question about tofu

[djay]

Hi,

I was just looking at the OWL rungs, and saw that tofu was on a pretty high rung. The same rung as chick peas (which have a LOT of net carbs).

I'm wondering, is tofu OK for induction?

I had thought that tofu was acceptable for induction, for three reasons.

First, because I thought I had read in DANDR something to the effect that vegetarians will have a hard time on the diet unless they are willing to eat lots of eggs and tofu (not really about induction specifically, but left me assuming tofu was in the same range as eggs).

Second, because I read on a thread for vegetarians, that the veg faux meats are OK for Atkins so long as you count carbs, and they are made of basically the same stuff as tofu. Again, this wasn't specifically about induction, *but* I had assumed this meant I could use them as a replacer for meats, so long as I counted the carbs and kept the levels down.

Third, because 100 g (firm) tofu -- which is a decent amount for a main course -- has only about 1 g net carbs.

If it isn't OK for induction, I'm curious about why. Is it because every gram of the 20 carb needs to be focused on the fresh veggies, so we get enough fiber?

And also, would like clarification: are veg faux-meats with some carb in them (all the ones I can find around me have some net carb) OK for induction?

[julirama723]

Re: question about tofu

Tofu is ok for induction, because technically it is a soy "cheese". Other soy products (such as flour, beans, milk, etc.) are on Rung 6, legumes.

[not2late]

Re: question about tofu

It's also in Dr. Atkins New Carbohydrate Gram Counter that tofu is acceptable for Induction. My only caution is to read the labels because carb counts and serving sizes vary from brand to brand and tofu type to tofu type.

The other thing I would be cautious about is the affect of soy on the thyroid.

[djay]

Re: question about tofu

What's it do to the thyroid?

It's also in Dr. Atkins New Carbohydrate Gram Counter that tofu is acceptable for Induction. My only caution is to read the labels because carb counts and serving sizes vary from brand to brand and tofu type to tofu type.

The other thing I would be cautious about is the affect of soy on the thyroid.

[not2late]

Re: question about tofu

Soy can inhibit thyroid function, that is, make it work less. So you get a hypothyroid-type thing from it.

Soy promoters always point to the Asian cultures in order to justify soy use. But they fail to mention that soy in the Asian diet is commonly fermented, which alters/inactivates certain chemicals in the soy, that soy is not eaten frequently, and that the Asian diet is higher in iodine than the Western diet. The iodine part is important because they think the higher amounts of dietary iodine protects the thyroid from the soy.

So if you choose to eat soy, eat it in moderation. Eating a mock scrambled eggs made from tofu for breakfast, eating a soyburger for lunch and washing it down with a soymilk shake for lunch, eating soy loaf, with a side of edamame, and a soy brownie for dinner, might not be the best thing to do healthwise.

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm

[djay]

Re: question about tofu

Thanks, and thanks for the links, that is good to know.

I'm not *that* much of a soy lover by a longshot. I have veg sausages which have some soy in them, and which I use a few times a week (am trying to cut down; they've got a g. net carb each). I also I make tofu stir-fry for dinner about once every two or three weeks. I've had it once since starting Atkins. It is something I can make for both my husband and I (he really likes it; he'd not doing Atkins, and doesn't like most fish). I wanted to know if I messed up Induction, and also I didn't want to give it up until I knew if it wasn't for Induction, and knew why.

Soy can inhibit thyroid function, that is, make it work less. So you get a hypothyroid-type thing from it.

Soy promoters always point to the Asian cultures in order to justify soy use. But they fail to mention that soy in the Asian diet is commonly fermented, which alters/inactivates certain chemicals in the soy, that soy is not eaten frequently, and that the Asian diet is higher in iodine than the Western diet. The iodine part is important because they think the higher amounts of dietary iodine protects the thyroid from the soy.

So if you choose to eat soy, eat it in moderation. Eating a mock scrambled eggs made from tofu for breakfast, eating a soyburger for lunch and washing it down with a soymilk shake for lunch, eating soy loaf, with a side of edamame, and a soy brownie for dinner, might not be the best thing to do healthwise.

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm