Thread: Some questions about nitrates and sugar free foods

Forgive me if the answers to these questions are mentioned somewhere else in the forum, or in the DANDR (which I've read to the point of chapter 12 "Time to Review Your Results", since I haven't reached that part yet) I just didn't see any SPECIFICS about these questions in it... I've just been a little confused and could use some further clarification.

I know that nitrates are something to avoid in bacon, ham, etc.. but what about sodium nitrate? I find sodium nitrate in every bacon or ham package I look at. This may be a stupid question, but are nitrates different than sodium nitrates? I look at the carb count, and they're about 1 gram of carbs per serving.. so I figure they're okay, and I put those little pre-cooked bacon bits over salads.. I figure that's alright, even though it has sodium nitrates in it. Am I ruining induction by doing this? Do I have to start over?

Also, salad dressing is another thing I've been thinking about. I use a spicy ranch dressing currently that only has 1 gram of carb per serving (which is 2 tablespoons), but then I look under it and see that it has a gram of sugar in it? Is that going to throw me off if I consume it? Because on the atkins website it says you can have ranch dressing on induction, as long as it's 2 or 1 grams of carbs per serving.. or something like that I believe. I'm definitely staying under my 20 carbs a day and eating protein, fats, veggies & salad.. drinking lots of water, so I'm just wondering if this is going to affect the induction phase at all by eating this salad dressing with my salad. I can't find ranch dressing without that "1 gram" at least of sugar in it.

Another question.. is it okay to eat sugar-free jello on induction? It has no carbohydrates, but it has aspartame in it. Also, what about Crystal Light? Or Fresca? They all have aspartame, but no carbs. There are studies that say that aspartame is harmful if consumed in high amounts, but what about small amounts? Like a class of Crystal Light or a can of fresca a day, or one sugar free jello package?

I've been also hearing that Splenda is bad for you, but in the DANDR it states that it's made from sugar, and safe. I just want to know what some of your personal experiences or thoughts/opinions are about these things..

Has anyone tried those Slim Fast low carb shakes? They're just like the Atkins ones, I believe.. are they still safe for induction? The ones I have are only 2 carbs per can.

Also, is sugar-free gum okay to eat on induction? It has sugar alcohols, as you may know.. in many of the brands. Anyone have a specific brand they use to recommend?

I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right this time around..

Thanks..

Vilyt, hi and welcome to LCE!
First of all.....take a deep breath and relax! Reading DANDR is a very good start and congrats on reading the book for your plan
Next, I'll try and answer your questions...let's see...
Nitrates...one and the same as sodium nitrates/nitrites. Almost all cured, smoked or processed meats(lunch meats) have these preservatives in them. That is why alot of folks try to avoid large amounts of processed meats...think fresh here...like cook yourself up a big roast of beef, or extra drumsticks to snack on during the week.
Next, yes, sf jello is OK for induction, but...some folks feel they cannot get rid of their cravings if they are still eating something sweet, so they stay away from *sweet* treats. Personally, it helped me to stay ON plan; having that serving of sf jello with a dab of whipped cream or a small blob of cream cheese on top...it was a little piece of heaven

Salad dressings will have some naturally occuring *sugar grams* in them...just make sure your dressing is 3 carbs or less for a 2T serving...Ranch and a creamy Caesar are both popular, (full fat) is totally OK!

Diet drinks...water is best, but you can have soft drinks with aspartame,. Again, some folks feel they stall with aspartame. My reason for not using it is I just don't like the taste that much, and I don't think it's all that healthy.
After you meet your *quota* of water for the day, treat yourself to a diet drink or better yet, a tall glass of green iced tea, or hot if you prefer.

On the ready made shakes...I used Atkins or AdvantEdge. Just make sure they are low carb and have no sugar in them. I only use shakes as an emergency meal or if I can't take the time for a better snack.

SF gum usually has 1-2 carbs per stick. Since you only get 20 carbs on induction, I found I'd rather spend my 2 carbs on some cheese or veggies...way more filling, IMO.
Same goes for sf mints...always read the labels...

Hope this has answered your questions. The folks here are very helpful, so just hollar if you have more questions, ask for help if you need it, and most of all...
Good luck on your weight loss journey! The key to success, IMO is reading your book, eating on plan, drinking your water, and adding in exercise. Just those 4 little things will get you started on the road to better health!

HTH

hello vilyt.

can't add too much to shelley's helpful info. (but that never stopped me before. har!)

some of us do eat bacon, meats etc. with nitrates in it without problems. like most things, though, i try not to overdo. (don't make it with everything, but i said i try!) anything processed, though, as shelley pointed out, is not going to be a good for ya as natural stuff. the other thing to be aware of is that processed stuff, particularly with sodium, can lead to retaining water.

sf-jello_i would never have made it through induction without that stuff. yeah, i was jonesin' for something sweet and bad, and yeah, maybe it's not best to feed the sweet-beast, but it kept me from going off-plan without doing significant damage to my progress, so i counted it as a yes.

and aspertame is like many things: individuals react individually to it. i don't eat much of it because i don't care for the taste so much and at higher amounts, it causes headaches for me. some people feel it slows losses for them, some don't. if it's not creating a problem for you and you like it in whatever it's in, i wouldn't be concerned. of course, get your water in before you start pounding down the crystal lite!

on splenda, the biggest warning i would give is make sure you count the carbs and calories. it's not a "free" food. i count packets as 1/2 carb each, though some count them as one. (the can say 0 becuase it's below 1). in recipes, a cup of powered splenda has 96 calories and 24 grm. carbs. as far as problems go or it being bad for you, i'm not aware of specific problems people have had with splenda other than maybe overindulgence, so i can't speak to that directly.

and i'd be careful about the sugar alcohols in general. while atkins says they are ok, different ones impact people differently and some have nasty side effects. for most of them, i count them as 1/2 off what they say. so if it says 8 grams of sugar alcohols, i may subtract 4 grms from the carb total, not the entire 8. this works better for me.

but all of this is a learning experience. you keep watching to see how things work for you and making course corrections along the way and you'll do fine. good luck with your restart.

Just one word on the Splenda - if you can get liquid Splenda, it's 0 carbs. Or FiberFit from netrition.com, which is diluted liquid Splenda with fiber added. DaVinci sugar free syrups are also Splenda sweetened, and 0 carbs. But if you use the bulk, you have to count 24 carbs per cup! Ouch!