The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet, developed by Dr. Barry Spears, is a diet of hormonal control. According to Dr. Spears, you control your weight by controlling your insulin levels. If you keep your insulin levels in check, then you automatically keep your weight in check.

To do so, the Zone Diet promotes eating a balanced amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat every time you eat. The idea is to keep your blood sugar in check, within a tight “zone.”

How Zone Diet makes you loose weight

If you are consuming too many carbohydrates, your body produces too much insulin, a hormone that tells the body to pile up nutrients. The overload of insulin prompts the body to convert those carbohydrates into fat and store them in your gut, thighs, buttocks or other areas. But protein which has the contradictory effect stirs up the hormone glucagon, which tells the body to let go carbohydrates that are stocked up in the liver. When those carbohydrates are freed, the brain tells the body that its energy supplies are fulfilled and you ought to stop eating. Consequently, limiting the type of carbohydrates you eat and balancing them with a certain amount of low-fat protein at every meal will keep insulin and glucagon balanced, controlling your hunger with smaller number of calories. The result: You will experience fat loss and lose weight.

How the Zone Diet works practically

The key factor in Zone Diet is the hormonal balance you achieve while eating each skillfully prepared meal. With a food plan comprising an accurate balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fat (30%) and proteins (30%); you actually get to eat foods, which control your body’s insulin production. This means that no meal or snack is forbidden in the Zone Diet and yet you can lose weight or fat while Zone dieting.

Some people call it the 40-30-30 plan. You get 40% of your meal from protein, 30% from carbohydrate, and not more than 30% from fats.

If you imagine to divide your plate into three equal sections. Fill one section with low-fat protein. Fill the remaining sections with vegetables and fruit. Add a “sprinkle” of fat.

Other guidelines for a successful Zone diet:

  • Eat within 1 hour of waking.
  • Eat three meals and two snacks a day.
  • Keep bread, pasta, grains and starches to a minimum.
  • Drink at least eight 8 big glasses of water a day.

What you can eat

  • Lean meat and protein
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Olive oil
  • Low-fat dairy

What you should not eat

  • Sugar
  • Processed foods
  • High-fat dairy products

    • Menu plan tips

    Lunch:

    • Turkey, Fish, Beef, Chicken or Tofu over a bed of lettuce with mixed vegetables and salad dressing (oil & vinegar).
    • Side dish of fresh fruit.

    If you go out for dinner:

    • Eat as much salad as you would like with a moderate amount of dressing.
    • Always choose your protein (chicken, fish, beef, veal, Iamb or low fat tofu). Do not take bread. Steamed vegetables are best. Order fresh fruit for dessert.

    ALCOHOL

    If you choose to drink alcohol, it is best to have some food in your stomach before you drink because the food will slow down the absorption rate of the sugar into your bloodstream and will help to keep your insulin levels in check. Remember that you will need to eat fewer carbohydrates at that meal if you choose to drink alcohol.