Content provided by Revolution Health Group

Overview:


Developed as a diet for people with diabetes and heart disease, "The Zone" diet book (Collins, 1st edition, 1995) is based on the premise that high insulin levels make people fat. On the Zone diet, you keep your insulin level within a certain "zone" by eating the right combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Dr. Barry Sears, president of the biotechnology company Zone Labs and a former research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), created the Zone diet in 1984. His mission? To promote weight loss and mental focus while reversing the aging process. Sears wrote a number of books on what he calls a "hormonal control program," not a diet, and there's plenty of scientific talk behind it. But Sears simplifies his calculations by telling people to divide their dinner plates: Lean meat takes up one-third of the plate, and fruits and vegetables ("counting as carbs") take up the other two-thirds. Add a dash of "good fats" like nuts, olive oil or avocado — and you're in "The Zone."

The Zone touts supplements such as ultra-refined fish oil — there's a Zone brand — and Sears discourages the consumption of breads and starches (a la other low-carb diets). You'll never see a plate of pasta on this meal plan. The good news? Snacks are absolutely, positively required.

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Dietary recommendations:


About a 40–30–30 ratio of calories from carbohydrates, fat and protein. You'll pick three "selections" of protein, three carbohydrates and three fats for each meal, and one of each for afternoon and evening snacks. One ounce of beef or chicken breast is one selection of protein.

Caloric guidelines:


About 1,100 a day for women and 1,400 for men.

Number of meals per day:


Three, plus two required snacks.

What you eat:


Each meal and snack must include protein, carbohydrates and fat. In the Zone, fruits, vegetables, beans and some grains such as oatmeal are classified as carbs. To keep your insulin level constant, you must consume this combination of foods, and you must eat every four to five hours. Alcohol is allowed in limited quantities. One beer or 4 ounces of wine is sufficient — and those are carbs.

Foods that are prohibited:


Say "bye-bye" to bread, which is not completely prohibited but is to be eaten in strict moderation. Ditto for rice and pasta. You'll be surprised to learn that "bad" carbohydrates also include watermelon, bananas and peas. Saturated fats, as in butter and whole-dairy products, are out. And sweets? There's no mention of them in the Zone.