The Zone diet, popular nowadays among health-conscious Americans, was first developed by Dr. Barry Sears, PhD and promoted in his best-selling book “Zone” as the balanced macronutrient rations for people who want to lose weight and support their health.This dietary regime, the advocates of which include celebrities Demy Moore, Madonna, and Jennifer Aniston, calls for eating the macronutrients - carbohydrates, protein, and fat - in a 40-30-30 percent ratio. The aim is to get 40 percent of your calorie intake from carbohydrates, 30 percent - from protein, and 30 percent - from fat.
In contrast with the recommended in the US and Canada food pyramid, which emphasises the diet of about 55 to 60 percent of carbohydrates, and only 10 to 15 percent - of protein, with the remainder of the calories from fat, the Zone diet is undoubtedly a healthier and more traditional dietary regime. Ironically, livestock farmers often use the USDA Food Guide Pyramid ratios as a formula for fattening pigs! It is a well-known fact that extra weight comes from carbohydrate-rich foods, such as starches, grains, and sugars (all our beloved “comfort foods”: breads, potatoes, corn, rice, pasta, etc.) - the products that have been introduced into the human diet relatively recently. Advocates of the Zone diet insist that the humans have always been meat and vegetable eaters and therefore our digestive tract is designed to eat a diet based on animal products supplemented by plant foods. The strategy of the Zone diet is to return to the dietary regime of our forefathers who ate ample amounts of meat, vegetables, and fruits. Promoters of the Zone dietary regime claim that they lose weight, live longer, and lower their chances of getting cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The premise of the diet is that diminishing our intake of carbs to 40 percent and increasing our intake of protein to 30 percent support a healthy, balanced state of the body and controls the production of insulin in the pancreas. The fat-storing hormone insulin, which is secreted into the bloodstream in response to ingesting of foods rich in glucose (carbohydrates), facilitates the conversion of glucose into body fat and also promotes the development of the “diseases of civilisation”: atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, and heart attack. Dr. Sear’s diet, being low in sugar and relatively low in carbohydrates, optimizes the body metabolism, regulates the blood levels of glucose, and encourages the conversion of body fat back into energy.
The Zone diet does not specify particular products we should eat, nor does it address the food’s quality issues. As long as you eat in the proper 40-30-30 proportions, it does not matter whether you eat white bread with artificial margarine and processed ham or a grilled ocean-caught salmon steak with green vegetables. However, if you believe that natural foods are healthier, you can follow a customized Zone diet by filling one third of your plate with lean protein in the form of meat or fish, and the remaining two thirds - with veggies and fruits.
Another issue of the Zone diet is that it recommends the consumption of soy proteins - a known source of allergies that also inhibits the healthy function of the thyroid gland and has dangerous carcinogenic properties. High levels of phytic acid contained in soy products inhibit digestive enzymes and rob the body of important minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Let us add in here that, if you want to follow the Zone diet in order to lose weight and improve your overall heath, choose traditional, high-quality sources of protein: natural meats, poultry, fish, eggs from free-range hens, and fermented dairy products, such as cheese, kefir, or sugar-free yogurt.
The Zone diet was one of the first to sound the alarm about the dangers of high-carbohydrate diets. Its positive sides is that it emphasises the consumption of low-glycemic products, restricts the intake of sugars, grains, and starches, and therefore promotes a steady process of weight loss.
Wayne Hammel
