(updated 27/1020)
Use the MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) powder along with a little cod liver oil and bioactive lipids, as supplements, to assist fat-burning and energy production while keeping sugars and more complex forms of carbohydrates, such as starch very low during the day.
What to eat during the day
What you eat during the day can be any kind of food low in carbs (sugars). These can be salads, nuts, beans, eggs, fish, meat, butter, cream and oils like olive, flax and avocado. Use a teaspoon of MCT now and then during the day and this is the time to be taking a few capsules of cod liver and bioactive lipids. If you are feeling like you must eat some carbs during the day this is the cue to have a teaspoon of MCT and perhaps to eat something more substantial like an egg, some sardines with a little some olive or flax oil. These can be nicely bundled up with a leafy salad. You may be surprised at how long-lasting these kinds of meals can be for energy.
Unless you are being very active during work and play, you do not need to eat very nuch at all because most of these foods are energy and nutrient-dense.
What to eat in the evening
In the evening have a nutrient-rich meal with the traditional meat and three veggies, or vegetarian alternatives, including some carbohydrates. Yes, it can be a vegetarian meal. You don't have to be a big meat eater to do this. No matter what the meal consists of, be sure it is highly nutritious, but keep the carbs quite low. Carbohydrates, include bread, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables like potato. Go easy on all of these. Yes, have dessert which can include berries, fruit and anything else that might be a treat. Be wary of healthy foods such as yohurt that might have a lot of added sudar - read the label. You may even have a little icecream or chocolate, if you have room in your tummy for treats.
It is not just what you eat, it is how you eat
Take your time eating all of your meals. Do not rush a meal. Sit down and eat slowly. Chew your food. Do not gobble like a Labrador dog and never eat while on the run. Make sure that you eat early enough in the evening so that your tummy has finished digesting before you go to bed.
The next day repeat being close to zero carbs through to the next evening meal when you again add in some carbs. Do this habitually for most days of the week. As the weeks pass, this will become easy to do as your body adapts and you'll be feeling all the better for it.
When exercising and competing
When exercising this is when the Metabolic Energiser mixed with a teaspoon or two of MCT, plus a dash of fulvic acid can be highly beneficial to be drinking. While there is a little sugar from the blackcurrant it is not much at all and you will burn it up as it enters your circulation. This is all that I use while training and competing. But, remember, it takes several months to become a fat-adapted athlete.
In a standard 600ml sports drink bottle, add the following:
2-6 rounded teaspoons of Energiser formula (the longer you are out there, the more to add with 6 teaspoons being the maximum).
1-2 dessertspoons of fulvic acid.
1-3 rounded teaspoons of MCT powder (the powder, rather than the oil, is water soluble).
Give the mix a really good shake and you are ready to go! Take a bottle of plain water as well. Drink the Energiser mix as required for energy and follow that with a swig or two of plain water to get the right dilution within your tummy and to make up for any water loss through sweating. The more you sweat, the more you drink.
If you are not fully fat-adapted, you may need a little extra sugar while doing intense and prolonged exercise or competition.
How long does it take to become fat-adapted?
While there may be some benefits noticed by about 3-4 weeks, the benefits accrue very slowly over the months and possibly over a few years. This is why you need to adopt a way of eating that is sustainable, hence the Gentle Ketosis programme. After about three months of consistent adherence, you can expect to have almost limitless energy during the day and during exercise (for practical purposes we can all think of our fat stores as being an unlimited source of energy throughout the day, if only we have activated and exercised the mecahnisms for using it).
There is nothing unusual or extreme about Gentle Ketosis
Remind yourself that this is similar to how most of humanity used to operate: we went for long hours of physical labour without snacking. We were lean and strong. We were able to draw on our fat reserves without feeling terrible. For example, at one time I used to milk cows beginning at 4 am every day, including frosty Winter mornings. It was quite hard physical labour. There was no snacking, not even a glass of water until breakfast at about 9 am. Farm work included long hours during the day labouring out the back of the farm. Snack bars and energy drinks had not been invented. At best we got a cup of tea and a couple of scones. We thought nothing of it.
I guess we were all good fat-burners back then - before breakfast cereal, the muesli bar, MacDonalds, Burger King, the supermarket and now the high-speed blender!