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The ZoneThe Zone diet is a diet popularized in books by Barry Sears. It advocates balancing protein and carbohydrate ratios instead of caloric thinking as an approach to eating. It is not primarily a weight-loss "diet" (though it can be used quite successfully for that purpose); rather it is a way of eating — the intake of food that produces the best results within the human body based on a hypothesis of how it has evolved to cope with varying food intake through the ages. "The Zone" is Sears's term for proper hormone balance. When insulin levels are neither too high nor too low, and glucagon levels are not too high, then specific anti-inflammatory chemicals (types of eicosanoids) are released, which have similar effects to aspirin, but without downsides such as gastric bleeding. Sears claims that a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates triggers this effect, and this is called 'The Zone.' Sears claims that these natural anti-inflammatories are heart and health friendly. Additionally, the human body in caloric balance is more efficient and does not have to store excess calories as fat. The human body cannot store fat and burn fat at the same time, and it takes time (significant time if insulin levels were high because of unbalanced eating) to switch from the former to the latter.[citation needed] Using stored fat for energy causes weight loss. The diet centers on a "40:30:30" ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively. The exact formula is always under debate, but studies over the past several years (including a non-scientific study by Scientific American Frontiers) have shown that it can produce weight loss at reasonable rates. Another key feature of the Zone diet is a intake of the proper ratio of Omega 3: Omega 6 fatty acids. In fact Dr. Barry Sears has popularized the taking of expensive pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 fish oils. Hormonal paradoxesSears emphasizes a hormonal paradox of which "low-fat" advocates were unaware, namely that low-fat diets increase the production of the hormone insulin, causing the body to store more fat. He points to the cattle ranching practice of fattening livestock efficiently by feeding them lots of low-fat grain. He and others have noted the irony that human diets in the West for the last twenty years have been full of low-fat carbohydrates, yet people are more obese — Sears claims as a result. Additionally, Sears describes fat consumption is essential for "burning" fat. Monounsaturated fats in a meal contribute to a feeling of fullness and modulates the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream. Slower carbohydrate absorption means lower insulin levels which means less stored fat and a faster transition to fat burning. If the body needs energy and can't burn fat because of high insulin levels, a person feels tired as their brain starves and metabolism slows to compensate. This occurs because the brain runs on glucose and high insulin levels deplete blood glucose levels. Such condition, rebound hypoglycemia causes sweet cravings(which just starts the high-insulin cycle all over again). Sears describes a Zone meal as follows. Eat as much protein as the palm of your hand, as much nonstarchy raw vegetables as you can stand for the vitamins, enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity because the brain runs on glucose, and enough monosaturated oils to keep feelings of hunger away. The "low-carb craze"Low-carbohydrate diets like the Atkins diet became extremely popular throughout the United States in 2003 and 2004, but Sears claims that they miss the point. According to him, they ignore the importance of hormonal balance, as well as the influence of dietary balance on digestion and hormone production. In addition, high-protein/low-carb diets cause the production of some "bad" hormones (& eicosanoids) that the body tries to flush from the system. Much of the initial weight-loss from such diets is water loss. The Zone in ItalyIn Italy the Zone has been "translated" by Gigliola Braga, a biologist who applied Sears' method to the local food and habits. The diffusion of the Zone continues with the efforts of many people including Aronne Romano, Fabrizio Duranti and Paolo Perucci. CriticismThe American Heart Association does not recommend the Zone Diet due to high-protein, lack of essential nutrients and little information on long-term effects. Zone Links
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