Two Week Liver Diet/Ketosis

Fluids: 

• Water
• Black tea with sweeteners
• Black coffee with sweeteners
• Sugar free squash
• sugar free ice pops
• sugar free jelly
• Milk (check your daily allowance)
• Diet coke (in moderation but may induce sugar cravings)

 Option 1: Liquid diet (soup and yoghurt):

• 4 cans Weight Watchers or similar brand low calorie diet soups
• 4 low fat, low sugar yoghurts (up to 200g each - sugars should be 10g or less per 100g)
• 1/3 pint (200ml) semi skimmed milk for hot drinks 

Option 2: Liquid Diet:

• 5 pints semi skimmed milk (can be flavoured with sugar free Crusha)
• 1 cup hot bovril or 1-2 chicken, beef or vegetable stock cubes in hot water   

Option 3: Liquid Meal Replacement Option:

• 5 meal replacement drinks (325ml) e.g. Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast, Tesco, Ultraslim
• Fluids from the section above

Option 4: Milk and yoghurt diet:

• 4 low fat, low sugar yoghurts (up to 200g each - sugars should be 10g or less per 100g)
• 2 pints (1140ml) semi skimmed milk (can be flavoured with sugar free Crusha)
•  1 cup hot bovril or 1-2 chicken, beef or vegetable stock cubes in hot water

Option 5: Low fat, low sugar, low carb whole food diet:

Carbohydrate Allowance (maximum 50g per portion):

• Potato
• One slice of bread
• Two crisp breads
• Plantain (green banana)
• Yam
• Taro
• Cooked rice
• Gari
• Pasta or noodles
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Celeriac
• Swede
• Radishes
• Beetroot
• Peas
• Sweetcorn
• Baked beans
• Lentils or pulses
• Green beans
• Other green vegetables

Protein:

• 1 serving of cooked lean meat or fish (50g)
• 1 serving of low fat cheese (30g)
• 2 eggs
• 1 single portion of Tofu or Quorn based vegetarian dish e.g. a burger, sausage or mince

Vegetables and Salads (do not choose from the carb list):

• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Courgettes
• Runner Beans

Daily allowance in addition to the above:

• 1/3 pint of milk (200ml) for use in drinks and on cereal
• 2 portions of fruit e.g. apple, orange, banana, pear etc
• 1 low fat, low sugar yoghurt (up to 200g - sugars should be 10g or less per 100g)

Breakfast: 
Small bowl of cereal (45g) with no added sugar or one slice of toast with low fat spread used sparingly

Lunch:
Carbohydrate:

Choose from the carb allowance list above - 50g portion which is approx 2 tablespoons or the size of a large egg

Protein:

50g portion of cooked lean meat or fish or 30g portion of low fat cheese or 2 eggs, not fried

Vegetable:

Green salad with tomatoes, cucumber etc (no dressing) or vegetables from the list above 

Dinner:

Carbohydrate:

Choose from the carb allowance list above - 50g portion which is approx 2 tablespoons or the size of a large egg

Protein:

50g portion of cooked lean meat or fish or 30g portion of low fat cheese or 2 eggs, not fried or single portion of Tofu or Quorn based vegetarian dish

Vegetable:

Choose from the vegetable list above

KETOSIS

If you are on a low-carbohydrate diet, then you will most likely enter a state called ketosis. Attaining ketosis is essential for weight loss in these types of diets, which are based on chemical reactions in the body that use up your stored fat.

What is Ketosis?

Ketosis is the name for a state achieved in a low-carbohydrate diet. When you are in ketosis, it means your body is burning fat for energy. When you eat a low-carbohydrate diet, you minimize the amount of blood glucose present after you eat. In the absence of blood glucose, the body does not release insulin to return to normal blood sugar levels. With no insulin (which is a fat storage hormone) present, your body burns stored fat as its primary fuel. When that happens, your body releases ketones into your bloodstream, and you are in ketosis. This state may cause a host of temporary symptoms. It will also show up in your urine as ketones.

Understanding Ketosis Symptoms


Many dieters develop ketosis symptoms that let them know ketones are present. For many people beginning a low carb diet, ketosis kicks in after a few days with minimal carbohydrate intake. In fact, most low-carbohydrate plans have an initial phase in which dieters take in extremely low amounts of carbohydrates (usually less than 25 grams per day) in order to kick start ketosis.
You can test for the presence of ketones in the urine using ketosis strips. Many symptoms may also indicate that your body is in ketosis.

Early Stages

Ketosis symptoms change depending how long you've been in the state. In the early stages of ketosis, the symptoms may be a bit unpleasant. However, as your body adapts to the presence of ketones in the bloodstream, symptoms lessen and change. Early ketosis symptoms usually last for several days or up to a week in some people. This typically continues until the body is used to burning fat instead of glucose. After the several days, the levels of ketones in the body will lessen, but that does not mean you are no longer losing weight. It simply means your body has found a balance and is no longer producing excess ketones.
 
Early stage symptoms include the following:

• Tiredness or fatigue
• Headache
• Feeling thirsty all the time
• Dry mouth
• Ketosis breath, which smells vaguely fruity and not terribly pleasant
• Metallic taste in the mouth, particularly on the back of the tongue near the molars
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Nausea or stomach ache
• Sleep problems
• Cold hands and feet
• Frequent urination

 Ongoing States
 
As your body adapts to ketones, your symptoms may change or abate altogether. If you are using ketosis strips, your urine may still show ketones present, although probably in far lower concentrations. This is nothing to worry about. The amount of ketones in your urine does not correlate to the rate of weight loss.

As your body adapts to ketones, you may notice the following:

• A "buzzed" feeling
• Increased energy
• Normalized urination frequency
• Better sleep
• Euphoria
• Clear thinking

Sometimes low carb dieters never seem to reach ketosis, or at least never have the urine test strips indicate excess ketones. This could be because exercising has used up the excess ketones or the urine is diluted from drinking a lot of water. This doesn't mean these people aren't burning fat, just that they aren't registering as technically being in ketosis.

Dealing with Ketosis Symptoms
 
Ketosis is a common part of low carb dieting, but it isn't always a pleasant one. If you find yourself having trouble getting through this period, there are some things you can try that might ease symptoms:

• Snack regularly. Having a protein-rich snack like a piece of chicken may ease the headache and other symptoms.
• Take vitamins and minerals. Especially with the lack of fruits and vegetables on a low carb diet, it's vital to take a good vitamin and mineral supplement to keep your body in a healthy balance.
• Try a protein shake. Protein shakes with amino acid supplements can also be helpful for reducing symptoms of ketosis and easing this transition. Many different kinds of amino drinks are available and often are marketed to body builders.
• Drink plenty of water, which will freshen breath and keep you hydrated.

The most important thing to remember is that the unpleasant ketosis symptoms are temporary and will pass within  week or so.  Try to focus on the fact that this less-than-perfect feeling is just a sign that you are burning fat and well on your way to losing weight.