Hello.  I am glad you have a question for me.  All questions I receive are important to me and I will be glad to answer them as soon as I can.  Before you jot it off, please check the most common questions below, maybe I've answered it several dozens of times already. My Email address is at the bottom of this page.
 

What the heck exactly is a block of food?

Food blocks can be a little confusing. We speak of "blocks of protein or carbs or fat". And then we turn around and speak of "blocks of food". Maybe we should use CAPITAL LETTERS for BLOCKS OF FOOD and small caps for the individual blocks of C, P or F.  ONE BLOCK OF FOOD contains 1 block of carbohydrates + 1 block of protein + 1 block of fat.

Now, you are asking yourself .. "how does that help me combine my C, P and Fat correctly?"   Well, an individual block of carbs contains 9 grams of carbs.  An individual block of protein contains 7 grams of protein and an individual block of fat contains 3 grams of fat.

So, let's put it all together. One FOOD BLOCK contains all three individual blocks which consists of  9 grams of carb plus 7 grams of protein plus 3 grams of fat. That is the famous 40:30:30 ratio (trust me here).  OK, we could have used different words like maybe "units" or "exchanges" but we used "blocks".

I HoPe ThAt HeLpS.
 
         +         +                  = 

Carb block    Protein block  Fat block                 FOOD BLOCK
  9 grams        7 grams            3 grams                        9:7:3
    40%               30%                30%                       40-30-30
 

Why the heck is a block of fat 1.5 grams when I thought it was supposed to be 3 grams?

A block of fat is 3gms. There is a 1/2 a block of fat "buried" inside fatty meat or fish.  The hidden fat is considered to be 1.5gms per block of meat protein. That is, if you're are eating meat or oily fish, consider that there is an extra 1.5gms of fat/oil buried inside the food and so don't add more than 1.5gms of extra oils per block of protein.

If you eat all prepared foods and add up everything on the labels, you will know EXACTLY how much fat you are getting...there is nothing hidden from the FDA's labels. So you always figure in 3grs of fat per block of food.  BUT, if you are eating meat or fish, there are no labels on them.

I am a vegetarian, how the heck can I get enough protein for the plan?

Setian, a wheat gluten product that can be stir fried with veggies. Also TVP (texturized vegetable protein) is a terrific food item to add to beans and rice or any soup. Mix in some cheese and you’re there! Of course there are loads of different protein powders available.   Also, please surf over to my friend Karen's web site on the zone.  She is a vegetarian too.  http://www.karenskitchen.com

Please provide me with a weeks worth of perfectly balanced meals. (what the heck)

Good Grief, what a tall order!  And if you ask me a recipe for failure.  My choices of food never satisfy you anyway.  So my suggestion is to sit down and list all your favorite foods then look them up to find the carbohydrate and protein and fat contents.  Next dream up combinations to fill in the gaps and bring them to zone balance.  Each meal is different so you must learn how to eat balanced "on the fly".
 
 

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Snail Mail:

Dr. David W. Brown DC
4545 Park Blvd. Suite 105
San Diego, CA  92116