is tofu ok?

[trying in spring]

sorry, i know i read this somewhere already, but can't find it again. Is tofu (the type that comes in a block surrounded in liquid) ok to eat?

Also, would you mind giving me the limits of nutrients i need to stay within ie. protein/calories etc.
Thank you

xx

[trying in spring]

also, i meant to ask, how much and when should i start taking baby aspirin? I saw that people who are prone to miscarriages are sometimes put on it, but is there any risk to baby's health by taking it?
Thank you again xx

[n710]

sorry, i know i read this somewhere already, but can't find it again. Is tofu (the type that comes in a block surrounded in liquid) ok to eat?

Also, would you mind giving me the limits of nutrients i need to stay within ie. protein/calories etc.
Thank you

xx

Not sure if you are TTCing Boy or Girl, but I know it is suggested to stay away from soy for Boy. That being said, I think AS has mentioned if you are going to have some, tofu is a better option than say, those soy chicken patties. I think a couple times/week but no more shouldn't be too much. Someone else correct me if I am wrong.

[atomic sagebrush]

1500-1800 cals (altho you may need to drop down to 1200-1500 if you're very petite, have a lot of weight to lose, or have plateaued with weight left to lose; you also may need to increase cals to 1800-2000 if you're very tall, are exercising a lot, or the weight is flying off of you)

40-50 g protein (people with PCOS or insulin resistance may need to increase to 50-60 g protein)

25-60 g fat (you want 20-30% of your day's cals from fat, and the grams of fat therefore depends on how many cals you eat - that's just a ball park figure)

700-1000 g sodium

2500-3500 mg potassium NO LOWER. You can DIE if you get too little potassium. If you're trying to include IGD/FGD mineral recommendations, that is the same amount of potassium they advise. You are NOT supposed to cut out potassium all together on any diet.

Carbs are unlimited as long as you count calories and other nutrients in the foods. No need to count carbs and most people choose empty carbs like white rice and sweets. (Exception - those with PCOS and insulin resistance should focus on fruits and vegetables and 2-3 servings whole grains a day.)

Low nutrients does NOT mean NO nutrients. If you're cutting calories/protein/fat, avoiding highly fortified foods like breakfast cereals, and have dropped vitamin/mineral supplements, you're ALREADY eating lower nutrients anyway. There is no need to think about it beyond that. You CAN eat "healthy" foods like fruits and vegetables, on the LE Diet, and in fact you SHOULD because it will make it much easier to stick to the diet and also to get your potassium.

All fruits and vegetables are allowed, even highly nutritious ones; if you have an option, pick a less nutritious one over a more nutritious one, but you do not have to avoid nutritious vegetables. You would have to eat a mountain of broccoli to equal the amount of nutrients in a Big Mac (or even in one glass of milk!!)

Low carb vegetables (cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, etc) are free foods for calories, protein, and fat and you can have as much as you want, you do not need to count them.

High carb vegetables (sweet ones like beets, carrots, corn) and fruits, DO need to be counted for calories but are free for protein and fat.

High protein vegetables (beans, peas, soybeans) need to be counted for calories and protein but are free for fat - as long as you don't add butter, oil, cheese!!

High fat vegetables (avocado and olive) need to be limited due to fat and calorie content, BUT avocado can be a great "rescue" for a day where you've had a lot of protein but hardly any fat or calories (see below)

Tofu is fine, there are no magic or forbidden foods on the LE Diet. The downside of tofu is that it has a lot of protein for not a lot of calories, so by eating tofu you quickly hit your limit on protein and then have nothing left for the rest of the day. The LE Diet can be a balancing act that way - if you include very high protein foods (meat, tofu, eggs) it's unbelievably easy to go over protein and only have consumed 400 calories. That is a starvation diet. You need to pace yourself with protein so you can get enough calories from other sources, because even things like white rice and pasta have surprisingly high amounts of protein. (This is where your avocado can come in very handy - if you screw up and eat all your protein at your first meal, have an avocado for a nice shot of fat, cals, and potassium without protein. Empty cals can also help you make up some calories without adding lots of protein.)

[atomic sagebrush]

also, i meant to ask, how much and when should i start taking baby aspirin? I saw that people who are prone to miscarriages are sometimes put on it, but is there any risk to baby's health by taking it?
Thank you again xx

Answered in your other thread

[atomic sagebrush]

Not sure if you are TTCing Boy or Girl, but I know it is suggested to stay away from soy for Boy. That being said, I think AS has mentioned if you are going to have some, tofu is a better option than say, those soy chicken patties. I think a couple times/week but no more shouldn't be too much. Someone else correct me if I am wrong.

The processed soy stuff has a lot of sodium and are prob. best to limit/avoid. Tofu is def. better!!

Also, forgot to mention but if you're swaying for pink, you may want to load DH up on soy because it can lower his testosterone and sperm count.