The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet gets its fair share of jokes about
its name, but it basically comes down to being a diet that take
hormone balance as its starting point. The zone of The Zone Diet
is an actual physiological state rather than some sort of state
of mind; a state in the body’s insulin is controlled with the
eventual payoff being loss of fat and a general higher state of
well being.
How is this zone achieved? How does one actually
control a physiological occurrence such as the production of insulin?
According to the creators of The Zone Diet, this is accomplished
through balance. No, not balancing of the light and dark sides
of the Force, but rather balancing one's ingestion of protein
and carbohydrates.
Just as in Zen Buddhism, achieving the zone known
as Enlightenment requires moderation in all things, so is moderation
the goal of the Zone Diet. The diet tries for a moderate balance
of consumption of protein, fat and carbs. There is even a ratio
to define how much of each of these types of food should be consumed:
40% of your food intake should be carbs with the other 60% divided
equally among fat and protein.
The Zone Diet is one of the big three new diet
plans that considers carbohydrate control to be the key to weight
loss rather than controlling one’s ingestion of fat. Like the
Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, the primary goal of the
Zone Diet is to limit carbs from your diet. The criticism of the
diet is similar to that of those two diets; that weight loss will
be temporary and, worse, increase cholesterol and the risks of
developing heart disease. The American Heart Association has been
one of the most vocal critics of the Zone Diet.
Another criticism of the Zone Diet is that it
requires far more effort than most others. In order to meet the
ratio of the zone, you have to carefully measure every individual
serving of food you eat. Many people simply don’t have the time
required to dedicate themselves to this aspect and winding up
consulting a dietician which, while saving time, costs money.
On the other hand, if you enjoy your daily dose
of carbohydrates and aren’t in a big hurry to sacrifice them for
the payoff of weight loss, the Zone Diet is probably a better
choice for you than the Atkins or South Beach diets. With the
Zone Diet you can actually consume more carbs per day than with
those other two.
What this means is that those people who tend
to give up on diets due to the psychological effects of feeling
as if they are being unfairly deprived of the food they crave
may be more successful with the Zone because it isn’t quite as
restrictive.
Needless to say, before embarking on the Zone
Diet or any diet, it is wise to consult a doctor first.
Author:
Matt Garrett - © 2007 http://www.DietHealthSecrets.com Discover
which diet weight loss plans, pills and supplements really work
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Zone Diet Review - A Review of Dr Barry Sears' Zone Die
If you've ever read one of those magazine stories on "How Celebrities
Lose Weight" you've no doubt read about The Zone Diet. Many celebrities
like Jennifer Aniston, Vanessa Williams, Ali Landry, and Jenny
McCarthy have all used Dr Sears' Zone diet to lose weight and
maintain their figures.
Is the Zone diet right for you? Here's a quick
review to help you decide:
One of the most popular diets on the market, the
Zone diet was created by biochemist Barry Sears and is based more
on controlling hormone levels than on counting calories.
Sears believes (as do many other weight loss experts)
that most people are insulin-resistant. Insulin is a hormone our
body makes to balance our blood sugar and, among other things,
promote fat storage.
Too many carbohydrates (especially the bad carbs
like muffins, pasta, chocolate, cookies, etc.) cause a spike in
blood sugar. This in turn causes a high load of insulin to be
released and thus, extra fat to be stored.
When someone becomes insulin resistant, this worsens
the problem because even more insulin must be released to get
the same effects as before. This causes weight gain, health problems,
less than peak performance and stubborn fat deposits that just
won't budge.
The Zone diet aims to help people lose weight
by controlling their insulin levels and giving them optimum nutrition
that promotes fat release and peak performance. Unlike Atkins,
it is not a low-carbohydrate diet - more of a balanced, good carbohydrate
diet.
The diet aims to balance the intake of protein,
good (low-glycemic) carbohydrates and a moderate amount of monounsaturated
fats.
Zone diet meals follow a strict ratio of 40% good
carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein (also referred to as the 40:30:30
ratio). According to Sears, this keeps your insulin levels low
and helps your body stay in the Zone of peak performance with
maximum fat burning.
Zone followers eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and
2 snacks. Every meal and snack should have the 40:30:30 ratio
of low-fat protein, favorable carbohydrates (like vegetables and
fruit), and a dash of "good" fat. Sears also advises that you
don't go more than 5 hours without eating and that you should
eat within an hour of waking.
Benefits:
People who try the Zone have claimed to lose 5
pounds in the first 2 weeks followed by 1 - 2 pounds every week
after the initial startup.
Other benefits include more energy and a general
improved feeling of well-being. This makes sense since you're
not getting the blood sugar swings that can make you feel tired
or shaky.
It's also important to note that you don't get
the brain fog that many low carbohydrate diets can cause. Eating
a diet in the Zone is also reported to help stave off the ravages
of aging.
Drawbacks:
The only problem with following the Zone is that
the strict 40:30:30 ratio can be difficult to follow - especially
if you don't have a lot of time to devote to meal preparation.
One way many Zone fans get around this is by using
Zone Meal Delivery Services. There are several Zone meal delivery
services, each offering different prices and different menu plans.
If you decide to use a delivery service, make sure you choose
one that fits your needs and pocketbook.
Conclusion:
For all intents and purposes the Zone Diet is
a healthy way to lose weight, allowing a bit of everything in
balance. It's not a quick fad diet but more of a way of living
and feeling at your best. While it can be a bit labor intensive,
Zone devotees say they not only lose weight but have increased
energy and well-being when they eat 'in the Zone'.
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