My first day in the Zone went smoothly. As I shared yesterday, I'm spending a week eating mostly low-glycemic carbohydrates, lean proteins and heart-healthy fats to head into the Zone, and hopefully, down a path toward more energy, less brain fog, maybe even skinnier jeans.

I've been flipping through my old Zone cookbooks and re-educated myself on the ratios of proteins/carbs/fats in a Zone-favorable meal. If you'd like to Zone in, here's the ratio broken down into blocks (e.g., units):

• 1 block of Zone protein equals 7 grams of protein
  
• 1 block of Zone carbohydrate equals 9 grams of carbohydrates
• 1 block of Zone fat equals 1.5 grams of fat
  

From experience, you have to choose low-glycemic carbohydrates (typically vegetables and fruits) to stay in the Zone. Fill your plate with one-third protein (no bigger than the palm of your hand), two-thirds low-glycemic carbohydrates and a dash of heart-healthy fats. Eat too much high-glycemic bread/pasta and good luck hitting the Zone. One of my all-time favorite Zone meals is Mexicali Turkey Chili. This super-quick recipe yields six cups for a perfect ratio chili pot filled with 12 blocks of protein, 12 blocks of carbohydrate and 12 blocks of fat. I'm making this tomorrow to keep my metabolism humming at peak efficiency. If you'd like a bowl, here's the recipe:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lg. green pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 med. garlic clove, minced (I like more)
• 2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
• 12 oz. lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups canned tomato chunks in liquid
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans or canned, drained
• 1 tsp. granulated fructose or sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
• 2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (about 1/2 cup), shredded
• 1 1/2 oz. baked tortilla chips
  
  

Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Saute the peppers/onions/garlic for five minutes. Stir in chili powder, then add the ground turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until well-browned. Add tomatoes/kidney beans/sugar/salt/red pepper flakes. Bring to a slow boil, then add up to 3/4 cup of water (or more) to thin the sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese on top of each bowl and a small handful of tortilla chips. If you like this recipe, consider joining Dr. Sears Zone for FREE and you'll have access to a ton of Zone recipes, the Zone Block and Body Fat Calculator and more. Pic from Amazon.