If you have started a keto diet just and get keto headaches, brain fog, or mental exhaustion, don’t be shocked or worried. You’re likely feeling some of the typical (but not fun) side effects that move from a low carb headache diet to a ketone-based diet.
The good thing, these signs are reversible. You can also make things to make them go down or be less irritated as your body settles into a ketogenic lifestyle. Going keto diet headache means entering a deeper state of fat burning, requiring a brief adaptation period. Headaches can be a minor symptom that can be treated quickly by upping the electrolytes (salt, potassium, magnesium). There could be other causes for keto diet headaches on the keto diet, but the electrolyte tale is the best bet when they correlate with ketosis headaches.
What does a keto headache feel like?
Headache on keto diet tends to even the best of us, and it’s impossible to decide why we have them. Whether it’s fatigue, food allergy, illness, or accident, they may come quickly and even without explanation. Yet when it comes to having a headache on keto, something may be causing it. And as much as it hurts, don’t let it stop you from beginning your keto no carb headache trip.
Headaches on keto could be a frequent side-effect of a diet ketosis headache. These can result from eating low carb headaches, especially sugar. Electrolyte and dehydration also imbalances that can be caused by keto headaches. Usually, headaches on keto last from 1 week to 1 day, but few individuals can suffer longer. See if headache on keto diet continues.
What is a keto headache?
What is keto headaches on keto diet. What does a keto headache feel like on low carb headache? how to keto headache cure? Best ways to cure ketosis headache.
Keto headache is one of the keto flu-related effects. If you’re not sure what keto flu is, check out our story, what headache on Keto diet Flu is, and How to treat it for more information?
At first, transitioning to keto diet headache, the body undergoes a significant change from carbs to fats throughout its food supply. Depending on your no carb headache intake and the degree of insulin resistance before making this turn, the effects may be more or less severe. When the body gets used to using fats for energy instead of low carb headache, you can develop specific flu-like symptoms, including keto diet headaches on keto.
We named these keto headaches.
The changes the body undergoes during the ketosis headache process usually induce some symptoms called keto flu, the three major ones being:
- Mental or brain fog — If you cannot think straight and concentrate, you can feel brain fog. Your head can feel very bumpy, and your memory may not be as sharp as expected.
- Fatigue—this kind of tiredness is not emotional but physical. Easy things as you do every day. Working, maybe draining.
- A headache—this kind of headache would be dull, more often than not, nagging one that can cause nausea, outright pain, and even blurred vision. If it’s severe enough, it could be a migraine.
Causes headache on keto diet
Your body transforms into a ketosis headache phase within two to seven days after you initiate the keto diet and significantly decrease your low carb headache intake (somewhere near 20 to 50 grams per day). That suggests that the body continues to make ketones and burn fat for energy to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates coming in. You also go through no carb headache withdrawal, which brings on symptoms such as keto headaches (yes, that’s a thing).
The keto headache arises during the transformation into ketosis headaches. “As a result of consuming fewer carbohydrates, particularly sugar, keto diet headaches can occur,” says Valerie Agyeman, RD, dietitian of women’s health and founder of Flourish Heights. Your body starts depending on ketones instead of glucose when you start the diet, which will cause your blood sugar levels to drop. Headache, in turn, will lead to low blood sugar. This transition to ketosis can affect the brain, leading to fog in mind and headaches on keto; she continues.
Usually, how long do keto headaches last?
Ketosis headache is very personal, like other symptoms of keto flu. “This depends on everyone, but in the early phase of adopting this stringent diet, most individuals get headaches and will improve as you keep hydrated and consume lots of healthy foods,” says Agyeman. The discomfort can even show up at any time of day.
“There is the best way to do it healthily, just as any eating schedule,” says Keri Glassman, RD, a nutritionist at Nutritious Life. Your body would have a difficult time surviving on this diet if you go right and eat processed foods when they are called ‘keto headaches’ and load up on only hard-to-digest foods and will lead to more keto diet headaches, brain fatigue, aches, and pains.’
Advice for treating or avoiding keto diet headache on the keto diet
It will help minimize the chance of dehydration by maintaining adequate hydration and consuming lots of healthy foods. This will relieve keto headaches and discourage them from taking place in the first place.
Several unique tips are available here:
- Salt the diet of yours. To lower the chance of an electrolyte deficiency, try gently salting your food.
- Try a substitute for electrolytes. Your chance of vomiting and keto flu symptoms can be reduced by taking an electrolyte replacement.
- Stop heavy exercises. During the early days of keto, refrain from vigorous activities, as they will stress the body and increase the risk of keto diet headaches.
- Eat more low-carb foods that are abundant in water. The high water content of cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, celery, cabbage, and raw tomatoes will help you stay hydrated. Some of them are healthy electrolyte sources, too.
- Eat more foods that are high in electrolytes. Keto-friendly foods are rich in potassium, including avocados, lettuce, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Similarly, magnesium is increased in almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and oysters and is suitable for keto.
- Drink a lot of water. Since water loss affects the initial phases of keto, it is essential to drink sufficient fluids. Get at least 2 liters (68 ounces) of water per day.
- Limit your consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it helps you urinate more often and can raise the risk of dehydration.
Consult a health provider to ensure that an underlying medical problem is not to blame if you appear to have headaches for several days or weeks on the keto diet.
Don’t get discouraged by the Headache on Keto.
A low carb headache is a natural step of induction of the process and happens to most persons who eat this way. The light is much closer than you thought at the end of the tunnel. Let this inspire you to stick it out before the advantages of a low carb high-fat ketosis headache diet begin to be experienced. All would be worth it!
While headaches on keto may sound overwhelming and may prevent you from taking a headache on the keto diet, it is not as challenging to take the measures to alleviate the symptoms as some make it out to be. It can mean that the keto flu-like symptoms decline earlier than later by replacing vital nutrients and minerals, walking regularly, and following a proper low-carb high-fat diet.
Bottom Line
Let’s hope we helped explain your concerns and maybe your keto headache. But a short refresher on keto headaches is here:
Stick as far as possible to a “clean-keto diet to avoid contributing toxins to the diet.
To help improve vitality and facilitate the keto transition, make sure to follow your standard macros (fat, protein, and no carb headache).
If triggered by the diuretic ketosis headache diet or otherwise, sudden water shifts in the female body temporarily stimulate hormones to plunge, causing hormone imbalance, which can contribute to headaches diet. Consume more salt, hydrate, and in the case of certain mothers, increase the consumption of complex carbohydrates for the short term only before menstruation to prevent this.
During the change from a high-carb to a high-fat low carb headache diet, Keto headaches are usual. When the body responds to using ketones for food, they’re just transient and can subside.
Hydrate and apply a touch of Himalayan salt to your drink to ensure you’re replacing the sodium lost from ketosis headache. Water loss is one way to avoid keto headaches.
The headache on the keto diet is what few can feel. It’s important to know, though, that it does happen and why it does, so that if it does, you don’t believe you’ve missed the diet. No, the body would more definitely respond strongly to eliminating addictive junk low carb headache diet, and high omega-6 seed oils. The severity of the ketosis headache and keto flu symptoms that you experience vary based on the degree of no-carb headache withdrawal you are going through. However, if anything happens, don’t worry and stop using painkillers to relieve pain and if you’re worried about it, talk to the doctor first. Implement the advice we have given you to reduce the effects of getting back to normal and talking to your medical doctor if it doesn’t work.