I dislike the low fat cheeses and am wanting to use a sharp cheddar cheese with eggs...would it be ok to grate a small amount over my eggs in the am? I am new to the zone and am finding it very energyzing...blood sugars are dropping and energy is increasing. Today I had a headache all day, a bad taste in my mouth and felt lousey. Sugars were low. any idea what went wrong today? thanks, Mary

Hi, The inital releasae of AA which occcurrs during the first week or two in the Zone can cause headaches in some people. This should subside soon. I love to cook and have been in the Zone a long time. I would love to exchange cooking tips with you. One thing I do is make large batches of things thatn I need at the moment and freeze a couple servings to have quick meals on hand. I also like to freeze Zone basics in one block servings for quick use anytime. I do this with cooked steel cut oats and guacamole. I also cook beans (black, kidney, lentils, chick peas) and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet . When frozen, I put them in zip Lock bags and store in the freezer. Freezing them individually on a cookie sheet allows me to easily remove whatever portion I like. I put the frozen beans in a strainer, run them under water for a min or two and they are ready for immmediate use ( cold water if I want cold beans, hot if I am using them in a heated meal. The GI of home cooked bean, just cookied until tender, is much less than canned, giving you better insulin control. Sue

Thanks for your reply. Has anyone tried chana dal? It is a type of garbanzo that has a very low glycemic index of 8. Not to hard to find here but is someplaces. However, check out the recipes in mendoza.com for a collection of chana dal rec. This site also has places to order chana dal from and the recipes look good. Since I am a diabetic - type 2 I am always on the look out for this type of food. So far, I have lost 6 pounds, and my blood sugars are very good - could be better but know that staying on the zone or in the zone will help me very much. I am very thankful for this site. Mary Coral

Mary, full-fat cheddar cheese has too much saturated fat to eat every meal but a little won't kill ya. Try using a low-fat cheddar or marble jack, and add just a pinch of your regular cheese to the omelet. Gradually phase out the cheddar. You're still new, but you'll quickly find the Zone-favorable foods acceptable. Believe me, it'll get to the point where one bite of what used to be your favorite foods will seem so salty and rich you won't know why you used to like it. Congrats on your smart decision to enter the Zone lifestyle. Don't sweat your initial headache and carb-cravings. They'll pass. Drink twice as much water as you think you need. I look forward to seeing those stats in your signature change quickly. :)