How Healthy Is the Zone Diet
April 16, 2009
Every weight-loss program promises results, but often the program’s extreme methods pose a real health hazard to those who try them.
In place of radical methods like eliminating all carbohydrates, the Zone Diet advocates a balanced approach to weight loss that includes proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Keep in mind that diet alone won’t ensure a healthy weight; proper nutrition must be combined with regular exercise for overall health.
Here’s how the Zone Diet works:
Protein forms the body’s building blocks, but often comes in high-fat forms. The Zone Diet stresses low-fat protein that stimulates glucagon production. Secreted by the pancreas, glucagon is a hormone that sparks the release of carbohydrates stored in the liver.
This primary function is meant to provide consistent nourishment for the brain. The Zone Diet inventor Dr. Barry Sears advocates eating only as much protein as the size of our palms, or a third of your plate, to keep glucagon levels in balance.
Carbohydrates give us energy because they’re quickly converted by the human body into sugars. The Zone Diet encourages dieters to rate carbohydrates by their glycemic factor, that is, how much natural sugars they contain, which leads to the release of insulin that regulates blood sugar levels.
Certain kinds of vegetables, such as leafy greens and some root vegetables, have a low glycemic factor. Others, such as potatoes and carrots, have a high glycemic factor. In the Zone Diet, two thirds of a meal should come from so-called “good” carbohydrates such as leafy green vegetables.
Fats
Contrary to most popular thinking, eliminating all fat from your diet is a bad idea. That’s because humans need “good” fats – monounsaturated and omega-3 fats – for proper nutritional balance. Fats are “calorie dense,” meaning they provide the greatest amount of energy.
Fats also slow digestion, giving the body time to absorb necessary nutrients and play a crucial role in building the cells of skin, nerves and other organs. The trick with fats is to avoid saturated fats and omega-6 fats, because these fats have been shown to increase heart disease.
Because of the essential body functions that “good” fats serve, the Zone Diet recommends including small amounts of monounsaturated fats from olive oil, some nuts, avocados and fish oil.
Because of these and other factors, many dieters find the Zone Diet’s balanced eating program offers a plan they can use for effective, healthy weight loss.
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