Zone diet is the latest nutrition strategy that promises to improve  health, weight and athletic performance with correct ratio of carbohydrate to protein to fat intake. The  basis for Zone Diet  follows a formula of 40% carbs , 30% protein and 30% fats created by Barry Sears PhD. According to Dr Sears, this dietary regimen results in a greater delivery of oxygen to the working muscles, a condition known as "The Zone", where athletes perform better, mental focus is enhanced, and life is generally a better place

ZONE DIET - ZONE DIET RECIPES - ZONE DIET MEALS - ZONE DIET DR SEARS

 

 

 

HOME
Recipes
How The Diet Works
Basics
Zone Diet Plan
Zone Vs Atkins
Diet Food List
Jennifer Aniston Diet
Is it a Fad Diet?
Contact

                                                                                    

  

 Zone vs. Atkins
Features Zone diet Atkins diet
Diet come-backs No phases to surf through. The Zone is just one meal away. It involves four binding phases (Induction, Ongoing weight loss, Pre-maintenance, Lifetime maintenance). If you skip one day of Atkins you need to go back to Induction.
Carbohydrates At least 140 grams per day. There is absolutely no risk of ketosis. Ketosis does not occur when more than 50 gr. carbs/day is consumed. The two-week induction restricts carbohydrates to 20 grams/day, and induces ketosis.
Fat Thirty per cent of calories must come from mono- or polyunsaturated fat. High-fat diet
Protein 30% of calories must come from lean protein (poultry, fish, soy.) High-protein diet
Food choices No food is forbidden in the Zone Diet says Dr. Sears. Yet some foods are considered unfavorably, especially foods high in glycine and saturated fats. The first phase is very restrictive. Carbs grow by 5 gr./week in the second and 10gr./week in the third phase. The first phase also somewhat restricts fruit and vegetables.
Cardiac risk influence
(research study results published by AHA On November 10, 2003, all participants were overweight.		 The Framingham risk score decreased by 10.5%. LDL decreased by 6.7%. HDL increased by 14.6%. The Framingham risk score decreased by 12.3%. LDL decreased by 8.6%. HDL increased by 15.4%.
Pros Rich in vegetables and fruit, this diet promotes moderation in all senses. Every Zone meal brings you into a state of mind and body where you can perform at peak level. You experience satiety and increase of energy while losing weight.
Cons Many nutritionists consider the Zone diet to be poor in calories and that it cannot remove the feeling of hunger. There is always the risk that you miscalculate and do not actually eat according to Zone recommendations. The eating plans, the measurements and counts can be demoralizing. The Zone diet needs supplementations of vitamin A, D, calcium and other minerals. It needs vitamin and mineral supplements. Prolonging the induction phase can be harmful to kidneys and the colon.
The Zone diet is not recommended for Endurance athletes, pregnant and breast-feeding women, children. Those with kidney problems, lupus, pregnant women, children, and adolescents.
Weight loss The Zone diet promises weight loss of around 1.5 lbs./week. Weight loss is steady. Rapid weight loss in the Induction phase (2 lbs. per week.)
Diet balance Yes, a very balanced diet. No, carbohydrate restriction is too tight.
Vegetarian-friendly Yes, the Soy Zone Diet. No
Expense Moderately expensive, high prices on branded fish-oil supplements, antioxidants and meal replacements. No

The Pro Zone corner

The Zone Diet follows healthy life principles that work for anybody, such as eating small amounts of food throughout the day and never letting more than five hours pass without eating something. (Feeling hungry is a signal that you stepped out of the Zone).

The Zone encourages consumption of whole, raw fruits and fresh vegetables. Supplements of fish oil (strongly recommended by the Zone diet)are known to be rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, good for brain activity and for strengthening the immune system.

Dr. Sears always recommends mono- and polyunsaturated fats and lean protein consumption. He warns about the possible damage produced by overconsumption of soy beans. He advises consumption of highly processed soy products, such as meat imitations.

The Zone Diet recommends moderate, regular exercise. At the same time, it encourages proper hydration to go with the dietary program (a daily water intake of eight glasses of eight ounces each.) The Zone diet says “water”, not “soda”.

The Zone diet proclaims moderation and balance. It one excess is that there are too many rules. Misunderstandings, poor calculation and measurement may put you off the Zone for good. They can provoke dissatisfaction as testimonials tell us(a permanent feeling of starvation, boredom, loss of appetite once you learn to see food as a drug).

Zone Diet Advantage: Your long-term weight-loss solution!

The Pro Atkins Corner

On the Atkins diet, during weight loss, hunger is reduced and one should feel energized. For women, PMS disappears and menstrual cycles are less painful. The Atkins diet allows for rapid weight loss.

Two major tests have been made on groups of people following the Atkins diet and the classic low-fat diet, one for a six-month period and the second for one year. The results showed improved cholesterol levels in the Atkins group. HDL, or "good cholesterol", increased by 18% compared to only 3% for the others. The results are all the more encouraging as LDL level did not fluctuate in either of the groups.

In shorter-term tests (two-month), results looked encouraging for people with reactive hypoglycemia.

Atkins is considered safe enough for further tests to be made on a longer term. Dr. Atkins makes a point of warning that this diet should be followed under medical supervision. He does not recommend it for individuals with kidney problems.