between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet ' N Low ®. We discourage the use of aspartame( marketed as NutraSweet ' and Equal ®). The FDA has approved the herb stevia for use only as a supplement, not as a sweetner.
My preference, however, is sucralose( Splenda ®), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA recently approved it after reviewing more than one hundred studies conducted over the past twenty years.
Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don ' t forget to include the amount in your daily totals.
Special Category Foods
To add variety, each day you can also eat ten to twenty olives, half a small avocado, one ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.
Convenience Foods
Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can ' t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. As I mentioned earlier, more and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:
1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. I can vouch for any product carrying the Atkins brand name!( See Chapter 19 for more on these convenient options.)
2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don ' t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow the Rules of Induction.
===================================================================== Avoid Pitfalls!
Here are five common pitfalls to avoid:
1. During Induction you must not eat any fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter.
2. Stay away from diet products unless they specifically state " no carbohydrates." Most such foods are for low-fat diets, not controlled carbohydrate plans.
3. The words sugarless, sugar free or no sugar added are not sufficient. The label must state the carbohydrate content; that ' s what you must go by.
4. Many products you do not normally think of as foods, such as chewing gum, breath mints, cough syrups and cough drops, are filled with sugar or other caloric sweeteners. They must be avoided.
5. Be wary of prepared salads at salad bars or deli counters. For example, cole slaw or even tuna fish salad may have been prepared with sugar.
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