Experiencing heat waves after meals

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #1

Noticed something strange the past few days. A few hours I think after a keto meal my body gets really hot, to the point where it is almost not comfortable. Especially I have noticed this in my thighs and legs. But arms and torso is also warmer then before the meal.

Are other having the same issue with increased body heat after a meal rich in fat?

How are you dealing with it? I noticed if I eat too late in evening I am too hot to sleep under the covers. So I am trying to have last meal around 4 pm. And only drink water until bed time.

Is this something that goes away after a while?

Is the increased body heat indication of anything? Like am I doing something wrong, or maybe the opposite am I doing thins right?

(Full Metal KETO AF) #2

I have had excess body heat most of my life. I use an early eating window and go many hours without any food before bed. It works a lot better for me. Although there’s a decided anti breakfast fast till lunch mentality with many, I thrive on an early eating window with breakfast around 8-9am and lunch/dinner at about 2-4pm most days. I seldom eat past 6 but it happens on occasion when I eat with others. I sleep much better this way. :cowboy_hat_face:

#3

I experienced this for about a week a couple of weeks after starting keto, it went away on its own. I think people refer to this phenomenon as the meat sweats.

(hottie turned hag) #4

Postprandial flushing is a documented phenomenon and not fully understood; it’s reported by diabetics more often than non- but can and does happen seemingly randomly to anyone. I experience this myself; irrespective of the meal contents, if I have gone a long time without eating -thus depleting glycogen stores- I will have a pp flush apx 30 min-2h after eating a large meal.

My personal theory is it is a corrective attempt by the vascular system secondary to the diverting of blood flow to the gut after a large meal is consumed. It is a vasomotor response, not an inflammatory one.

(Polly) #5

My usual routine is a 16:8 intermittent fasting/time restricted eating window regime. Until very recently, I worked in a building without central heating and we all had electric radiators/radiant heaters under our own control. I used to find that I needed the heater on in my office in the morning (especially during the winter months) but in the hour after lunch I would have a sudden internal heating boost, and would not need the heater again for the rest of the day.

#6

I have the same issue. I’ve been on keto about 11 months now and a couple of weeks ago I began feeling my body heat up toward the end of meals. I eat a late lunch and supper, no breakfast. It’s very uncomfortable as my skin begins to glisten (light sweat).

At first I thought it might be menopausal sweats, but don’t really think so. I have lost a LOT of fat and I figure there are hormones being released from the fat that is being used up now, but who really knows? It also can happen when I become active, for a few minutes and then goes away.

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #7

OK so I guess no clear cut answer to why these heat waves occur. I will keep on with Keto life and shortening the eating window so that I always have my large meal at least 4-5 hours before bedtime.

(hottie turned hag) #8

Nope. It’s a phenomenon. If we examine what’s actually happening, we have vasodilation occurring systemically (not localized). One then looks at why this would occur postprandially.
We know that after a heavy meal blood flow to the gut increases. So I feel this may play a role.
There may also be an endocrinologic component as this is more commonly reported in diabetics as I said above.

The actual physiologic response of vasodilation in this exmple is harmless, though annoying (trust me I know as I experience this, it sucks). But why is it happening? Why does it happen to you and me and not to Tom, Dick or Harry? Individual biochemistry that is subtly different is why.

I’ve looked all round for theories (my degree is in med sci so I know where to look that laypersons may not) and found very few.

#9

It could be the “meat sweats” you’re having? They are the result of the increased thermogenesis digesting and processing protein sources.

(Brian) #10

Lots of similarities here.

We usually eat breakfast in the 7:00am ish area because that’s when we can… either before going to work or before going to church most days. It’s not that we have a particular time set but that’s when it works out in the schedule. How hungry we are and how big or small often relates to the previous day’s supper, large or small, early or late. It’s not planned, but hunger levels dictate whether it’s big or small or just coffee.

Supper is often later, like 4:30 to 5:30, again, because that’s usually when it works. Honestly, we like it earlier and often do eat earlier when the schedule permits. Yesterday, we ate “supper” at about 2:30pm. And since breakfast happened to be at about 7:00am and was pretty small, it felt right. Even with an early supper, snacking isn’t an issue if we’ve eaten well, which usually means sufficient protein.

As far as the “heat after meals”, my wife doesn’t really notice it much but I do. I find that for me it depends on what I ate and to some extent, how much. Fish, I rarely have large portions of since it’s expensive and I never notice the heat afterwards. Chicken or turkey doesn’t cause the heating for me unless I overeat it. Beef, lamb or bison will definitely cause the internal thermostat to get turned up, especially if I’ve eaten a larger portion of it. I have no idea why, honestly, but it does happen for me. Sometimes, it’s kind of a delayed reaction, though, as it has happened that I’ll eat at 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening and end up waking up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning very hot. If I’ve overeaten, I have sometimes had a higher heart rate along with the heat but nothing all that alarming. A trip to the bathroom (since I’m already awake) and letting the cool air cool me down drops the heart rate back down to normal. Again, don’t know why, but they are things I’ve noticed, which might be a little alarming if I hadn’t seen it happen before.

As we’ve been on keto for about a year and a half, going on 2 years now, our eating has changed noticeably. And even our heavy protein meals have gotten smaller. We just don’t eat as much food as we used to. So overeating hasn’t been quite the problem that it was in the earlier days of keto. We find that satiation happens with less food than it used to and in the day-to day, we tend to listen better. When we overeat, it tends to be at times when it’s in a social setting, where there is way more food than normal and it’s particularly delicious. Thankfully, that’s only occasional for us.

Anyway, just sharing. :slight_smile:

(hottie turned hag) #11

Has been reported and is my personal experience it occurs no matter the protein content of the meal; though again, individual rections shall widely vary :slightly_smiling_face:

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #12

I get blood work done regularly due to low levels of vitamin D, I have twice had higher then normal blood sugar, both times I had a large mid of the night feast of ice cream, chocolate, crispy chips and jelly beans. Then had blood work done in the morning. Those time I was not tested on fasting stomach, that is what my doctor calls it. No meals or drinks except water for 12 hours before blood work. Other then those two times my blood sugar level have been just fine. So I highly doubt I got diabetes. But I do believe I got some insulin related problems. My weight is primarily “spare tire” so around my waist .

I have high hope for increasing the vitamin D level now, as I started with cod liver oil in the morning and are eating 3-4 meals a week from fatty fishes. Like mackerel, salmon and trout, I’ve also have 1 avocado 4-5 times a week, I’ve heard that high intake of omega 3 and fat in general can play a role in upping the vitamin D level, but I haven’t found any science to back that. Maybe you know something about that?

Blood pressure, well we just have to wait and see. For now I am on blood pressure pills.

I guess all I can do regarding heat waves is keeping taking notes and keep up with the keto life style. I will try to make it though this week without making any changes, if them heat flashes keep on rolling on in the evening I will tighten the eating window, and do 20:4 next week on. I am actually thrilled with the no hunger and craving part of Keto life. So I am pretty sure doing 20:4 will be easy peasy. Because already I got to remind myself to remember to eat - and trust me when I say this. I haven’t missed many meals in my time. :smiley:

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #13

I struggle adapting the early dinner routine. For years I’ve been eating dinner late. Like after 8 pm and before 11 pm. It’s a southern european thing, these late meals. And it is hard to reprogram my brain to be hungry between 4-6 pm. But I will do my best and try to stick to it, after a while I should get used to it.

Breakfast I used to really enjoy in the weekends. During the week mostly just coffee or quick sandwich with deli meat or PB or mackerel spread. In the weekend I used to cook large breakfast. Egg, bacon, toast, sausages, sometimes pancakes or croissants with very sweet home made blueberry marmelade. Now I do fatty coffee and I don’t really miss the breakfast, not even during weekends. Maybe because I am lazy too, that fatty coffee takes a minute or two to make and it is a whole meal. For real. Fatty coffee really fills me up, I love coffee and it taste even better when I add some heavy cream to the mct and coconut oil.

For social settings I think I will be just plain blunt. If there ain’t fatty choices without carbs I will have a coffee and add one of the instant fatty coffee bags to it. I am too old to care what other people think, or if they get their feelings hurt. And I really don’t feel like explaining the whole Keto idea of living to people that don’t know about it. So if they think of me as a freak that’s fine. Maybe I get fewer invitations - and that would be a personal victory really. For years I’ve been kind of tired of some of the social gatherings where you feel obligated to attend to.

(Wendy) #14

Are you able to get any sun? I remember watching a Dr Boz video where she was able to get her father’s very low vitamin D up by having him use a tanning bed. It was impressive how well it worked!

(hottie turned hag) #15

I don’t know much about that, nutritional stuff isn’t really my bag but many folks on here are very wise about nutrition and may chime in, I’ll tag @CarlKeller and @Karim_Wassef who are both great sources of all things keto.

Wish I could advise on how to eliminate them but after I started getting them I researched a lot and found just vague theories; it’s harmless and not THAT common so not something likely to be pursued for study. I had hot flashes with menopause back in 2012 and these feel very different; if you tell a doc he’ll likely try to convince you they’re menopausal hot flashes if you’re anywhere over 40 :rofl:

Mine are more likely to occur after a fast followed by a heavy meal, contents thereof not a factor, but quantity is. If I eat a ton at once as is my wont, they occur 8/10 times vs if I have just something small.

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #16

Sadly I have tried everything for improving my D vitamin levels. More sun, light exposure in a clinic from artificial light, and D vitamins. It went up fra just below 30 ish to closer to 50 ish. But is supposed to be above 75 ish. Don’t know what metrics they used, just remember the numbers.

What I haven’t tried before is to eat healthier meals, consuming more fat along with daily sun light and d-vitamin supplement. Hopefully this keto life is the winning ticket. We will know in about a month when I do the next blood work.

(Wendy) #17

I think the type of fat is very important for vitamin D synthesis so hopefully you will find this will help. I avoid those seed oils like the plague now.

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #18

It is really hard to describe those heat waves really. Because it is like nothing I’ve experienced before. When it hits my feet I can feel my feet, legs and thighs are getting very hot. Like so hot I must strip down to boxers or remove the comforter if already in bed. It has been worst below the torso.

Maybe the gunk from blood veins are getting flushed out now that I am not spiking insulin levels and are getting plenty of healthy fat? So that blood flow is increased?

(hottie turned hag) #19

No. This is not why. The vascular system doesn’t work that way. It’s a vasomotor response. Triggered somehow by either digestive or metabolic processes.

They ARE weird and hard to describe. When I had menopausal hot flashes, it felt like the room was suddenly hot. These feel like I am INTERNALLY hot, (but feels different to an inflammatory response) while the room temp hasn’t changed. That’s a lousy explanation I know. :stuck_out_tongue:

(Keto life n' a little hippie ) #20

I use avocado oil and coconut oil and butter. Along with fat from animals. No other oils except extra virgin olive oils, that stuff is just too tasty to throw out. I use some on green salad, while I get used to mayonnaise based dressings. Mayo I make ev olive oil. Hopefully this will increase D vitamin.