Zone Diet – A New Weight Loss System

The Zone Diet works on the principle that 100,000 years ago, we
were meat eaters, and our metabolism is designed to handle the
demands of a meat-based diet.

Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results
of the Zone Diet, which was created by Barry Sears, PhD. The
Zone Diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat
and is known as the 40-30-30 plan.

As the food industry evolved, more carbohydrates have been
introduced into our daily diet, thus causing an imbalance in our
metabolism to burn fat. The reason for our extra weight can also
be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet
(pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet’s approach
calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat,
fruits, and vegetables are the main dietary foods.

The Zone Diet suggests that you need 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). Sears asserts that by using the Zone Diet,
you are actually optimizing the body’s metabolic function.
Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to
burn excess body fat.

Although you are not prohibited from any particular food group,
it is best to avoid food with high fat and carbohydrates such as
grains, starches, and pastas. The ideal sources of carbs are
fruits and vegetables and for monounsaturated fats olive oil,
almonds, and avocados are recommended. 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.

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.

Celebrities and some health experts say that the Zone’s
recommendations do not stray far from the USDA’s (United States
Dietary Association) dietary guidelines and therefore are
advocates of the Zone Diet. Others argue that the Zone Diet has
flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is a
low-glycemic-load diet that has adequate protein. .

A critic of the Zone diet such as the AHA (American Heart
Association) classifies the Zone Diet as high protein and does
not recommend the Zone Diet for weight loss. They contend that
the Zone Diet has not been proven effective in the long term for
weight loss. The AHA issued an official recommendation warning
against diets like the Zone Diet. They believe that the Zone
Diet is hazardous as it restricts the intake of essential
vitamins and minerals present in certain foods. The AHA also
contends that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high
even if the minimal fat ratio is good. Robert H. Ecker M.D of
the A.H.A. finds the Zone Diet’s theory on insulin flawed and
argues that there is no scientific proof that the hormone
insulin plays a big role in weight regulation.

For more information about the Zone diet and weight loss, visit
http://www.zonedietanswers.com and

http://www.weightlossinfohelp.com

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