The Zone Diet was introduced by Dr. Barry Sears, a former nutritional research scientist. For several decades, Sears studied lipids, a type of fat that stores energy. In addition to the Zone Diet, Sears has also written books exploring the effect of diet on hormones. The Zone Diet is a calorie-restricted eating plan based on eating adequate protein, essential fats and controlled amounts of carbohydrates.
Directions
The Zone Diet consists of eating three main meals and two snacks daily. Forty percent of your total daily calories should be from carbohydrate, 30 percent from proteins and 30 percent from fats. A key part of the diet is eating about 0.75 grams of protein for each gram of carbs. However, because each person's protein needs are different, Sear's book contains a table describing exactly how much protein you should consume depending on your activity level. Sugary carbohydrate foods such as pastries and candy are disallowed and replaced with healthy carbohydrate sources such as fruits and vegetables.
Theory
The Zone Diet is based on the theory that many people are overweight because they have too much insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas to help convert blood glucose to energy. When you eat sugary foods, your body constantly needs to release insulin to deal with the blood sugar overload, and this can lead to too much insulin being secreted. If there is excess insulin present, a person may become fat and unable lose the weight. The aim of the Zone Diet is to keep insulin levels in a narrow "zone." Sears says the best way to control insulin and blood sugar levels is to eat the right balance of carbohydrate, fats and proteins at each meal.
Pros
An advantage of the Zone Diet is that it is flexible: any fats, proteins and carbs, which are essential for a healthy body, can be eaten on the plan. Although certain types of carbs should be avoided or restricted, the Zone Diet is not strictly low-carb, and no foods are completely banned.
Cons
Until you become accustomed to counting carbs, proteins and fats, the Zone Diet can be complicated and difficult to follow. In his book "The Zone Diet," Sears has separated the food types into blocks for easier counting, but for the initiated this can also be confusing. When eating out, correctly calculating how much of each macronutrient your meal contains is likely to be impossible. The Zone Diet also restricts calorie, which may cause some dieters to experience hunger.
Expert Insight
According to Go Ask Alice! a question-and-answer service supported by Columbia University health care educators, one of the main reasons for weight loss by Zone dieters is water loss, rather than fat loss. As every person is different, restricting carbs in favor of protein might work well for some, but not for others, according to the Columbia University resource. A diet based on whole, unprocessed foods and taking part in physical activities is preferable to counting specific ratios of macronutrients.
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