Eating Dinner in the Zone
The Zone lifestyle is perfect for diabetics. Only through a balance of protein, carbs and fats can a person really keep their insulin levels down, and keep their pancreas working properly. Stay away from white breads. Stay away from pasta. Stay clear of Captain Crunch, Trix, and Life Cereal. You’re body comes first. Many people buy what tastes good. They never consider ythe consequences to their bodies if they buy something rich in sugar.
I know how you feel about diets. I myself thought diet food tasted like cardboard. I despites vegetables. But, then, I had one of the biggest bowls of salad a person could imagine. It fit in the biggest mixing bowl. It felt like I had just eaten a boulder and I was never going to get rid of it. But, the body loves greens and vegetables. They are digested a lot slower, but the feeling you get after a few hours is well worth it.
In order to eat a great Zone dinner, first you’ll be needing a head of iceberg lettace or romaine lettace. While romaine tastes better, iceberg is usually cheaper (approx. 99 cents to $1.60 retail). Be sure to find a healthy head. That brown stuff on the ends can be pulled off. But, it’s healthiest when it feels heavy, and thick.
*1 head of lettace
Next, you’re going to need two tomatoes. It’s all a matter of taste, but I prefer the unplucked tomatoes still on the vine. They always taste fresher, even when they’re 10 days too young and 10 days too old. The redder the better. And, be sure the cost isn’t extreme. If you can find a pack of tomatoes for less than $1.25 per pound (which is highly unlikely), you’re in vegetable heaven. Of course, the prices always depend on the season in which you’re searching for that Zone meal. Vegetables usually cost more in the winter, but not always. The best deal for tomatoes is usually the plastic package of four. They usually run about 4 for $3.
*2 tomatoes
For the third block in this meal (remember: a woman requires 3 per meal and a man, 4), you’ll need cucumbers. Again, it’s a matter of preference. But, the cheapest cucumbers are the regular 99 cent cucumbers. Another, more expensive cucumber is the English cucumber. It’s wrapped in plastic. It looks like a zuccini. This long, green cucumber tastes better than the average, run-of-the-mill cucumbers you see every day. You can cut it up and eat it without pealing the skin. The English cucumber runs around $1.50.
*1 cucumber
Last but not least is the fourth block (recommended for only men), but the one thing I like to add to my giant salad is a green pepper. There’s so many varieties of peppers, don’t get confused. There’s yellow, and there’s red. There are chilly peppers. But, you’re looking for a green pepper. Don’t ask me why, they taste better in a salad this size. Organic green peppers are $1.60, but the store brand green peppers can usually be found at 99 cents.
*1 green pepper
So what have you paid so far? If you go the cheaper way, you’ve paid around $5.00 for you’re 4 blocks of carbs. Now, you want to look for your 4 blocks of fat.
You’ve got several different options to put on this salad. You can go with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, Kraft or Hidden Valley. Of course, you can always make your own with olive oil, but if you want the quick and easy method to getting your fat block, go with the brand names. I know what you’re probably thinking. What’s wrong with Italian or even Thousand Island? But, from my experience – if you look on the nutritional content listed on the back of the bottle, you’ll find that ranch and blue cheese contains more fat, and Thousand Island and Italian are richer in carbs. This salad will require 4 tablespoons of dressing.
*4 tablespoons of dressing (rich in fat)
Last but not least is the 4 blocks of protein you’ll require. Get 4 ounces of meat, whether that be chicken, ham or turkey. Breasts of chicken and turkey can be much better than ham. If you don’t have any chicken, ham or turkey available, substitute them with a good hunk of lean beef. The leaner the better. You can’t have a balanced dinner if you’re eating more fat than protein.
*4 oz. of meat
Cut up the meat, cut up the cucumber, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. Throw it all into a big mixing bowl. Add some dressing, and you’re set to go. For those first-timers, eat slowly. That way the food will go down easier.
Of course, there are many other meals for a balanced dinner.
*1 cup sliced yellow squash
*1 cup green beans
*1 cup sliced zuccini
*1 cup melon (whether that’s cantalope or honeydew) for dessert
*24 peanuts
*4 oz. meat
Mix it all together and you’ve got a tasty plate.
*1 tablespoon ketchup
*1/2 cup chopped onions
*1 teaspoon bread crumbs
*Pepper to taste
*Dash of Worcestershire sauce
*1 1/2 cups cooked zuccini
*1 apple
*1 tossed salad
*4 teaspoons olive oil and vinegar dressing
*3 oz. lean ground beef (less than 10 percent fat)
*3 oz. ground turkey
*2 tablespoons egg substitute
Mix it all together and you’ve got yourself a great-tasting meatloaf dinner.
For more recipes, consult Dr. Sears’s books: The Zone, Mastering The Zone and Eating In The Zone.
