The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet was developed by Dr. Barry Sears, Ph.D in 1995. Eliminating high starch food and sugar is the foundation of this diet.

The idea of the Zone Diet states that excess insulin is what is making us fat and keeping us fat. If we regulate our levels of insulin, then our bodies will start burning fat more efficiently. By doing this, the Zone Diet Plan contends that we will improve physical performance, experience permanent weight loss, delay aging and enhance our mental efficiency.

Balance is key. In order to achieve the perfect balance, or “get in The Zone,” you must have the correct balance of protein, fat, and good carbs in each meal. The Zone Diet is similar to the Low Glycemic Diet and diets that tend to be Low GI in nature and stress avoiding sugar, white flour and eating whole grain carbohydrates.

The Zone Diet – 40:30:30

The difference between other Low Glycemic diet plans and the Zone Diet is that you will need to measure your food and make sure your meals have the perfect balance. The Zone diet plan uses a 40:30:30 ratio:

40% – Should be whole grain carbs
30% – Should be lean protein
30% – Should come from healthy fats

The amount of food you should be eating is factored in by “zone food blocks” that you need daily. This is calculated by your height and weight.

Starting out on the Zone diet may be considered time consuming and difficult to some. But, the fact that no food is completely off limits (as long as you factor in the correct balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat) may offset this for you. You don’t even need to worry about guilt: if you fall off the wagon, just make sure the next time you eat that it’s in the Zone.