Comparing the Atkins Diet and the Zone Diet

Comparing the Atkins Diet and the Zone Diet

The Atkins and the Zone Diet both view carbohydrates as one of the key nutrients in attaining a reasonable weight. The Atkins Diet reduces one's intake of carbohydrates to the bare minimum substituting them with high fats and proteins. Insulin levels within the body are maintained at a constant level with these foods. But many skeptics do not believe that the Atkins choice of food is very healthy. The Zone Diet believes in more of a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which affects the body as a whole. Critics believe the Zone Diet to be healthy but do not necessarily believe in the achievement of a better body system. The Atkins and the Zone Diets differ in some ways and are similar in others.

Carbohydrates, fats, and protein are the three nutrients in food. Carbohydrates consist of foods like starches, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and sugars. Fats are foods such as butter, margarine, salad dressing, oil, nuts, meat, poultry, fish and some dairy products. Foods that provide protein include meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, dairy products, eggs, and dried beans.

The Atkins and the Zone Diet both share the idea that the reduction of carbohydrates in one's diet will result in weight loss. Our bodies burn both fat and carbohydrates for energy, but carbohydrates are used first. Once these carbohydrates are taken away our bodies naturally lose weight by burning stored body fat instead (www.webmd.com). Based on this knowledge, the Atkins Diet restricts carbohydrate intake to only 3 cups per day of leafy green vegetables. Fats and proteins make up the rest of the diet. Atkins does not restrict the amount of meats, eggs, and cheeses one eats a...

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... experts agree that the Atkins and Zone Diet do result in weight loss.

Overall the Atkins and the Zone Diet share differences and similarities when it comes to weight loss. The Atkins Diet severely limits the amount of carbohydrates one puts into their bodies. This reduction causes insulin levels to remain more constant which in turn suppresses the appetite. Skeptics are not sure how healthy this diet is due to the high amounts of cholesterol in one's bloodstream that it leads to. The Zone Diet believes in a more equal ratio of carbohydrates, fat, and protein which the creator claims leads to an improvement in the body as a whole rather than just weight loss. However, some critics do not necessarily believe this either. The Atkins and the Zone Diet achieve the reaction within the body that the diets were created for.

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