The Zone diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears, a former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The diet is based off of his 25 years of lipids research. Dr. Sears published The Zone diet, in June 1995. The Zone diet was a #1 best seller on the New York Times book list, sold over 2 million copies and has been translated into 22 different languages.
The Zone diet is based on the belief that eating the wrong foods or the wrong amounts of foods will cause an imbalance of insulin and glucagon. This imbalance will cause cellular inflammation which causes cells to trap fat instead of releasing it for energy. The lack of energy being released is said to be the underlying cause for weight gain because people always feel hungry. If the proper foods are eaten in the proper amounts the levels of insulin and glucagon will make a person feel full and not eat as many calories so weight is lost. When in balance a person should feel full for 4-6 hours. The Zone diet does not have any calorie restrictions. The diet works by changing the amounts and types of food a person eats. The diet recommends that 35-45% of a person’s total calories come from carbohydrates, 25-35% from protein, and 30% or less come from fat. This is commonly referred to at the 40:30:30 plan. During a meal a person would fill 1/3 of their plate with 3-4oz of low fat protein and the remaining 2/3 with favorable carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables. Grains and starches are treated as condiments and should only be whole grains. Small amounts of fats such as olive oil, canola oil, almonds, macadamia nuts and avocados are allowed. Food such bread, pizza, pasta, potatoes and rice should be avoided. There are Zone diet approved cookies, bars, cereals, bagels, bread, pasta, and pretzels for sale on the Zone diet website. Dr. Berry suggests fish oil, polyphenols, and condition specific micronutrient supplements be taken if they are lacking in the foods eaten on the diet. Many health professionals don’t endorse The Zone diet but find it more acceptable than some of the other fad diets because it is lower in fat and doesn’t severely restrict total calories. One large problem health professionals have with the diet is that there is not enough evidence to back up the scientific claims of the diet that hormones play a large role in weight reduction. Robert H Eckel MD, the American Heart Association’s chair of the Council on Nutrition, Physical activity and Metabolism said the diet has not been proven for long term weight loss. It restricts intake of essential vitamins and minerals and the 40:30:30 ratio is flawed. While the amount of fat is ok the protein is too high and the carbohydrates too low. Bonnie Liebman MS, the nutrition director for the Center for Science in the Public interest’s Nutrition Action Newsletter said that while the diet restricts carbohydrates more than necessary, if you ignore the unproven scientific claims the diet isn’t bad. The Zone diet’s website:www.zonediet.com -The website contains more information about the diet, recipes, a journal, dining out tips, Zone food and a list of Zone certified physicians. References: 1. www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52012 2.www.sciencedaily.com/articles/z/zone_diet.html 3.www.webmd.com/diet/zone-what-it-is 4.www.zonediet.com
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AuthorHello! My name is Kimberly Rogers and I am a Dietetics student at Kansas State University. ArchivesCategories |