What is the Zone Diet?
Published for the first time in 1995, the feeding regime “The Zone” was created by biochemist Barry Sears. According to him this is not a diet, this is only a way of life that must be practiced continuously.
This diet is used by many popular celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Charlie Sheen, Tom Cruise. The most fat man in the world Manuel Uribe lost more than 200 pounds due to this diet.
The Zone Diet Plan
How does it work?
The theory on which “the zone” is based is following: Insulin, the hormone that regulates the level of sugar in the blood, is the culprit for obesity. With regulation of blood sugar levels and maintaining insulin in “the zone”, the body burns fat more efficiently and therefore weight is lost (from 0,5-1,5 kg per week).
Successfully to control blood sugar, according to the zone, it is necessary to maintain a perfect balance between carbohydrates, proteins and fats you consume with each feeding.
What includes this diet?
The theory may simply act, but the practice is much more complicated. To enter in the zone, 40% of calories of each meal should be carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats. This combination is applied at each feeding, you can’t eat for breakfast only carbohydrates, and for lunch to eat only proteins and fats.
To be “in the zone”, the first meal you should eat not later than 1 hour after you wake up, between meals should not pass more than 5 hours and the last meal of the day to be at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Dr. Sears distributes food in blocks, so on each block of fats suit 1 protein block and 1 block carbohydrates.
[colored_box color=”yellow”]Example
1 block of carbohydrates: 1 cup vegetables cooked on steaming or half apple and half orange.
1 block of fats: 1 teaspoon olive oil.
1 block of proteins: 2 egg whites or 30g meat or fish or 50g cheese.
If you eat meat 60g (2 blocks of proteins), you should balance with 2 cups of vegetables on steam and 2 teaspoons olive oil.
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“The Zone” divides food into blocks
How much blocks you should consume daily depends on your weight, height and perimeter of the hips and waist. If the weight is bigger, than you should take more blocks.
This whole process of creating the right meals is complex, and many people quickly quit this diet. In order for that to be simpler Dr Sears recommends each meal plate to split into 3 equal parts.
In the one-third to put low fat proteins like piece of chicken, which can not be greater than or thinner than your hand. The remaining two-thirds fill with fruits and vegetables. These are carbohydrates. Finally add 1 teaspoon olive oil, to have a completed meal that match the 40:30:30 formula.
[colored_box color=”yellow”]Basic foods which are sources of proteins and they are recommended in same time: chicken without the skin, turkey meat, fish, low fat milk, boiled eggs.
In order to provide the necessary calories from carbohydrates, eat all kinds of vegetables (except carrots and corn) and all fruits (except bananas). You can afford small quantity of bread, pasta and rice.
Source of fats in your diet can include: avocados, almonds, cooking oil and fish oil.
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