Questions about US Products

[soon2bslim]

We've been living overseas for several years now and although we are blessed with lots of very fresh, relatively inexpensive vegetables, and decent priced poultry, tho meat and fish and some cheeses can be a little stressful on our budget, i wanted some info on products available in the US. DH is there on business for another week or so and there are some things i was curious about. Even tho i'm still on Extended Induction, we're buying for the long term because it may be another year or more before we can replenish our US stash. He is in NJ and NY and may drive up to MA via CT this weekend to visit family so if u are familiar w/ this are please enlighten me.

1. KetoStix - Are these available OTC? Can he go into a drugstore or Costco and buy them in any of the States mentioned above? If not, he can probably ask an MD friend to write for it but what exactly should he ask for? Are KetoStix really worth it? i've not been using them but i usually can sense when i'm in ketosis (Bad breath - the real giveaway) so i'm not sure what i would do w/ the info other than be reassured if it's positive and frustrated if it's neg...

2. Tofu Noodles - i read some things about these on the board but wanted to know if they need refrigeration - he can bring it back because the luggage hold is typically freezing cold on a plane; we have friends that have been bringing back fresh meat and cheeses from the States for years w/out a problem (tho they came home w/some really funny stories -when the plane had serious > 24hr delays).
-What kind of expiration date would they have if he bought them this coming week?
-How much does one pkge weigh? (weight resrictions on luggage)
-Are they only available in a Whole Foods kind of store or would a regular supermkt in the northeast stock them?
-Can i freeze them till i'm ready to start Tofu on OWL- maybe April give or take?
-Any other tofu or vegetarian product, Atkins friendly- that's not too perishable that you could reccommend?

3. Any snack foods, condiments etc...that won't blow away the luggage weight restricions... w/no or very minimal sugar substitute - for Induction or ANY OWL rung that you can recommend? (preferably not too perishable and no glass jars unless, he can easily repkge the stuff in a ziploc bag)

I welcome any other suggestions! Thanx.

[chinadoll]

Re: Questions about US Products

I have been an expat doing Atkins for years. Truthfully, the noodles were never worth the trouble. Neither are ketostix. If you are doing what you should be doing you are going to be in ketosis unless you are a very rare bird. In that case, Induction does not get you into ketosis and the sticks would not matter anyway.

The few things I bring back are Splenda packets and granulated or liquid, Heinz low sugar ketchup, flaxseed meal and almond flour (if you cannot get it where you are), and, if you want to bake later, Carbquick baking mix, although I just don't make the baked stuff any more. Don't miss it.

I also bring back my chromium piccolinate, glutamine, vitamins, and fish oil capsules.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Questions about US Products

Keto sticks,
Dont waste your money.

The noodles are packed in water and I don't think you could freeze them, also I don't think they would travel well as they are in the refrigerator section. Also in my personal opinion, Don't waste your money. Linda's site has some faux noodle ideas that are better.

Those Atkins bars are perfectly nasty and may stall out your weight loss, but saying that, folks like them for emergencies and actually like them.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Questions about US Products

Where are you living. Often we have folks who live in the same area who can help. When I was in Japan I found a lot of stuff in the local markets that I could use with the help of the folks who lived there>

[ziggy]

Re: Questions about US Products

careful of tofo noodles aka soy

Welcome to Soy Online Service

[soon2bslim]

Re: Questions about US Products

Y
Thanks China Doll for your feedback. I have my Splenda stash already - i almost never use the sweetner and Vitamins are on the list already (they're so expensive here but accessible).
Dessertthorn, thanks for the noodle pkging info - i'm going to take it off the list since it sounds like a nightmare to pack, although DH once brought back fresh dill pickles in their own juice in ziploc + plastic containers i think i'll try to figure out how 2 make my own legal noodles. In general i can get most things here but the price on the imported stuff is about 3x the price in the US like the Hellman's mayo which has fewer carbs than all the local brands sold here and flies home w/ DH everytime.

Thamks Ziggy for the SOy info.

I was hoping to hear about some crunchy veggie snack to stave off the potato chip temptation, but for now i'm armed w/ crunchy cucumbers and sauteed eggplant for the potato chip challenge.

Our kids are also awaiting their American junk food supply - we don't lack junk food here - both local and imported - but the American stuff is a luxury for us and cool with their friends - i hope they invite friends over to devour the junk quickly before the 'just one small taste' demon gets the better of me and blows all my efforts away. DH brings home challenges like that each time too.

Any salad dressings or sauces to reccommend? Sometimes i get lazy about making my own.


Not getting the ketostix either, they don't sound like they'd make much difference at this point but i really was curious to know if they sell them over the counter.

[Aways2Go]

Re: Questions about US Products

Just FYI, ketostix are sold over the counter, though sometimes they are stored in the pharmacy area behind the counter just for the convenience of the pharmacists - you don't need a script for them, you just have to tell them to hand you a bottle. Ten or fifteen dollars for a bottle of 50, and if you are just using them for occasional checks after eating something questionable, etc, you can actually cut them in half longways and get twice as many for the money. Seem to work just fine that way. I probably wouldn't try that if I was actually diabetic and needed them to monitor myself that way.

And I agree with China - I don't use hardly any specialty "low carb" products other than stevia and splenda packets and liquid. Every once in a while I use no sugar or low sugar ketchup, and maybe once a month use a sugar free fake maple syrup kind of stuff from the grocery store diabetic section. I could totally do without any of it except the stevia and splenda which allows me to make occasional dessert type items, which is nice. And I could do without that if I had to, but choose not to.

I read about other products, but invariably people seem to say either they aren't that good or they seem to make them stall weight-wise or they just seem like really fake foods that I can do without, so I end up not buying them.

[JulieB]

Re: Questions about US Products

The only products I use are sf ketchup, sf BBQ sauce & sf pancake syrup. (well, plus splenda). I don't use any of them often, but they are nice to have. Some come in glass bottles, but could be repackaged in plastic ones (plastic pop bottles might work?).

I know what you mean about picking these things up when you are in the states...this stuff is hard to find here in Canada. We either order online, drive to North Dakota, or luck out in local health food stores (occasionally)...

[chinadoll]

Re: Questions about US Products

For a crunchy snack I take a slice of cheese and cut it into little pieces and microwave it on a piece of baking parchment (That might be worth adding to your list) for about 80 seconds until they are crisp and golden. They taste like cheese nip crackers. A good crunch fixer. I reuse the parchment over and over to conserve. Many countries have pork rinds but some are better than others (China's are TERRIBLE so far-taste like rancid oil) but Philippines have good ones so you would have to try them. I like taking a carrot peeler to zucchini or summer squash to make "noodles". I saute them with some pesto or even butter and cheese or alfredo sauce. I have never found spaghetti squash but that is a good one too for noodles. I have also found pumpkin, roasted in the oven for an hour or so, then popped in the blender with ginger, water and a couple ounces of cream is a blissfully filling soup. I know this is irrelevant to your question but I am eating some now so I couldn't help myself.

I do also take back a bottle of no sugar pancake syrup-- it ends up in a lot of things calling for honey or brown sugar. And I also take back some packets of Hidden Valley Ranch mix. It isn't carb free, but I will make the dressing with half the packet but full amounts of mayo and cream and water for the milk. Then I use it to dip chicken parts in and then roll them in the canned parmesan cheese (something else for the list) It makes a good tasty chicken coating. I love fresh parmesan but the canned stuff is much better for breading. Sometimes you need that extra flavor. I also bought a yogurt maker and make my own yogurt every couple of days. Yum.

[soon2bslim]

Re: Questions about US Products

Thanks for the ketostix info - Always2Go - brilliant idea to cut them in half! At least i know that DH can buy them easily - but i'm holding off for now.
Julie B - i forgot all about SF BBQ sauce- he brought some back once and it was awesome - a great secret ingredient to pep up any meat dish - need 2 add that 2 the list.
ChinaDoll - great ideas! Does SF pancake syrup come in a plastic bottle? Well anyway i'm going 2 tell DH to look 4 it. I buy baking paper and parm cheese here, locally, pork rinds are definately not my thing, but i'm going 2 try to nuke some cheese for the crunch crave. btw - the pumpkin soup sounds yum!

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Questions about US Products

>>if you are just using them for occasional checks after eating something questionable,>>

Keep in mind that the sticks don't give you that kind of feedback!

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/82407-article-ketostix-color.html

[Aways2Go]

Re: Questions about US Products

>>if you are just using them for occasional checks after eating something questionable,>>

Keep in mind that the sticks don't give you that kind of feedback!


Why would they not? Maybe it doesn't work for everyone, but it has for me.
I constantly turn them pale pink, regardless of the time of day I check, how long it has been since I've eaten, etc. - if I eat something from a restaurant or someone's house that I am not quite sure of and I check a few times over the next 12 hours or so and they have stopped turning pink, I think it reasonable to assume it was the questionable item since I work at not eating more than one questionable item in a given time span. If they stop turning pale pink when they do every other single time I check, I don't eat the item again. Seems fairly straightforward.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Questions about US Products

It's "straightfoward" right up until the time it doesn't work that way!

Remember that these sticks aren't designed for low carbers ...

And keep this article in mind:

https://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/82407-article-ketostix-color.html

They can give you a false sense of security ... but apparently that's not the case for you.

[Georgiana]

Re: Questions about US Products

If they stop turning pale pink when they do every other single time I check, I don't eat the item again.

It does not necessarily mean the food kicked you out of ketosis. I think one needs to make the difference between lipolysis/ketosis (ketonemia) and ketonuria. Even if we ignore the fact that the results of testing with ketostix are time-dependent (though we shouldn't), the carbohydrates you consumed might be enough to stop ketonuria, but not enough to stop ketonemia.

Ketonemia is the proof that you are actually burning primarily fat for fuel, not ketonuria. Ketonuria is not a requirement for weight loss, nor for ketonemia... and it is definitely not a requirement for Atkins or a proof that one is following the plan correctly.

[Aways2Go]

Re: Questions about US Products

Obviously my testing does not normally seem time dependent on much of anything - I get pale pink consistently anytime I test. I put no stock in what shade of color there is, just color or no color. Regardless, I always get pale pink. I must be a terribly consistent person in my habits and whatever else the diet gods decide may affect the color/shade or lack thereof.

I realize they don't work for everyone and think there is room for a variety of styles as no two people will react exactly the same way... but I do find it interesting how bad a rap ketostix routinely get on this board when they are in the book and recommended by the good doctor, when nothing else in the book really seems up for debate on this board and is taken so very literally. I do understand they are not fail proof, but they can at times be helpful to some people.

I quote from page 172 - "Lipolysis testing strips can also help you ascertain your CCLL in many cases. They generally stop turning color at a point a little below your CCLL." He does go on to describe how you can continue to lose weight and inches even at a higher carb intake and no color on the ketostix. That doesn't necessarily make them worthless for everyone, though. I want to stay below my CCLL. Thus, I want the sticks to continue turning pale pink as they always do for me. I don't want to eat questionable items that make the sticks stop turning which MAY mean they pushed me above that 35ish carb limit where they consistently stop showing any color in my case.

No, they don't work for everyone, as even the quote from the book basically says, but they do work for some. Maybe they aren't showing the exact thing we would like to know, but in the absence of anything else to test with that would tell more, I'll go with it since they have been so consistent for me. I know when I go over about 35 carbs, they stop turning. Thus, false assumption though it may be, if I eat something questionable and they stop turning, I assume it had enough carbs in whatever it was to push me over that 35 carb threshhold.

That's all I'm saying.