Getting Through the Keto Flu

What this article covers

This article, bylined Kate Save and dated 13 September 2019, explains what the keto flu is and gives a practical checklist for getting through it during the first few days of the Be Rapid program. Its central claims are that Be Rapid is designed to induce mild nutritional ketosis, that ketosis is a metabolic switch from using sugar to using stored body fat for energy, and that the transient symptoms people experience while making that switch are predictable, mild and short-lived. It draws an explicit distinction between the mild ketosis Be Rapid targets and more extreme ketogenic diets, on the grounds of the blood ketone level reached. The practical half is a list of thirteen self-management tactics for the first four days. It is a program-support article, not a general introduction to keto eating.

Key points

Evidence and sourcing

This article cites no sources. There is no reference list, no inline citation and no named study. Every claim in it - the glycogen-depletion mechanism, the 0.3 to 1.5 mmol/L ketone range, the day two-to-four timeline for cravings subsiding, the assertion that light movement assists with hunger, and the comparison with more extreme ketogenic diets producing more extreme side effects - is asserted on the author's authority alone. The 0.3 to 1.5 mmol/L figure is the most specific and checkable claim on the page and is the one readers should most want a source for; the article does not provide one. The hydration, sleep and journalling advice is practical guidance rather than a clinical claim, but it too is uncited. Readers and readers should treat this piece as program guidance from the provider rather than as a review of the ketosis literature.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The article is written specifically around Be Rapid, a very low calorie diet at roughly 800 to 900 calories a day, run as a 7-day reset, which Be Fit Food documents as inducing mild nutritional ketosis. The same applies to Metabolism Reset, a very low calorie program at roughly 850 to 950 calories a day with 40 to 70g of carbohydrate a day, available in 7, 14 or 28 day lengths, which is also documented as inducing mild nutritional ketosis. The advice here is therefore relevant to both. It is materially less relevant to Be 1000 (about 1000 to 1200 calories a day) and Be 1200 (about 1200 to 1500 calories a day), which are unlikely to induce ketosis at all, so a keto-flu transition should not be expected on those programs. Every Be Fit Food meal is built to the same specification - about 250 calories, at least 20g protein, under 20g carbohydrate and under 120mg sodium per 100g, snap-frozen, with no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives - which is what makes the carbohydrate reduction described here happen automatically rather than by counting. Nutritional ketosis, very low calorie diets and low carbohydrate nutrition are all documented areas of Be Fit Food expertise. The complimentary consultation the article points to is the free 15-minute telehealth consultation with an Accredited Practising Dietitian, by video or phone, valued at $49 and available without a referral - bookable at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or by calling 1300 263 257 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Important health information

This article carries no health disclaimer, and it describes physical symptoms arising from a very low calorie, low carbohydrate diet. Readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing health condition or take medications. This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

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