if I grill onions, is this a no no?

My coach told me that I can't have grilled onions. So sad. She said only raw because when cooked something happens and releases sugars.

I remember being told not to cook onions either, can not remember why.

It is because cooking caramelizes the sugar in onions. I don't know if a light grilling would do that.

I would think any heat would releases some. How about using a little raw shallot for a mild onion taste?

Okay, I know this probably seems dumb but if it's only heat that's releasing the sugar, wouldn't that mean that the sugars are inherently in the onions...?? It seems odd that just "releasing" them would make it unhealthier since they're coming out of the product itself.

I grilled them lightly on skewers and ate them. It did not kick me out of ketosis. Not sure if it affected my weight loss but it didn't seem to.

I love carmelized onions; can't eat them raw anymore, so I switched to using green onions during Phase 1, stir-fried or whatever. There are sugars in regular onions naturally, but I think the heat causes more to be formed.

Just googled 'green' vs 'bulb' onions, and found this...

"what we know as green onions have much less sugar than the bulbs of onions do.

The greens are the leaf structures of the onion, which convert sunlight into sugars. The bubs underground are storage containers for the sugars the leaves produce during the growing season, so they're packed full of the sweet stuff. All that sugar provides the plant with energy to make and send out leaves and roots in the spring, after lying dormant through the winter.

Varieties we eat as 'green onions' are usually selected to have virtually no bulb, and are harvested before any can grow."

Also saw a blurb that red onions can help with blood sugar, so they are recommended for diabetics, which surprised me.

the phase one sheet says RAW onions only.

Onions have long-chained sugars, which digest slowly and do not raise blood sugar quickly. If you cook them in any way, those sugars break down to short-chained sugars, causing higher blood sugar and an insulin spike (like eating candy). Since the goal is to reset your pancreas by resting it, giving it sugar makes it work. While it may not knock you out of ketosis, it is counter-productive to our goal to get the weight off as fast as possible...to get on and off IP.

If you follow the sheet EXACTLY, you will get the best results. IP is perfect as it is. Cooking onions may not seem like a big thing, but the details add up and can make a huge difference in how long you have to stay on the program. You want your pancreas to be fully rested so when you start to phase off, it works like it should...that is the key to making sure the weight stays off. Anything that makes me stay on this program even 1 week longer is a really expensive "Cheat". $81 onions? - just my opinion.

Was just coming to type this. Cooking of any kind, be it grilling or frying or even adding diced onions to meatballs in the oven, causes the above mentioned reaction which is why it's not advised.

Thanks JoesHotWife. It always helps me to know the 'why' of something. Now it makes sense. I haven't added onion to anything I've cooked - and now I definitely won't in future either. I'm in my fourth week, and while I'm satisfied with my weight loss I know I'm not losing as quickly as some of the others I see. But I'm 61, and expect that fact and being menopausal is part of the slower loss. I'm feeling slimmer though!... and the clothes are definitely becoming looser. All very motivational to keep on 'fighting the good fight'. All the information definitely helps. And I do so appreciate this forum. It helps me be strong and motivated. Thanks to all of you for just being here.

can we have green onions sauteed ??

I've been stir-frying my green onions from the start - my coach said it was okay. I like them because of the mild flavor and they were a good substitute for a regular onion.

yep....good explanation. Thanks!