I never HAVE gotten one question answered and have been curious about it for a long time.. does Dr. Sears recommend getting as MUCH carbs from low-glyvemic veggies and fruit as possible? I am willing to try to maximize my zone experience and was curious about how to go about it.. I am willing to put the effort into getting all the right amounts of fruits and non-starchy veggies (i.e, not legumes/peas/lentils but rather a wide assortment of nonstarchy veggies) maybe supplemented with things like spaghetti squash, to make it easier. But is this approach recommended OVER including things like oats and barley, lentils, beans? Which, in a uptopian zone world, would be the best way?

We do suggest you get almost all of your carbohydrates from low glycemic index sources. You can however incorporate about 25% of unfavorables. You will maximize experience by cutting them out completely. Staff

Thanks so much.. just a question - are beans/lentils etc also "unfavorables" - ? Or is it just grains? (even oats/barley) They are all listed in the top 100 Zone foods.. would it be better still however, to incorportate fruits/veggies OVER these "natural" carbs?

I responded in your "Cooking Tips" post, sonatina.

Hi Sonatina, [quote:63284d3592="sonatina80"]Thanks so much.. just a question - are beans/lentils etc also "unfavorables" - ? Or is it just grains? (even oats/barley) They are all listed in the top 100 Zone foods.. would it be better still however, to incorportate fruits/veggies OVER these "natural" carbs?[/quote:63284d3592] Everything in "The Top 100 Zone Foods" is favorable. Lentils, kidney beans, black beans, chick peas, barley and steel cut oats are all favorable carbs. When favorable carbs are spoken of, it means all of the favorable carbs, unless otherwise stated, not just vegetables. You can find the most up to date version of the favorable Zone foods in "The Food Block Guide" in Zone Resources on this site. Be aware that while theoretically you'll be able to acheive the best insulin control from the lowest density favorable veggies (such as greens, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc), some people, depending upon their particular metabolisms, don't seem to be able to stay in the Zone with all low density veggies for carb, and find they need to eat a mixture of carb densities. This can easily be accomplished by staying with all favorables, if you choose. One could have broccoli, chickpeas, and berries in a meal, for instance, which would represent varied densities, as opposed to a meal where all carbs are from, greens, and cabbage. Varying densities in a meal also allows you to keep the volume of food in a meal to a manageable amount. What do you mean by "natural carbs"? It is preferable to have a mix of veggies, fruits, legumes, and grain to get a wide range of nutrients. Sue

thanks adam!! :) Sue - I guess I meant foods that are more along the "paleolithic/stone age" diet guidelines, as in - foods human beings originally ate (no grains)

[quote:11f3e492ad="sonatina80"]thanks adam!! :) Sue - I guess I meant foods that are more along the "paleolithic/stone age" diet guidelines, as in - foods human beings originally ate (no grains)[/quote:11f3e492ad] Thanks for the clarification. :D Sue