Is the Zone Diet for you?

The Zone diet was developed by Barry Sears, PhD. While it's frequently promoted as a weight loss program, it also has a focus on bettering the user's health. The goal of the Zone diet is to position one's body within a hormonally controlled "Zone" 24 hours a day.

The basic caloric ratio of the Zone diet is 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat. The diet divides food into "blocks" and "mini-blocks" to make it easier for users to attain the proper ratio without having to measure grams. Five meals a day are recommended.

The Zone diet views food as a 'drug' which dramatically affects your body's production of the hormone insulin. The diet is based on the belief that significant swings in insulin levels affect mental acuity, mood, endurance, and weight gain or loss, and eventually will have a negative impact on overall well being.

Balance is the key to the Zone Diet

The key to the Zone diet is in the balance of carbohydrate to protein. This is important because carbohydrates stimulate insulin and protein stimulates glucagon. The goal is a balance between these two hormones. The diet also seeks to balance Eicosanoids (eye-KAH-sah-noids), which are autocrine hormones. Supposedly, our current diet favors the production of one type over the other, resulting in effects such as decreased immune system function, increase in blood pressure, asthma, and increased allergies.

The Zone diet does recommend supplementation of the diet with Omega-3 fish oils. It is also recommended to include both aerobic and strength training exercise in the program, due to the fact that exercise lowers insulin levels, builds muscle mass, and prevents bone loss.