Cheating On Keto: Inflammation's Unwanted Side Effect

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can have numerous health benefits for those who follow it strictly. However, cheating on the keto diet can lead to increased inflammation in the body. This is because the keto diet eliminates carbs, and when a cheat meal containing carbs is consumed, it can cause a surge of glucose in the bloodstream. The body responds to this by releasing insulin, which can lead to insulin resistance and, in turn, stall fat loss and prevent weight loss. Additionally, the consumption of carbs can cause small rips in the gut, allowing undigested food particles to escape and enter the body. As a defense mechanism, the body attacks these particles as foreign invaders, causing inflammation. This chronic inflammation has been linked to several autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's, IBS, and ulcerative colitis. Therefore, it is important for individuals following the keto diet to maintain their commitment to the diet and avoid cheat meals or days to reap the full benefits of the diet and avoid the negative consequences of cheating.

High blood sugar levels

When you cheat on keto, you introduce carbs and sugar back into your body. As your body works to process these, more glucose is released into your bloodstream. Your body senses this surge of glucose and releases insulin to push it out of your blood and into your cells to be used for energy.

If your bloodstream is constantly pumping glucose, you can become insulin resistant, meaning your blood sugar has a tough time returning to healthy levels. This can stall fat loss, prevent weight loss, or even cause type 2 diabetes.

How to Prevent Getting Kicked Out of Ketosis

To stay in ketosis, many people need to limit their net carbs to 25g per day. Since most Americans eat over ten times that amount (an average of 275g of carbs per day), it can be all too easy to go over your daily carb allotment.

• Test your ketone levels. If you're craving carbs, you may not be fat-adapted (i.e. you were never in ketosis to begin with).
• Stick to your low-carb diet in social situations. Try keto-friendly alcoholic drinks at happy hour, bring a keto-friendly dish to a party, or check the menu in advance and select a low-carb option.
• Learn the art of meal prep. Set aside one day a week to meal prep and batch cook several meals in advance.
• Don't call it a "cheat". Calling something a "cheat" makes it more desirable. Rather than demonizing any particular food, just enjoy it and move on.

How to Get Back into Ketosis

• Intermittent fasting. Extend the fasting window from dinnertime to breakfast by choosing lunch as your first meal of the day, or try skipping dinner.
• Increase your water intake. Drinking water helps you feel more full, reducing hunger cravings.
• Be conscious of your electrolytes. Drinking too much water can flush out minerals from the body, so snack on keto-friendly salty foods like roasted almonds, pepperoni, and olives, or sip on bone broth.
• Whenever you're hungry, aim for fat. On the keto diet, roughly 70-80% of your daily calorie intake should come from fat. Eating plenty of fats can decrease sugar and carb cravings.
• Exercise. Your body sends glycogen, or stored glucose, to your muscles when you exercise. To use up glucose quickly, increase your exercise routine. Just don't overdo it, as overtraining will force your body to release stress hormones, which can raise your blood sugar.
• Reset your body with quality REM sleep. When you sleep less than eight hours a night, hunger and appetite increase, cravings for carbs rise, and cells become less efficient at using insulin.
• Take exogenous ketones. Your body may take some time to start producing ketones on its own again, so you can use exogenous ketones to supply your body with energy as it works its way back into a ketogenic state.

Intense sugar cravings

Sugar cravings can be intense, especially in the early stages of the keto diet. This is due to the drastic changes in your diet, from consuming high amounts of carbs and sugar to suddenly limiting your intake. Sugar has an addictive effect, and reducing it can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as depression, fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

When you eat a high-carb or high-sugar meal, your blood sugar rises. Insulin is then released by the pancreas, causing your blood sugar to drop. If too much insulin is released, your blood sugar can dip too low, triggering sugar cravings. This is especially true if you are new to a low-carb diet and are not yet fat-adapted.

To manage blood sugar imbalance:

• Eat balanced meals with high-quality protein, healthy fats, and low-carb veggies to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
• Focus on consuming enough healthy fats, such as avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, and nuts/seeds, as they help suppress appetite and prevent overeating.
• Include protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Protein helps you feel full and satisfied, reducing hunger and cravings.

Lack of Protein or Fat and Nutrient Deficiency

When following a keto diet, it is crucial to replace carbs with adequate amounts of protein and healthy fats. If you don't, you are more likely to experience sugar cravings. Nutrient deficiencies, especially fibre, vitamin B, and iron, can also contribute to sugar cravings.

To address lack of protein or fat and nutrient deficiency:

• Ensure your meals contain sufficient protein and healthy fats.
• Include fibre-rich foods in your diet, such as low-carb veggies (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus) and avocados, as fibre slows digestion and stabilises blood sugar.
• Address vitamin B and iron deficiencies, as these nutrients can help reduce cravings and improve overall health.

Stress and Mental Health

Stress and mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, can trigger sugar cravings. Eating sugary foods provides a temporary boost in mood and can be a form of self-medication.

To manage stress and mental health-related cravings:

• Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as spending time in nature, meditating, or nurturing relationships.
• Seek professional help if you feel you need additional support in managing stress or mental health concerns.

Lack of Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can disrupt your body's hormones, increasing your hunger and cravings for sugar. Poor sleep can also make your body seek energy to fight fatigue, leading to excess eating and sugar consumption.

To improve sleep:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Create a bedtime routine and optimise your sleep environment to promote better sleep.

Physical Exercise

Intense physical exercise, especially if you are not fat-adapted, can trigger sugar cravings. During high-intensity workouts, your body may struggle to burn fat for energy, leading to a preference for sugar as a quick source of energy.

To manage sugar cravings during exercise:

• Consume protein or healthy fats before your workout to provide your body with energy and reduce the likelihood of sugar cravings.
• Consider using MCT oil before or after your workout for an additional energy boost.

Environmental and Habitual Triggers

Your environment, such as the smell of baked goods or the sight of an ice cream shop, can stimulate sugar cravings, even if you are not physically hungry. Habits can also play a role, such as regularly eating ice cream every night at 9 pm.

To minimise environmental and habitual triggers:

• Control your environment by keeping carbs out of your house or, if not possible, keeping them out of sight.
• Break the association between certain triggers (e.g., time of day, specific locations) and sugar consumption.

Menstrual Cycle

Hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle, particularly in the luteal phase, can lead to sweet cravings in many women.

To manage cravings during the menstrual cycle:

Be mindful of hormonal influences on your cravings and employ the strategies outlined above to help manage them.

Terrible sugar crash

When you cheat on a keto diet, you may experience a terrible sugar crash. This is because your body has become sensitive to sugar during the keto diet, and the sudden influx of carbohydrates from sandwich bread or a pint of beer can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels.

As your body works to process the carbs and sugar from the cheat meal, more glucose is released into your bloodstream. This can lead to a surge of insulin being released by your body, which pushes the glucose out of your blood and into your cells to be used for energy. If your bloodstream is constantly pumping glucose, you can become insulin resistant, which can stall fat loss, prevent weight loss, or even lead to type 2 diabetes.

The sugar crash can leave you feeling tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. It can also bring back cravings for more sugar and carbs, creating a vicious cycle that is hard to break. The longer you've been without sugar, the harder it can be to resist when you return to it. This is because studies have shown that your brain becomes more addicted to sugar than to cocaine, and the reward system overrides your ability to practice self-control.

To manage the sugar crash, it is recommended to take supplements that aid in healthy carbohydrate metabolism, such as Perfect Keto Blood Sugar Support. Additionally, sticking to a low-carb diet, preparing keto-friendly meals in advance, and refraining from labelling foods as "cheat meals" can help prevent sugar crashes and maintain your keto diet.

Gut inflammation

Cheating on a keto diet can cause inflammation, which often starts in the gut. This can be due to the consumption of foods and beverages that are known to increase inflammation, such as processed and pre-packaged foods filled with refined ingredients like sugar, grains, artificial preservatives, flavourings, and colours. High-glycemic foods like bread, pasta, fruits, and starchy vegetables, as well as refined vegetable oils like canola, corn, safflower, and soybean oil, can also cause inflammation. These types of food can cause small tears in the gut, allowing undigested food particles to escape through the stomach lining and into the body. As a defence mechanism, the body attacks these particles as foreign invaders, causing inflammation.

Chronic inflammation has been linked to several autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and ulcerative colitis. It is important to note that the keto diet itself may also contribute to gut inflammation. According to Dr Will Bulsiewicz, a gut health expert, the keto diet can "decimate the gut" by reducing the number of bacteria species in the gut, which is necessary for maintaining good health. A diverse gut microbiome is crucial for overall health, and restricting the variety of plant foods in one's diet can negatively impact gut health.

To support gut health, it is recommended to consume a variety of gut-friendly foods, such as avocados, leafy greens, coconut oil, kimchi, and butter. These foods are low in carbs but high in gut-boosting benefits, including fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins. Additionally, it is important to limit the consumption of ultra-processed and refined carbs, as well as increase the intake of high-fibre foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Low energy and brain fog

Cheating on the keto diet by consuming high-carb foods can cause low energy and brain fog. This is due to the body's metabolic shift from burning fat to burning carbohydrates, which can disrupt the body's energy levels and cognitive function.

Metabolic Shift and Energy Levels

When following a ketogenic diet, the body switches from using glucose (from carbohydrates) as its primary fuel source to using ketones (from fats). This metabolic shift can take some time to adjust to, and during this transition period, energy levels may fluctuate. Consuming high amounts of carbohydrates while on keto can cause a rapid shift back to burning glucose, disrupting this metabolic adaptation and leading to low energy levels.

Brain Fog and Cognitive Function

The keto diet is often associated with improved cognitive function and mental clarity. However, cheating on the diet by consuming high-carb foods can lead to brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and a lack of mental clarity. This is because the brain primarily uses glucose as its fuel source, and a sudden increase in carbohydrate intake can disrupt the body's production and utilisation of ketones, leading to reduced cognitive function.

Returning to Ketosis

After cheating on the keto diet, it is possible to return to a state of ketosis by reducing carbohydrate intake and focusing on high-fat foods. This process may take a few days, and it is important to be consistent with the diet to maintain ketosis and avoid further disruptions in energy levels and cognitive function.

Frequently asked questions