YOU BETCHA SUE...I AM ONE DETERMINED WOMAN. I WROTE A NOVELETTE ON YOUR THREAD!! ROFLMAO GOT CARRIED AWAY!

THIS AREA IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Hi!

Just in case you thought I was suggesting eating the same foods over and over, I wasn't. :-) I'm not following your reasoning there, but IMHO more variety would be preferable.

Since you have you thinking cap on this weekend, here are some tips to help you make the most of the Zone during the coming week.

First, ditch the banana (unfavorable carbohydrate) for several reasons, and eat more berries than peaches. The reasons:

1. 1/2 banana represents more than 1/3 of all the carbohydrate in your meal if that's a 3 carbohydrate block meal, and more than 1/2 if it's a 2 carbohydrate block meal. Too much unfavorable carbohydrate there. The rule is no more than 25% unfavorable carbohydrate in a meal.

2. The grain (oats) gives the meal a higher GL as it is, adding banana to it would be like adding insult to injury.

3. Banana is binding and I recall your were eating the prune snack due to constipation issues.

Second, oatmeal every day may be too much (keep track of you good/bad eicosanoid indicators).

Third, be sure to add enough almonds to make up for the missing fat in the fat free protein sources (egg whites and maybe the soy patty).

Fourth, gotta add protein and fat to that prune snack. The prunes alone take you out of the Zone (I know I've mentioned this before, but it's very important). They will be likely to take you out even with the protein and fat added, but at least it will put you in a better place than if you eat the prunes alone. I know you have the volume issue, but there are ways to add protein without interfering with that (protein powder, for one).

Fifth, I seem to remember you having responses indicating you're on the more carbohydrate sensitive side. If so, redesign the carbohydrates in your meals by taking out the oats, banana and prunes altogether, or keeping them to a bare minimum, and adding favorable veggies in their place. Hummus and tomato sauce would both be good choices for lower volume favorable veggies (hummus would go very well in those hardboiled egg whites).

Have fun with it!

SUE.....THANK YOU VERY MUCH...THE BANANAS ARE AT MY DAUGHTER'S HOUSE NOW...SHE JUST LEFT...HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN?! I AM NOT THINKING!! LOL

ONCE I GO SHOPPING AGAIN TUESDAY, ALL SOY WILL BE REPLACED WITH CHICKEN AND TURKEY BREAST, WHOLE FOODS, ETC. BECAUSE FOR NOW, SOY AND THE ART. SUGARS HAVE TO GO. I WAS JUST FINISHING UP WHAT'S HERE BUT NOW I GAVE THE REST TO MY DD'S BF. SO THAT'S GONE TOO.

OATS: I ALWAYS HAD 1/2C OF STEELCUT OATMEAL, 2 EGGWHITES AND APPLESAUCE FOR BREAKFAST AND DID VERY WELL FOR HOURS. I ONLY ADDED THE ALMONDS BECAUSE OF THE ZONE (or maybe peanut or almond butter?) FOR NOW THE OATMEAL HAS TO STAY BECAUSE IT MAKES ME REGULAR. SO I BETTER FIND A FAT I LIKE.

I CAN EAT THE PRUNES WITH DINNER....BUT NOT ADD MORE FOOD THAT LATE AT NIGHT....NOR LIQUIDS.
I HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE WORKED AROUND BUT I KNOW I CAN DO THIS. MY FAULT WAS FORGING AHEAD LIKE A STEAMROLLER AND NOT LISTENING TO HIM....BABY STEPS HE TOLD ME. I TOOK ELEPHANT STEPS!! ROFL

HUMMUS IS OUT...BEANS! AND NO TOMATOES RIGHT NOW EITHER.

I JUST GOT THE FAXED LIST OF NO NO'S FROM THE DR'S OFFICE ABOUT THE ROSACEA.
HE GOT IT OFF THE NET.

GOING TO SIT HERE AND FIX A NEW MENU AND TRY TO MAKE IT ZONE FRIENDLY. HE SAID HE IS HAPPY IF I DID 4 THINGS: EAT THE SAME FOR 7 DAYS, (BEFORE ADDING ANY CHANGES) PEDAL MY "BIKE", USE A PREVIOUS DIET IN AN OLDER JOURNAL, AND FILL OUT A NEW JOURNAL. GUESS THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO DO. I HAVE TO FAX A MEAL PLAN BACK TO HIM NEXT WEEK. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!

THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INPUT~ MEL

NOW I AM WONDERING IF I SHOULD MOVE THIS TO ANOTHER FORUM...OR KEEP IT ALL HERE?

I vote for keeping it right here.

Thanks for the additional info. I hadn't realized those were doctor's orders to eat the same meals for a week (I assume "HE" and "HIM" mean your doctor). Yes, it would be better to eat the prunes as part of the carbohydrate in a Zone balanced meal than to eat them alone. The problem still remains that they are unfavorable carbohydrate and will supply most of all of the carbohydrate in the meal. A way to diminish the damage would be to eat a portion of your prunes with each meal and snack throughout the day. If you doctor told you to eat them at night, you could always check to see about spreading them out through the day. Also, hopefully those are steel cut oats you're eating. :-)

THIS IS THE PLAN I AM FAXING OUT THIS AFTERNOON:

B: OATMEAL, 2 EGGWHITES AND PEANUT BUTTER (OR NUTS)

S: TURKEY BACON, BERRIES (OR ANOTHER FRUIT), ALMONDS (OR A NUT BUTTER)

L: DELI CHICKEN OR TURKEY, STEAMED VEGGIE(OR SALAD), EVOO

S: CANADIAN BACON, VEGGIE, BLK. OLIVES (OR ANOTHER FAT)

D: CHICKEN OR TURKEY BREAST, 2 STEAMED VEGGIES, OLIVE OIL (OR ANOTHER FAT)

S: PRUNES

***SNACKS & BREAKFAST: I CAN SWAP OUT CANADIAN BACON, TURKEY BACON AND LITE HAM.

**** I HAVE LEFT SOME WIGGLE ROOM FOR WHAT FRUITS, VEGGIES ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT FAT I WOULD LIKE AND WHAT PROTEIN I WANT.

SUE..YES THE OATS ARE STEELCUT, IT'S IN THE OTHER POST ABOVE. LOVE MCCANN IN THE CAN!! LOL
AND YES THE PRUNES HAVE TO BE THE LAST THING AT NIGHT WITH THE MEDS. SO FAR I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE "MORNING SICKNESS" I HAD SO BADLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE ZONE LAST YEAR. I AM KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED. I DO FEEL A TINY BIT OF THE ANXIETY BUT IT'S NOT INCREASING AND TODAY WAS BETTER THAN YESTERDAY. IT SEEMS TO ME IT IS EASIER TO GET "BALANCED" AND QUICKER THAN BEFORE I HAD THE SZ FOODS. I WILL MISS THEM GREATLY!! . I CAN SEE AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT AWAY NOW. THIS IS A GOOD THING NO??? LOL THANK YOU DR SEARS AND HIS SZ FOODS!


THE DO NOT EAT LIST FOR MARCH:

GARLIC
SPINACH
TOMATOES
EGGPLANT
AVOCADO
CITRUS FRUITS
NO JUICES EITHER
RAW FRUIT
RAW VEGGIES

VANILLA
CHOCOLATE
CAFFEINE (TEA,COFFEE)
NO DECAF FOR NOW EITHER

ALL PEPPERS(BLACK, CAYENNE, ETC)
SPICES OF ANY KIND
**ONLY HERBS THAT CAUSE NO HEARTBURN

SOY SAUCE
SOY PRODUCTS
ALL ARTIFICAL SUGARS (INCLUDING SUCRALOSE)

VINEGAR
PICKLES
MUSTARD
RELISH
KETSUP
OLIVES(GREEN)
FLAVORED OILS

FLAVORED SELTZERS

LAMB OR BEEF
LIVER

YOGURT
SOUR CREAM
HARD CHEESE (AGED)

YOU CAN SEE WHERE THIS LIST IS GOING. THESE ARE THE TOP CONTENDERS FOR HEARTBURN. A HEATED STOMACH IS WHAT CAUSES ROSACEA. I "WEAR" WHAT I EAT...OR MY FACE DOES! LOL
FUNNY I KEPT TELLING MY DRS THAT THE STOMACH RULES MY FACE. UNTIL A STUDY WAS DONE NONE OF THEM BELIEVED ME. SAD HUH? NOW IT'S COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT MITES ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF ROSACEA BUT FOOD IS AND HOW THE BODY BREAKS IT DOWN ETC.
OK THIS IS A BOOK ALREADY!1 I'LL LEAVE NOW. HAPPY SUNDAY

SUE....FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE YOU HAVE SHOWN ME. I DO APPRECIATE IT. (((HUG)))

Patience, it's you my friend who has the patience, patience to continue to pursue what is best for you. Kudos to you, and good luck! You are the better for it. :-)

Yes, it makes sense it would be easier and quicker this time, because you're starting from a different place. This time you were solidly in the Zone from the Zone foods, even though you had a rough week when you stopped them. That was not the case the previous time when you originally tried the Zone. Back then you were starting from a place of not having recently been in the Zone.

The list basically looks much like a Zone avoid list, with some exceptions. It's very doable for the Zone. One thing you may not have known is the Zone diet usually eliminates GERD, so you have chosen very well!

I'd give the menu a little more thought, because as it stands, your lunch and evening snack are not going to allow you to be in the Zone. Keep these things in mind:

The breakfast contains far too much carbohydrate to protein to allow you to stay in the Zone, unless you plan to eat only a couple tablespoons each of the oats and applesauce.

Cheese twice a day is too much for the Zone. A better choice would be a serving of cheese twice a week, if at all.

I'd still try to pursue an alternative with your doctor, one that doesn't have you eating prunes alone.

Keep us updated! :-)

OK...CHEESE IS CONSTIPATING ANYWAY. WHAT ABOUT CANADIAN BACON, TURKEY BACON AND LITE HAM? I AM RUNNINGOUT OF CHOICES. NOT A FISH EATER HERE UNLESS ITS TJ'S PANKO COATED TILAPIA.

THE OATMEAL IS 1/2 CUP AND THE APPLESAUCE WAS SO I CAN SWALLOW AND FOR FRUITY FLAVOR...ABOUT A TABLESPOON. I WAS USING TJ'S SAUCES...A DIFFERENT ONE EACH DAY. APPLE, BERRY, PEAR. I HAD LITTLE PORTIONS FROZEN IN SNACK ZIPLOC BAGGIES. I CAN TRY IT WITH JUST A NUT BUTTER AND SEE HOW IT GOES DOWN.

I NEED TO FIND THINGS I LIKE TO EAT OR I WILL NEVER STICK WITH IT. I COULD MAKE A MILLION CHANGES BUT IF THEY DON'T TASTE GOOD TO ME I'LL BE OFF ON A "JUNK JOURNEY" IN NO TIME. I KNOW MYSELF TOO WELL....LOL

I WILL WAIT TILL I HEAR FROM YOU AND THEN FAX IT OUT IN THE MORNING...I DON'T WANT TO BREAK MY HONESTY BOND WITH HIM...IT TOOK TOO LONG TO FORGE!! LOL IF YOU HAZVE BETTER IDEAS FOR PROTEIN...LET ME KNOW.

ARE YOU TIRED OF THIS YET????ROFLMAO

"...CHEESE IS CONSTIPATING ANYWAY. WHAT ABOUT CANADIAN BACON, TURKEY BACON AND LITE HAM?"

None of those are the best protein chpoices for the Zone. Eat them once in a while if you want, but not regularly every day. Here are the proteins considered to be excellent (that aren't fish and aren't on your avoid list):

Crabmeat
Eggwhite
lobster
Milk (non-fat, add extra monounsaturated fat, and be careful because milk contains liquid carbohydrates which might not help you stay in the Zone)
Protien powder
Scallops
canned tuna (yes, this is fish but many people don't think of itin the same way as a fish fillet or steak)
Turkey breast, skinless


Next best proteins are:

Emu (Barry Sears has told me ostrich would also be a good choice; both are better for the Zone than chicken breast and you can find them in some supermarkets and usually at Whold Foods Markets...delicious!)
Chicken breast, skinless
Cottage cheese, low-fat
Shrimp


Third level, but still a decent choice:

Pork tenderloin, well trimmed (a 3 oz well trimmed pork loin chop woudl be acceptable, though it contains around 8g fat)



"THE OATMEAL IS 1/2 CUP AND THE APPLESAUCE WAS SO I CAN SWALLOW AND FOR FRUITY FLAVOR...ABOUT A TABLESPOON."

You'll still need to cut back on the amount of carbohydrates in the meal to balance the whites of 2 eggs. 1/3 cups cooked steel cut oats equals 1 Zone carbohydrage block. If you're going to add a tablespoon of applesause, then try using only 1/4 cup of cooked steel cut oats and 1 tablespoon of applesauce. Then you'll have 1 carbohydrate block.



"I CAN TRY IT WITH JUST A NUT BUTTER AND SEE HOW IT GOES DOWN."

JMO, but that would probably make it even thicker and more difficult to swallow. Water is always a good choice for thinning thick foods.



"I NEED TO FIND THINGS I LIKE TO EAT OR I WILL NEVER STICK WITH IT."

Absolutely, everyone should! Try not to limit yourself. There may be a lot of things you like that you just haven't tried yet. This is an excellent opportunity to put some variety into your diet. Make the most Zone friendly choices and have fun with it (it is really fun!). :-)

SUE.....
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU :-)

I AM GOING TO REVISE THE MENU; ADDING IN ALTERNATIVES; AND SEND IT OFF TO THEM TODAY SO THEY HAVE IT FIRST THING. THEN ANY PROBLEMS THE NURSE CAN FAX ME BACK. EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST PLAIN FARE FOR NOW AND I CAN GET FANCIER AS THE WEEKS GO BY.

THE PROTEIN SUGGESTIONS WERE GREAT. I DO LIKE TUNA AND SHRIMP AT TIMES. AND OF COURSE I LOVE TURKEY, COTT CH AND CHICKEN.

SMOOTHIES WILL BE A GOOD OPTION TOO...NO NEED TO COOK THE FRUIT...IT WILL BE MASHED!! LOL

I CAN FEEL THE PANIC EBBING AS I TYPE...THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR TIME THIS WEEKEND. IT WILL BE PUT TO GOOD USE I CAN ASSURE YOU! LOL NOW YOU CAN REST UP AND WATCH ME FLY THIS WEEK!
PS: THE BOOK I AM USING AS A REFERENCE IS ""MEALS IN SECONDS". I LOVE IT'S SIMPLICITY.
AND THAT'S WHERE I GOT THE BACON IDEAS. TOO MUCH SODIUM FOR ME ANYWAY! LOL

Mel, I lost track and haven't been keeping up. Are you unable to use the SZ foods?