4 replies to this topic

[dumbdumb]

Hello! Thanks for reading!

Sorry to ask some terribly simple questions, but I wish to give a super-low-carb diet a try, and was wondering whether I would goof it with some of my usual eating habits maintained.
So I submit them in a list here, and ask that you please let me know which are detrimental to my goal.

1. I stir fry very often, and use a modest amount of corn starch in my marinades and sauces.

2. The sauces aforementioned typically have a substantial though not excessive amount of sugars in them, though these are my only real sources of processed sugar in the course of a week.

3. I have been supplementing with glucuronolactone (bulk powder.)

4. I often brew a spice-based tea that does contain a small amount of cocoa husk. Additionally, I snack on cacao nibs throughout the day.

5. I often enjoy the following vegetables/bulbs/fungi: lettuce, cabbage, celery, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, mung bean sprouts, carrots, turnips, radishes, onions, garlic and mushrooms.

6. I tend to use substantial amounts of tomatoes and heavy dairy liquids&solids in much of my cooking, often together. Tomatoes, being berries, are high in sugar - aren't they?

7. I drink a half-cup of apple cider vinegar every day.

8. I often have pinhead (semi-milled but not pressed/rolled) oatmeal for breakfast.

9. When I stir-fry, I tend to also make rice or noodles. Must I abstain completely, or is a small amount still okay? Does it help much if I make brown rice instead of white?

10. Thanksgiving and the holiday season are coming up. Will "giving in" to a typical amount of carbohydrate intake at the two or three dinners I'll be attended throw the whole thing off, or are isolated instances like holidays okay?

11. I enjoy gin, bourbon or dark beer (porter, stout, etc.) once every 2-3 days. Do any of these contain enough sugars to be problematic?

12. Finally, sometimes when I stir fry, I cook the meat with a very light and thin batter (as with sweet and sour pork or orange chicken.) Is this all right?


Thanks very much for your taking the trouble to read and help me out with these questions, I appreciate it immensely. Bye!

Edited by dumbdumb, 06 November 2008 - 08:10 PM.

[edward]

Here is some simple advice for establishing Ketosis.

For the first two weeks only eat meat, eggs, hard cheese, green leafy vegetables and oils. Basically do it right so your body will adapt quickly no cheating etc. The easiest thing to do is to go take a look at Dr. Atkins book and follow his reccomendations for the "induction phase" which is basically two weeks of meat, eggs, cheese, green leafy vegetables and oils. Your goal is less than 20 grams of carbs a day, but seriously they sneak in so do yourself a favor and only eat meat, eggs, cheese, green leafy vegetables and oils for 2 weeks. For the first two weeks also I wouldn't worry about organic etc. just get into ketosis.

After 2 weeks then you can get creative and find the level of carbs to stay to keep in ketosis usually it is 30-40 ish grams for most people. To maximize your nutrition/carb ratio at this point things like nuts, non starchy vegetables and berries should be your source of carbs, but again at this point you can be creative. Then you should look into choosing organic/hormone free/pesticide free food sources for your fridge and cabinet and eat "atkins" at restaurants and other places.

Getting into ketosis is no fun so be prepared. I did it the first time on a break from school and work (highly recommended) if not possible then just be prepared for flu like symptoms. But after about a week for some, 2 weeks for others you will suddenly have amazing energy and no more carb cravings. Cool stuff only it takes a little time. You are basically changing the whole way your bodies metabolism works. If you like the way you feel and the way your body is working then you wont want to go back so you will naturally be vigilant not to get kicked out of ketosis.


Now on to some of your questions, if I dont answer a specific question then there is no real prob.:

After the two weeks I guess frying in a little batter or sauce would be ok just count the carbs and make sure its within your personal limit for the day to stay in ketosis, personally I think frying in any batter or sauce is a bad idea increased AGEs etc. I didn't do it back when I ate carbs, its one of those unhealthy things that well just make intuitive sense.

Tomatoes themselves are not especially high in carbs, roughly 4 grams net per tomato but once you get into puree, paste and sauces things change. Again read labels and count.

apple cider vinegar is too high in carbs to make sense in cup quantities

cut out all rice and pasta, they just dont make sense if you want to do a very low carb diet + whats the value of them? +eating a little will only ignite your appetite for more

hard liquor is fine, some say it will deepen the ketosis (beyond natural levels your body can regulate) so you actually might need to be wary if you are going to do some serious drinking, again count the carbs

again I'd cut out the batter or somehow determine the amount of carbs in them


What I have learned is that eating small amounts of grains, rice, sugar what have you will re-ignite your appetite for carbs and make you unhappy. Its easier just not to eat these things.


The vegetables you mentioned are fine just again count the carbs


As far as Thanksgiving... maybe not the ideal time to start very low carb... how to deal with family and friends who aren't down with other motives like life extension etc.: just tell them you are on the Atkins diet, even though that is not exactly true, they will probably understand... If you aren't overweight just tell them you are doing it for the energy and health benefits, perhaps explain the blood sugar roller coaster (my big motive for low carb), thats what I did and they understood.... then just load up on Turkey and non starchy vegetables.

Edited by edward, 07 November 2008 - 07:52 PM.

[Shepard]

My favorite way to get into ketosis is to stack up on my favorite stimulants and exercise like a bastard for a few days. It beats the misery of feeling like hell for a week on the couch.

Once into ketosis, I think you're okay for periodic small batches of carbs. I would try to eat them at restaurants to minimize the damage you can do, though. Even if you binge one day, you're not doing a lot of damage if you get back in line the next. Most people have no willpower, so this doesn't work as a dieting strategy. Just don't be like them and you'll be fine.

[edward]

My favorite way to get into ketosis is to stack up on my favorite stimulants and exercise like a bastard for a few days. It beats the misery of feeling like hell for a week on the couch.

Once into ketosis, I think you're okay for periodic small batches of carbs. I would try to eat them at restaurants to minimize the damage you can do, though. Even if you binge one day, you're not doing a lot of damage if you get back in line the next. Most people have no willpower, so this doesn't work as a dieting strategy. Just don't be like them and you'll be fine.

Very good point you need to continue to exercise to speed adaptation (burn up all the glycogen so your body is forced to use alternative fuels) the rub is you are not going to feel like exercising much during the first week. Exercising gets better. Once "adapted" I have found my my weight lifting performance to be about the same as during carbs. My endurance for lower intensity aerobic exercise heartrate less than 150 bpm to be dramatically improved. The only negative I have found is that when on carbs my interval type training was easier.

[dumbdumb]

Thanks for the great advice!
I'll ease into it for now, then get "counting grams"-serious once the holidays are over.