Zone diet

The Zone diet is a diet popularized in books by biochemist Barry Sears. It advocates consuming calories from carbohydrates, protein, and fat in a balanced ratio.

Theory

The diet centers on a "40:30:30" ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively. The ideal formula has been under debate, although studies over the past several years (including a non-scientific study by the PBS documentary show Scientific American Frontiers) have shown that it can produce weight loss at reasonable rates. The Scientific American Frontiers study compared the effectiveness of several popular 'diet' regimes including the Zone; somewhat to the surprise of the show's staff, the participants on the Zone experienced the greatest fat loss while simultaneously gaining muscle mass. Participants also reported the Zone as the easiest regime to adjust to, i.e. having the fewest adverse affects such as fatigue or hunger. Most people who report fatigue find that the fatigue diminishes by day 2 or 3.

"The Zone" is Sears' term for proper hormone balance. When insulin levels are neither too high nor too low, and glucagon levels are not too high, then specific anti-inflammatory chemicals (types of eicosanoids) are released, which have similar effects to aspirin, but without downsides such as gastric bleeding. Sears claims that a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates triggers this effect, and this is called 'The Zone.' Sears claims that these natural anti-inflammatories are heart- and health-friendly. There is no evidence that eating in this way affects hormone levels.

Additionally, the human body in caloric balance is more efficient and does not have to store excess calories as fat. The human body cannot store fat and burn fat at the same time, and Sears believes it takes time (significant time if insulin levels were high because of unbalanced eating) to switch from the former to the latter. Using stored fat for energy causes weight loss.

Another key feature of the Zone diet, introduced in his later books, is an intake of a particular ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. Dr. Sears is believed to have popularized the taking of pharmaceutical-grade Omega 3 fish oils.

Hormonal paradoxes

Sears believes in a hormonal paradox contrary to the "low-fat" rationale of most diets, claiming that low-fat diets increase the production of the hormone insulin, causing the body to store more fat. The example proposed by him is the cattle ranching practice of fattening livestock efficiently by feeding them lots of low-fat grain. However this is due to the amount of the grain, and thus the total amount of calories consumed, being large. He and others also point out the supposed irony that human diets in the West for the last twenty years have been full of low-fat carbohydrates, yet people are considered more obese now.

Additionally, Sears suggests fat consumption is essential for "burning" fat.

His rationale is: Monounsaturated fats in a meal contribute to a feeling of fullness and decrease the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream. Slower carbohydrate absorption means lower insulin levels which means less stored fat and a faster transition to fat burning. If the body needs energy and can't burn fat because of high insulin levels, a person feels tired as their brain starves and metabolism slows to compensate. This occurs because the brain runs on glucose and high insulin levels deplete blood glucose levels. Such a condition, rebound hypoglycemia, causes sweet cravings (which just starts the high-insulin cycle all over again).

Sears describes a Zone meal as follows: "Eat as much protein as the palm of your hand, as much nonstarchy raw vegetables as you can stand for the vitamins, enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity because the brain runs on glucose, and enough monounsaturated oils to keep feelings of hunger away." tommy suckz dick... No homo

Comparison to low-carb diets

Whether the Zone diet is a low-carb diet is a matter of opinion and definition. It is much less restrictive in total carbohydrate intake than the Atkins diet that became extremely popular throughout the United States in 2003 and 2004. Sears claims that diets specifically designed as "low carb" miss the point. According to him, they ignore the importance of moderation and balance: hormonal balance, as well as the influence of dietary balance on digestion and hormone production. A reasonable argument could be made that the typical American follows a "high carb" diet, and that the Zone diet is simply a moderate one.

Specific cases

Famous obesity case

Possibly the most famous case of someone using the diet effectively has been Manuel Uribe. After weighing in at around 560 kg (1234 lbs or over 88 stone) but within 2 years had lost about 184 kg. (Now he weighs 376 kg). After decades of failed weight-loss methods, including a botched liposuction that nearly killed him, Uribe believes devotion to the Zone Diet has been the only weight-loss program to have such a positive impact on him. Dr. Barry Sears, along with two of Mexico's most prestigious physicians , Dr. Silvia Orozco Avina and Dr. Gustavo Orozco Avina, are at the helm of the interdisciplinary team of doctors, nutritionists and exercise physiologists who continue to work diligently to help Manuel reach his goal. Aside from Dr. Sears, the other physicians on the team are more skeptical of Uribe's use of the Zone diet, but feel that if it helps Manuel stick to a diet and lose weight, they will tolerate his use of it. Manuel's current diet consists of about 2,000 calories per day broken up into six meals. His specially-designed menu includes a wide variety of meals including egg-white omelets, fresh salads, chicken fajitas and fish filet in a bed of spring greens. In fact, Manuel's biggest problem is not lack of appetite control, but eating all the food he is supposed to eat.

Famous followers

Several stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Cindy Crawford, Charlie Sheen , Tom Cruise and Maribel Guardia in addition to Levi Leipheimer, BJ Penn and Tiger Woods are believed to have followed the Zone diet.

Criticism

The American Heart Association, while warning about the popularity of diets that get most of their calories from protein, also pointed out that the Zone Diet's allowance of meat is a source of dangerous quantities of saturated fat. However, Sears believes the characterization of the Zone diet as 'high-protein' is inaccurate, as more calories come from carbohydrates than protein. In his book, he advocates a formula based on lean body mass and activity level to determine the appropriate daily intake of protein. For example, a female of average height and average build who has a moderately active lifestyle is encouraged to eat around 60g of protein daily.

Most vegetarian or vegan diets, according to Sears, are highly dissimilar from The Zone because they generally utilize very little protein relative to carbohydrate consumption. This, says Sears, prohibits the body from operating truly efficiently. As critical as Sears is of what he calls typical vegetarian and vegan diets, individuals who promote a vegetarian diet are also very critical of aspects of the Zone and similar diets. In 2000, Sears published the Soy Zone where he outlined a zone diet based around soy protein, making it more vegetarian-friendly.

Other nutritional experts, including some of Sears' former colleagues, are critical of his conclusions from the scientific evidence, contending that he has distorted or exaggerated the meaning of much of the basic research. They point out that no direct studies to verify his conclusions have been performed.

The word "zone diet" by itself is generic and was denied a trademark. There are many different forms of the “zone” diet and therefore the zone diet is no longer any particular person, place or thing, just like the word karate does not require capitalization to be grammatically correct. The largest “zone” diet company is Zone Perfect which is owned by Abbott Labs, a pharmaceutical company. The second and third highest grossing zone diet companies were Zone Gourmet and Zone Chefs, both companies were owned by two different mafia families. Some of the owners of Zone Chefs - which counts Kevin Costner and Liza Minnelli among its famous customers - were involved in a stock market scam controlled by the Colombo crime family, according to court documents (NY Post 3/25/06). Dr. Sears, who is retired and lives in Florida still has his own company “Omega-Zone.” In 2001 Dr. Sears sold his stake in the Zone Perfect Company for 6 million. A few months later Abbott labs purchased Zone Perfect for 160 million.

Official Zone books

(Partial list)

• Sears, Barry (1995). The Zone: A Dietary Road Map. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060987065. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Sears's initial book on the Zone diet.
• Sears, Barry (1997). Mastering the Zone. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 006101124X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Sears urges substitution of raw vegetables for pastas, breads and refined sugars. More diagrams and flowcharts than in The Zone.
• Sears, Barry (1999). The Anti-Aging Zone. Regan Books. ISBN 0060392436. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Information on meditation, relaxation and exercise in addition to diet.
• Sears, Barry (2000). A Week in the Zone: A Quick Course in the Healthiest Diet for You. Regan Books. ISBN 0060741902. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Sears, Barry (2000). The Soy Zone. Regan Books. ISBN 0060393106. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Discusses Sears preference for soy protein as part of his balanced eating program. "The longest-living people in the world" living in Okinawa, Japan consume much greater amounts of soy protein and eat smaller meals than most other people.
• Sears, Barry (2002). The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil. Regan Books. ISBN 0060393130. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Discusses "high-dose fish oil;" a newly-introduced invented pharmaceutical-grade fish oil that Sears touts as a medical miracle that will put the eicasonids in balance and reduce inflammation. Extra virgin olive oil is also promoted for its phytochemicals.
• Sears, Barry (2005). The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the Silent Epidemic That's Destroying Our Health. Regan Books. ISBN 0060834145. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

See also

• Diet (nutrition)
• List of diets
• Low-carb tortilla
• Medical research related to low-carbohydrate diets
• Sugar Busters!
• Online weight loss plans

External links

• Official Website of the Zone Diet
• Dr. Barry Sears' Official Website
• History of the Zone Diet
• The Zone Diet Explained-Synopsis of the Zone Diet with pictures of example meals, charts for finding your Zone requirements, and charts with Zone content of most foods.