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The Zone diet basics
The Zone diet was created by Barry Spears PhD and the book The Zone: A Dietary Road Map was released in 1995, as a way of keeping people in the correct "hormonal zone", for which the diet was named. Barry Spears was a research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Barry Spears has written several books on the Zone diet, including one on the benefits of soy as a valuable and complete protein source and how to make the Zone diet work for vegetarians.
This diet was formulated to ensure the hormones insulin and glucose were being released at correct levels specifically through the foods eaten. In addition to this, this diet ensures that certain anti-inflammatory chemicals (ecosanoids) are maintained properly throughout the body.
The Zone diet aims to balance hormones to be released and absorbed within a specific (healthy) range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients the body needs for long-term health.
The Zone diet recommends one gram of fat for every two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates. There are no special phases in this diet.
The premise of this diet is to eat food in the following ratios:
“Eating rule: 1g of fat for every 2g of low-fat protein and 3g carbohydrates”
“Eating rule: Eat no more than 500 calories at any meal”
“Protein rule: Eat only as much low-fat protein that you can fit in the palm of your hand (main meals)”
“Women: Eat approximately 3 blocks each of protein, fat and carbohydrate at each meal & snack”
“Men: Eat approximately 4 blocks each of protein, fat and carbohydrate at each meal and snack”
The diet has many rules about which foods are considered "good" and which are considered "bad", about how many "blocks" of protein, carbohydrates and fats that you need to consume each day and how many meals to eat.
The Zone diet has several layers of rules, which are explained and listed below. These rules are only part of the set of rules that the Zone diet requires:
“Level 1: Bronze - What your grandma told you”
The outcome: to stop gaining any excess body fat
“Level 2: Silver - Beginning to pay attention”
The outcome: to start losing excess body fat
“Level 3: Gold - Hormonal thinking”
The outcome: to be in the Zone and doing everything possible to achieve SuperHealth
REFERENCES
1. Sears B. Mastering the Zone: The Next Step in Achieving SuperHealth and Permanent Fat Loss. HarperCollins Publishers, 1997, p47-48
Disclaimer: The advice on this site should be viewed as a general guideline only and it should not replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your medical or health care provider to get the advice and care for your particular and individual health, nutrition, diet and fitness circumstances.