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How
was the Zone Diet started?
The Zone Diet was created by Barry Sears,
PhD. In 1995, he published his first book, and since then, millions
of people have gotten into the "Zone". The Zone Diet is
one of the most well-known low-carb diets
and advocates "hormonal thinking" rather than caloric thinking when
it come to weight loss.
How
does the Zone Diet work?
Commonly referred to as the 40/30/30 diet,
the key factor in Zone dieting is creating a hormonal balance with
the foods you eat (commonly referred to as the "Zone").
With the appropriate ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fats (30%) and
proteins (30%); you can control your body’s insulin production;
and in turn, control your weight.
Here's the basics: when you consume too many
carbohydrates your body produces increased amounts of insulin. This
prompts the body to convert those carbs into fat. But protein has
a contradictory effect and tells the body to release carbohydrates.
When the carbs are freed, the brain tells the body that it's energy
supplies are full and you should stop eating. Consequently, limiting
the type of carbohydrates you eat and balancing them with 3-4 ounces
of low-fat protein at every meal will help keep insulin and glucagon
balanced, controlling your hunger; and in turn, helping you burn
fat and loose weight.
The Zone Diet bases each meal plan on gender,
activity level, and body fat percentage. During each meal, dieters
are assigned "blocks" which contain a standardized amount
of carbohydrates, proteins or fats. To lose weight, a certain number
of blocks are allocated for each meal and snack.
The Zone Diet does not actually prohibit
you from any particular food group; however carbohydrate foods with
a high glycemic index (bread, cereals, rice, bagels, sweets, many
fruits & juices, potatoes and snack chips) are not recommended and
most grain products are limited to very small portions. High fat
meats and dairy foods, sweets and snack items are also restricted.
With the help of Zone’s website, calculating
the daily number of blocks you should have-- and how they should
be divided throughout the day-- is relatively easy. But creating
meals and snacks that have the correct number of Zone Food Blocks
is the hard part! To no surprise, you will need a Zone
Diet Book to help you put
meals together. Unless, of course, money is no object and you can
afford Zone's pre-packaged meals and snacks.
What are the Pro's of the Zone Diet?
The flexibility of food choices and helpful
Zone Diet recipes will make this plan easier to follow than most
low-carb diets. In general, the Zone
Diet has fewer restrictions and recommends eating more fruits and
vegetables. Within each category of food (carbohydrates, proteins
and fats), a wide range of suitable selections are available to
choose from.
Advocates of the Zone Diet contend that living
“in the Zone” improves energy levels, mental clarity, physical endurance,
and promotes weight loss. The diet also stresses eating less sugar,
drinking more water, and moderate amounts of exercise; all key components
to an overall healthy lifestyle.
What
are the Con's of the Zone Diet?
Because calorie consumption is determined
by protein intake-- the Zone Diet can lead to incredibly low daily
caloric levels. Like all calorie restricted diets, the Zone Diet
is next to impossible to follow for long periods of time and may
leave you feeling tired or weak.
Most nutritional professionals favor a high-complex-carbohydrate,
low-fat diet for general health and weight loss. They caution that
high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets lack key nutrients for health,
including dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.
In addition, the high intake of meat products necessary to meet
the protein requirements of the Zone Diet may place certain individuals
at risk of heart disease due to increased intake of saturated fat
and cholesterol.
The Zone Diet can be very complicated and
time-consuming if you’re going to follow it properly. You’ll need
to invest in a Zone
Diet Book and a decent set
of measuring tools. Figuring out how to make every meal and snack
follow the 40-30-30 ratio can be daunting and if you're not ready
to devote a significant amount of time to planning your meals, this
diet probably isn't for you.
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