Dr. Barry Sears' "The Zone Diet" advises eating lower than the recommended amount of daily carbohydrates in an effort to balance hormone levels in the blood and encourage the burning of fat stores. Despite a few inherent differences, this systematic approach to eating shares much in common with other low-carb diets.
The Stillman Diet
Developed in the late 1960s by Dr. Irwin Stillman, the "Stillman Diet" became the blueprint on which all following low-carb diets are based. Dr. Stillman touted eating 5 to 6 small meals a day rather the following the typical 3 meal day, claiming this "grazing" approach activated the person's metabolism and allowed for the burning of excess body fat. Like the diets that followed, Dr. Stillman advised eliminating breads and pastas from the menu in favor of lean proteins from fish, poultry, eggs and plant sources. Unlike most of the other low-carb diets, the Stillman Diet also advised eating low amounts of dietary fat.
Atkins
Arguably one the most popular and controversial diet plans in recent years, Dr. Robert Atkins' self-named diet expanded on Dr. Stillman's research and advised eating even lower amounts of carbohydrate. Depending on which of the four stages the dieter was following, this amount could be as low as 100 g a day, or about 1/3 of the amount recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Atkins Diet also advises the dieter to up their amount of daily fat intake, including saturated fat that has been linked to a variety of heart ailments.
Paleo/ Earth Diet
The belief behind the Paleolithic Diet or "Paleo Diet" is that by following eating patterns established by the earliest ancestors of humans, your body will naturally shed excess body weight and overall health will improved. The only carbs ingested come from plant sources; even then, little fruit is eaten and starchy vegetables like potatoes, rice and corn are usually avoided. "The Earth Diet" is very similar in approach. Developed by actress Liana Werner-Gray, the diet advises only eating foods that are provided by the Earth, meaning plenty of fresh raw or cooked fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and some meats as long as they are in season.
South Beach
Developed by a cardiologist and a registered dietician, the "South Beach Diet", so named due to the beach bodies purported to be created by following the plan, began in the 1980s to counter the rise in popularity of The Atkins Diet. Dr. Arthur Agatston and Marie Almon believed Dr. Atkins' research to be faulty and developed a diet that made a distinction between "good" and "bad" carbs -- mainly stating the difference how the body processes natural carbohydrate versus those found in refined sources like white breads, pastas and cereals. The South Beach Diet is the one diet that most closely resembles The Zone in that it advises daily carb intake should be about 30 to 40 percent of the dieter's daily caloric intake.
References
- "Living the Low-Carb Life: From Atkins to the Zone"; Jonny Bowden; 2004
- The Earth Diet: About the Earth Diet
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