The Zone Diet Review

The Zone by Dr Barry Sears, is more than just a diet. It’s a significant part of a healthy way of life.

The Zone is based on a ’simple’ formula. Many people consider this a low carb plan, but we prefer to call it carb controlled. The plan sounds technical, but there must be something to it since there are loads of Zone books taking up entire shelves in book stores, with more Zone books coming out all the time. Getting “In The Zone” is a hormonal state that your body achieves when the right percentage of foods are eaten. This leads to optimal health, peak performance, and weight loss, according to Dr Sears. One thing is for sure, this is a balanced, reduced calorie plan – it might be complex, but it is certainly not unhealthy.

How it works
The idea behind the plan is that we will reduce our insulin (which is a hormone) production, and draw from the body’s stored fat for energy. In the end, this means we’re going to be fat burning machines that don’t get the munchies. Now we can’t do this if we’re eating all the wrong foods and spiking our insulin production. Therefore, Zoners will be eating on the 40/30/30 plan – 40% protein, and 30% each of fat and carbs. The easy way to do this is to eat in ‘blocks’ that the Zone has designated for each food. Typically, men eat meals in blocks of 4, and women eat meals in blocks of 3. Snacks are a single block each. If you are eating in blocks of 3, then you will have 3 blocks each of fat, protein, and carbs.

How much can we get for a block?

A protein block is about 7 grams of protein, which is:
2 ounces of shrimp
1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 ounce of chicken
2 egg whites

A carb block is 9 grams of carbs, which is:
1/2 an apple
2 tomatoes
3 cups of cooked broccoli
1/2 cup blueberries

A fat block is about 1.5 grams, which is:
1 Tablespoon avocado
6 peanuts
1/3 teaspoon oil
3 olives

Now this can be really complicated if you let it be – or you can take the easy way out and buy the books about The Zone that list the blocks for every food that is allowed.
It also doesn’t hurt to get a book with menus and recipes. Or you can sign up for The Zone online and get it all wrapped up nice and neat, planned for you each day. Why do it the hard way? This can be a lot of calculating if you want to use your own recipes.
And, if you live in the right part of the country, you can sign up for Zone Meals to be delivered to your doorstep, via ZoneDietAtHome. Then there is the option to sign up for the eDiets.com version of the 40/30/30 plan, or you can join The Zone Diet Advantage for the one and only original and authentic plan.

If you are going to buy books about The Zone and do this yourself, we recommend Mastering The Zone. It’s straightforward and it clears up questions from the first book. It also has a lot of recipes included. If you don’t care about the recipes, try A Week In The Zone. It cuts to the chase and gives you the facts without a lot of the scientific information. However, in our opinion, you should read the background information on the diet and learn the extra benefits of the plan. This can be a tedious diet to stick with at times, but knowing the advantages of sticking with it can make the difference in success.

Since this plan can be difficult, we strongly recommend doing it online, even if only for a couple of months, to get the hang of it.
It will be a lot tastier to have somebody tell you what to cook, versus a piece of chicken, a veggie, and a few drops of oil every night.

The Zone Diet – Sample Meals Section:

The Zone Diet, Sample menu #1

Breakfast:
Steel cut oats and an egg white omelette

Snack:
Cottage cheese, apple, almonds

Lunch:
Greek salad with turkey, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and Greek dressing

Dinner:
Grilled chicken with tomato caprese salad

The Zone Diet, Sample menu #2

Breakfast:
Eggs Benedict

Snack:
Zone Perfect Bar

Lunch:
Smoked Ham, couscous, green beans with red peppers

Dinner:
Roast Pork with a red pepper puree sauce, and steamed broccoli

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