The Zone Diet

A study made by the documentary show Scientific American Frontiers showed that people find the Zone Diet the easiest way to follow. This is because no one needs to cut off on any type of food that we’re already accustomed to eating. What needs to be done is to make sure we get a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fats from the food we consume. This means we lose weight but actually get to eat the food that we want to. The Zone Diet can mean being on a low-carb diet but unlike Atkins, the protein does not dominate your carbohydrate (or any other nutrient) consumption.

HOW IT WORKS. The Zone Diet was popularized in the books of Barry Sears, a former researcher in bio technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; he says there should always be a balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fat (30%) and proteins (30%). The theory here is that if you eat too much carbohydrate your body produces too much insulin and too much insulin will cause your body to produce more fats (not just sugar) to store in the body. If there is just enough protein in the diet though, this will produce a hormone to counter act with insulin called glucagon. This will cause the liver to let go of the excess carbohydrates which will in turn send a message to the brain to tell the body to stop eating because it’s full. That said, the zone diet gives an individual control over their appetite and eventually only eat when necessary. This diet also encourages us to eat only low fat protein, drink 8 glasses of water and count our calorie intake.

This diet is not just and not primarily a weight loss program although it is most popular for that, but people also use the Zone diet for enhanced health, improved energy, improved mental clarity and better ability to handle everyday stress. This is also perfect for people with type II diabetes, because it also controls the compulsion to eat, not just the appetite.

Below is a table of some of the most recommended food (and nutrient) sources following the 40:30:30 ratio:


1. Half an apple, One-and-a-half ounces of calamari, Three olives
2. 3 apricots, One ounce of skinless chicken breast, one-third tsp. almond butter
3. one quarter of cup black beans, One quarter of a cup of fat free cottage cheese, one tbsp. avocado
4. half a cup blueberries, One ounce of sardines, one-third tsp. canola oil
5. half a cup of chopped & boiled onion, A half patty soy burger, one-third tsp. peanut oil
6. two cups boiled mushrooms, One ounce of skinless turkey breast, six peanuts
7. three cups shredded & boiled cabbage, Two egg whites, one-third tsp. olive oil
8. four cups raw broccoli, Two ounces of shrimp, one macadamia nut
9. half a cup grapes, One and a half ounces of cod, half a tsp. peanut butter
10. two tomatoes, One patty soy sausage, half a tsp. tahini

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