Hi everyone.
I’m not sure if anyone can help me but I thought it best to reach out-I’ve recently started the BSD I’m doing the 800 cal a day. I’m a week in and honestly I don’t feel well. I feel nauseous and hungry all of the time! I know it takes time but I hadn’t banked on feeling this unwell. I started it because I want to feel energised and heathy, I’m peri-menopuasual and although I’m not overweight per-se I’m bloated all of the time and I thought this diet would help . Can anyone offer any tips/advice? I’d really appreciate it
Ida-Maria

Hi Ida-Maria,
Welcome to the forum, none of us are medical and can not provide medical advice.

There is one piece of information which may explain how you feel. and in normal times you would find us all saying that its the likely cause of how you are feeling.

When we eat a high carb diet our body has to store water to help it process that fuel source. As soon as you reduce the carbs the body starts to release that water. – (Which is why people see a rapid weight loss at the start) In the process the kidneys release electrolytes. It creates a feeling commonly known as keto flu. You don’t have to take fancy electrolyte products, you just need to increase your salt intake. Another sign of low salt is muscle cramps.

Here is an extract from an article on diet doctor website which provides more info. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/salt-guide
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5. People on keto or low-carb diets may need additional salt
As we’ve noted in other posts on Diet Doctor, when you follow a low-carb or keto diet, your sodium needs increase — especially initially — as a result of changes in the way your kidneys handle sodium.

With decreased carb intake, insulin levels fall significantly. It’s been known for decades that when insulin levels drop, the kidneys excrete more sodium and water, although the exact mechanism isn’t clear.23

If sodium isn’t replaced, you’re likely to develop the unpleasant symptoms of “keto flu,” which include headache, fatigue, and weakness.

What’s more, a keto or low-carb diet composed of mainly whole foods doesn’t have a lot of sodium to begin with, especially compared to processed foods. Thus you may want to add more salt, to avoid side effects.

How can we reconcile advising increased salt intake when we just mentioned some RCTs showing small mortality benefit with salt reduction? This is where we need to consider the subtle nuances of studies.

In a standard Western diet, much of the sodium comes from processed foods. Thus reducing it is clearly a beneficial approach. On a low carb, real foods diet, however, we believe that we respond differently to salt. Since we don’t have long term data showing safety, we are cautious in our recommendation to increase salt intake, especially for those with underlying medical conditions. See our section below for more information on co-existing medical issues.

Ways to increase salt intake – more info
Consuming about 4,000 to 7,000 milligrams of sodium (about 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt) is usually sufficient to get through keto-adaptation and can often be maintained beyond the transition period, depending on individual needs.

Here are a few ways to boost sodium intake. However, if you have elevated blood pressure, kidney disease or congestive heart failure, talk to your doctor first before increasing your sodium intake, especially if you take medication.

Drink 1 or more cups of salty broth every day
Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt in daily food preparation or at the table
Eat olives, pickles, sauerkraut, and other salty keto foods regularly
Choose standard rather than “low-sodium” sauces and seasonings for cooking
Shake salt into a glass of water a couple of times a day.