Here's the truth about opting for a cheat day on a keto diet
| May 3, 2019, 16:33 IST
These days, fad diets have pretty much taken over the globe. No matter where you look, there's a new type of diet surfacing every single day. Now, most people who are on diets tend to opt for cheat days as well during which they eat whatever they want but in limited amounts of course. This raised the question that would it be possible to opt for a cheat day on a ketogenic diet?
Popularly known as the keto diet, the diet is essentially made up of low carbs and high fats. The body then produces ketones in the liver which is used as energy. So basically the keto diet forces the body to break down carbohydrates in the liver by starving the body off of carbohydrates. Now, comes the topic of opting for a cheat day.
The researchers found that even 75 gm of glucose which could be found in a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries can damage the blood vessels of a person when they're on the keto diet. For the cheat day, the researchers opted for a trial diet that consisted of 70 per cent fat, 10 per cent carbohydrates and 20 per cent protein which is pretty similar to the keto diet. However, the sudden spike in glucose levels seemed to damage the person's blood vessel walls.
The researchers said that it wasn't the cheat diet that affected the person as much as their own body that reacted aggressively and caused blood vessels to shed off and die. “Our data suggest a Ketogenic diet is not something you do for six days a week and take Saturday off”, said a student from the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus.
The study also found that people who try opting for a cheat day also tend to suffer from keto flu during which people tend to feel sick and hungover for a few days if they eat junk food. Some side effects include nausea, fatigue, stomach pain and body aches, brain fog, vomits and mood swings as well as headaches.
The researchers concluded that when one is on a keto diet, it really is not possible to opt for a cheat day, not just because the body reacts adversely to it but also because the junk food may alter the person's taste buds and may make it more difficult for them to control their cravings in the future. Stay tuned for more updates.
Popularly known as the keto diet, the diet is essentially made up of low carbs and high fats. The body then produces ketones in the liver which is used as energy. So basically the keto diet forces the body to break down carbohydrates in the liver by starving the body off of carbohydrates. Now, comes the topic of opting for a cheat day.
The researchers found that even 75 gm of glucose which could be found in a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries can damage the blood vessels of a person when they're on the keto diet. For the cheat day, the researchers opted for a trial diet that consisted of 70 per cent fat, 10 per cent carbohydrates and 20 per cent protein which is pretty similar to the keto diet. However, the sudden spike in glucose levels seemed to damage the person's blood vessel walls.
The researchers said that it wasn't the cheat diet that affected the person as much as their own body that reacted aggressively and caused blood vessels to shed off and die. “Our data suggest a Ketogenic diet is not something you do for six days a week and take Saturday off”, said a student from the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus.
The study also found that people who try opting for a cheat day also tend to suffer from keto flu during which people tend to feel sick and hungover for a few days if they eat junk food. Some side effects include nausea, fatigue, stomach pain and body aches, brain fog, vomits and mood swings as well as headaches.
The researchers concluded that when one is on a keto diet, it really is not possible to opt for a cheat day, not just because the body reacts adversely to it but also because the junk food may alter the person's taste buds and may make it more difficult for them to control their cravings in the future. Stay tuned for more updates.