How Fast Will Keto work for Mental Health?

“The ketogenic diet is considered safe for most adults, so long as it provides adequate protein, fat, calories, and micronutrients, and so long as health conditions and medications are carefully monitored.” ~ Dr. Georgia Ede

Dear friend,

Hope this finds you well.

A common question I get from people who I support in implementing metabolic therapies and ketogenic diet is “How long will it take before I start to feel better?” There is no one size fit all answer here as everyone is unique and different.

Some people are very sensitive to changes in diet and notice improvements right away - within the first week of switching to keto. Other people who have health complications and are on psychiatric drugs, or just have a certain genetic make up, it may take them a bit longer.

One huge factor to experiencing improvement is adherence.

Regardless of where you are in your health journey, the people that get results from simple lifestyle changes such as ketogenic therapy are those who stick to the diet. A change in diet requires consistency and discipline. And it can be tough in the beginning where people experience the most amount of cravings and habits are not totally solidified.

The environment and guidance people have in terms of formal and informal support is critical to success. People who have gone through this experience themselves and or have training to provide education can help you avoid the pitfalls in this journey. That said,

Results still vary for each individual.

Another big factor in seeing results with keto for mental health is initially it tends to be that many people may not feel the best while going through the keto-adaptation phase. There are some risks associated with transitioning from standard diet to getting into ketosis. This is the period when the body goes from burning glucose to burning fat for fuel.

During that phase which can last anywhere from 1-4 weeks, you may experience many a variety of symptoms including lightheadedness, headaches, moodiness, nausea, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. These should resolves in the first couple of week.

In addition some people may have a temporary worsening of psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, manic symptoms, irritability, and agitation.

There’s a good reason for why these symptoms occur.

It is partly due to your body going through detoxication as well as there maybe some electrolyte imbalance as most people first lose water weight. So hydration is really important and in the beginning you may need to supplement with electrolytes. As to make sure you get enough Sodium, magnesium, and potassium.

Once you get through this adaptation phase and sometimes even before people do start to notice changes in energy level, amount of sleep required, mental clarity, weight loss, and ability to focus. These are some of the most reported early improvements.

As time goes by many people notice additional improvements.

I’ve heard from several people who have reversed their mental health conditions that they don’t notice the full impact of metabolic therapies and the ketogenic diet until a year or two of consistent implementation.

The recommended period for treatment of mental health conditions is typically 1 -5 years. This was the same recommendation for treatment of epilepsy. Most people who implement ketogenic diet may decide to stick with it long term as it is an intervention that’s used in place of psych drugs.

In the end, the only way to find out how fast keto will work to improve your mental health is to give it a try.

Ideally, this is done under medical supervision and guidance. 

If you’re someone who is struggling with your mental health or perhaps it’s weight gain due to psychiatric drug treatment or just unable to tolerate psychiatric drug adverse effects, then metabolic therapies and the ketogenic diet may be great alternatives.

I’ve personally have had the opportunity to support people in this process the past year after leaving the conventional system and see a lot of improvements in my client’s overall health and well being.

I’ve also been blessed to reverse antidepressant induced bipolar disorder using metabolic therapies the ketogenic diet. I’m also not the only person who has transformed their lives through keto.

You can find additional inspiring stories on the link below.

Please forward this information with anyone who you believe would benefit. You can schedule one on one consultation if you require additional support on the website link below.

Feel free to leave me your questions, comments, and feedback below. Thank you for taking the time to visit here.

Until next time, we continue in solidarity. 

Neseret Bemient, BScN
Holistic Mental Health Coach 
Website: Return to Wholeness Healing Services
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@NeseretBemient
Twitter(X): Neseret Bemient (@JourneyofHope4U)

BIG DREAMS

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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~