A ketogenic lifestyle is a very low carb, high fat regime, which involves significantly reduced carbohydrate intake replaced with fat.

To not have carbs (carbohydrates) means not having bread, pasta, or any flour, for example, cake, rice, or potatoes. It also entails not eating sugar or drinking sodas.

What most people do not understand is that this also involves not having fruit or fruit juices as a general category.

People then wonder how they will get the vitamins that they are accustom getting from fruit. These vitamins will be supplied in sufficient quantity by the fresh vegetables that you will be consuming daily. All your micronutrient requirements will be fully met.

You will be required to take certain supplements on the LWES Programme. These include potassium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B complex. In addition to this, you will be required to purchase high-quality sea salt or Himalayan salt and Apple Cyder Vinegar – also known as ACV. We recommend this because even though you will be able to consume the quantity of fresh vegetables every day that is required, these mineral supplements will make up for any shortfall. The purpose of the apple cider vinegar will become apparent as the LWES Programme goes on.

Very simply put, Intermittent Fasting (IF), means you will be required to only feed (which is eating) within a certain window (time) in the day. You get to choose when you want to start to eat. The initial requirement would be for you to stop eating within 8 hours of your first meal and then we will progress to have you stop eating within six hours of your first meal. Eventually you will progress to Prolonged Fasting (PF). Here, you will go 24 hours plus without eating.

During the periods of fasting, you will be allowed to have coffee or tea – preferably black, water, sparkling water, all with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. This applies to both IF and PF.

Usually this creates another set of concerns.

Most people rightly believe that they cannot go 24 hours and certainly not 36, 48 or 72 hours without eating. They are correct. In their current state, their body relies on carbohydrates and sugars for energy. Your reserve of carbohydrate energy is only about 4000 Kilocalories. This will be depleted within a day or two. When you start to reduce this store of carbohydrates, your body triggers the hunger sensation as a caution, telling you that are running out of energy. This is like the low fuel light on your car’s dashboard. You may be aware that fat has significantly more calories than sugar. The issue is that we have been eating so many carbohydrates, and so frequently, that we have never been able to access our fat stores, which would typically be over 40,000 kilo calories.

Here is the key element of the LWES Programme. Training our body to become Fat Adapted, meaning, being able to use Fat as the primary source of fuel!!!

We can then burn the fat stores, reduce weight, improve health, improve wellbeing, and start once again to Live Well by Eating Smart!

The answer is no! And this is of paramount importance. We strongly recommend that if you are not ready to attempt to comply with these requirements, you should really reconsider joining the LWES Programme. It will be difficult at times. It is not a matter of having enough motivation or willpower. I appreciate the difficulties that you will face because we have faced them, our clients currently face them, and we have all been able to overcome these challenges. The reason why this is so important is that this process involves biochemical reactions within the body. If these processes are interrupted by the inclusion of any carbohydrates or alcohol, it will be disrupted, so it is especially important, at least for the first few weeks, that you maintain a strict adherence to these basic guidelines.