"The Zone" is what Dr. Barry Sears calls the state of hormonal balance that can be achieved by your diet.
How the Zone Diet Works
Dr. Sears' diet focuses on keeping the hormone insulin balanced: not too high, not too low. The diet is founded in the theory that excess insulin, which controls blood sugar levels, makes us and keeps us fat.
In regulating blood sugar levels so insulin levels are in a tight "zone," fat is burned more efficiently and we lose weight. This is achieved through a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats where, of the calories each meal provides, 40 percent are from carbohydrates, 30 percent are from protein and 30 percent from fat.
In simple terms, the Zone is a low-carb, high-protein diet that thinks hormonally rather than merely calorically.
Eating on the Zone Diet
Dr. Sears provides a simple solution to following his diet: at each meal, divide your plate into thirds; one-third contains a portion of low-fat protein no bigger or thicker than the palm of your hand; two-thirds should be filled until overflowing with fruits and vegetables; and finally, add one dash of monounsaturated fat such as almonds or avocado.
Benefits of the Zone Diet
Dr. Sears says the Zone is "a diet without hunger," achieved through the right balance of carbs, protein and fat.
By being within the preferred "zone," advocates of the diet claim the body will be healthier, experience weight loss and improve athletic performance. Dr. Sears indicates that a high-carb diet causes the over-production of insulin, which leads to weight gain and is the underlying cause of such ailments as heat disease, cancer and arthritis.
Review of the Zone Diet
Skeptics of the Zone diet argue that its followers are losing weight only because it's low-calorie. They aren't convinced that weight loss is due to regulating insulin level. Because the meal plans' caloric total is so low, a person would lose weight no matter where the calories come from.
"And that's the bottom line to all of these diets," says dietician Barker Jackman. "You cut calories you're going to lose weight."
She says diets with a lot of low-fat protein keep dieters full longer, and so they tend to eat less. And because the food being consumed is low-cal, the total calories being consumed is low. It's as simple as that.
Following this diet properly is arguably time-consuming and complicated, and requires a lot of weighing, measuring and reading up. On a positive note, the Zone diet does cut out unhealthy junk food and certain starches and replaces them with low-calorie vegetables and fruit. Such replacements are always a plus.
