NDTV Food | Updated: August 07, 2018 18:22 IST
Keto cycling or cyclical ketogenic diet is a relatively lenient form of ketogenic diet, which allows the consumption of some carbohydrates. It's basically a less restrictive form of the ketogenic diet and is meant for people who experience continued symptoms of the "keto flu". People who follow the ketogenic diet come down with the keto flu in the beginning, as their body shifts from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning fat. Symptoms of the keto flu include headaches, nausea, dizziness, sugar cravings, irritability, fogginess in the brain, lack of motivation, etc. Keto cycling is considered a middle ground for people who wish to deal with the symptoms of keto flu quickly.
Therefore, in this fad diet, people follow the extremely restrictive ketogenic diet and consume mostly fats and proteins for five or six days a week and designate one day for consumption of slightly higher amounts of carbs.
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What Is Keto Cycling?
So essentially in keto cycling, you eat according to your strict meal plan for most of the week, but allow yourself to cheat on your diet for one day. What eating more carbs for one day does to your body is that it moves the body out of ketosis for that day. So in cyclical ketogenic diet, you're moving in and out of ketosis. The purported benefits of keto cycling include an improved ability to deal with your cravings, as well as a better hormonal balance.
However, the benefits of this form of ketogenic diet are all anecdotal and theoretical and there isn't enough scientific evidence to support these claims of the supposed benefits of this form of cyclical ketosis. This assumption that keto cycling is good for regulating your hormones is based on the fact that prolonged restriction on carbs may end up disrupting levels of thyroid hormone in your body.
(Also Read:Ketogenic Diet Deconstructed: Should You Follow it?)
Keto cycling may help you regulate your hormones better
Should You Follow Keto Cycling?
If you have been following the ketogenic diet for a long time, it may be easier for your body to transition in and out of ketosis. However, allowing yourself to cheat on your diet for a day doesn't mean that you can eat all the unhealthy foods that you've been craving. On your day off, you may eat a good amount of healthy and high-fibre carbs from sources like brown rice, fibrous fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods. It is highly advisable to consult an expert nutritionist or a certified dietitian, before making any changes to your diet.
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