Of all the popular diets you may have heard about, ‘the Zone diet’ is surely among the top five, namely because it is used quite commonly among Hollywood celebrities. Initially created by a certain Dr. Barry Sears, the basic idea behind it is attempting to alter the expression your genetic make-up exhibits. In theory, this would affect how much energy you feel you have, what your blood profile looks like, and help you achieve your bodyweight-related goals.
In essence, this particular diet takes what is known as a 1-2-3 approach with respect to the amount of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. So, for instance, 10 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein, and 30 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Naturally, this is adjusted per the individual. Probably one of the reasons this diet is so popular is that it does not completely remove sweet foods and other snacks you might be inclined to eat. Planning is pretty straightforward as there are no individual stages or phases that require adjustments.
The diet itself serves to help control insulin levels, quite similar to the ‘ketogenic’ diets, but allowing for more intake of carbohydrate. Speaking of carbohydrate, the diet prefers the consumption of low-glycaemic varieties, like non-processed breads and rice, along with berries, beans, spinach, celery, cucumber, green peppers, and barley. Looking at protein, the diet endorses ingesting foods like low-fat lean meats (turkey, chicken, pork, and beef), fish, low-fat cheeses, protein powders and soy produce. When looking at fats, the ideal sources would consist of peanut butter, cashews, avocados, almonds, salmon, olives and its oils, and supplements with Omega-3 fatty acids.
Bibliography
• “Bodybuilding.com – TheZone Diet – Benefits & Drawbacks!.”Bodybuilding.com – The Zone Diet – Benefits & Drawbacks! Web. 2 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark8
• “The Zone Diet Explained.” CrossFit Impulse. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. <http://crossfitimpulse.com/the-zone-diet-explained-edited>.
• “The Zone Diet Plan Review and Foods.” WebMD. WebMD, Web. 2 Jan. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/diet/zone-what-it-is>.
