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Zone Diet
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Unfortunately, the Zone Diet is very complicated and time-consuming if you’re going to follow it properly. You’ll need to invest in a Zone diet book and a decent set of measuring scales and spoons if you don’t already have them. It ... recommends eliminating some very nutritious foods, which are not only a good source of carbohydrate but are also packed with fibre and important vitamins and minerals. For example, wholegrain cereals are packed with fibre, B vitamins and iron, while cheese is an excellent source of calcium and zinc. It can also be really expensive if you decide to purchase pre-packaged Zone products! As for eating out – if you’re counting Food Blocks, you might as well forget it.
The foundation of the Zone Diet is the relationship between the hormone insulin and substances called eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are hormone-like substances that control many vital physiological functions, including those of the cardiovascular system, immune system, and nervous system. Dr. Sears believes that certain eicosanoids are "good" and others are "bad." When insulin levels are high, "bad" eicosanoids are produced. Dr. Sears contends that his Zone Diet, which contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat, is the ideal diet for keeping insulin levels in check.
The Zone Diet is actually a wellness as well as a weight loss program. It was originally developed to help people with diabetes and heart disease. The Zone is the perfect diet for someone with Type II diabetes. The number of Americans with Type II diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. Accompanying this issue is low HDL's, hypertension, and high triglycerides, all risk factors to heart disease. Zone Diet addresses all of these and is the answer to better health because it corrects elevated insulin levels.
Most diets ask you subtract calories or fat from your meals, but with the Zone Diet, the key to losing weight starts with knowing how to divide your meals. According to its creator Dr. Barry Sears, your body's metabolic functions are most efficient when every meal follows a ratio of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat (40-30-30). Sears says this combination helps stabilize your hormones, placing your body in what he calls "the zone". By balancing out your hormones, your body releases less excess "a href="http://body.aol.com/conditions/insulin">insulin into your bloodstream, which has been shown to contribute to weight loss. The diet ... claims that eating this way lowers your risk of developing other chronic diseases.
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The Zone Diet is founded on the idea of eating a balanced ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. By eating in the ratio of 40/30/30, meaning 40 percent carbohydrate and 30 percent each of protein and fat, the idea is that your metabolism is impacted to run at its most efficient level. The diet ... emphasizes getting the right amounts of fruit, vegetables and lean sources of protein. The right combination of foods results in an increased metabolism and weight loss. Designing meals that meet these requirements can be tricky, but the program offers a range of ideas. You can also purchase cookbooks with recipes intended for the followers of the diet as well.
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The Zone Diet was not specifically designed for the sole purpose of weight loss. Rather, it is a lifestyle change that uses food to manipulate one’s hormones by regulating and stabilizing the amount of insulin production to help one become energetic, lean, and healthy. Beginning with a standard-sized dinner plate, participants are advised to use a hand-eye technique to determine how much to eat. Lean protein comprises a third of the plate. This serving should be approximately the same dimension as one’s palm, both in size and thickness. Fill the remainder of the plate with carbohydrates, mostly vegetables and fruits.
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