The Zone Diet

Is The Zone Diet Healthy?

Just like all popular diet plans, The Zone Diet has it’s loyal followers and skeptics. One large difference that separates this diet from others is The Zone Diet doesn’t recommend lowering your calorie intake. Instead offers a way to change what you’re eating to offer healthier meals, resulting in a revamp of your metabolism. Compared to many of the fad diet plans that exist today, the majority of health professionals agree that The Zone Diet seems to be a healthy choice. You will find that while many feel it is a healthy choice compared to other diet plans, it still has it’s faults in food choices. Many claim The Zone Diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes while offering weight loss.

What is The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet is a plan created by a former researcher in bio technology by the name of Barry Sears, PhD. The official Zone Diet website explains that the cause of weight gain is Cellular Inflammation. They also explain that cellular inflammation accelerates the development of chronic disease, while decreasing our physical performance. The goal behind the Zone Diet is to reverse cellular inflammation resulting in weight loss and disease prevention.

One of the major down sides to many diet plans is the large amount of rules and food restrictions. The simplicity behind The Zone Diet may be it’s biggest appeal to dieters. The diet explains that you will divide your plate into three sections. Low-fat protein will be one-third of your meal while the other two-thirds will consist of colorful carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables). Lastly adding a small amount of fat that is low in omega-6 and saturated fats, olive oil is a good example. You will need to avoid starches such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice. Sorry pizza and spaghetti lovers, this diet may be difficult for you. However if this is what it takes for you to lose that extra weight, it may be worth the sacrifice.

The Zone Diet Pros & Cons

Pros

- The Zone Diet allows you to eat many meals throughout the day. You will eat five or even six times daily.

- Many who have used this diet say they have lost weight. Health experts say it does offer real weight loss. Researchers have found that compared to some other diet plans the Zone Diet is a healthy choice for most.

- When compared to some other weight loss plans the Zone Diet offers a variety of food choices.

Cons

- Eating fresh foods and meats can be costly. Many consider The Zone Diet to be an expensive diet.

- The Zone Diet offers healthy fats, however some warn the diet is still too high is fat for some.

- Some experts explain that the Zone Diet doesn’t offer enough calcium for some people. Looking at the foods allowed, you will see that the diet is low in calcium products.

The Zone Diet Food List

Below are a few ideas of foods that are allowed with The Zone Diet. There are many more than this, but these will give you a starting point. When choosing your one-third protein, it needs to be about the size of your hand and no thicker than your hand. When you choose your fruits and veggies for the other tow-thirds of your plate, they can over flow and fill the rest of the plate.

Protein

  • Chicken & Turkey Breast
  • Veal
  • Beef
  • Corned Beef
  • Duck
  • Pork
  • Ham
  • Soy
  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Protein Powder
  • Tofu
  • Seafoods & Some Fish

Carbohydrates

  • Oatmeal
  • Asparagus
  • Green Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Onion
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Zucchini
  • Peppers
  • Apple
  • Some Berries
  • Mushrooms
  • Pineapple

Fats

  • Olive Oil
  • Canola Oil
  • Olives
  • Nuts – Cashews & Almonds
  • Guacamole
  • Light Mayonnaise
  • Sour Cream
  • Cream Cheese
  • Avocado
  • Peanuts

More Misc. Items

  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Grapefruit
  • Oranges
  • Pears
  • Plum
  • Strawberries
  • Watermelon
  • Tartar Sauce
  • Bacon Bits
  • Lettuce
  • Apple Sauce
  • Sprouts
  • Salsa
  • Lamb
  • Okra

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