Sweet taste in mouth - ketosis/fat adaptation?

#21

That could very well be. I have no doubt sugar is addictive. I believe in staying away from sugars as much as possible as our bodies don’t need it. The gammon joint I purchased, although delicious, had dextrose in it so won’t be buying it again. I try to stay clear of any processed meats, or even worse, meats with dextrose, which is just another word for glucose. I did wonder if it was different when you boiled the thing and baked it in the oven, would that process perhaps remove most of the dextrose? In any case I won’t be risking it again as I did worry eating the gammon meat would kick me out of ketosis.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #22

I was reading an older cookbook I have (The Joy of Cooking, a classic in the U.S.), and it talks about soaking joints for several hours to remove the sugar and salt used in curing. I’ve never done this, but perhaps there is some point after all. The pork I prefer to eat is uncured, for the most part, so it’s not really an issue.

I don’t know what they call it over there (the cuts and the terminology differ between Britain and the U.S.), but look for a picnic or shoulder joint. It comes with a lovely cap of fat, so it’s practically self-basting and very tasty. All that’s required is to pop it in the oven, fat side up, for around 20 minutes a pound (10 per kilo ought to do), and you can get a lot of meals out of it, so long as you’re willing to cope with the bone. And of course the bone is great for making stock or broth afterward. Here in the U.S., it’s also one of the cheapest cuts available.

#23

I can’t eat pure cocoa powder as it’s powder and very strong but mixing it with something? That’s fine, it doesn’t seem to have an effect on me. I can drink cocoa powder with milk or I can mix it with fat and eat it as “chocolate”. But it was very long ago I ate much of that… When I made my “chocolate” the first time, well that was a bit wild… Still not as much cocoa as what some massive chocolate eaters consume I am sure.

#24

It is very strong, I don’t think I could eat cocoa in its purest form either. I did think of purchasing some cocoa nibs just to try, but would feel discouraged if they had unhealthy ingredients. I often see sugar or dextrose as one of the ingredients in so many of the shop bought foods, but it’s better I think, than a lot of the ingredients I see. Of course, when you make your own cocoa or chocolate you can choose your own ingredients which surely is better, but it’s so much easier and more convenient to buy it instead. I tend to avoid unsweetened dark chocolate though because I avoid sweeteners in general.