posted
I recently went on the Keto Diet and after about 1 week I started to have daily headaches. I usually get a few headaches/month. I am now in my second week and feel worse than I have in a long time. I have chronic Lyme and am used to not feeling 100% but this is awful. Has anyone else experienced this and if so did you stop the diet or did the symptoms eventually disappear. Thanks so much for your help.
Posts: 33 | From New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2009
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Keebler
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posted
- Mich,
Glad you ask as, from my experience in 16 months, I've found the ketogetic diet to be wonderful in so many ways - however - there can be an adjustment range depending on each person.
I was lucky to have already been off gluten.
Have you been able to watch the presentation by Dr. Stephen Phinney on how to prevent this with
BONE BROTH . . .
SEA SALT - very important.- average 5 grams a day, spread out. I put my morning salt in a little actual lemon juice with water. A gram is about 1/4 teaspoon. Some people need more than 5 grams a day but that seems the best amount to start with. Redmond Real Salt is a good brand.
AVOCADO - while a but pricey, your best friend to have on hand.
A spoonful or two of organic raw coconut oil also helped me get over that hump at the beginning. Or two ounces of macadamia nuts.
It sounds like you went from eating one way to eating another different way all in one step.
While it's good to cut out grains and legumes & all "vegetable" and seed oils right away,
be sure not to deprive yourself of enough food with green veggies, protein and fat. This is not really supposed to be a "diet" as much as a shift to a way of eating.
You could be experiencing withdrawal of certain carbs, too, so keep that in mind. Good meats with their fats, veggies
It might be better to not go "keto" (as in ketogenic) right at first but go low carb / high fat with maybe about 50 grams of carbohydrates a day rather than the 20 grams of a ketogenic plan.
Also, be sure not to skip any meal at first. You might do that after a couple weeks but not at first until you are what is called "fat adapted" and that takes a while.
And, are you eating enough fat?
YouTube has presentations by Dr. Phinney - and also at the Virta Health channel there and and their own website.
Who / what plan are you following? Some of the top ones:
Virta Health (Dr. Sarah Hallberg & Dr. Stephen Phinney)
,. Dr. Eric Westman - - Prof. Tim Noakes (see website for The Noakes Foundation)
best people to start with their presentations at YouTube and their own sites.
I advise against "intermittent fasting" just yet but best not to count on snacking other than with bone broth and sea salt for now. -
[ 09-12-2019, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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posted
- How could I have forgotten to suggest MAGNESIUM?
Many who start on a ketogenic diet find out they are magnesium deficient as well as salt deficient - and when that's better, headaches and the "keto flu" symptoms improve or even disappear.
It also depends on WHY you are embarking on this path. If for seizure control, be sure to see the website for The Charlie Foundation and you'd have to be more careful to get certain amounts of fat.
For other health reasons, the names I suggested in post above are good starting points. I would avoid any processed foods, even if "keto" - if you eat enough at mealtime, you should not be hungry at all though you might need some salt water mid-day or bone broth.
If you need a snack early on, macadamia nuts or avocado but then try to be sure your meals have enough to get you by.
[ 09-12-2019, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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- Another good source: Amy Berger - Tuit Nutrition - her own site and at YouTube. She emphasized "Keto without the Crazy" to keep it simple yet flexible to individual needs. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
I don't have any knowledge about Keto or any other specific diet, but when I have read about people drastically changing their diet, usually to lose weight, they have almost always said that they felt completely miserable for many months as their bodies adjusted and went through withdrawal of things they were used to. Especially if their diet wasn't very healthy to begin with.
Combine that with the chronic Lyme and it doesn't surprise me that you are feeling miserable.
Posts: 233 | From ft. myers, florida | Registered: Apr 2004
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Brussels
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posted
I tried Keto some years ago, and it literally felt like death to me.
My brain kept screaming: DANGER, DANGER, so I stopped.
I never stopped eating fruits, ever in my life, and the shock was maybe too strong, in my case.
Fruits kept me going, and I did heal from lyme with fruits, no keto, no paleo.
I cut gluten, milk products, hadn't been on added sugar for decades, cut many allergens in my diet...
I usually follow my gut, and my gut said NO to keto.
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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Keebler
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- There is no evidence to suggest that a well formulated ketogenic diet is dangerous. It may not fit each person, of course, yet there is no evidence of danger when properly employed.
A well formulated ketogenic diet can most certainly include certain fruits in modest amounts, mostly the anti-oxidant rich dark berries.
A well formulated ketogenic diet may not be for everyone, of course, yet a well formulated ketogenic diet has been very healing to many people with various physical issues, including brain issues.
Type 2 Diabetes has been reversed for many following this plan. [See research at Virta Health for starters]
A well formulated ketogenic diet is one of the most effective therapies for epilepsy. It sure is helping my brain. After 16 months on this, it is certainly a good fit for me, the best anti-seizure therapy I've ever found - and I've seen good improvement for various other matters.
I plan to eat this way the rest of my life. It's easy and I feel better in ways connected to foods - as good as can be expected at this point in time regarding food & nutrition intake, with all other things not food & nutrient related considered.
Although, fruit can be enjoyed on a well formulated ketogenic diet, fruit is not a requirement and it can be hard on the liver.
Fruit may not spike glucose as much as one might think due to the high fructose and the way that's metabolized; however, it can spike insulin and that's something a lot of people need to keep in mind.
There are many other ways to get nutrients and anti-oxidants from a specific, yet wide range of foods on a well formulated ketogenic diet.
Excerpt: . . . What are you known for? There are an increasing number of people who have worked out that current public health dietary advice is not healthy and not evidence based.
I like to think that I have made original contributions to the body of knowledge in the following areas: . . . .
Nutrition Coalition - For Dietary Policy Based On Rigorous Science
Excerpts
The Issue: For the past 35 years, the federal government has published the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) —the principal policy guiding diet . . . .:
. . . But since the introduction of the DGAs, there has been a sharp increase in nutrition-related diseases, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes, that the DGAs have been unable to stem. . . . . -
[ 09-14-2019, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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quote:Originally posted by mich: I recently went on the Keto Diet and after about 1 week I started to have daily headaches. I usually get a few headaches/month. I am now in my second week and feel worse than I have in a long time. I have chronic Lyme and am used to not feeling 100% but this is awful. Has anyone else experienced this and if so did you stop the diet or did the symptoms eventually disappear. Thanks so much for your help.
Posts: 33 | From New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
Thank you to everyone for your help and for sharing your resources. I did have to go off the Keto diet for awhile due to severe symptoms but will do the research you suggested regarding diets that help Lyme symptoms. Thanks again.
Posts: 33 | From New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2009
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Keebler
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posted
- This might be of some help to you as you further explore.
Remember that a ketogenic is very low carb, 20 grams or under. A "Low Carb" diet has more flexibility, though, depending on what works for you, though usually around 30 - 50 grams a day.
Some people do fine with more on an otherwise well balanced diet but for those with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes, the LCHF (low carb / high fat) approach often helps stabilize glucose and insulin issues.
Getting a home glucose meter will help determine how you do with the carbohydrate category.
For those transitioning from higher carbs to LCHF or ketogeneic, the key to having energy and feeling well is that both low carb and ketogenic diets rely on fat (olive oil, grass fed animal sources - from the diet - for the energy source, along with animal protein.
Still, as with Dr. Eric Westman's approach, at least 3 cups of specific veggies are on board for most.
Dr. Eric Berg suggests 7 cups of low-carb veggies yet some others find the key to figuring out which veggies work for each person. Some do better with less while they figure this out.
During that time of becoming "fat adapted" certain minerals and electrolytes are really key as the body dumps a lot of water during the initial stages and with that, salt replenishment is required.
If you feel good with avocado, that's a very low carb food with good fat.
Eggs, too, are a great helper anytime of the day during the transition period. An egg is a perfect food - if you do well, of course. Best if from pastured hens, though, of good quality. Do check on where they come from.
the Dr. Steven Phinney "troubleshouting" video has more detail.
I tried going what I though was low carb long ago but my fat intake was also low. And that is a problem. Low fat diets can be especially hard for some people. Now, with the majority of my macronutrient intake is from fat, I do so much better.
If one takes away carbs, a certain amount of fat in the diet must be provided. And that adjustment phase needs special attention.
Do not attempt high carb and high fat, however. If fat is higher, carbs need to be lower.
Protein always good in the "adequate" range - not low but not high, either.
Animal meats & fish are very, very low or no carbohydrate so they don't cause surges and drops in blood glucose, though moderate -- however, protein does "tell" the liver to create some of its own glucose (gluconeogenesis) so that has to be taken into account for some who may be diabetic..
. Fat, as well, does not spike or drop glucose. It's the carb - when too high for a particular person's body to manage - that creates trouble with glucose levels.
editing - so a segue jump here -
although Virta Health does have some hints for how to do that vegetarian but the goal is usually around keeping blood glucose in a safe range. A lot of vegetables can cause blood glucose to be high so that has to be worked around for a vegetarian diet in those with glucose issues.
Also note that if you are taking any medications that affect blood glucose or insulin (or the pancreas) that it is best to have medical guidance. That is usually understood, yet, even some Rx that are not necessary for glucose control can also have dramatic effects with hyper or hypo glucose ranges.
Also, often, just cutting out one or more of the more problematic food sources may be of help. For instance: gluten . . . and certainly "seed" & "vegetable" oils such as canola oil, etc. that are highly processed with chemicals and high heat.
YouTube search: "vegetable oils" "Nina Teicholz" . . . then then: "Seed Oils" "Ivor Cummins" for excellent videos.
Just taking that step can bring good relief.
Getting a home glucose meter is a really important step, though, to see how you do with certain foods after a meal. At 30, 60, and 120 minutes after a meal.
Diathrive - has the most affordable glucose kits and strips. They have their own website and also are on Amazon.
posted
Keebler .. you are able to eat the high oxalates in avocados?
Boy, I miss them!
mich .. I found back when I was on the Atkins diet (same principle) that I had to have some carbs or I didn't have any energy.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Keebler
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- In my research, I have not found avocados to be on any high oxalate list. I have really looked as well as the lectin lists.
However, lists can vary widely . . . and products, too, depending on the type or how grown can vary in certain content levels.
Yet - the histamine content of avocados gives me pause but I don't seem to be as affected as say with any vinegar or fermented foods.
Please share, though, if you have a link that shows avocado to be on someone's oxalate list. I may have missed that. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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- mich,
LymeToo's question brings up other categories of food that while you may be dismayed to hear of more to consider - for some folks, when they figure out that they need to avoid some of these, some serious symptoms often get so much better.
Oxalates . . . and Lectins . . . Histamines . . . Salicylates . . . are each categories to consider due to possible sensitivities,
For instance, oxalates are very high in spinach and almonds.
and for certain plant chemicals that some find relief avoiding:, YouTube: "Dr. Georgia Ede" - -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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My experience is very similar. i am on week 7 of a candida diet(probably my 4th attempt in 5 years) and headaches and head pressure are always the number 1 stumbling block for me. In my case however i am attributing this to Yeast die-off.
Once i realized this i began doing colloidal silver rinses of my sinuses and i'm starting to do better. Seems the dite really aggravates the yeast before it dies
if you went from crap diet to keto this could be a cause for you as well.
I echo the sentiment regarding fats. Coconut Milk and avocados are life savers and my main energy source.
Dave
-------------------- On my journey to wellness - One day at a time. Posts: 989 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2008
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kidsgotlyme
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posted
Reading this whole thread has me realizing why eating a carnivore only diet has healed a lot of people of a lot of illnesses. When eating only animal products you don't have to worry over oxalates, histamines, etc, etc.
This is why I feel like a new person when I eat only animal products. It's so much easier said than done though.
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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