battered.

Then, of course, you’ll have to pass on any gravy because that has flour in it.

But most restaurants allow you to substitute other veggies for the starchy sides you might be used to ordering.

What about the bread? Just ask them to not bring any to the table so you won’t be tempted.

Trust me on this one…

One last thing we need to cover and you’ll be good to go.

The Transition to a Keto Lifestyle

What happens when your body is changing from a sugar burning machine to a fat burning machine?

You will most likely experience a lack of energy and difficulty focusing.

Along with that, many people experience flu-like symptoms from sugar withdrawal and general detoxng. It’s normal for those things to last for 3 to 5 days.

Some people experience this “keto flu” as it’s called, right away. For some it takes a few days to kick in.

You can read more about keto flu symptoms and what to do about them here.

The good news is that on the other side of that discomfort is a whole new world of health and well being that you may not have ever experienced before.

Or at least not in a long time.

I promise it will be worth it!

Peace, love, and keto on!

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What is the Keto Diet?

What Happens When You Cheat on Keto & Fall Off the Wagon?

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What Happens When You Have a Keto Cheat Day?

We’ve all been there.

It happens to all of us sooner or later.

Some days you just fall off the keto wagon.

Some days you fall off the keto wagon, and then it backs up and runs over you.

And then there are some days when you leave the keto wagon on purpose, gracefully swan diving into a ginormous pile of non-keto-friendly mini Reese’s cups.

Or maybe that last one is just me…

Anyway, the important thing isn’t so much that you’ve left the wagon, but how soon you’re going to climb back on.

This thing we’re trying to do here is hard.

It’s hard to change your mindset about food.

It’s hard to be disciplined when you’re tired and hungry.

And it’s really hard to not follow the crowd and eat all the things.

In a perfect world it would be easy.

And everyone would be skinny.

And there would no longer be mini Reese’s cups. Because they are evil…

Cheating on Keto and Falling off the Wagon

What to Expect After Your Keto Cheat Day

Here’s what happens when you fall off the keto wagon.

Ketosis

The first thing, obviously, is that you knock yourself out of ketosis.

So that means you’re not burning any fat at the moment. Your body has returned to the path of least resistance, which is to burn carbs.

The good news is that you can get yourself back into ketosis and burning fat in short order.

How short that order is depends on a couple of things:

  1. What kinds of non-keto-friendly stuff you ate,
  2. How much of the non-keto-friendly stuff you ate,
  3. Did you exercise after you ate it, and
  4. Your very own personal physiology.

Let’s take a look at number 1. While carbs are carbs, if the carbs are natural stuff like potatoes and apples, that’s still going to give your body some nutrition.

If the carbs happened to be, say, a box of krispy cream donuts, you’re looking at a longer recovery time.

Of course how much of it you ate also has a lot to do with it as well. The fewer carbs you ate the faster they will burn off and you can get back to burning fat.

Number 3 determines how much of the carbs you already burned off and didn’t actually get shunted into fat storage.

Of course, if you exercise regularly, your body is much more efficient at burning those pesky carbs in the first place.

What I mean by number 4 is that some people can run amuck with carbs and be back in ketosis the very next day.

And some of us require a few days for our bodies to start producing ketones again.

The point is, though, that a day or two not in ketosis isn’t going to set you back months on your keto journey.

doughnuts

Carb Addiction

Another thing that tends to happen when you fall off the keto wagon is it wakes up those addiction demons. Carbohydrate addiction is a very real thing.

And it’s something that junk food manufacturers actually count on to keep you coming back for more.

If you’ve been off of refined sugar and other carbs for a while, it’s very possible that you are simply not craving them anymore.

But once you eat some of that stuff, all those cravings come back with a vengeance!

And then you have to go through all that not giving into the cravings stuff again until the cravings disappear.

Which, let’s face it, totally sucks!

sick teddy and friend

Keto Flu

And the worst thing, at least in my book, is that if you indulge for more than a day or so you might end up having to go through some of the “keto flu” symptoms again. At least to some degree.

If you’re not sure what the keto flu is, you can read all about it here.

And while it’s good that your body can detox after a binge, it’s still very not fun when you’re going through that stuff again.

But here’s the deal:

Stop beating yourself up.

It’s not the end.

You’re not a failure.

It’s just a minor set back.

A bump in the road if you will.

I remember hearing someone say once, “Some days you win, and some days you learn.” Not a bad motto to live by, I think.

So use the experience as a learning time.

study

What can You Learn from Falling Off the Keto Wagon?

Think about some things.

What kind of mood were you in? Were you angry? Sad? Bored? Watching a chick flick?

How was your stress level? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being, “the sun is shining, the birdies are chirping, and all is right with the world”, and 10 being, “ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, I NEED TO BREAK SOMETHING”.

Were you unprepared at meal time, or was there a sudden change of plans? If you were unprepared, I encourage you to check out this resource on meal planning. It’s called Keto Meal Planning Made Simple and has some great tips and tricks as well as meal plans.

Changes in dinner plans happen to everyone. And all you can do is the best you can do.

Was there someone in particular you were with that made it easier to cheat indulge? Exs? Toxic relationships? Extended family? 🙂

We often give ourselves permission to indulge when we’ve been around folks we have baggage with. Because, we deserve it after dealing with them. Amiright?

If you think of it in terms of allowing them the power to sabotage your weight loss, you’ll find this becomes less of an issue.

Just think about those kinds of things.

Keep track of those kinds of things.

Figure out what your triggers are.

Then the next time you are in one of those situations, you will recognize it and you’ll be more likely to make intentional choices rather than engaging in mindless munching.

But for now, pick yourself up.

Brush yourself off.

And jump back on that wagon.

Peace, love, and keto on!

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What Happens When You Cheat on Keto?

5 things I Wish I’d Done Before Going Keto

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A lot of good things have happened since I started my keto journey.

I’ve lost weight.

I can focus better.

I have more energy.

Most importantly, I just feel better.

But if I had to start all over again, I would do some things differently.

These are the top 5 things I wish I’d done before going keto.

5 Things I Wish I'd Done Before Going Keto

#1. I wish I had tried keto recipes before going keto

Even if you are a seasoned cook, sometimes recipes just don’t turn out tasting the way you think they should.

All the meal planning and prepping in the world doesn’t mean diddly if the recipe turns out to be something you wouldn’t take to a worm wrestle.

Seriously. I tried a crab cake recipe once that none of us liked. So we gave it to the cat. Who promptly went and buried it in the litter box…

And since the whole point of meal planning and prepping is so that you won’t have any excuse to not eat following your macros, not testing things before hand is a losing proposition.

Because when the recipe is a dud, what are you going to eat? Chances are you’re going to grab the keys and hit the drive thru. Or punch #2 on the speed dial and order pizza.

At least, that’s what I assume someone would do in that situation…

Here’s some pretty awesome Low Carb & Keto Recipes to get you started.

5 Things to Do Before Going Keto

#2. I wish I had an electrolyte drink on hand before going keto

Electro what drink? What’s that?

Electrolytes are actually salts that our bodies need. Things like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium (table salt). All of these are important to keep our bodies functioning properly. And they are all water soluble.

Which means that every time you urinate or sweat you lose some of those bad boys. And not having enough electrolytes leads to things like muscles cramps, dizziness, heart palpitations, and fatigue.

Which, coincidentally, are some of the symptoms of the keto flu.

You can read more about keto flu symptoms and what to do about them here.

Since the keto diet requires that you drink lots of water, our bodies can get depleted pretty quickly with or without exercising.

While it’s always a good thing to take supplements for magnesium and potassium, having them in a drink makes them more bio available. Which restores the levels quicker. And the symptoms go away sooner.

And trust me on this, sooner is way better than later in this case.

You can always drink sour pickle juice to help re-balance your electrolytes, but there are other things that may be a bit more palatable for most people. You should get some. 🙂

5 Things to Do Before Going Keto

#3. I wish I had taken meal prepping more seriously before going keto

Bottom line? It’s hard, y’all, this keto thing. Especially when you first start. You’re tired and you’re hungry and you don’t want to try to figure out what you can eat that won’t put you over your carb count.

So instead, you grab the half gallon tub of extra crunchy all natural peanut butter and a big spoon and go binge watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix.

Or so I’ve heard…

Meal prepping helps you stay on track. When your meals and snacks are planned out for the day, you don’t have to stop to figure out what you’re going to eat.

Or guess at how many carbs you still have and if you’ve already gone over on everything anyway so why bother!

Meal planning and prepping. Just do it.

5 Things to Do Before Going Keto

#4. I wish I had weaned myself off of sugar already before going keto

This was so much harder than I thought it was going to be. And I’m not talking about other carbs, just the refined sugar.

Do you have any idea how much sugar there is in EVERYTHING?!?

I mostly used raw local honey for sweetening my morning tea and my desserts and stuff. Even that has to go on keto. But my gosh, I knew I was going to give that up. But all the hidden sugar in stuff is bad, y’all!

Grocery shopping got to be almost as bad as clothes shopping…it was bad, I tell you…

Add all that stress to the fact that I was going through withdrawal from the stupid sugar, and well, I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t pretty. I may have started twitching at some point.

I did survive. Barely. But I would get that over with before I had to give up bread next time.

5 Things to Do Before Going Keto

#5. I wish I had stocked up on what I could eat, instead of just getting rid of what I couldn’t eat

This kinda connects back up to the meal prepping and planning. There are all kinds of  things online that will help you plan, shop for, and prep your first week or two of eating keto.

Some of them are incredibly detailed with information about how to tailor them to fit your person macro levels.

Did I take advantage of all those (mostly) free resources?

Absolutely not!

Why?

Some days the spirit of stupid just follows me around everywhere…

Nope. I had done my research. I knew what my macro numbers were. I could count. It’s not like I didn’t have food in the house. And healthy food at that. How hard could it really be?

Obviously harder than I thought it was going to be. There are only so many times a gal can eat scrambles eggs in a row before she reaches for the peanut butter tub.

If I were starting over again, I would have 2 weeks of meals all planned out. Breakfast, lunch, & dinner. And snacks, too. All carefully calculated so I didn’t go over my numbers. And all the shopping for those meals done. At least for the first week.

Much better plan than mine was. Which was to not really have a plan. And just kinda wing it.

Here’s my Ultimate Keto Food List post that has a download you can take to the grocery store with you. So you can always have plenty of foods to keep you in ketosis!

So don’t be like me. Start your keto journey on the right foot. With the right plan. And don’t have any regrets.

Peace, love, & remember to plan!

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5 Things I Wish I'd Done Before Going Keto

How to Beat the Keto Flu

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Do You Have the Dreaded Keto Flu?

You’ve been going along for about a week or so on the ketogenic diet and things are amazing!

You’ve got more energy.

You can focus better.

You’re sleeping better than you have in ages.

You’ve even dropped a few pounds.

And then, one morning you wake up and BAM! You feel like you got run over by a semi.

What gives?

This keto thing is supposed to be all rainbows and sunshine!

Well, my friend, you may be having a close encounter of the keto flu kind.

Yup. It’s really a thing.

And most people transitioning to a keto lifestyle have the symptoms to one degree or another. And here’s why.

What Causes the “Keto Flu”?

The ketogenic diet is high in fats, and low in carbs. Most of us, at least in this country, are used to eating way too many carbs.

That includes all the sugar that we eat on a daily basis as well as breads, pasta, rice, potatoes…you know the stuff. AND we eat too much fat.

Because we eat a diet high in carbs and fats, our bodies will burn off the sugar first and store everything else as fat. Sugar is the most readily available fuel source, so it’s consumed first.

Any sugar that doesn’t get burned off, also gets stored as fat. Which, honestly, is probably more that we realize.

When you switch to a high fat, low carb diet, suddenly all that sugar is no longer available for fuel.

Eating a ketogenic diet makes our bodies change from predominately burning sugar for fuel, to predominately burning fat. And that’s a good thing.

As this change occurs, our bodies go through an adjustment period. This adjustment period includes withdrawal from sugar.

Depending on how much sugar you have everyday, that could be akin to going cold turkey from a drug. Only not quite so bad.

How to Beat the Keto Flu

 

Symptoms of the Keto Flu

So, what kind of symptoms are we talking about with the keto flu?

  • headaches
  • drowsiness
  • lethargy
  • difficulty focusing
  • weakness
  • stomach discomfort
  • nausea
  • constipation
  • muscle cramps
  • dizziness

If you become lightheaded, or experience cramps, you are most likely dehydrated and lacking in electrolytes.

The keto diet acts as a diuretic. So if you aren’t drinking the amount of water that your body needs you will most likely become dehydrated.

It’s crazy to me to think that most people are carrying drinks around with them all the time now, and yet we are a pretty chronically dehydrated lot.

Mostly because people aren’t drinking water. They’re drinking all kinds of other things.

The easiest way to correct an electrolyte imbalance is to drink some pickle juice. As long as it’s not sweet pickles. But you knew that already.

I know, sounds weird, but that will replace sodium as well as potassium and magnesium and stop the muscle cramps.

A lot of people go ahead and take potassium and magnesium supplements daily already. That should go a long way to preventing muscle cramping from the beginning.

What Can You Do About It?

To help mitigate the other keto flu symptoms, there are several things you can do.

The first thing of course, is to transition more slowly into the keto diet. The symptoms won’t be nearly as noticeable.

Of course, you won’t see the benefits as fast either. But it’s not a bad trade off.

So, what else?

  • Make sure that you drink plenty of water. What’s plenty? Plenty is a minimum of 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight.

So if you weight 150 pounds, you need to drink 75 ounces of water per day. Not coffee. Or tea. Not vitamin water or Gatorade or any of those other things. Just plain water.

  • Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Especially during the first few weeks of the diet. You need 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

I know, I know, you don’t have time.

Find the time.

Seriously.

Your health is important.

  • Make sure you are hitting your macro goals. Eating the right amount of fat will provide energy for your body as you transition into this new way of living.

It can be difficult at first to get enough fat without eating more protein than you should. It gets easier as you go, though.

After about 2 weeks or so your body will become adapted to burning fat as it’s primary fuel source and everything should settle down.

Except everything will be better than it was before.

You’ll have more energy, sharper focus, and be more productive.

A lot of people wake up before their alarms all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Personally, my favorite part is that I no longer have the joint pain that has plagued me for the past decade.

And you know what? I don’t miss it a bit!

Peace, love, & keto chocolate!

PS: If you are looking for a community to help you navigate the keto waters, check out Keto Bootstrap. It’s an awesome tribe that I love and they’ve helped me stay the course.

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How to Beat the Keto Flu