Enjoying a good steak or chicken on your plate for every meal might sound tempting, especially if you’re a meat and potatoes person. But your system isn’t ready for the all-out war of protein and fat when it’s accustomed to getting a mix of carbs with its meat. Therefore, you could feel a bit of nausea and vomiting due to a need to switch energy sources.
Dietitian Kate Patton, M.Ed., R.D., CSSD, L.D., told the Cleveland Clinic, “Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source — what it’s accustomed to using for energy. But if you don’t eat carbs, your next resort is burning fat. And that comes from burning fat in foods you eat or your own body fat.” Ketogenesis, when the body creates ketones from using fat for energy, takes a bit of time to get used to because your body has to shift over as things change, says Medical News Today.
According to Genes (Basel), a ketogenic diet also makes the bacteria of the gut shift since specific gut processes and enzymes are no longer necessary, which leads to various changes within the body and is also why the feeling of nausea improves with time. But, in the meantime, eating more fats, chewing slowly, eating smaller meals, and keeping hydrated can help.