I'm looking for some guidance from the Zone gurus on this one. I'll start off with the disclaimer that I understand that Dr. Sears views pasta as an unfavorable carb, and that unfavorable carbs should be limited to 1/4 of total carb blocks at any given meal.

As has been well-documented on these boards before, Dreamfields's line of pasta advertises only 5g of insulin-impacting carbs per serving. And one serving equates to approximately 1 cup of cooked pasta. So basically, 5g of insulin-impacting carbohydrate per cooked cup of their pasta. And we all know by now that it's the insulin-impacting carbs that we count when calulating zone carb blocks.

So if my math is correct, it would take (almost) 2 cooked cups of this product to make one zone block of carbohydrate. I'm a 4 block male, so my question is this:

Putting aside the nutrient-rich reasons for choosing vegetables for carbs, and speaking strictly in terms of insulin response, is it safe to say that it would take almost 8 cups of this carbohydrate for me to make a zone meal? Keep in mind that at a GL value of 5, this product would probably be classified as a favorable carb. I know this sounds like a silly question, but how the heck can I reconcile all we've learned about carbs with the thought of staring down a plate with 8 cups of pasta on it?????

I also acknowledge that these numbers are the result of Dreamfields, not indepent, testing (yet). Thanks!

James,

I can't get past the fact that the numbers are the result of Dreamfields, not independent testing, either. But, to be honest, there are plenty of companies out there (Zone included) that have products that they advertize have a low glycemic value, as well.

I don't eat ANY product just because of their claims. I still analyze the actual ingredients in the product, and then decide. None of the products that make these claims actually work very well for me (Zone included).

Then, along comes Dreamfields. Sure, another company with another outrageous claim! But, my approach to it was that I counted the carbs the way that the Zone would do it, by subtracting the fiber from the total carbs (since I can't see how they actually arrived at their figure). I have always been pleasantly surprised at how well this meal works for me.

Now, I don't go and eat pasta every day, so this is really not a "normal" meal for me. But, it does seem to work out pretty well. I don't know if it would work quite as well if I piled on 6 cups of pasta onto my plate, but it does seem to work just fine using it by "gramming" it.

Cranberrycat,

Thanks for your response. I think we're in the same boat with the "better safe that sorry" approach to calculating carbs. Doing it that way, 1 block of this pasta equates to approximately 1/4 cooked; essentially the same as pasta in general.

That said, I did read that they arrived at their 5g of insulin-impacting carbs number through the use of added fruit and vegetable fiber, but that the FDA will currently not allow them to count those items in the total fiber content on the label, meaning that the only fiber we see on the label is the usual soluble/insoluble, and everything else gets counted toward total carbs.

If their claims can verified independently, it may change the way I use their pasta when constructing a meal. In the meantime, you can continue to fantasize about a plate with six cups of pasta sitting in front of you. =)

I've eaten dreamfields and have postprandial blood sugars to show how good it is. Its definitely better than regular pasta. My blood sugars will not rise anywhere near what it will with other pasta when I eat dreamfields. However, I do notice a delayed rise, maybe 4 hours later. I might try it out but definately not in those amounts. Its good, but its not miraculous.

Lilly, I have had the same experience as you. I think Dreamfields works better than regular pasta, I have not had the glycemic reactions that I would normally have with regular pasta.

Bottom line is that you'll have the best results with the Zone if you treat grain as a condiment to be eaten infrequently, if you choose to eat it at all.

Good point, Sue. That would include Zone pasta, as well!

Hi; I was raised Italian, and 5 years ago, good bread and Pasta (sauce makes pasta good, really pasta itself is just about flavorless)- But as an Italian, I missed pasta and good bread!

So, 1/4 cup of pasta about once per week at a meal, and I kept to it, painfully at first but rigorously - and felt good about it - but, ...

Then, along came Dreamfields - too good to be true? I, too tried it. I am very, very Carb sensitive. If I have a lot of unfav carb, I notice it, in several ways.

My wife and I tried Dreamfields and put it through (unscientific) paces. No ill effects. I am sold, now. Very skeptical, at first.

To your question, we carefully weighed, 2 oz uncooked which is 10 g net carbs ( 1 block unfav) according to Dreamfield's. That equates to 4 oz cooked. This has been so consistent, that we now weigh only after cooking. (I prefer weighing to volume, more accurate.)

So, once per week, We each have a full 4 oz cooked Dreamfield's pasta, with 1/2 cup (1 block fav) good low-salt tomato sauce with Nat ingredients - to go along with the rest of the fav meal.

Now, if I could figure out how a nice red wine, can go with that and still keep the meal 1/4 to 1/3 unfav carbs... Oh well, once per week is my indulgence. What's a good pasta without a good red wine!

Jdp: Consistently maintaining a 173-174 lb weight with Lo Cholesterol down from 225 lbs with High cholesterol 5-1/2 years ago.