The Zone Diet Review

October 27, 2008
By Josh Perez

The Zone Diet:

It comes from the Greek root meaning “way of life”. This is what the Zone Diet is. It’s a way of life to help control gene expression to give you the longer and better life we all aspire to.

The Zone Diet gives you the power to turn some genes on and turn other genes off. As a result, you feel your energy soar, watch your waistline shrink, and say goodbye to hunger. In the Zone you are now taking wellness into your own hands.

Any diet that uses the word high or low to describe it is hormonally unsustainable. The only diet that can maintain hormonal balance for a lifetime must use the word moderate to describe it. That’s what the Zone Diet is. For more information please visit the official website of “The Zone Diet.”

How the Zone Diet program works:

Celebrities like Madonna, Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet (created by Barry Sears, PhD.). The Zone Diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat and is also known as the 40-30-30 plan. The Zone Diet works on the premise that 100,000 years ago, we were meat eaters and our bodies was designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet. As we have evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diet, causing an imbalance. The reason for our extra weight could be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet’s strategy calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits and vegetables are the main dietary items.

Product Summary:

The Zone Diet works by working the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream. Too much of the hormone (insulin) can increase fat storage and inflammation in the body (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Dr. Sears asserts that by using the Zone Diet you are actually optimising the body’s metabolic function. Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to burn excess body fat.

The Zone Diet does not actually prohibit you from any particular food group; however food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pastas should be avoided. Fruits and vegetables are the preferred source of carbs and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, almonds, avocados) are the ideal choice of fats. The Zone Diet claims to use food as a drug for overall good health, weight loss and prevention or management of heart disease and diabetes.

Dr. Sears says that you can test to see whether you are ‘hormonally’ correct by eating following the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later. To simplify the Zone Diet, fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables.

The Workout:

The Zone Diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health. The Zone Diet can best be described as a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, moderate fat diet that has approximately one gram of fat for every two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates (the Zone 1-2-3 Method™). These ratios represent the newest dietary recommendations from the Joslin Diabetes Research Center at Harvard Medical School for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The Mental Block:

The Zone Diet has neither been rejected nor endorsed by health organisations. Some health experts see some elements of the Zone Diet as favorable, especially the low-fat content. The ADA (American Dietetic Association) sees the Zone Diet as just another fad diet. Some health experts argue that there are safer diets such as the “5 Factor Diet” program (which encourage people to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables a day).

The Result:

Rather than simply providing you with a list of recipes, the Zone has specific products for you to purchase to help you achiever your weight-loss goals. OmegaRx is a product that helps to control the inflammation within the fat cells. It burns excess fat and supports the defense against chronic illness. Their Sea Health Plussupplement helps you achieve the necessary servings or fruits and vegetables per day. To help keep hunger at bay, the Zone offers products like Zone snack bars, protein shakes, powdered protein and Zone cereal. One major downside of the Zone diet is that you need to stick to their diet plan and products.

The Zone offers some tools to help you along. The standard online forums are good to swap suggestions and ideas with others. Unfortunately, there is no direct access to doctors or nutritionists. They do offer a 7 day planner that is different for men and women. 7 Day Meal Planner also includes both meat and vegetarian options. The body fat calculator is pretty standard, but helps you achieve your weight loss goals. See the FREE 7 Day Meal Planner here.

Overall, I would recommend this diet because it does keep you accountable to eating the correct way, and it keeps your meals balanced while losing weight! “Check Out ZoneDiet.com Today!”

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