Hello there, I really hope somebody will help me here with a question I can't solve on my own.
I need some help figuring out how much is 1 complete block for a snack. (or perhaps 2:2:2 but just to stay in the Zone)

1 piece of Ezekiel Bread with 1 oz low fat part skim mozzarella cheese.
Is this a complete snack or I need some more protein to add to get the right proportion of Carbs Protein and Fat? Im trying to cut it off slowly and untill then I want to stay in the Zone...

I log the food in Livestrong.com My plate and the Bread + Mozzarella seems to be enough on their own. Almost 40:30:30.

But I know 1 whole piece of bread is 2 blocks. And if I add only 1 oz cheese - this makes 2Bl. Carbs and only 1 Block Protein (+the Fat in it)

I'm so hopeless here, It's been 3 days trying to figure it out and I still have no clue.
Thank you in advance for every advice coming my way, and I promise no more Ezekiel Bread questions!

Simple:
1 block = 7grams Protein, 9 grams of net Carbs, & 3grams total fat.
1oz of cheese is probably about 7grams protein.
Carbs (unfavorable) for the Ezekiel bread is Total Carbs minus Fiber.
So, for example (from the label), Ezekiel Sesame, 1 slice, is 14grams carbs minus 3 grams fiber = 11grams net carbs.
Or just a little over 1 block of carbs.

Christina,  just chiming in on what John said... I agree, he has the figures right!

Breads have a wide variability, some are lower in carb than others, some have more fiber than others.  So, to be more exact, I sometimes will read the label and estimate the block info from the information on the label.  That is what John illustrated in his post, and that is also what Livestrong.com is doing. 

 

Thank you both of you so much! It finally make sence to me, everything is so clear now. I will be checking labels from now one to make sure I'm having the right proportions of blocks.

I can't thank you enough, this is amazing forum.

Just one caution: being in the Zone is more than just balancing P, C, F. It is about Insulin control, keeping it stable and not spiking. (In more general terms hormonal control.) It is hard to stay "zoned" or in the zone hormonally with unfavorable carbs. Favorable carbs are digested, converted, released slower into the bloodstream. Hence the Glycemic Load values. The lower the Glycemic Load value the better the Carb - hence favorable and unfavorable carbs.

This is very nice point. Very well said. I appreciate it. This makes me think about not only the favorable Carbs but their GI as well. Now I'm a little confused though - is it better Unfavorable Carb with Low GI than Favorable Carb with high GI?

For example: Ezekiel Bread (Unfavorable - with GI 36) Vs. Peaches (Favorable - with GI 42).

I will really appreciate if somebody shed some light here, because honestly, I have no idea and still would say that the fruit is always better than the bread, correct???

Good question! 

Well, in terms of GI and GL, you always need to be using the same scale, otherwise you are not using the same scale to compare (like using inches to measure one thing and then using centimeters to measure another). 

Ezekiel Bread advertizes a GI on their packaging and advertizing, but we don't know who did the testing and where this is published, and if this was the same scale that was used to measure peaches (as in your example). 

That said, if all things are equal, there is very little difference between those 2 GI values, and it may not be a statistically significant difference. 

I would still side with the fruit, based on other differences that we may not know about, with regard to how Barry Sears defined "FAVORABLE" and "UNFAVORABLE".  Obviously, he isn't going to let us in on ALL of his secrets!  LOL! 

There is a difference between GI Glycemic Index and GL - Glycemic Load. With GI, you can not use it to compare one food to another. Its a pure value for that particular food. Glycemic Load is a way to compare one food to another. Here is an excerpt:
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Even though following the glycemic index would give great benefits to an individual, it can also be at times confusing. For an average person, he/she may get baffled about how it associates to them and may also find it quite hard to let it work into their own diet. In addition to this, the ranking of a specific kind of food in the index depends on certain variables: the way the food is grown, cooked or processed can either decrease or increase the index numbers; an individual’s metabolic make-up, the amount of daily food in-take a person has, and how one mixes or combines the foods he/she eats could vary the food’s response; etc. There are also discrepancies when it comes to calculating the index. According to experts, as the index is based on a very small amount of food (around 50 grams), it’s less than the typical consumption of an average person. This understates the effect of high-carb foods on blood sugar, and overstates the effect of low-carb foods. So, to clear up the confusion, nutritionists have come up with a calculation using the index in order to figure out the Glycemic Load.
.
A glycemic load of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium, and 20 or above is high. Take a watermelon for instance. It possesses a high glycemic index of 72. Yet, it has a glycemic load of 4.32. So with this result, it is seen that the carbohydrates in watermelon has a high ranking in the glycemic index, but its glycemic load is low because there’s not a lot of it.
.
The Glycaemic Load (GL) refers to the quantity of a particular food consumed and the blood sugar response in the body to that food.
.
For example, a 50g serving of a high-GI food (ie watermelon) would produce a slower blood sugar response than 500g of watermelon.
.
Glycaemic load (GL) is a combination of the quantity and quality of carbohydrate in a food. Foods with the highest GL are high in both GI and carbohydrate content (eg breads, breakfast foods and some fruits and vegetables). Foods with the lowest GL have low GI and low carbohydrate content (eg nuts, fish, cheese, meat). Moderate to low GL foods are preferable to be consumed regularly.
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Portion control is also vital in relation to the GL of foods. If a food is low in GI, this does not mean large portions of it should be eaten on a regular basis. This is important to note not just for blood sugar regulation but also for weight control.

That is very true, dear Cranberrycat!
We are not suppose to know everything, otherwise we won't need Dr. Sears' books and all the info that is constantly up-dating.

I believe that manufacturers are highly concerned how their product will sell so if it's something artificial or unhealthy in their product they could easily just not state it on the ingredient's list.

Until they're checked by USDA or some other organization of course. This was stated even in my textbooks for Nutrition, Diet and Health classes and I was very disapointed.

I've read hundreds of articles about healthy products like yogurts and cottage cheese (of course not all of them!) warning us what's inside so I decided I will eat them sparingly (it's just Mozzarella that I can't give up so easily) and I know as long as I eat it carefully I will be fine.

So, yes, natural foods will always be a better choice for us, rather than something that went processing and that has weeks and months (and years) shelf life.

Thank you!!!
Have a wonderful and blessed day everybody and thanks for all the help I'm finding here!

Thank you John,

This was a great info, I didn't know about GL, and now I will go and do some re-check on all the foods I'm consuming regularly to make sure the low GI by itself doesn't fool me

Great Info! Thanks!!!

Christina, you are welcome! 

BTW, I think that Ezekiel Bread is a pretty decent choice, among bread choices (which are all unfavorable).  There is just no way around it, definitely is better than a slice of white bread! 

But, I do know that there are other reasons why some foods are favorable and some are unfavorable, and it does not always rest with the GI/GL. 

For instance, steel cut oats are one of those foods that kind of sits on the borderline.   What makes them favorable is the GLA content.  That has nothing to do with GI or GL, but it is a positive anti-inflammatory quality. 

Thanks Cranberrycat!

I've never heard about GLA content before. That will be definitely something I will be Google-ing immediately to educate myself! I'm just guessing all processed foods will have not favorable GLA content as opposite to natural whole foods.

Thanks for this info, it's very helpful!

Oh ok.
Lesson learned.

GLA content is not in every food but mostly in fruits and vegetables. Now I get it!

Good to educate myself here rather than embarrass myself out in public Thank you Cranberrycat!

Hi Christina,

Insulin control and inflammation control through diet is one of the 3 basic parts of the Zone.  The other two parts are fish oil (for lowering inflammation)  and polyphenols (to prevent oxidation and to lower inflammation).

GLA is a fat that is not found in most foods.  It can be beneficial in very small amounts. Steel cut oatmeal is one food that contains very small amounts of GLA.  One or two bowls of slow cooking steel cut oatmeal (not instant) per week is sufficient for most people in terms of GLA.  Borage oil also contains GLA, but in amounts the will be too much for most people.  Borage oil supplementation is not recommended for the Zone.


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