The Zone Diet

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The Zone Diet High-protein/ low-carbohydrate diets are nothing new to Americans these days; they seem overwhelmingly to be the most popular among those people trying to lose weight. Ph.D. Dr. Barry Sears’ books on his version of the high-protein diet, the Zone Diet, are among the best selling diet books on the market. The diet seems to be yielding quick and noticeable results to those who follow Dr. Sears’ plan. Many people are desperate to lose weight and have tried numerous methods that have not produced sufficient and long lasting results. This could perhaps be the reason for the recent craze for the high-protein/ low-carbohydrate diet- it really does cause weight loss. Even Hollywood movie stars such as actresses Jennifer Anniston and Sandra Bullock attribute their recent weight loss and improvement in appearance to the Zone diet. However, in the midst of all of the hype, we must examine the claims and assess the degree to which this diet is indeed effective. Further, considering that Dr. Sears’ advice contradicts what we have been told for years about dieting, we must determine if it is healthy. Could we have been misinformed when given advice to eat a diet rich in carbohydrates, or is this diet another that falls short of what it promises? THE ZONE AND IT’S PURPOSE Dr. Barry Sears, Ph.D., is responsible for the development of The Zone nutrition concept, which is based upon 15 years of his research in the field of bio-nutrition. It was guided by the same science that won the 1982 Nobel Prize for Medicine dealing with the research of eicosanoids. The term "Zone" is an expression used by athletes to describe a near-euphoric state of maximum physical, mental and psychological performance (http://www.nutrition... ... middle of paper ... ...igh meat diets and cancer risk." The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 58(2):243-8, May 1999. Holm, L et.al. "Randomized trial on protein vs carbohydrate in ad libitum fat reduced diet for the treatment of obesity." International Journal of Obesity. 23(5):528-36, May 1999. Katan, MB. "High-oil compared to low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets in the prevention of ischemic heart disease." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 66:974-979, Oct. 1997 Miller, SI and Wolfe, RR. "Physical exercise as a modulator of adaptation to low and high carbohydrate and low and high fat intakes." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 53:112-9, Apr. 1999 Panhuysen, G. et.al. "Does carbohydrate-rich, protein-poor food prevent a deterioration of mood and cognitive performance of stress-prone subjects when subjected to a stressful task?" Appetite. (1):49-65, Aug. 1998.

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