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Kombucha


MARTHALEE

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I've seen kombucha on shopping lists and in recipes, so thought it was ok for whole30.  I've never had it before but bought some today - it's Kevita organic ginger.  It lists sugar in the ingredients.  So does that mean it's a nono?  Or does the fermentation change the sugar?  Or are there kombucha's that don't have any sugar.  I haven't started the program yet, but I really like this stuff.

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We don't delete posts because they can contain helpful information for others.

As far as drinking it all before you start, depending on when you start and how much is 'all', it's not our recommendation that people do this... it can lead to worse sugar hangover in the first few days when you load up on sugar prior to starting.

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Can I ask a couple other things now that I have your attention?  I was looking at the Costco fancy mixed nuts.  No peanuts, but the ingredients say Peanut oil.  Does that rule it out?

And I have Trader Joe's organic Mayonnaise, but one of the ingredients is soybean oil.  Is soybean oil not allowed?

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Of course :)

Peanut oil makes those nuts non compliant... the only way that 'peanut' can be mentioned on a label and be okay is when they say 'manufactured in a facility that also produces peanuts' or some such statement.  When peanut and peanut byproducts are in the actual ingredient list, it's out.

Also, sorry, I just have to say, since you're talking about a costco sized container of nuts (which aren't cheap).  Our recommendation on nuts is a closed handful (think about 8 or so almonds) every other day at most... that costco container will last you till it goes rancid at that rate... just a thought to keep in mind when buying that type of thing in bulk.

Soybean oil is definitely not allowed... No form of soy, sorry.

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Hi @MARTHALEE - nuts, if compliantly roasted or raw, are a fat source albeit not a great one. They have a few issues. They can be hard on the gut and cause digestive issues, they are really easy to over-eat and hard to stop for some people, they can keep the sugar dragon alive and well depending on what variety and mostly they are very high in Omega 6 which our diets are generally over-flooded with. They can also disrupt sleep and if you eat enough of them (see: hard to stop), they can push more nutrient dense foods off your plate.

You can eat them...........but the recommendation is to limit them to "occasionally". If you need a metric for "occasional", we recommend no more than one closed handful every other day. Daily consumption or even regular every-other-day consumption is not recommended.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So I just picked up a bottle of GT's Kombucha.  It doesn't list any added sugar, but it does say it has naturally occurring alcohol.  Is that still OK?  I really would like to have a kombucha I can drink.  I start tomorrow!

And just confirming.....I bought a bottle of pure cranberry juice and one of pure pomegranate juice.  Both say they ONLY have the cold pressed fruit and nothing else added.  So, even if it says in the nutritional breakdown that it has sugar, that is OK, right?  The pomegranate one said it has 33 grams of sugar per serving!  How can that be possible from such a tart fruit.  I plan to use these mixed with club soda and lime as a "cocktail alternative".

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49 minutes ago, MARTHALEE said:

So I just picked up a bottle of GT's Kombucha.  It doesn't list any added sugar, but it does say it has naturally occurring alcohol.  Is that still OK?  I really would like to have a kombucha I can drink.  I start tomorrow!

And just confirming.....I bought a bottle of pure cranberry juice and one of pure pomegranate juice.  Both say they ONLY have the cold pressed fruit and nothing else added.  So, even if it says in the nutritional breakdown that it has sugar, that is OK, right?  The pomegranate one said it has 33 grams of sugar per serving!  How can that be possible from such a tart fruit.  I plan to use these mixed with club soda and lime as a "cocktail alternative".

http://whole30.com/2016/06/wine-after-work/

Read this first about cocktail alternatives on a regular basis.

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1 hour ago, MARTHALEE said:

So I just picked up a bottle of GT's Kombucha.  It doesn't list any added sugar, but it does say it has naturally occurring alcohol.  Is that still OK?  I really would like to have a kombucha I can drink.  I start tomorrow!

And just confirming.....I bought a bottle of pure cranberry juice and one of pure pomegranate juice.  Both say they ONLY have the cold pressed fruit and nothing else added.  So, even if it says in the nutritional breakdown that it has sugar, that is OK, right?  The pomegranate one said it has 33 grams of sugar per serving!  How can that be possible from such a tart fruit.  I plan to use these mixed with club soda and lime as a "cocktail alternative".

Yes, you're right about the juice. It's the ingredient list we care about, not the nutrition facts.

And GT's Kombucha is compliant as well but please remember that we recommend that you mostly drink water (1/2oz per pound of body weight) and go easy on the alternative cocktails etc...

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Yep, people do :)

Most people are chronically dehydrated to begin with, it helps move toxins through your body and being properly hydrated is an important part of health.  You get used to drinking that much... at first you might have to pee a lot but your body normalizes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There have been exhaustive discussions about compliant kombucha; I have read the articles and understand about sugar in the labeling. I saw this Giant store brand tonight with something completely different than I have ever noticed on a label...the sugar is listed in parentheses as part of the kombucha (as part of the process, I'm guessing?). It doesn't, in my mind, read as an added sugar. What do you think?  *BTW, I have only used GT's Kombucha...Just asking here out of curiosity.  Posting picture below.

20170208_172149[5799].jpg

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Good find!

Yes, that type of labelling is actually indicating that the sugar was used in the production of the kombucha (fermentation) and would be totally fine for a Whole30.  I'm sure you know but for people who don't, if the sugar had appeared not in brackets behind the ginger for instance, that would not be acceptable.

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5 hours ago, shsparky said:

There have been exhaustive discussions about compliant kombucha; I have read the articles and understand about sugar in the labeling. I saw this Giant store brand tonight with something completely different than I have ever noticed on a label...the sugar is listed in parentheses as part of the kombucha (as part of the process, I'm guessing?). It doesn't, in my mind, read as an added sugar. What do you think?  *BTW, I have only used GT's Kombucha...Just asking here out of curiosity.  Posting picture below.

20170208_172149[5799].jpg

Gonna check my local Stop and Shop - I see that Nature's Promise brand and I'd sure like to spend less than GTs costs, if that's an option locally for my kombucha. Thanks for the tip, @shsparky!!!

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57 minutes ago, NoMoreCrunchyCravings said:

Gonna check my local Stop and Shop - I see that Nature's Promise brand and I'd sure like to spend less than GTs costs, if that's an option locally for my kombucha. Thanks for the tip, @shsparky!!!

I'm not suggesting it's compliant, btw.  I'm asking for an opinion as to if it might be considered differently with way the sugar is listed on the ingredients, different from others that usually list sugar as a separate ingredient.

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9 hours ago, shsparky said:

I'm not suggesting it's compliant, btw.  I'm asking for an opinion as to if it might be considered differently with way the sugar is listed on the ingredients, different from others that usually list sugar as a separate ingredient.

It is compliant and I answered your question about how the sugar is labelled two posts up.

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If you buy an organic one (aren't they all organic?), that might specify that it's unpasteurised, or that it contains the 'mother' or something like that, then you can create a starter pot, and then a SCOBY, and start making your own, then you know what's in it, and that its compliant, and you can add the flavourings you want.  soon you'll have scobys coming out of your ears!

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9 hours ago, Crastney said:

If you buy an organic one (aren't they all organic?), that might specify that it's unpasteurised, or that it contains the 'mother' or something like that, then you can create a starter pot, and then a SCOBY, and start making your own, then you know what's in it, and that its compliant, and you can add the flavourings you want.  soon you'll have scobys coming out of your ears!

At first, I read this as having a SCOOBY, and I wondered why on earth anyone would want a Scooby coming out of their ears. :lol:

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