The Zone Diet Review

The Zone diet plan’s premise is that there must be a right ratio to the amount of carbohydrates to fats to proteins in a meal to control the amount of insulin in the bloodstream. For its creator, Dr Barry Sears, the ideal ratio is 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 30% proteins. This limit on carbohydrate intake is but a throwback to the basics of man being a meat eater first and foremost.

The diet plan does not forbid you to eat from any of the particular food groups but recommends the avoidance of food that are high in fat and carbohydrates like grains, pasta and other starchy food ingredients. Instead, the diet recommends that the source of carbohydrates and monosaturated fats are food additives such as olive oil, almonds and avocados. Overall, the Zone Diet espouses that food is a drug which helps in overall good health, promotion of weight loss and management of ailments like hypertension and diabetes.

Though there has not been much scientific verification of the claim of the diet, the low fat recommendations are laudable. There are many other issues such as the restriction on calorie intake makes it difficult to maintain, expensive and even eliminates some essential vitamins and minerals found in the prohibited food.

The Zone Diet Plan Review

This diet plan was drafted by Dr Barry Sears and the foundation of the diet is a 40-30-30 rationing. This partitioning is the ideal balance for carbohydrates, proteins and fat in the diet. The biochemist from California stipulated that in a meal, 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein.

The diet relies heavily on the glycemic index in its program. The glycemic index determines the amount of sugar one has in the bloodstream. By eating good carbs, the blood sugar level, or glycemic level is kept low. Having high blood sugar level creates the release of insulin that would not be good as there is an energy surge followed by a crash. So a diet that focuses on fruits and vegetables, which are good carbs, is central to this diet plan.

The name is taken from the Zone Blocks that the dieter uses in achieving the ideal food ratio. So the downside to this is calculating the meal plan to comply with the diet plan blocks in order to fall within the Zone. But despite its complexity, there are many adherents to this diet; notable among them is Madonna, Demi Moore and Sandra Bullock. Their popularity has helped the diet become one of the most popular ones to date.