The zonediet.com /EATING /HowtoMakeaZoneMeal page says to avoid eating carrots because of their high glycemic load. Raw carrots have a GL of just 2 for an 80g serving. I know that most vegetables have a GL of 0 but carrots at 2 is better than most recommended fruits (the GL of apples GL is 6 for 120g). Why not have a carrot instead of half an apple?

i dont know why carrots are so bad, they dont have the same taste as the food w a high gLoad- they taste alot more bland

Carrots were added some time ago as favorable so I dont know why that would still be on that page. 1 cup of carrots is considered one block. I dont know if there is a difference in the cooked or not......does it say anything about cooked versus raw? I love carrots any way I can eat them so I'm glad they are now favorable.

since when are they favorable, where you see this?

It looks like carrot is still listed as unfavorable carbs:
http://www.zonediet.com/EATING/Howt...fault.aspx

which doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy, that just means they are high GI and you eat 1/3 of plate unfavorable instead of 2/3 favorable (low GI), the sweeter the vegetable, the less portion of it you eat, just use your common sense.

Beets and rutabaga are both sweeter, much sweeter that carrot. Just because Dr. Sears didn't list them as unfavorable doesn't mean they are low GI.

Not just bananas, but all tropical fruits are very high GI, should be on unfavorable list – pineapple, mango, oranges, dates.
Very a few fruits considered to be low GI and can be on favorable list (which means you can eat 2/3 of plate of them)– berries, green apples and grapefruits.

Forgot yam and pumpkin, these veggies are so sweet, sweeter than most of fruits, and certainly sweeter than carrots.

Here's a site that explains the difference between GI (glycemic index) and GL (glycemic load).

http://www.carbs-information.com/gl...c-load.htm

the zone living website /EATING /HowtoMakeaZoneMeal page mentions glycemic load which is the more accurate way to measure.

Arlene

Do you have an updated list or do you remember when/where you heard that carrots moved to the favorable category?

Does anyone know if the composition changes when they are cooked and thus raises the GL? Does the GL change for all cooked veggies?

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm looks like raw and cooked are about the same. Scroll down to # 599.

the only thing that matters is the glycemic value of the carb-specifically the glycemic load of the carb. No low GL carbs are considered unfavorable. How sweet something tastes, how much sugar it has (low or high), the carb density, very starchy, not starchy at all, none of these factors matter: at least not on a consistent basis. It was previously thought that high sugar foods have high GI, but this isnt the case at all. Type of sugar plays a very big role in the GI of the carb. Its too bad food comapanies arent forced to put on the GL of the food they make, bc thats the only thing really worth looking at. You cant tell the GI of the food by looking at the labels bc they arent specific enough. So dont pay attention at all to sugar content or anything like that- its all about GL, its the only thing that consistently matters

Sorry, havent checked on this for a while. . . didnt mean to leave you hanging on the carrot issue. Sue , I believe, if I'm remembering correctly, told me last year that carrots are favorable now.

I've used them continually since then and have no problem staying in the Zone with them, lost weight, good levels, etc., etc. Its 1 Cup for one block cooked or raw as I understand and thats what I've used.

yeah, i looked at the info on carrots and they seem great for the zone, im not sure why they were unfavorable in teh 1st place, it goes against the zone philosophy

Thanks for asking the carrot question. I thought they were a no-no, but, now, I see on the Zone Block list that carrots are a high density carbohydrate and to use them in moderation. Carrots are listed under the cooked veggies, but there is no mention of using raw carrots. Do we use the same measure if we want raw carrots?

cici

no one seems to know much about this issue.....so I feel entitled to give my opinion...
I bet cooked are higher glycemic load, because the cell walls are broken down and more of whatever is available. I have heard more Vit. A is available when cooked. And raw may give more fiber (guessing) which keeps glycemic load down.

This morning I spoke with a Zone rep through the Live Chat feature at the top of the page. Carrots raw or cooked are allowed on the Zone diet. The breakdown is: 1 block carbs of carrots equals 1 cup sliced/chopped=1/2 cup shredded=two 7-inch pieces.

Hope this helps. It helped me.

cici

i doubt your gonna get fat from eating carrots :)

I am trying to get caught up, and saw this discussion going on.

Carrots USED to be considered unfavorable due to their high glycemic index. However, glycemic load proved that carrots had a much lower glycemic load (equal to that of a raw apple).

Sears used to base the unfavorability on the fact that carrots were rated so poorly. But, as more testing was done, and it was discovered that the GL was low, he changed the rating of carrots to "favorable". This updated information is found in The Anti-Inflammation Zone.

This information has been out there for a few years now. I am really surprised that the website has not been updated to reflect this change.

I'm surprised it hasn't been updated also... I wonder what else hasn't been updated?

Thanks for clearing it up cici...