Why We Want to Achieve Hormonal Balance

Why We Want to Achieve Hormonal Balance

1) Be able to think better because of stable blood sugar levels 2) Perform better because of increased oxygen transfer to your muscle cells 3) Do not starve or feel hungry because brain is being supplied with its primary fuel 4) Feel happier, and more balanced throughout the day.Know how much protein your body needs. Use eyeball method—palm of your hand fits about 4 oz protein or 28gm protein.Every time you eat, make sure you eat protein AND carbs AND fat Make most of your carbohydrate choices from favorable carbs—vegetables, fruits, oatmeal and occasionally whole wheatThe Zone Diet:The Zone Diet is based on the idea that you should eat carbohydrates, proteins and fats in specific ratios at every meal. It can be tricky to work out the amounts, so food blocks are suggested that comprise the set amount of each food group you should be consuming in any given meal.What Is a Block?A block is a unit of measure used to simplify the process of making balanced meals.7 grams of protein = 1block of protein 9 grams of carbohydrate = 1 block of carbohydrate 1.5 grams of fat = 1 block of fat (There is an assumption that there is about 1.5 grams of fat in each block of protein, so the total amount of fat needed per 1 block meal is 3 grams.)When a meal is composed of equal blocks of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, it is 40 % carbohydrate, 30 % protein and 30% fat.This “block chart” is a convenient tool for making balanced meals. Simply choose 1 item from the protein list, 1 item from the carbohydrate list, and 1 item from the fat list to compose a 1 block meal. Or choose 2 items from each column to compose a 2 block meal, etc.Here is a sample 4 block meal:4 oz. chicken breast 1 artichoke 1 cup of steamed vegetables w/ 24 crushed peanuts 1 sliced apple This meals contains 28 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbohydrate, and 12 grams of fat. It is simpler, though, to think of it as 4 blocks of protein, 4 blocks of carbohydrate, and 4 blocks of fat.