If you are looking forward to losing those extra pounds by switching to a new eating regimen, then we have good news!
Whether you’re just starting, refreshing your diet plan, or want additional convenience in your weight-loss program, the Zone Diet could be your golden solution.
In simple terms, the Zone Diet simplifies meal prep by removing the need for decision-making.
We have prepared a detailed guide on everything related to the hugely popular Zone Diet. But before we dive into the details, let us start by defining the diet in crystal clear terms.
A Brief Overview of The Zone Diet?
Dr. Barry Sears is known to be the creator of the famous Zone Diet. Dr. Sears created this diet more than 30 years ago, but even today, the diet attracts many followers.
The core principle of this diet revolves around food being considered a form of medicine. Now, if you think of food as medicine required to lead a healthy lifestyle, its regulation should be based on dosages rather than quantities.
The Zone Diet’s fundamental essence is that we gain excessive body weight due to consuming vast amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and raising insulin levels.
The global obesity pandemic is essentially based on these two critical factors.
The Zone Diet, on the other hand, aims to precisely control these two substances so that our physiology can control other nutrients through various meals. Our hormones get triggered by insulin and omega-6 fatty acids. This phenomenon results in inflammation in our body, and as a result, excess weight gets stored.
The Zone Diet controls the amount of these substances we consume, which automatically reduces inflammation and regulates hormones.
The simple objective is to set our metabolism in a “zone” that is healthy in terms of preventing obesity. The Zone Diet meal plan comprises a simple ratio of 4:3:3 for carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
As per the research, this ratio places our metabolism in a healthy range where the generation of hormones that might pose problems to our physiology stays in control and within the suggested limit.
Another important aspect of this weight-loss lifestyle is the low glycemic index carbs, essential components of the Zone Diet. Low glycemic index carbohydrates enable a gradual release of sugar into the blood, which prolongs our feeling of fullness.
In addition to this, the Zone Diet has a preference for lean protein and monosaturated fats.
A Well-Defined Blueprint to Follow the Zone Diet
The Zone Diet has been typically designed so that an individual can follow it for their entire lifespan. It does not include any set stages or time-oriented phases.
The Zone Food Block and the Hand-Eye Method are the two strategies associated with the Zone Diet.
Most individuals begin with the hand-eye technique and then utilize Zone food blocks. This is simply because the latter is more sophisticated.
Let us take a close look at the two approaches of the Zone Diet –
1. The Zone Food Block Method
This method involves an individual figuring out how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat each day. Once you do this, you can customize the Zone Diet per your body’s daily requirements.
While a snack always has one Zone block, a large meal, such as breakfast, lunch, or supper, comprises three to five.
The average daily Zone block consumption is 11 for women.
Each Zone block contains a carbohydrate, protein, and fat block.
- Carb block: This block typically shall consist of 9 grams of carbs
- Protein block: This block typically includes 7 grams of protein
- Fat block: This block typically contains 1.5 grams of fat
2. The Hand-Eye Method
Getting started with this technique is not at all problematic. All you need are your hands and eyes. However, wearing a watch is an excellent way to track your eating schedule.
According to this technique, when you use your hands and eyes wisely while having your meal, you can determine the appropriate serving sizes. Your five fingers can guide you in making a straightforward yet sensible decision of not going on an empty stomach for more than five hours and ensuring that you have five meals throughout the day.
First, you must split your plate into thirds to create a Zone-friendly design. The idea revolves around dividing your plate into three parts. This will help you create a Zone for each type of nutrient you require.
- Two-thirds of the plate should be reserved for low glycemic index foods
- One-third should have lean protein on it, but the size and thickness of the protein needs to be that of your palm
- This should be accompanied by a dash of monounsaturated fat in the form of such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts
This makes the Zone Diet highly flexible to the young population as one can also eat out in restaurants, simply adhering to the Zone guidelines.
What are the Benefits of the Zone Diet
The cornerstone of the Zone Diet is built on individual choices, as people can eat whatever they wish to eat. This is what draws many individuals in. You can eat anything outside the minor limitations mentioned in the two methods, and that too in terms of quantities.
The benefits of this diet are practical and healthy, and they include the following:
- The diet is highly flexible, with only two techniques that can be interchanged according to your lifestyle
- Weight reduction occurs without the pain of hunger as the diet, although calorie-restrictive, does not exclude any of your favorite foods.
- Scientific research shows this diet can be a long-term solution to a healthy lifestyle.
- It results in slow and steady fat burning, helping you maintain a balanced weight throughout your lifespan.
The most significant advantage of the Zone Diet is that it is more of a way of life than any other stringent dietary program. When you get accustomed to it, you can plan your meals according to the Zone Diet itself without even considering it.
Wrapping Up
Even if the core concept of the diet was developed a good 30 years ago, the Zone Diet still has many loyal followers. Although it was never intended to be a weight-loss diet, this long-term healthy lifestyle change can help you maintain a balanced weight throughout your lifespan.
The only concern is that, with this diet, there can be an ignorance towards fiber. So, remember your green salads, fruits, and veggies. You can easily add these foods to your Zone-compliant diet plan.
So, lose weight healthily with the Zone Diet, and never forget to combine regular exercise with a good lifestyle choice to get the best results.
