Keto diet FAQ and safety tips



Many people have questions about the ketogenic diet before they get started. So, we’ve compiled a list of answers to the frequently asked questions that people have.

What is keto-adaptation and what does it feel like?

The term keto-adaptation refers to your body's transition from burning primarily glucose as fuel, to being able to also use ketones produced from burning body fat.

It will take a few days or weeks to feel your absolute best on keto. You may experience symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal at first, but once you become fat-adapted, you'll find that you won't crave carbs as much anymore.

What is the "keto flu" and how can I avoid it?

Your body has always relied on glucose as its primary source of energy. Therefore, when you cut carbohydrates drastically, the body is essentially freaking out, until it eventually switches its metabolism to burning fat.

This period of adaptation causes the mild physical weakness or lack of energy typical of the flu. This state is temporary and the transition can be facilitated by a few preventive measures, such as keeping hydrated and having enough salt. Visit our keto side effects page to know more about effective ways to help circumvent the keto flu.

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How long does it take to become keto-adapted?

Most research papers and anecdotal evidence you'll come across state that keto-adaptation can last up to four weeks. The more determined you are to avoid carbs in the first weeks of a ketogenic diet, the quicker you'll be over the hump on your keto-adaptation. You can also hasten it by engaging in any form of sustained physical activity which will force your body to tap into its fat stores.

What does being in a state of ketosis mean?

Being in a state of ketosis means that your body, more precisely your liver, is producing higher levels of ketone bodies to supply energy for your brain, heart and muscles. For that to happen, carbohydrates need to be sufficiently restricted and your protein intake capped at a certain level – which is explained in our protein and keto page. A state of ketosis can come and go through any day but with time you'll learn how to stay ketotic for longer.

How can I tell if I am in ketosis?

There are a few telltale signs that you are in ketosis. If you wake up with a fruity, metallic taste in your mouth, also called keto breath, it is an indication that your body is effectively manufacturing ketones. You could also experience a certain mental sharpness when the body runs high on ketones.

For those looking to be more sure of whether ketosis is taking place, you can use home tests such as blood tests, urine tests or a breathalyser to test your level of ketosis.

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What may put me out of ketosis and how can I get back into it quickly?
It is easy to get out of ketosis. It will usually happen immediately after meals, even if they contain a small to medium amounts of carbs, and can last for up to a few hours. This is normal, your body will always choose to revert back to glucose if some is available.

We don't recommend hacking ketosis with keto esters (essentially artificial ketones you ingest), as they are not fully clinically tested yet. However, there are a few things that can help promote a state of ketosis. These include incorporating periods of fasting or consuming certain types of fat that are very ketogenic, like MCTs.

You can visit our supplements on keto page to find out more about this..
Should I track my ketones levels? If yes, how?

Should I track my ketones levels? If yes, how?

There are a few ways that you can track your ketone levels, depending mainly on your budget. Urine ketone strips are the easiest to come by and they are relatively cheap, which enables you to test more often. However, they only give you an estimation of the range of your ketone levels. If you want to gain a bit more insights about how your body is handling your ketogenic diet, you may want to check out our guide to measuring ketones on a ketogenic diet.

Keto Egg Recipes
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As with any significant change in eating habits, there may be safety issues you need to be mindful about.

In this guide, we break down the information you should be aware of to make sure you get the most out of the ketogenic diet and don't run into trouble.

Any significant change in diet should be discussed with your doctor before starting it. This is particularly important for very-low-carb ketogenic diets.

Pregnant women

Prolonged maternal ketosis has been associated with development problems for the baby which could affect brain development or increase the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

As the risk of harming the baby from being in ketosis during pregnancy is too high, a ketogenic diet is not recommended by doctors.
Breast feeding women

There is a lack of studies on the safety of ketogenic diets whilst breastfeeding and therefore it is recommended that people maintain a conservative carbohydrate intake rather than going for a very-low carb intake.

The thinking here is, we don’t know what the result of a ketogenic diet on breastfeeding is so adopt a moderate carb intake as we know that it is safe.

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People on hypo-causing medication
The following medications can lead to hypos occurring:
• Insulin
• Sulphonylureas (glibenclamide, gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide, tolbutamide)
• Glinides (nateglinide, repaglinide)
This is because these medications are all designed to increase insulin in the body, which lowers blood sugar levels.

Following a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet whilst on these medications can increase the risk of hypos and so it is very important that you speak with your doctor to take precautions against hypos before you start a ketogenic diet.

Regular blood glucose tests will help you to spot and avoid hypos. It is advisable to test more often than normal whilst you are adjusting to a change in carbohydrate intake.

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