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Dealing With Digestive Issues on Keto


Hey everyone! So today, I am tackling the slightly-awkward topic of digestive issues while on the Keto diet. Hey, we're all adults here, right? Chances are, if you've been following a Ketogenic diet for any amount of time, you have come across one or more digestive issues. This is extremely common! I actually mention this multiple times in my Keto Coach e-book because it is so common and can sometimes be the deciding factor in whether or not a person continues their keto way of eating.

My goal is to set you up for success, so that if you do run into some issues, you can deal with them successfully and carry on about your business. If you've clicked and read this far, chances are you have had some issues too! Again, it's normal, and there's ways to deal with it.

The first thing people will experience when they cut carbs and sugar from their diet is diarrhea. Your guts are used to being fed bready, fibrous starches that "bulk" everything up digestively. When they suddenly don't have that, and you're taking in more fatty sources of protein, it can lead to loose, upset stomach issues. What I can say is that this will pass. It's to be expected that a drastic change to the diet will throw your digestive track off a little bit. It's also important to note that ketones have a diuretic effect on your body; they will immediately start working to get rid of your extra water weight, which is another reason why loose stool happens. This is why I always say to take a probiotic from the beginning. This will replenish your supply of good gut bacteria and help everything balance out. Give it a couple weeks, I promise it'll balance out.

The next big issue people face on keto is the opposite problem; constipation and bloating. This happens as a result of a lack of fiber in the diet. Here are some ways to get ahead of the problem:

1. Don't wait until you're constipated. This sounds silly, but once you get solidly constipated it's harder to deal with. Again, this is why I advise a probiotic from day one. This will help with your gut "balance."
2. Water, water, water. Remember how we said that keto is a diuretic diet? Well, you need to put that water back in. This is important for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is providing your colon with enough water to process waste.
3. Cut back on dairy for a few days. If you're eating a lot of cheese to fill your "fat" macros, it may be blocking you up. Cut back on it for a few days until everything is back to normal.
4. Don't shy away from vegetables. Those 20g of carbs you're allowed every day are mainly meant to be used on green, leafy vegetables. This will provide your body with fiber to process all the meat and fats you are also taking in.

If you aren't able to get ahead of the problem, and you find yourself stuck, a great solution is brew a cup of dandelion root tea (can be found at any grocery store by the single serve tea bags). This tea steeps for about 10-12 minutes to get the full benefit, then add some lemon juice, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and some stevia if you need help with the taste. Drink up to three cups a day and it should take care of the problem for you!








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