so I was reading over my nonfat milk again and was finally aware of the sugar content. Is this something to avoid or?

We've switched here to whole milk as the fat helps with insulin control and the utilization of vitamins and minerals. I'd like to get raw milk but it's tough to find. The last local source stopped selling this product 5-6 years ago.

I have read the ultra-homogenized milk should be avoided, too. This process, I believe, damages the proteins and allows the fat to enter the blood stream too quickly. It does, however, sit on the shelves longer. Ahh, science. Is there anything it can't fix?

Tom

Ps. I haven't had milk in years but my wife puts it on her morning cereal.

Makes sense. 1% is on the zone block list so maybe I should switch back to that, but what about the sugar in it?

I have many questions because I'm very new to the Zone, but I'll start with my milk question. I've only found it in the suggested snack section with 3 macadamia nuts. This has me confused. 3 mac nuts = 3 blocks, no? Also, how is milk (1%) broken down by blocks into carbs and proteins? Thanks for any help!

Hello! I am from the "dairy state", and so hopefully that makes me worthy of answering your question! LOL!

1% milk is a balanced zone product. 1 cup is equal to 1 block of protein, carb and fat.

If you change it to skim milk, then you can add nuts to it. You can have one macadamia nut for a block of fat, so if you are drinking one cup of milk, then you would add one macadamia nut to it.

As for other nuts, you could actually have 3 almonds for one block of fat.

If you drink a milk with a higher fat content (2% or whole) then you may get more fat than you need, depending on your nutritional goals.

And, feel free to toss more questions out to us, as they come up. Happy to help, or just to chat!

Very clear response! It makes sense the way you explain it, but can you explain why a suggested snack in the paperback book, A Week in the Zone, suggests as a snack idea: one cup milk (1%) and 3 macadamia nuts? It didn't make sense to me, does it to you?

I'm so excited to get an answer to quickly...Thank you!

My only answer to that one is that it must be a typo!

BTW, the one BIG reason why I don't eat macadamia nuts is because you only get 1 per block. I feel like I am getting more if I eat other nuts!

To any "Zone Newbies" out there :

Even the nuts that have that wonderful Omega fats in them you can't get the idea you can "munch" on them or, for that matter, most any nut.

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it - they are quite concentrated in fat - a little goes a long way, and in the end, you don't need much relatively speaking.

They are to be used SPARINGLY.

Anything that has significant amounts of fat in it is also very "calorie dense".

Additionally if you have STARTED to assemble the ingredients for a Zone meal you have been a "good little Zoner" and STARTED BY SELECTING THE PROTEIN - FIRST.

If you have started with - as suggested - a "low fat" protein - you already have SOME fat - don't you ?


... from the "END" ZONE

E.Wally

ewally@verizon.net

Cranberrycat,

About the 1 macadamia nut=1 block, I agree with you. When I was first looking into the Zone and saw this measurement I was thinking, "I get only one macadamia nut per block?? Geeeezzz, that isn't much...I want more nuts." LOL I always reach for almonds when it's time for some nuts because I get MORE per block!

Thanks for making that point, E.Wally.

Nuts are my downfall! I can "fool" myself into thinking that I am not doing myself any harm eating them, as they do not stimulate much insulin production. Lately, I have purposefully NOT purchased ANY whole nut product, just for this reason. I am only purchasing sliced or slivered nuts, something in which I am more likely to garnish my food with, rather than to snack on.