No way would I buy the capsules! It's that "sounds too good to be true" type thing there. I'll stick with my Benefiber!!! LOL
I also did not buy the dry Z Trim--just the gel. Some of the recipes in the book call for the dry stuff, but most use the gel. I don't know what the dry stuff is--perhaps the bran without the water?
I'm skeptical. Not about the taste or the suitability for use in baking, but how useful it would be in the battle against obesity. All those fat-free baked goods that have been out for years didn't seem to change the obesity trend - except for the worse.
The way I look at it, if you can't stand the taste of fat free foods (I can't stand salad dressings or sour cream that is low fat or fat free) and you want to be able to enjoy them, why not reduce the amount of fat with the product? Their suggestion on salad dressing is to pour out the whole bottle, mix equal amount of Z Trim with it, pour back into the bottle and the rest in another container. You automatically halve the fat and calories.
I agree that the trend toward obesity with respect to all the fat-free processed foods is terrible. The problem with those processed products is that the buyer assumed that since they were fat free, that they were also calorie free when they were not (I know I fell for that trap). In some cases, the calories were just as high as the regular fat variety. I stay away from processed foods as much as humanly possible. But if I really want some cookies, now I can bake some from scratch and reduce the fat and calories and remain healthier.
The way I look at it, if you can't stand the taste of fat free foods (I can't stand salad dressings or sour cream that is low fat or fat free) and you want to be able to enjoy them, why not reduce the amount of fat with the product?
That makes perfect sense!
I was just underwhelmed by their pretty, elaborate, web site with the wholesome looking logo, and the seemingly kind and helpful words about working to change the obesity problem.... I don't think it is going to work in general (pardon my skepticism) because most people will say "These cookies are made with Z-thin so I'll have 12 of them." I think the Z-trim folks are in it for bucks (notice they have their investor link on the page) But, I hope that it works well for you and anyone here trying it as you have described.
As for myself, I am going in the opposite direction (less high-tech, more primitive.) I think reading Michael Pollan is getting to me
original recipe:
8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg Jimmy Dean sage sausage, cooked and drained
10 oz RoTel tomaotes with chilies
Mix, heat and serve warm with chips.
New recipe:
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz Z Trim
8-10 oz Morning Star Farms sausage crumbles
10 oz RoTel tomatoes with chilies
Mix, heat, serve warm with chips.
For the entire recipe, I reduced the calories by over 1000 and reduced the fat by about 75 grams (or was it more?). The only difference that I could tell was with the TVP (Morning Star Farms crumbles). They were smaller pieces than if I had used sausage and therefore the new dip wasn't as chewy. But everyone enjoyed it.
I also made a ranch dip with Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix and used half sour cream and half Z Trim. No one could tell the difference!
This is my first post, I found this site while looking for info on ZTrim.
I spoke to someone at the company last week and she told me you can make the gel that comes in the bottle from the powder they sell in the jar. It's a 1 to 1 ratio (add water) and you can keep the gel refrigerated for at least a week and then add it to anything you use. She said it's much more economical that way since you're not paying shipping for the liquid and you would get more. Now that I'm looking at the prices for the gel, I'm hoping she was right that this 8 oz of powder makes more than the equivalent of 6-7 bottles.
I also ordered the capsules. You can make the capsules from the powder but I'm in the 'need to start now' mode of getting back on plan and I wanted the convenience of the capsules being already made.
I think the fiber and full feeling is different than using something like Benefiber. I think the Ztrim has less fiber per serving than Benefiber. I also don't think Benefiber can do the same thing as the Ztrim for substituting calories in food.
My shipment just arrived today so I'm anxious to try it. Has anyone else been fooling around with it? I'm anxious to hear any recipes or substitutions that have worked or any tricks.
EDIT: I just called ZTrim and spoke to the woman again. She advised me that 6 TBL of the powder would be added to 1 cup of water. She said to use a blender for about 3 minutes to make it thick and creamy. I only have an immersion blender and asked if I could use that and she said it was fine.
One 1LB container of powder makes about 12 lbs of the gel, so it is more economical to use the powder and make your own gel.
1-2 tablets before each meal or a snack. She advised to start with 1 5-10 minutes before a meal, there's no exact science to it - you don't have to drink 8 oz of water or take it X exact minutes before eating to see the benefit.
I bought 3 bottles of the gel but will probably go for the powder next time. With all the paperwork they send to you, I found that there are 3 or 4 ways to add the water (different ratios) to get different results.
I don't get the capsules. I don't think they are necessary.
I've mixed the gel in a few things and you really can't tell it's there. I mixed it in salad dressing and I mixed it in deli counter scallion (chive) cream cheese.
The only thing I noticed with the cream cheese is, it makes it much thinnner in consistency when you first mix it in, but if you put it back in the refrigerator, it firms up to the same state as when I bought it.
I mixed a tub of the gel up and used the 6 tbl of Ztrim to 1 cup of water ratio and since it gets so thick and creamy it really expands and it seems like it triples in volume. I've been keeping it in the refrigerator in a rubbermaid container and I just use it when I need it. I heard it lasts for months in that state. The woman at the company who told me to use the 6 tbl to 1 cup of water told me the ideal thing is to blend it for 3 minutes in a blender. I don't have a blender so I just used one of those immersion blender sticks and it came out fine.
I've mixed the powder into Orange Juice and just used the immersion blender. It cuts the acidity of the juice and makes it more 'shake like'. It made it a bit fuller in consistency but not thick like the gel you make from the powder and water. Last night I used it in 4 oz of OJ and drank it before dinner to fill me up a bit. I'm going to experiment with some lower calorie juices and adding some frozen strawberries in.
Anyone else fool around with it and have any other suggestions?
I plan on buying the powder stuff and mixing it as I need it. I originally bought 3 bottles of the premixed stuff and I love it! As soon as I bring home a tub of sour cream, I mix in an equal amount of Z Trim and put it in a container for later use (that way I don't have to think about mixing it when I need it). I've done the same with salad dressing and I've used it in several recipes that called for butter (used half Z Trim). You REALLY can't tell the difference. I'm totally sold on this stuff!
valentina~I like your idea of mixing the powder with juice and fruit. I wouldn't have thought of that! When you got your Z Trim, you got a recipe book, right? Then at superbowl time, they sent out and email with tons more recipes. Did you get that?
valentina~I like your idea of mixing the powder with juice and fruit. I wouldn't have thought of that! When you got your Z Trim, you got a recipe book, right? Then at superbowl time, they sent out and email with tons more recipes. Did you get that?
Last night I mixed 2 tbl with 4 oz of orange juice. Since I'm using the Calcium enriched orange juice, I wonder if that's changing how it's thickening? hmmm
I did get the recipe booklet and a dvd I haven't used yet.
I didn't get the email with recipes since I just bought this. Was there anything interesting in the email recipes?
I wish there were more things I could think of to use it in, but I don't really eat a lot of the types of recipes in the cookbook. Yesterday I was walking around the supermarket thinking of what I could add it to
This sounded so great I decided to check out the website and try a bottle. I'm in the Netherlands, so I thought, yes, I'd have to pay more for shipping... imagine my surprise when I see they only ship with DHL overseas! I would have to pay a MINIMUM of $68 to get 1 $5 bottle shipped to me! No thank you!!
Don't understand why they can't put it in a box and just ship it with the post office!
I didn't get the email with recipes since I just bought this. Was there anything interesting in the email recipes?
Oh, the recipes were for a lot of superbowl type foods--dips, chili, brownies. If you want, I can email it to you. Just PM me with your email address and I'll send it. I think it was a pdf file that they sent.
