Gum!

[2fat2]

I am a barber and normally chew sugar free gum, but I noticed this morning that it has 1 carb per slice. Do y'all know of any brands that do not have carbs? I don't wanna knock my customers over with my breath.

Also, I read somewhere that we shouldn't take calcium pills on induction. How many carbs does each pill have on average? I just bought some Caltrate because I feel like I'm not getting enuff calcium.

Half way thru day one and doing great!

[Georgiana]

Re: Gum!

I am a barber and normally chew sugar free gum, but I noticed this morning that it has 1 carb per slice. Do y'all know of any brands that do not have carbs? I don't wanna knock my customers over with my breath.

There is no chewing gum with zero carbs, because they have to sweeten it with something... and that something is some form of sugar alcohol. There is a bit of controversy about sugar alcohols. Some people are stalled by them, others only get "bathroom issues". While it was believed that they have only a minimal effect on blood sugar levels, the American Diabetes Association now recommends counting half of the sugar alcohols as net carbohydrates (e.g. 0.5 net carbs per stick of chewing gum).

Instead of chewing gum, can't you just use a good mouthwash every time you go to the bathroom? If you drink enough water, you should be forced to take "breaks" quite often anyway.

Also, I read somewhere that we shouldn't take calcium pills on induction. How many carbs does each pill have on average? I just bought some Caltrate because I feel like I'm not getting enuff calcium.

The basic supplement recommended on Atkins is a multivitamin without iron. All the multivitamins I saw contain calcium, in different quantities. A safe intake of calcium is up to 2 g per day. The recommended daily intake is around 1000 mg (depending on your age/sex). A slice of cheese (1 oz) has about 20% of the recommended dietary allowence (RDA), which means that eating 4 oz will already give you 80%.

As for the carbs in a pill... unless the pills are coated in some sugary stuff (check the ingredients), they should not have carbs.

[steady as she goes]

Re: Gum!

I just did a bunch of research on sugar alcohols yesterday. if your gum (or candy or what have you) has maltitol, DEFINITELY count at least half of the carbs.

apparently xylitol and erythritol are the only ones that TRULY don't impact blood sugar. you can find gum sweetened only with xylitol. (but I'd still count .5 - 1 gram per piece anyway, just to be on the safe side. )