Bootcamp - the questions thread

[BIWI]

From experience of past Bootcamps, in the first few weeks the chat threads move really, really quickly and it's difficult sometimes to see/answer everything.

So this is a place to post any questions that you might have. Those of us who are old hands at low carbing will check this thread regularly and make sure that we answer you as soon as we can.

thanks Hergracious Hellmans it is :)

I am still really craving something sweet, when does this craving go?

Morning Losers :)

Woolfey - nothing wrong with a whole packet of pork scratchings, at least not from the point of view of the fat content.

Did you check the ingredients though? How processed are they? And make sure they don't have sugar in them!

Is anyone else experiencing mild nausea? The last couple of days I just don't fancy food at all. I'm eating, sticking to the rules, drinking the water etc, just feel rather queasy and especially switched off by veg (which I am eating, nonetheless).

Also, I had to go to bed at 10 last night, and slept till 9. This is unheard of for me. Is it part of the withdrawal?

I've made a lovely pork stew in slow cooker but as usual there's too much liquid. How do I thicken it without corn flour? I always put what seems like a tiny bit of liquid then next time I look it seems to have doubled.

seri if there's too much liquid i remove the meat with a slotted spoon so it doesn't disintegrate and then reduce the liquid on the hob

Is this correct? I've been subtracting fibre from carbs when I look at food labels and this says that is wrong. Carbs on UK labels are digestible carbs.

When starting out on the low carb way of life there is a lot of confusion about carbohyrdrate levels and how to measure them. I hope that the following information will help clarify the issues for those living in the UK.

Carbohydrates in Labelled Food

Food regulations in the UK mean that all manufactured foods are labelled with their contents, calories and the breakdown of these into protein, carbohydrate, and fat, usually per 100g.

Some labels give the amount of carbohydrate that comes from sugar whilst others break the fat down into saturated, mono-saturated and polysaturated. Labels may also contain a value for fibre and sodium.

A typical label looks like this:
Nutrition Information
Typical Values per 100g
Energy - kcal
Protein -
Carbohydrate -
.......of which sugars
Fat -
.......... of which saturates
.................monosaturates
.................polyunsaturates
Fibre -
Sodium -

The amount of carbohydrate given on the label is the effective carbohydrate content (ECC) of the food per 100g. The fibre value on the label is not connected to the carbohydrate value and therefore, unlike in the US, should not be deducted from the carbohydrate value. What you see on the label for carbohydrate is what you get.

A couple more questions from me, please, oh wise LC experts.

1. Should I still be thinking about getting in 5 a day fruit/veg (well, obviously just veg right now)? Across a week, I am eating a wide variety of allowed veg but it feels like it's not as much as I was eating before. Today, I've had a big heap of spinach with breakfast, a bowl of mushroom and leek soup, and I'll have a load more on the side of dinner.

1. Erm, okay I've forgotten the second one... Yup, definitely gone. Brain fog. It'll come back to me...

I'd say variety is good for general health and if you keep to lower carb veg where poss it shouldn't affect your losses.

Pinkbraces things I have found helpful for sweet cravings:

Go the opposite direction, have something very savoury.
Have a hot drink - we often do not recognise thirst, especially if we have been living with disordered eating for a long time.
Try either of the licorish teas I recommended earlier. They have an extraordinarily sweet mouthfeel.
Eat something which really engages all your senses while you do so. Celery dipped in mayo is crunchy, noisy, flavoursome - and loaded with fat, so it is very satisfying on many levels.

lookslikerain - yes, for UK labelling it already lists 'net carbs' as they say in the US. in the US you have to subtract fibre from carbs, but for UK labelling this is not necessary - the number of carbs per 100g listed is the number you count. it does make googling for carb counts a bit frustrating because you can't always be sure. and using something like myfitnesspal is even trickier because of the user-added counts (where lots of people are just counting fat and calories so it can appear that carbs are very low) as well as US values

i tend to use this carb counter but it is not comprehensive by any means. also BIWI's list of veg carb counts

re 5-a-day - this is just a random number. iirc in france they recommend 10 a day. zoe harcombe is critical of it as a marketing ploy. i find that some days i eat way more than 5 portions, other days less, but as long as i am getting variety and quality (and not getting bored) i don't worry too much

Lookslikerain - 5 a day is a marketing construct! Just eat what you want/like/is appropriately low carb

hergraciousmaj i do agree about something very savoury to combat sweet cravings - a piece of very very mature cheddar can really help

i find liquorice tea just too sweet. also, i have this nagging feeling that even if it's carb free it's so sweet surely it MUST be provoking an insulin reaction (i have no evidence, just a suspicious mind!)

Read Zoe Harcombe on the 5 a day myth/con (depending on your perspective!)

BIWI as I was typing my question, I was thinking "I bet someone comes back and tells me that's a lie too". I was right! So many food lies we've been spun over the years. It really is astounding.

Willie, try liquorice tea with a piece of really tart, crumbly Caerphilly, or similar crumbly cheese. A perfect combination.

As long as there's no evidence to the contrary, I'm going to believe that liquorice tea does not provoke an insulin spike!

I am on week 3 and have been getting headaches. This is quite unusual for me. I have LC before (Ducan and Harcombe) and did not get headaches. Could it be the dairy? I drink lots and lots of water.

kefy are you getting enough electrolytes - salt, potassium etc?

I know, Lookslikerain - it's shocking, isn't it?!

Kefy - not really sure why you would think it would be the dairy? And if you're on week 3, it seems a bit late for the carb flu.

As Willie says, are you eating enough salt/potassium/magnesium? And how about fat?

lookslikerain, i know what you mean

5 a day isn't the worst, but the problem is that of course fruit is sweeter so lots of people will go for that (and increased sugars), plus food manufacturers can advertise products with dried fruit/juices as '1 of your 5 a day!' so people are lulled into a false sense that their diet is healthy when actually it's very high sugar and triggering blood sugar highs and lows all over the place. it's win:win for government as it is approved 'healthy eating' message plus food industry is happy

(also just another thing for parents to worry/feel guilty about)

I suspected the dairy as it was not allowed on previous LC diets I have followed (and on which I have not had any headaches). You might have a point about electrolytes. What are good sources again (apart from salt)? Many thanks!

kefy you can use lo salt, which contains both potassium chloride and sodium chloride, but also salmon, spinach (and other dark leafy greens), mushrooms and avocado have high potassium and magnesium

because you're drinking more water it's a good idea to make sure you've got enough going in because a proportion will be flushed out