The thing i find most helpful when entering a phase of fasting for any reason, is already being in ketosis. Theres a period of transition where you have low energy and possibly headaches aka the ‘keto flu’ as your body is transitioning to a fat burning state and if you get through this while still eating it can be easier than suffering this while also being hungry. It also means that by the time the fasting starts your hunger levels are pacified and the whole process is easier and more pleasant.
To ensure i was in a state of ketosis in the week leading up to my colonoscopy/endoscopy I ate the following, while also being strict with snacks and only having coffee using our keto milk (black coffee is of course always ok too)
Almost all of these dishes are in our up and coming book ‘simply planned’ and its not. ateaser its just because my prep week happened to follow on from a photoshoot day and the great thing about photoshoot days is we have lots of leftover food at the end. You could choose any of the meals from our current books or website or follow our 7 day mealplan to get you there
Sat – Lamb cauliflower biriyani, Salmon, asparagus, cauli puree
Sun – Chicken and mushroom soup, rosemary garlic chicken bake
Mon – Lamb biriyani, rosemary garlic chicken bake
Tuesday- chicken prep salad, steak, cauli bake, broccoli, mushroom sauce, electrolytes
Weds – Chicken prep salad, boiled egg, cheese, pickles, pork belly, broccoli, ricotta cannelloni, electrolytes
Thursday – mushroom and spinach gnocchi, almond hummus and crackers, leftover roast pork belly, cauli bake, broccoli, electrolytes
Fri – ricotta and chorizo frittata, sausage, almond hummus and celery, fat head pizza (lamb mince, mint yoghurt), low carb chocolate mousse, electrolytes
Sat – chicken prep salad, chicken curry, electrolytes
Sun – fat head pizza (ham, onion, tomato, capsicum), chicken curry, electrolytes
Now comes the fun part, now the prep notes the doctor sends you vary from doctor to doctor and this is just my own prep sheets. So based on what i was allowed, and the time of day (morning) my procedure was, this is how i got through those three days prior.
Day 1 prep (3 days before)
Doctors notes – Avoid high fibre foods such as bran, seeds, wholemeal bread, grainy cereals, and vegetables
Compliant options from the list – eggs, tea/coffee, clear soups (broth), chicken/turkey (no skin), avocado, herbal tea, jelly (own made with herbal tea and gelatin, sweetened with erythritol)
Specifically not allowed – vegetables, fruit, butter, oil, crackers, meat, fish, food colouring, cereals, wholemeal bread, cheese.
My menu – AM – tea with milk
Prep – 6 eggs steamed in the mixer, 500g water, eggs in basket, varoma temp / 13 minutes / speed 2 / mc on
Put on a large stock pot with 6 chicken drumsticks, parsley stalks, 2 onions, 200g celery, water. Simmer for 3 hours. Remove the chicken meat, eat later with broth if hungry (but not the skin). Strain and season broth.
Mid morning – Coffee with dash of milk
Midday – 2 boiled eggs, ½ an avocado, dressed with salt and lemon juice
Afternoon– Clear broth with chicken, cup of tea
Dinner – Chicken breast seasoned with salt, pan fried, served with avocado and lemon juice, pint soda water
Day 2 prep (2 days before) same as day 1 foods
Doctors notes – Avoid high fibre foods such as bran, seeds, wholemeal bread, grainy cereals, and vegetables
Compliant options from the list – eggs, tea/coffee, clear soups (broth), chicken/turkey (no skin), avocado, herbal tea, jelly (own made with herbal tea and gelatin, sweetened with erythritol)
Specifically not allowed – vegetables, fruit, butter, oil, crackers, meat, fish, food colouring, cereals, wholemeal bread, cheese.
AM – tea with milk
*
will make jelly today so will write down recipe as i make it
3 tea bags, 400g boiling water, 6 tsp gelatin, 70g erythritol, 200g cold water
Brew the tea, remove tea bags, dissolve gelatin and erythritol, top up with cold water, set in fridge.
mid morning – coffee with dash of milk
1030 – cup of broth heated and then stirred in an egg (like drop soup)
Midday, 2 cups broth with a dash of milk (just to make it different) with half the remaining chicken from making the broth, dropped an egg in to poach too, this might not be everyones ‘cup of tea’ but i enjoy poached eggs in soup. I am currently pondering why greek natural yoghurt would not be ok today – its just milk, not high fat, pure white, not high fibre, might give them a call as that would be really satisfying right now
Afternoon if hungry – clear broth with remaining chicken, cup of tea
Between 4pm-6pm drink mag citrate powder and take 3 bisacodyl tablets
Dinner – Chicken breast seasoned with salt, pan fried, served with avocado and lemon juice, pint soda water
Two spare boiled eggs for snacks if needed, and another option for snack if eggs are allowed on your list is simmer a small pot of seasoned broth, add shredded chicken and spin the broth with a spoon. Lightly scramble an egg then slowly pour it into the simmering pot while gently spinning the broth to swirl the egg as it cooks.
Day 3 prep (1 day before)
Allowed, herbal tea, tea, coffee, jelly, broth
My menu – own made jelly, broth, black tea, ketones – I struggled a bit today, I had a cup of black tea in the morning and only one cup of broth and some of the jelly today, plus a pint of sparkling with a ketone sachet and two panadol for the headache.
Plus 4pm-7pm drink 3litres of Glycoprep
Day of procedure – Fast from midnight nil by mouth.
The final piece of the puzzle, when you wake up from the procedure they will likely bring you a much welcomed cup of tea and a plate of sandwiches. Whenever I have day procedures i take my own little packed lunch and say no thanks to the sandwiches, multiple times I’ve had nurses laugh in delight at having never seen it before and this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I don’t have much in the fridge this time, last time I took our kaleslaw and this time It’s just a few things I had in the fridge, I’ve prepared this now as I’m about to start the glycoprep and I cant see myself heading back into the kitchen again today! Nothing much about this process is pleasant however it is necessary so please don’t put it off if you’ve been told you need one!
Again, each doctor seems to have slightly different rules around what you can and cant eat, so this is based purely on my experience. Here are the documents i was given than i have used to guide me. Remember, I’m not saying staying keto is more important than good bowel prep, im saying you can have both, and if you do, it makes the fasting easier. At the end of the day if you just want to eat rice just do what you have to do to get the best result, its only three days and then you can literally start fresh!!
