How absolute is "if it fits your macros"?

(James Willis) #1

I’ll do more research on this as I go along, but I felt like this was a question worth asking. Are there things I should simply not put in my body under any circumstances, regardless of IIFYM? As in, even if I diligently stay below the 20 g mark for carbs? (being a pretty big guy I probably could actually have slightly more than that, but I’m going to err on the safe side). I am of course avoiding sugar- but, just for an example, my local store had a sale on these pretty good quality sausages (large kielbasa type) which have 2 grams of sugar, but that’s together with 34 GRAMS of fat for each sausage! So I took the liberty of concluding that it would be worth it. Also, I know almost all bacons are cured with some sugar, but by looking at the packages, clearly the amount is neglible as long as you’re not dealing with “maple-cured” or some other obvious offender. Other caveats I decided on for myself is no HFCS whatsoever (not one nanogram of that nastiness!) and of course no trans fats either. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

(Ken) #2

You’re fine. Those few carbs can be considered incidental. It’s like the trace carbs found in fibrous veggies, or even the trace glycogen found in meat. It’s more of an issue of things like fruit and starchy veggies and grains, as well as prepared foods with carb-fat combinations. As you go on and restore insulin sensitivity, you’ll be able to eat more carbs and still remain in lipolysis. Keep your fat macro up to make sure you’re sated.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Here is a note of caution that may or may not apply in your case:

The problem with sucrose is that it is a molecule of glucose bonded with a molecule of fructose. The glucose will have an effect on your insulin level, and the fructose will not; however, fructose can only be metabolized in the liver, and the liver can safely handle only small amounts of fructose at a time.

If you eat an apple, for example, the fiber in the apple will slow down the absorption of the fructose to a rate the liver can handle, and you can’t possibly eat enough apples to get too much fructose in too short a time frame. If you drink a soda, however, the fructose in it hits the liver all at once and leads to fat production, the Maillard reaction, and inflammation.

The medical saying is “The dose determines the poison,” since anything can be deadly in too great a quantity. (People have died from drinking too much water, for example.) So it’s a judgement call: you have to decide if the quantity is small enough that you are willing to risk the possible consequences. Bear in mind that fructose has the same effect as ethanol on the nucleus accumbens, the reward center in the brain, so that if you are susceptible to sugar addiction, even a small quantity might lead to bingeing and other undesirable results. As a sugar addict, I choose not to risk this, because “carb creep” is a real risk for me. You, on the other hand, might not find it to be a problem.

We all have biochemistries different enough that a certain amount of experimentation is required. As a recovering alcoholic, I know addiction from the inside, and I choose not to risk triggering my sugar addiction. It’s what works for you.

(Richard Hanson) #4

I was rather angry when I red the label on the sausage I was eating. I then went online and looked at a lot of sausage labels and found that most, almost all, sausages have some form of added sugar. Mrs. Hanson found me some Boar’s Head kielbasa that had no added sugar.

I would cook a breakfast of eggs and kielbasa for myself, and eggs and some other sausage for my children and the biggest difference I noted is how the sausage browned and how it smelled when cooking. I posit that the added sugar is to enhance the cooking aroma and browning.

The modern reality is that foods are engineered to optimize profit by increasing sales and lowering costs. Added sugar is a low cost ingredient and a public habituated to the small and taste of caramelized sugars is going to demonstrate an organoleptic preference for such products. What is or is not truly healthy is likely only a very minor concern in food science.

My Board’s Head is perhaps 2x the cost and not at all a value product and likely only purchased by a small percentage of the population that, I suspect, is probably attracted by premium brand snob appeal rather then people seeking a product without any added sugars. Many Boar’s Head products, most, also contain added sugar. We live in an ocean of sugar and unless a person is so extraordinarily affluent as to be able to have all of their foods custom made, a bespoke diet, then I think it is not going to be possible to completely eliminate all sugars from the diet. Nor do I think it necessary. It is not at all difficult to remove the vast majority of sugars from the diet.

Best Regards,
Richard

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

You’re no doubt quite right. It’s called the Maillard reaction, after the French chef who first made use of it.

(Richard Hanson) #6

Thanks PaulL,

It is a bad day when I do not learn anything new.

Best Regards,
Richard

(James Willis) #7

thanks for the informative response, Richard

boy, ain’t that the truth!

(James Willis) #8

PaulL I see where you’re getting at there, and it sounds like a smart strategy. But, so far I feel like I’m not having any trouble with the incidental sugars, despite the indisputably addictive nature of sugar. thanks for sharing the info

(Siobhan) #9

For stuff like that, I put it in the <20g bank. It’s 2g, about as much or less than what you would get from some veg.
I do try to avoid anything with refined grains, or HFCS for example because those things do not make me feel good.
Keto is a lifestyle so ask - how does this make me feel? Is this sustainable? Does this trigger cravings? Does this trigger hunger?

In sausage you’ll be hard pressed to find any without sugar unless you make it yourself, and the amount is so little imo it’s not worth worrying over unless it’s some ridiculous amount of sugar like 5g/sausage or something

Don’t sweat it unless it makes you feel, physically, bad or unless you feel that 2g is important to you.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

As I said, it’s about what works for you.

(James Willis) #11

since you mentioned Boar’s head: have you ever had Boar’s Head mortadella? It’s the Italian bologna. It’s fattier than normal bologna, zero carbs and it tastes amazing

(Richard Hanson) #12

Thanks for the tip James. I have not tried the Boar’s Head mortabella, but it is going on the list of things to try. I am continually looking for ways to increase the fat content of items I am eating.

Best Regards,
Richard