2) More About Mild Ketosis in The Cambridge Diet
    ~ Information extracted from A Manual for Health Professionals

Under normal circumstances, when we eat a regular mixed diet of carbohydrate, fat and protein with an energy content that is just enough for our body’s energy needs, the body metabolises a mixture of all three. It retains a readily available small store of energy (as glycogen in liver and muscles) and reserve larger store composed of fat (75%) and protein (25%).

On a conventional diet, the body’s glycogen is replenished from the food that is eaten. However, the The Cambridge Diet has been designed with a low level of carbohydrate so that, when someone uses the ‘Sole Source’ programme, their body is forced to use up all the glycogen in the store, and then switch over to using mainly fat for energy.

This is ketosis, and the mild ketosis that is induced on the The Cambridge Diet has a number of benefits for people trying to lose weight:

• it inhibits feelings of hunger
• it generates a feeling of well-being
• the creation of ketones is believed to prevent the body from using lean protein for energy
• it helps to speed up weight loss

Unfortunately, the ketosis threshold is hard to gauge, and it varies between individuals. Some people using ‘Sole Source’ may only just be in ketosis, which means that any extra carbohydrate in their diet will take them out of ketosis. The glycogen store will start to fill up again; the body will stop burning fat, and will switch back to using carbohydrate. Such a break in ketosis can have a number of consequences.

Firstly, hunger returns— often suddenly and very strongly. It can lead to a real binge, which will stock up the carbohydrate store even more! (This store will have to be used up before ketosis re-starts.) But worse is to come: because every molecule of glycogen attracts 3 molecules of water, an extra 500g of glycogen carries a ‘load’ of around 1500g of water - which is very heavy!

So, not only does the body stop burning fat, it also starts to retain water. The fallen dieter not only feels ravenously hungry and bad about ‘cheating’, but the scales will also give bad news: the weight loss will stop or the weight may even increase. This is extremely discouraging, and could lead someone to give up the Diet.

The Cambridge Diet has been carefully formulated to provide a low level of carbohydrate, which is just right to keep the body in a mild ketosis. But it needs to be followed strictly. Any additional carbohydrate may be sufficient to take the person out of ketosis. This could be as insignificant as a spoonful of sugar, a slice of lemon, a drop of milk, an apple or some vegetables. This will leads to failure in your sole source nutritious diet plan. This is because the carbohydrates in the food will prevent ketosis from happening, or metabolizing the ketose which had already formed. This means that the body will stop metabolizing carbohydrates, and hence leading to slower or total cessation of weight loss. Carbohydrates will lead to food craving in a person who fast, instead of fulfilling the need for food. Hence, the person will be unable to resist the temptation of food, and keep on eating and eating.

Under normal circumstances, when we eat a regular mixed diet of carbohydrate, fat and protein with an energy content that is just enough for our body’s energy needs, the body metabolises a mixture of all three. It retains a readily available small store of energy (as glycogen in liver and muscles) and reserve larger store composed of fat (75%) and protein (25%).

The glycogen stores (which average about 400g) are used first during any period when the food intake is less than energy utilisation. Then, as the glycogen stores are depleted, the body switches over to burn the fats for energy.
If there is no adequate supply of carbohydrate or glycogenic amino acids, the body cannot enable full metabolism of the two carbon fragments from fatty acid breakdown to take place via the Krebs (citric acid) cycle. Consequently, the ketone bodies, aceto-acetic acid and beta-hydroxy butyrid acid, form in excess amounts and circulate in the blood stream - the so called ‘ketosis’ starts.

During starvation, the occurrence of a severe ketosis is inevitable after the first 2 days. As the amount of carbohydrate is increased in subsequent diets, the level of ketosis is reduced. The amount of carbohydrate in The Cambridge Diet is just right to induce a mild ketosis after the first 2 days or so when the diet is used as the sole nutritional source.

Severe ketosis is both unpleasant and medically undesirable, because the beta-hydroxy butyric acid and aceto-acetic acid can result in an acidaemia. On the other hand, mild ketosis has no such undesirable effects. Indeed, most of us experience only minimal hunger once the ketosis process start (after about 48-72 hours on sole source programme). You will begin to feel better, the hunger will subside and you will in fact feel energetic, due to the appetite suppression and sense of well-being associated with the mild ketosis.

It is advised that you use The Cambridge Diet as the sole source of nutrition for at least the first week of your slimming programme - or at the very least for 3 days, so as to allow the body to start mobilising/utilising its fat. It is natural to crave for solids and, if you must, you can add some boiled vegetables to the soups. To flavour the drinks, coffee or tea may be added without sugar or milk.

Whilst on the sole source programme, you are required to drink at least 3 litres (3 big mineral water bottles) of sugar - free fluid (ideally water) every day. The water helps to flush away the waste products from the breakdown of fat and prevent loss of skin turgidity. Drinking less than this can lead to dehydration, which can make you feel awful - headache, weak and dizzy.

3) The Cambridge Diet Sole Source ~ How does Mild Ketosis work?

Its success is attributed to the reduction of hunger associated with ketosis. The balance of nutrients is designed to produce a beneficial state of mild ketosis - which helps speed up weight loss whilst preserving body protein, reducing hunger and giving a feeling of sense well being.

When a customer first uses the diet, the first sources of fuel for the body’s energy are the reserve stores of blood sugar (glycogen) in the liver and muscles. Then the next source of fuel is the body’s store of fat - our target. The breakdown of fat is excreted from the body in the urine as ketones.

Taking extra food can destroy all the good the diet was designed to do. Eating or drinking foods that contain carbohydrate can prevent ketosis from developing or break an established ketosis.

Those who ‘cheat’ and supplement the diet with small snacks do not develop the ketosis and hence, by virtue of increasing their intake, experience even greater hunger, a self-perpetuating problem. For those who experience the need for dietary intake, the best advice is to avoid snacks but to take a fourth helping of the diet, which avoids the breaking of ketosis.

You may continue with any vitamins and tonics you have been consuming but note that the dosages of need for certain medications, such as those for diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol levels, may need to be reviewed by your doctor.

Tests have shown a reduction of cholesterol up to 25% and of triglyceride up to 40%.

4) Ketone Test - by Dr Jill Walls ~ Test for Success
Ketones are usually present in the urine after three to four days on sole source and can easily be detected using a simple test strip - Ketostix.

•	Ketostix The ketone test can be performed after 1 1/2 to 3 days of sole source and it is recommended that you test first thing in the morning, before your first The Cambridge Diet meal.
•	Ketostix Strip 4 = Satisfactory ~ Mild Ketosis 8 = Should be treated with caution ~ Drink more fluid 16 = Too high, this indicates that you are not drinking enough fluid
•	Not drinking enough fluid can cause discomfort. In these circumstances, you must ensure that you drink more water, at least 3 litres a day.

5) Things to observe whilst on the The Cambridge Diet sole source programme
 

i.	Follow the instructions and have three servings of The Cambridge Diet to replace the three meals. - women above 173cm (5ft 8inches) and men should have four servings of The Cambridge Diet daily.
ii.	A daily intake of at least 3 litres of clean, boiled water - Extra clean water helps the body eliminate the waste matters resulting from the breakdown of fat, which takes place as you lose weight. - Should you experience discomfort arising from dehydration, restlessness, headache, weakness, fatigue, dizziness and bad moods during the sole source programme, it is because you have not drunk enough water (at least three litres a day). Eliminate the unpleasant effect straightaway by drinking more water to enjoy the wonderful experience of sole source and get closer to reaching your target. - A change in the color (darker) or smell (stronger) of the urine indicates that you have not drunk enough water. Should replenish fluids immediately.
iii.	Some people may request to take beverages such as coffee or tea during the slimming programme. This request could be accommodated, provided that it is black coffee or tea, without sugar. However, this is not encouraged for sole source programme.
iv.	Alcohol, drinks with sugar, milk and citric drinks are strictly forbidden during the sole source programme.

 

6) Importance of drinking 3 litres of water whilst on The Cambridge Diet programme
    ~ by Dr Donald S. Robertson & Carol P. Robertson ¡°The Snowbird Diet

During the course of sole source, you must drink at least 3 litres of water (two large mineral water bottles) daily, to facilitate proper functioning of your body:

7) No other food is allowed during the The Cambridge Diet sole source programme

Reject any other food and drinks (except plain water) during the sole source programme, since it will slow down your weight loss progress.
Extra food will :-
 

1.	Disrupt the mild ketosis process.
2.	Affecting the fat burning rate, and making you hungry.
3.	Besides gaining back the calories you have originally lost, excessive carbohydrate will cause water retention - you'll put on weight instantly (not because of fat).

This may be the result of merely taking :-

• A piece of biscuit ......
• A piece of finger sandwich......
• An apple ......
• A sweetened fruit juice......
• A cup of fruit and a small serving of vegetable with sugar......
• Chewing gum ......
• A glass of milkshake ......
• A cup of coffee / tea with milk ......
• Lemon / Citric acid
• Alcohol
• Diet soft drink

......which will result in the weight loss progress being stopped
 

8) Two Transitional stages of the The Cambridge Diet Sole Source programme

1st stage ~ First 3 days of the sole source programme (biological cleansing)
Excessive and improper diets, especially those high in carbohydrate, sugar, salt, MSG, together with stimulating food or drinks (such as coffee, tea and alcohol), result in the accumulation of toxins in our body. These toxins must be eliminated in order to maintain a healthy body system.

During the first 3 days on the The Cambridge Diet sole source programme, we may be in a “withdrawal mode” as we have cut off other foods. We may experience headaches, nausea, and mood swings. These are mainly transient symptoms of the biological cleansing process and can be eliminated by drinking sufficient fluids.

The duration and extent of discomfort vary according to our body constitution. Once the biological cleansing is activated, the symptoms will also gradually disappear.

Unfortunately, the symptoms resulting from biological cleansing process were often mistaken as side effects of the The Cambridge Diet programme.

2nd stage ~ 4th - 14th day of the sole source programme (detoxification)
Comparatively speaking, water-soluble waste matter is easy to eliminate. Oil soluble toxins such as drug residue, have combined with the fat in our tissue, making it very difficult to get rid of.

On the 4th day of the sole source programme when fat starts to be broken down, it is also the start of the detoxification process. The speed may vary between individuals, but the channels through which the toxins are eliminated are primarily our eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

During the course of detoxification, some of us may notice a significant increase of excretion or secretion and recurrence of existing health problems, which may cause discomfort in the related organs, such as liver, intestine, stomach, lumbago and joints. As long as you follow the above guidelines, you’ll be able to handle the physical and psychological changes brought about by the process.

The symptoms of toxin elimination and diseases could be similar. It’s important to have faith and not give up. Otherwise, the toxins will continue to be accumulated in your body, and all the efforts made will be wasted.