April 29, 2024

Keto Bloat

Keto bloat

The ketogenic diet allows you to indulge guilt-free in goodies. Like cheese and nut butter while still providing a wealth of health benefits. However, as you begin your keto adventure, you realize that you feel bloated.

Why Follow a Keto Diet?

Due to its particular advantages, the ketogenic diet has garnered much interest.

Among the potential advantages are:

  • Loss of weight
  • Higher metabolism
  • Diminished appetite
  • Increased energy
  • Improved mental clarity

Numerous keto dieters claim these advantages, albeit they aren’t necessarily guaranteed. Since the ketogenic diet is not for everyone. And may be highly restricted, be careful to speak with your doctor or qualified dietitian before starting it.

Does Keto Make You Bloat?

Have you seen a bulging belly? Why does Keto make me feel bloated? The keto diet has some annoying side effects, but many of them go away as your body gets used to being in ketosis. Another of these problems is bloating.

Bloating: What Is It?

Let’s examine what bloating is to respond. Bloating may be unpleasant or even painful depending on how bad it is. Due to an accumulation of uncomfortable gasses or constipation, it is the sensation that your stomach has. Or that your gut has swelled and feels full and tight. 

Your clothes may feel snug and your abdomen may appear enlarged and distended.

Bloating can be very annoying, especially if you adopted a ketogenic diet and lifestyle to shed pounds.

On the cyclical keto diet, feeling bloated may be overcome in various ways, which is fortunate.

How Does the Keto Diet Reduce Bloating?

Here are a few potential causes of bloating while following a ketogenic diet, along with solutions:

— Keto Cheating With Carbs

Keto bloat typically develops during the famed “keto flu,” the first phase of your keto diet.

— Before your body fully acclimates to ketosis, the keto flu sets in. for a few days after you stop eating carbohydrates and can linger for up to two weeks.

Symptoms of the keto flu include:

  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Irritability with headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Reduction in concentration
  • Aching muscles
  • Bad sleep
  • Yearning for sugar

You will exit ketosis if you indulge in too many carbohydrates while following the keto diet.

You could then have to experience the keto flu again. This could result in unpleasant symptoms like Keto bloat and various others. 

A person can achieve this impact with just one cheat day. In response, many followers of the Keto diet advise against abusing the plan by consuming extra carbohydrates.

An Imbalanced Gut Flora can cause Bloating

You must maintain a balanced gut flora to have excellent digestion. These beneficial gut bacteria ensure your ability to correctly digest food. These bacteria grow naturally in your gut, but if you change your diet, they may become out of balance. 

Your gut’s ecosystem needs time to get used to new foods after going keto. This is particularly valid if you’ve increased your intake of sugar alcohol and MCTs. Your gut flora may change if you change how much fiber you consume. As a result, your gut may overpopulate with harmful bacteria, a known cause of bloating. 

Think about taking probiotics to assist your gut flora in adjusting to keto and flourishing. By providing your gut with a sufficient number of beneficial microorganisms, they can support it. You can incorporate probiotics into foods, use probiotic drinkables, or take probiotic pills. And be careful of Kashi and other cereals.

  • Organic yogurt
  • Sauerkraut with miso and kombucha
  • Korea kefir

Excessive MCT Oil Intake

MCT oil, also known as medium-chain triglyceride oil, is a keto diet staple.

MCT sources include:

  • Pure MCT powder MCT oil
  • Butter from grass-fed cows
  • Coconut nut oil
  • Cocoa butter

Your body enters nutritional ketosis more quickly with MCTs. They’re also known to lessen how severe the keto flu is. But consuming too much MCTs can result in bloating, along with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and cramping.

Gradually introduce MCTs into your diet and see a certified nutritionist or doctor to ensure you’re getting the proper amount. Pick your cheeses carefully. Limit your intake to the daily amount advised. Check to discover whether MCT powder makes your body react better. Compared to liquid alternatives, many keto dieters find that it results in less bloating. 

Using excessive amounts of sugar alcohols

You’ll be in a difficult situation if you’re on the keto diet and have a sweet craving. Even nutritious desserts, like fruit, have too many carbohydrates for a keto diet to allow them. As a result, many people following the keto diet use sugar alcohols to sate their sweet taste. 

Protein bars, candy, and keto-friendly foods all include sugar alcohols. The following names identify sugar alcohols in nutritional information: 

Erythritol, Xylitol, Sorbitol, and Maltitol

Despite being carb-free and keto-friendly, these sugar alcohols might cause bloating. 

Reduce the amount of sugar alcohols. Studies show that they increase inflammation and induce digestive problems when consumed in excess. In your diet, observe any changes to determine if they cause your keto bloating. 

Drinking Too Little Water is a No-No.

As your body burns through all of its glycogen reserves once you go keto, you lose a lot of water weight. You could consequently need to urinate more frequently. On the scale, you might also see a decrease in water weight. 

Dehydration is a drawback of losing this water weight. Your GI tract and the rest of your body become dry from dehydration. The result could be increased bloating and constipation from the keto diet. As a result, you’ll maintain the health and hydration of all your cells, including the ones in your digestive tract. Make sure you drink enough water while following a ketogenic diet to avoid becoming dehydrated. 

Consuming the Wrong Amount of Fiber

Food normally passes through the GI system more slowly with less fiber. It will then undergo an excessive amount of fermentation. Which may result in the body producing an excessive amount of gas. Keto bloating results from this accumulation of gas. 

Increase in fiber

In other circumstances, you may up your fiber consumption while on the ketogenic diet by eating more low-carb, high-fiber vegetables, like: 

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Spinach
  • Celery
  • Kale
  • Brussels sprouts

Ironically, eating too much fiber can also cause bloating, especially if your body is not acclimated to it. Talk to your doctor about reducing your fiber intake somewhat to see if it will help with your bloating if you feel like you’ve increased it too much. You will be able to recognize which high-fiber foods cause bloating and uneasy if you consistently practice mindful eating and healthy eating.