Keto Carb Recovery: Getting Back On Track

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body burns fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs a day may cause the body to exit ketosis, and it can take several days to a week to re-enter this state. If you've had too many carbs, there are several ways to get back into ketosis faster, including intermittent fasting, fat fasting, and exercise.

Try intermittent fasting to help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and normal eating. There are several ways to practice it, including the 5:2 method, alternate-day fasting, and the popular 16/8 method, which involves eating during an eight-hour window and fasting for 16 hours.

Intermittent fasting is an effective weight loss technique, and studies have shown that it may also reduce inflammation, improve brain function, and enhance blood sugar control.

When you fast, your body maintains its energy balance by shifting its fuel source from carbohydrates to fats. This is the exact premise of the keto diet, which forces your body to rely on fats instead of glucose for energy by reducing your carb intake to 20 to 50 grams per day.

Combining intermittent fasting with the keto diet may help your body reach ketosis more quickly. This is because, during fasting, your insulin levels and glycogen stores decrease, leading your body to naturally start burning fat for fuel.

If you are new to keto, intermittent fasting may help you stick to the diet as you will have fewer meals to think about and prepare. Additionally, being on the keto diet may make intermittent fasting feel easier as your body becomes more fat-adapted, and you will feel more satisfied from consuming higher-fat foods.

However, combining these two restrictive diets can be challenging, especially if you are new to both. It is important to consult your healthcare provider before making any significant diet or lifestyle changes, as they can help you determine if this combined approach is safe and suitable for you.

Track your carb intake to ensure you don't underestimate it

To recover from too many carbs on a keto diet, it is important to track your carb intake to ensure you don't underestimate it. This is because the keto diet is very strict, and a single cheat meal can easily exceed your daily carb allowance, taking your body out of ketosis.

To stay in ketosis, a person needs to consume up to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. This can be calculated by considering the number of "net carbs" in foods. Net carbs are the carbs that the body can completely digest and turn into glucose for energy. To calculate the number of net carbs in a serving, you subtract the fibre content from the total number of carbs. If the food is processed, you also subtract half of the sugar alcohol content.

It's important to note that this calculation can vary depending on the type of keto diet you are following. For example, the standard ketogenic diet consists of 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. In contrast, the high-protein ketogenic diet consists of 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the specific requirements of your chosen keto diet plan.

Additionally, the number of carbs needed to stay in ketosis can vary from person to person. While most guidelines recommend limiting total carbohydrate intake to 15-30 grams, some people can eat more and still stay in ketosis, while others may need to restrict their carb intake further. As a result, it is essential to monitor your body's response to different carb levels and adjust your intake accordingly.

Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that simply tracking your carb intake may not be sufficient to ensure you don't underestimate it. Other factors, such as the type of carbs consumed and individual metabolic differences, can also impact your ketosis state. Therefore, it may be beneficial to combine carb tracking with other strategies, such as intermittent fasting, fat fasting, and exercise, to enhance your recovery from too many carbs on keto and promote a quicker return to ketosis.

Try a short-term fat fast, like an egg fast, to help expedite ketosis

A keto egg fast is a short-term, restrictive ketogenic diet that involves eating mainly eggs, cheese, butter, and other healthy fats. It is a super-restrictive form of the keto diet, where you consume all your calories from eggs, full-fat cheese, butter, and healthy oils. The typical keto egg fast lasts between three to five days, and it is not recommended to follow it for longer than that, as it may lead to health risks such as nutritional deficiencies and constipation.

The macros for a keto egg fast work out to about 60-70% fat, 20-30% protein, and under 5% carbohydrates. This macro ratio promotes the fat-burning state called ketosis. Eggs contain less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, making it a simple way to eliminate carbs from your diet. Full-fat cheese, butter, and healthy fats have similarly low carb counts.

• Consume at least six whole eggs per day, preferably organic or pasture-raised.
• Eat one tablespoon of butter or healthy oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil per egg eaten.
• Eat up to one ounce of full-fat cheese per egg eaten.
• You can also consume calorie-free beverages like coffee and tea.
• Have an egg within 30 minutes of waking up.
• Do not skip meals (eat eggs and fats every 3 to 5 hours).
• Stop consuming calories three hours before bed.

A keto egg fast is not suitable for everyone. It is not recommended for people with certain medical conditions like diabetes, eating disorders, high cholesterol, or those without a gallbladder. It is also inappropriate for people who cannot eat eggs, such as vegans, those with egg allergies, or those who avoid eggs for religious reasons.

Exercise more to deplete your body's stored form of carbs

Exercise is a great way to deplete your body's stored form of carbs, known as glycogen, and promote ketosis. The more you exercise, the faster your body will use up its glycogen stores, and the sooner it will transition to burning fat for fuel. This is especially true for prolonged physical activity, which degrades muscle glycogen more quickly than mild exercise.

When it comes to exercise type, both low-intensity and high-intensity workouts can be beneficial on a keto diet. Lower-intensity activities, such as restorative yoga, jogging, walking, rowing, and swimming, are a great place to start if you're new to the ketogenic diet. This can help lower your chances of developing keto flu, and the transition into ketosis may be smoother.

For high-intensity activities, such as sprinting, swimming laps, and boxing, carbs can provide a nice hit of energy. While you can still perform these exercises on a ketogenic diet, you may notice differences in your performance. However, a ketogenic diet accelerates muscle recovery and improves inflammation, so you may recover better from these high-intensity activities.

If you're planning on doing high-intensity workouts or lifting heavy weights, you might consider the targeted ketogenic approach (TKD). With TKD, you consume a total of 20-50 grams of net carbs every day about 30 minutes before and after your workout. This gives your muscles enough glycogen to optimise performance and recovery. Another option is the cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), where you follow a low-carb keto diet for most days and then have a lower-fat, higher-carb diet for 1-2 days.

It's important to note that until your glycogen stores are depleted and your body has fully transitioned into burning fat for fuel, you may not experience the full benefits of ketosis for exercise. Once your body enters ketosis and starts producing ketones, you'll be able to tap into your fat reserves more efficiently, which can improve your endurance and performance.

Overall, exercise is a great way to deplete your body's stored form of carbs and promote ketosis. By exercising more, you'll be able to speed up the transition to burning fat for fuel and may even improve your endurance and performance in the process.

Try a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement, which is easily converted into ketones

Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplements are a popular way to get a boost of energy and support weight loss efforts. They are especially useful for those on a ketogenic diet, as they can help the body reach the fat-burning state of ketosis.

MCTs are a type of fat that is more easily and rapidly absorbed by the body compared to other fats. They are typically derived from coconut or palm kernel oil and can also be found in dairy products and other foods. As the name suggests, MCTs have shorter chain lengths than the typical long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in many other foods. This makes them easier to digest and allows them to be quickly converted into energy.

When on a ketogenic diet, MCTs can be converted into ketones in the liver. These ketones can pass through the blood-brain barrier and serve as an energy source for the brain, potentially improving brain function. This makes MCT supplements particularly beneficial for those following a ketogenic diet, as it allows for a greater range of food options and may make the diet easier to maintain over time.

MCT supplements are generally safe for moderate use, but it is important to stay within the recommended intake levels to avoid potential side effects. The maximum daily intake of MCT oil is suggested to be around four to seven tablespoons. It is also important to note that MCTs are not a replacement for prescription medications or medical treatments. If you are considering adding MCT supplements to your diet, be sure to consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian to ensure it is appropriate for your individual needs and health status.

Frequently asked questions