The Zone Diet is based on the idea that we were meat eaters 100,000 years ago and that our bodies are made to deal with a meat-based diet.
The Zone Diet was made by Barry Sears, PhD, and Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston all say that it works. The 40-30-30 plan is what the Zone Diet is called because it is made up of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
As the food industry has changed, more carbohydrates have been added to our daily diets. This makes it harder for our bodies to burn fat because our metabolism is out of whack. The fact that we eat a lot of grains and starches may also be to blame for our extra weight (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet is based on the idea that we should eat more like our ancestors, who ate mostly meat, fruits, and vegetables.
The Zone Diet says that you need the right mix of carbs, proteins, and fats to keep insulin in your bloodstream under control. Too much of the hormone insulin can make the body store more fat and cause inflammation (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Sears says that if you follow the Zone Diet, you actually improve the way your body's metabolism works. By controlling your blood sugar, you can help your body burn off extra fat.
Even though you can eat from any food group, it's best to stay away from foods that are high in fat and carbs, like grains, starches, and pastas. Fruits and vegetables are the best places to get carbs, and olive oil, almonds, and avocados are the best places to get monounsaturated fats. The Zone Diet says that you can use food as a medicine to improve your overall health, lose weight, and prevent or treat heart disease and diabetes.
Sears says that you can test to see if you are "hormonally" right by following the Zone diet and seeing how you feel four hours later. Fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein and two-thirds with fruits and vegetables to make the Zone Diet easier to follow.
Some celebrities and health experts like the Zone Diet because they say that its recommendations are not too different from those of the USDA (United States Dietary Association). Some people say that the ratios in the Zone Diet are wrong, but Sears says that the Zone Diet is a low-glycemic-load diet with enough protein.
The American Heart Association (AHA) is one critic of the Zone Diet. The AHA says that the Zone Diet is high in protein and doesn't recommend it for weight loss. They say that the Zone Diet has not been shown to help people lose weight in the long run. The American Heart Association (AHA) put out a formal warning against diets like the Zone Diet. They think the Zone Diet is dangerous because it limits the amount of vitamins and minerals you can get from certain foods. The AHA also says that the Zone diet has too much protein, even though it has the right amount of fat. The American Heart Association's Robert H. Ecker, M.D., thinks that the Zone Diet's theory about insulin is wrong, and he says that there is no scientific evidence that the hormone insulin plays a big role in controlling weight.
