Keto Cycling: Is It Effective Or Just A Fad?

The keto diet is a popular, restrictive, high-fat, low-carb eating style that aims to force the body into using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While it can lead to weight loss, it is not recommended as a long-term solution. Cycling in and out of ketosis can cause digestion problems, brain fog, and weight gain. However, some people find it helpful to incorporate keto cycling, which involves following the keto diet for a certain amount of time and then taking a day or more off. This approach may make the keto diet easier to follow and help people stick to it for longer.

Digestion problems and brain fog

Cycling in and out of ketosis can cause digestion problems and brain fog.

Digestion Problems

When you drastically cut down on carbs, you also limit your fiber intake. Fiber helps ease constipation, and fiber-rich foods contain prebiotics, which fuel the probiotics (good bacteria) in your gut.

When you go off the keto diet, you may find yourself eating fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The sudden influx of fiber-rich food could cause tummy issues like gas, bloating, and cramps since your system is used to not having this nutrient.

To ease these symptoms, it is recommended to take it slowly when adding fiber back into your diet. A gradual approach will reduce unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.

Brain Fog

"Brain fog" is a term used to describe a range of cognitive symptoms that affect an individual's mental processes. It refers to mental fatigue, hazy thinking, and difficulty with concentration and memory. It is not considered an official medical diagnosis.

Brain fog is a common symptom of "keto flu," a cluster of flu-like symptoms that can occur within the first few weeks of starting a ketogenic diet. These symptoms may include fatigue and weakness, headaches and dizziness, irritability and mood swings, muscle cramps and soreness, digestive issues, insomnia and poor sleep quality, and brain fog.

Brain fog is likely due to changes in energy sources for the brain. Typically, the brain gets its energy from glucose, which comes from carbs. Once you trim carbs from your body, the brain turns to ketones instead. It can take some time for your body to get accustomed to this new energy source.

While there has been little research on what exactly causes keto flu and brain fog, the symptoms might be the body's response to carb withdrawal. Typically, keto practitioners report that the symptoms are short-lived and last only a few days as they transition away from carb-centric foods.

To help treat brain fog, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and increase salt intake, while avoiding too much strenuous exercise. Other ways to get rid of brain fog include eating smaller, more frequent meals and incorporating a variety of colorful vegetables into your diet.

Weight gain

While it is not inevitable that you will gain weight when you stop doing keto, it is a possibility. There are several reasons why you might gain weight when you transition out of ketosis, and some strategies you can use to avoid this.

Reasons for Weight Gain

One reason for weight gain when stopping keto is that you go straight back to your previous way of eating. If this is a standard American diet, it is likely to be extremely high in carbohydrates and low in nutrients, which can lead to rapid weight gain, including water weight, and digestive distress from the overload of carbs.

Another reason for weight gain is that you are simply eating more calories than you burn. Many keto-friendly foods are high in calories, so it is important to track your calories and maintain a deficit if you want to lose weight.

Strategies to Avoid Weight Gain

If you are thinking of stopping keto, there are several strategies you can use to avoid gaining weight:

• Transition slowly: Rather than making a sudden change, slowly reintroduce carbs into your diet over the first week and beyond. Start by adding in one serving of starchy vegetables or fruit per day, and slowly increase from there.
• Stick to whole, unprocessed foods: Avoid processed foods, which are calorie-heavy and can lead to excessive weight gain.
• Incorporate movement: Research shows that regular movement throughout the day can help with keeping weight off and increasing your overall feelings of well-being.
• Pay attention and adjust: When transitioning to a new diet, pay close attention to how your body responds and make adjustments if your weight starts to increase.
• Slowly scale back fat intake: Reduce the amount of fat you eat to make room for more carbohydrates in your diet.
• Add back carbs slowly: Once you've achieved your goal on keto, go slowly when adding back high-fibre carbs to your diet.
• Avoid previous bad habits: If you're trying to maintain weight loss, you'll probably have to accept that you can't eat a lot of junk food, especially carbohydrates like breakfast cereals, snacks, ice cream and sodas.
• Select fewer processed foods: Think about the quality of the foods you're eating and reduce the amount of processed meat you consume.
• Boost physical activity: Increasing your activity levels will help you avoid gaining weight.

Blood sugar fluctuations

When you go off the keto diet, you may experience blood sugar fluctuations. This is because carbohydrates have a direct impact on blood glucose. When you reintroduce carbs to your diet, your body will start to use glucose for energy again, and your blood glucose levels will rise.

How Carbs Impact Blood Sugar

Carbohydrates break down into simple sugars in the body, which turn into glucose through metabolic processes. As a result, blood glucose levels begin to rise. In response, beta cells in the pancreas sense the increase and release insulin. Insulin helps to stabilise blood sugar by removing it from the bloodstream and facilitating its storage. Insulin can also help the body to use blood glucose for immediate energy.

Physiologic Insulin Resistance

When you're on the keto diet, your muscles start to reject sugar when it is available, and this is called "physiologic insulin resistance" or "adaptive glucose sparing". This is likely a good thing, unlike "pathologic insulin resistance", which is caused by higher and higher levels of insulin and is often a feature of type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Elevated Fasting Glucose Levels

Elevated fasting glucose levels are a common trend for people who have been following a keto diet for a prolonged amount of time. This is the body's way of ensuring that glucose is present for organs that require it. According to current research, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it is recommended to monitor other health metrics to ensure that everything else remains in a good range.

High Glucose Spikes from Small Amounts of Carbs

Keto diets can lead to a temporary physiological insulin resistance, where the body overreacts when carbs are introduced. This is different from pathological insulin resistance, which is a disease state. When the muscles, which typically prefer glucose, start to prefer fatty acids for fuel instead, consuming carbs can cause larger glucose elevations.

Managing Blood Sugar

Low-carbohydrate diets work for some people who need to manage their blood sugar, but they don't work for everyone. Cutting out certain carbs is smart for anyone, regardless of medical status. Starchy carbs, empty-calorie foods, and heavily processed products provide little nutritional value. If you replace these foods with more nutritious options that provide fibre, protein, and healthy fats, you're likely to gain a wide range of health benefits, including more stable blood sugar levels.

Bloating

There are several reasons why you might be experiencing bloating on a keto diet. Firstly, it could be due to a sudden shift in diet and eating too much too fast. When you suddenly switch to a new diet, your body needs time to adjust to unfamiliar foods and portion sizes. Eating too much too fast can overwhelm your digestive system, leading to bloating and abdominal pain. It's important to introduce new dietary changes gradually and practice mindful eating.

Secondly, insufficient digestive enzymes can be a factor. Chewing your food thoroughly is crucial as it helps break down the food before it reaches your stomach. If food is not adequately broken down, it can lead to increased bacterial fermentation and gas buildup in the gut, causing bloating.

Thirdly, consuming too much Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil, often derived from coconut oil, can be a culprit. MCT oil is popular on keto diets as it helps the body enter ketosis faster and mitigate the keto flu symptoms. However, consuming too much MCT oil too soon can lead to bloating, nausea, diarrhoea, and cramps. It is recommended to introduce MCT oil slowly and gradually increase the dosage.

Another cause of bloating could be a gut flora imbalance. When you switch to a keto diet, your gut bacteria need time to adjust to the new foods. This is especially true if you've increased your sugar alcohol and MCT consumption or made significant changes to your dietary fibre intake. As a result, your gut may become overrun by bad bacteria, which can trigger bloating. Taking probiotics can help restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria and improve digestion.

Additionally, consuming too many sugar alcohols can contribute to bloating. Sugar alcohols are often used as sugar substitutes in keto-friendly snacks and candies. While they are carb-free, they can elevate inflammation and cause digestive issues, including bloating. Reducing your intake of sugar alcohols may help alleviate bloating symptoms.

Lastly, dehydration and insufficient water intake can also lead to bloating. The keto diet can have a diuretic effect, causing you to lose water weight and increasing urination frequency. This can lead to dehydration, which slows down your digestive system and causes constipation and bloating. Ensuring adequate water intake is crucial to combat this issue.

While bloating can be uncomfortable and frustrating, there are ways to address it. Making gradual dietary changes, optimising fibre intake, staying hydrated, addressing MCT and sugar alcohol consumption, and taking probiotics can all help alleviate bloating on the keto diet.

Nutrient deficiencies

The keto diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which can have adverse effects on your health. Here are some of the key nutrients that may be lacking on a keto diet and the potential consequences:

Vitamins and Minerals:

• B Vitamins: B vitamins are essential for converting food into energy. A deficiency can lead to fatigue, weakness, and digestive issues.
• Calcium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus: These minerals are crucial for maintaining strong bones and teeth. A deficiency can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.
• Iron: Iron is necessary for carrying oxygen in the blood and proper growth and development. A deficiency can lead to anaemia, fatigue, and decreased immune function.

Fiber:

The keto diet may be lower in fiber due to the elimination of whole grains. This can result in constipation and other digestive issues. Adequate fiber intake is also important for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a role in immune function and overall health.

Antioxidants:

The keto diet may be lower in antioxidants due to the reduced intake of fruits and certain vegetables. Antioxidants help protect the body against damage caused by free radicals and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Healthy Fats:

While the keto diet emphasizes the consumption of healthy fats, it may not provide a sufficient variety. For example, omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, are important for heart health and brain function. A lack of these healthy fats can increase the risk of heart disease and cognitive decline.

Phytochemicals:

Phytochemicals are plant compounds with potential health benefits, including reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. The keto diet may be lacking in phytochemicals due to the reduced intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

To mitigate these potential nutrient deficiencies, it is important to carefully plan your keto meals and include a variety of nutrient-dense foods. It may also be beneficial to work with a registered dietitian to ensure you are meeting all your nutritional needs while following the keto diet.

Frequently asked questions