Embarking on a Keto diet is certainly not easy. Psychologically, it means giving up on a lot of the foods that you used to eat, from candy bars to staples such as pasta and rice. In addition, if your family is not joining you in the diet, there then is an element of social isolation as eating is very often a social event.
Physiologically, your body also has to adapt from relying on carbohydrates for energy, to burning fats or ketones for energy. These changes can be quite massive and have side effects ranging from Keto headaches to Keto rashes.
The psychological urge or craving for certain foods that are not compliant to the Keto diet is very strong. So strong that even celebrities like Halle Barry who have adopted the Keto diet, have suggested it is OK to have a Ketogenic Cheat Day occasionally….to break the monotony of a Keto diet … simply to give in, eat something you miss, or more innocently, to join friends and family on a non-keto meal. The suggestion goes that it is OK to have a Ketogenic Cheat Day, and at the same time, that it is important to hop back into the Keto diet, immediately after, or as soon as possible. That being said, what are the effects of a Ketogenic Cheat day and are there ways to do better if “cheating”?
Can a Ketogenic Cheat Day throw me out of Ketosis?
The answer to the above question is unfortunately a resounding yes. There really is no way to get around this and even a simple bite of carbohydrates that goes above your daily net carbs, will push you out of Ketosis. Getting back into ketosis can take anywhere from 1-3 days as it depends on the individual and their body metabolism. In addition, getting back into ketosis may result in dreaded Keto-flus symptoms again.
A Ketogenic Cheat Day is not OK – According to recent medical research
Research in 2019 into the effects of a Ketogenic Cheat Day on 9 healthy male subjects on a Keto diet, showed that even consuming a simple glucose drink (one 75-gram dose of glucose — the equivalent a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries) while on a Keto diet resulted in cellular damage to the blood vessels of the subject. The health conditions of the study subjects were compared to people with poor cardiovascular health which suggests that a Ketogenic Cheat Day – or a sudden spike in glucose intake – can have adverse effects on health – while on a Keto diet.
Ketogenic Cheat Day – Smart cheating Cheat sheet
If you really feel you have to cheat, these are a few ways you can do it smartly, or at least avoid the worst effects from a Ketogenic Cheat Day:
Choose what you cheat with – Know your foods and cheat with options that are lower carbs, eg. Between a layer cake and a mousse, the mousse has higher fat content and lower carbs, go for that instead.
Cheat with smaller portions – cheat with just a bite rather than finish the whole thing, share a friend’s dessert or just order without finishing the whole thing… better to keep your diet (more on track) rather than worrying about wastage.
Cheat after you have had a meal – you will feel fuller and cheat less, also if you have just eaten a healthier protein and fat rich meal, your body will tend to absorb less of the glucose produced … or absorption is at least slowed down.
Cheat with foods that have less sugar – Choose to cheat with foods that have less sugar, perhaps go for a dark chocolate that is more bitter and has sugar for example than something like regular store bought milk chocolate.
Cheat with added fat – By adding cream to peaches, butter to bread etc, you are introducing fat content to your cheat meal. This will leave you more satiated and your body will absorb the bad carbs more slowly as the fat needs to be absorbed too.
The Bottom Line!
Cheating is certainly never ideal in any diet, as you are putting your body in the line – having to deal with changed physiological processes which may have harmful effects. That being said, if it has to be done – and there will be consequences – There are better and worse ways of doing it as we have highlighted in this article.