The Zone Diet

The aim of this carbohydrate-controlled diet is to make the body work within its peak performance zone for maximum energy, “fat-burning”, and weight loss.

According to the Zone Diet plan, what is important is not what you eat, but the balance between what you eat and the hormonal response it creates. In particular, the author looks at food’s impact on the body’s ability to influence eiconsanoids – chemical messengers derived from dietary fats that control various metabolic processes. Meal plans are tailored to gender, activity level, and current percentage of body fat, but all are based on 40 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 30 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fat. All meals and snacks follow this ratio. The typical diet generally gets as much as 50 percent of its energy from carbohydrates and about 30 percent from fat. The author believes that a high intake of dietary carbohydrate leads to hyperinsulinism and obesity, while a high intake of dietary protein leads to high glucagon and ketosis. The diet calls for the consumption of a specific number of small portions of carbohydrate, fat, and protein at regular intervals throughout the day (roughly four and a half hours apart). For most people this means eating three meals a day, and two substantial snacks. The snacks should follow the same ratio of carbohydrate to protein to fat (40:30:30) as your main meals. The plan suggests you divide your plate into three equal sections. On one third put low-fat proetin, no bigger or thicker than the palm of your hand. The remaining two thirds of the plate should be filled with fruit and vegetables.