(uptempo dance music)
- Hey, munchies!
Happy Monday!
Welcome if you're new, I'm Alyssia.
It is the new year and I know a lot of people
are trying out a ketogenic diet.
And while I do think it's not for everyone,
it can be a great tool depending on your needs and goals.
For weight loss, it can be super-helpful,
but it is a commitment.
It's restrictive.
You've got to do your research and really understand
what your body is going through.
If you need to learn more,
I suggest watching my Keto 101 video before this video,
or else you'll be pretty confused.
And I'm not going to answer all
of your basic keto questions in the comments here
when they are likely answered in the first video.
Today, we are talking about getting into ketosis
and really avoiding that keto flu which is so real.
First, it's important to note that experiencing the keto flu
and the symptoms that come along with it,
while uncomfortable, are normal.
You are changing fuel sources when you go
from burning sugar to fat, and your body needs to adjust.
Symptoms of the keto flu can include tiredness,
cramping, mood swings, brain fog,
dizziness, and just general flu-like symptoms.
It is not fun, and it can last days to weeks
depending on the person.
But there are some things
you can do to make it pass more quickly.
I'm going to talk about six of them today.
Now, these are not quick fixes
but details that you can focus on to help with the process.
Everyone is different, and it will take
different amounts of time to get into ketosis
because we all have unique metabolisms,
carb tolerance levels and insulin resistance
and of course, our previous diets
will also affect how we metabolize glucose.
So, I won't say these will get you into ketosis
in 24 hours or whatever, but they might.
It depends on you.
It usually takes me about 48 hours
or a little less, but I do have friends
who need a solid week to get into ketosis.
So, if that's you, first of all, I'm sorry.
But if so, you definitely wanna implement
some of these tips ASAP.
The most obvious and most important is
to keep your macros in check.
Keep carbs down, keep fat up, and keep protein adequate.
When getting into ketosis, focus extra on the carb count.
The closer to zero the better.
Less than 20 grams for sure, less than 5%
of your total intake, but in that transition period,
the less you can consume, the faster
you will get into ketosis.
And that's less time for those sucky
keto flu symptoms to stick around.
Once you are in ketosis and feeling good,
you can adjust your carb intake and find your tolerance
by testing your ketone levels appropriately.
The same goes from protein.
You can really take in less protein
for that transition period.
A few days isn't going to affect your muscle mass,
and it will help you get over the flu more quickly.
Because remember, too much protein
can lead to gluconeogenesis which is when protein
converts to glucose, and we don't want that.
I talk about that in my Keto 101 video, too.
So in that transition period, you want less carbs
and protein than you even usually have while in ketosis
and you probably want to up your fat
by about five to 10% too.
Next, know what to eat more and less of
or none of for that matter.
Consume more coconut oil.
It is totally a good thing.
Coconut oil as is is great or MCT oil.
MCTs help with ketone production
and are really easily absorbed for instant energy,
so more coconut oil for sure.
Less dairy, in fact, I recommend cutting the dairy
completely while you're getting into ketosis.
Milk still contains carbs which we want less of
during this period for sure.
And dairy raises insulin levels
which can of course, impact ketosis.
I have read and talked to people
and found that it really depends on the person.
For me, when I am in ketosis and checking
my blood ketone levels, they are not as high
when I eat dairy.
For some people, that's not the case.
When you're transitioning, why make the keto flu
last longer than it has to.
Just go without the dairy and eliminate the risk.
Less sweeteners, obviously, no sugar
because that is pure carbs.
But even sweeteners can affect insulin levels
depending on the person and the type of sweetener.
Again, why take the risk?
If you need to sweeten your coffee, you do you.
But, if you are in the misery of the keto flu
and wanting it to be over, I say, go without the sweetener
for a few days and expedite the process.
The next tip is to consider intermittent fasting
or fasting in general.
Intermittent fasting helps you burn fat as fuel
because while your fasting, you aren't
putting any sugar or glucose into your body.
So your body can then turn to fat as its fuel source.
There is a lot of information to cover,
and I don't wanna make this whole video an hour-long,
but it could be valuable.
If you are interested in learning more
and want a video on intermittent fasting or fasting,
let me know, and I'll get working on that.
But, yes, it can and does help you get into ketosis faster
simply because, think about it.
The only thing keeping you
from ketosis is glucose and carbs.
If you cut out eating everything,
you cut out any possibility of getting carbs
into your system and give your body
a chance to adjust to burning its stored fat as fuel.
You can also do what's called a fat fast,
where for a period of time you eat
upwards of 90% of your calories from fat
as opposed to the typical 70 to 75% for the keto diet.
And that can help get over the hump
of getting into ketosis as well.
Next, get moving.
Increase your cardio a bit and it doesn't
have to be anything crazy.
When you're in the middle of that keto flu,
I know, working out sounds and feels terrible.
But when you exercise, you burn
glycogen stores or excess glucose.
And if you're fasting, then working out
can drive up ketone levels even more.
Even walking can help, so if you feel miserable
but can get out and take a stroll,
it may help you get through the flu a little bit faster.
I also wanna touch on water and electrolytes.
They are related, but it's sort of a two-parter.
First, water helps with digestion and eliminating toxins,
but it is especially important while getting into ketosis
and really if you're doing a keto diet in general.
Ketogenic diets are very dehydrating,
and you wanna make sure you're keeping your liver
and kidneys functioning properly.
Of course, you want to do this for your own health
first and foremost, but, also in terms of getting
into ketosis, so that your body can mobilize
and burn fat and produce ketones weekly.
On low-carb diets, our kidneys flush out salt,
potassium, calcium, magnesium, and of course, water
which is why people lose water weight
during those first few weeks.
But that dumping can cause electrolyte imbalances
which is really what causes so many of the terrible
keto flu symptoms at all.
At the same time, if you are drinking more water,
you're also flushing more out.
So you do want more water, but that's
also why on a keto diet, you may need more sodium or salt.
A lot of times, we hear that
we should be consuming less sodium.
That is not typically going to be the case on a keto diet.
You'll probably need more sodium.
And you'll likely need more in that transition
into ketosis too, to help you from feeling like crap.
If you are getting headaches, try getting in some more salt.
That really helped me.
You also might need more potassium and magnesium.
If you get into ketosis and are still not feeling tiptop,
you may wanna consider supplementing those.
And I guess last, it is worth mentioning that
exogenous ketones are also an option.
And if you don't know, those are ketones
that come from external sources
like BHB salts and usually you mix em
into a drink or something like that.
I don't personally turn to them.
My logic is, if my body can do it
on its own with natural sources,
like regular food, then I don't wanna use anything external.
But, a lot of people swear by them,
and I guess I do use MCT oil which is technically
a supplement and not a whole food,
but I don't use exogenous ketones as a quick fix.
It takes me less than 48 hours to get into ketosis,
so I know they aren't necessary.
But I'm not going to lie to you and tell you
that they aren't an option either.
Just make sure you do your own research
because I know that a lot of companies
aren't always transparent about what you're getting
in that little packet as well as the ingredients
and the amount, and of course, we still don't know
the longterm effects of these supplements.
They're also very expensive
and don't digest well for some people,
and that's also true for MCT oil.
So those are my top functional tips
for how to get into ketosis faster
and minimize the effects of the keto flu.
Remember that these tips are really for the transition
and not advice for your time in ketosis necessarily.
I acknowledge that a keto diet is very restrictive.
So the less restricted you have to be
to stay in ketosis, the better that is long-term,
but the more restrictive you can be during that transition,
the less miserable you're going to be for that time
and the quicker you're gonna get to the good stuff, right?
I hope you found this helpful.
Let me know if you want more like this,
or like I mentioned, that intermittent fasting
or general fasting video.
And remember with any diet, but especially with something
like the keto diet where you're taking your body
through some pretty intense transitions,
you really wanna know what's going on
and do your own research.
Don't just listen to anyone who says
any one thing that worked for them.
Because it's really very specific
to the individual, and if you don't know
what's going on in your body, you won't know
how to properly navigate the diet
or change it to work for you.
Thanks so much for being here.
I will see you tomorrow for a brand new episode
and remember, it's all a matter of mind over munch!