I get a lot of questions regarding fat in the Zone diet. I have put together some of the "good fats" (avocado should be in there too, but I did not have one). Fat is extremely important in any nutrition for two very important reasons. First, fat supplies essential fatty acids to your body which allows your body to produce a powerful hormone called eicosanoids. These hormones control the level of inflammation that effects your brain, heart and immune system. Second, fat in your diet controls that rate that any carbohydrate enters into the bloodstream. This in turn helps to control the insulin secretion in the body. I have listed the amounts of each item you need to equal one block of fat...Extra Light Olive Oil- about 1 tsp= 1 block fat
Cashews- 3 cashews= 1 block fat
Almonds- 3 almonds = 1 block fat
Peanuts- 6 peanuts = 1 block fat
Avocado- 2 TB avocado= 1 block fat
Macadamia nuts- 1 macadamia = 1 block fat
Olives- 5 olives= 1 block fat
Pistachio nuts- 6 pistachios = 1 block fat
Almond butter- 1 tsp = 1 block fat
Guacamole- 2 TB = 1 block fat
hummus- 2 TB = 1 block fat
Thank you Michele. This is great information. I have been so conscious of fat in my foods for so many years, that it has been difficult to let it back in to my life! It really has been an effort! ... still can't believe you don't like avocados!?
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way, we finally tried the mediterranean chicken dish and loved it!
Kelly- glad this helps and keep up the great zoning...you look amazing!
ReplyDeletetwo tablespoons of avocado? Whooohooo!!! I can have eight at dinner!!!
ReplyDeleteYou don't happen to know of the weight of those two tablespoons?
I've been doing this long enough I'm thinking about getting a better scale. They have ones that have a "taring" function that zeros out the weight of things so you could essentially put on your plate, lettuce, then zero it out, add salad meat, zero, then the avocado . . . or whatever. Would be handy.