The Zone Diet was invented by Dr. Barry Sears. He created the diet to help people lose weight and avoid disease. The diet follows a specific plan: the 40/30/30 strategy. This means that adherents of the diet are required to consume 40% carbs, 30% fats, and 30% protein.
The Zone Diet focuses on insulin production as the major facet of weight loss. Consuming foods that raise blood sugar and stimulate insulin production are bad for you. Excess insulin is stored as fat. When you eat foods that rapidly produce insulin your body is encourage to store fat rather than burn it for energy. Spikes in insulin are believed to cause heart disease and diabetes.
As we discussed some foods cause a spike in insulin. Which foods you ask? Well white flour and processed foods contain empty calories (simple carbohydrates) that cause insulin to flood the blood streams. Avoid these foods and white flour like the plague. Instead eat fruits and vegetables because the sugars (carbohydrates) in these foods are generally more complex and don't cause the unhealthy insulin spike!
The traditional eating plan of three meals a day and two snacks are eaten on the Zone diet plan. The snacks are added to keep participants from experiencing hunger and overeating at the next meal. The snacks shouldn't be high in sugar or they will defeat the purpose of maintaining steady blood sugar levels. For the meals, a regular dinner size plate is divided into 40/30/30. The largest portion is carbohydrates and they are simple carbs like green vegetables, corn, cauliflower, and peppers. The size of the meat portion is about the size of the palm of the hand for a four ounce piece of chicken or steak. Excess fat needs to be trimmed before cooking.
Consumption of the proper amount of fat is essential because doing so slows digestion and provides a continuous source of steady energy. Slowing your digestion is good because you won't feel hungry immediately after eating because your body will be busy digesting. The Zone Diet recommends eating good fats contained in nuts and canola and olive oil.
Avoid insulin spiking foods whenever possible. Sweets like candy, cakes, pies, chocolate treats and such are terrible. But be aware that other more common foods like breads, pasta noodles and heavy starches are similarly bad. Candy, breads, and pasta are addictive and its very easy to overeat when consuming these foods.
The Zone diet provides affordable pre-packed foods to help you get started and stick to the diet. Also, we can provide you with dozens of sources of zone diet recipes. With just a few changes to your weekly grocery list you'll be Zone Diet Compliant! In fact, your family probably won't even notice the change to their menu once you do the switch.
The Zone Diet focuses on insulin production as the major facet of weight loss. Consuming foods that raise blood sugar and stimulate insulin production are bad for you. Excess insulin is stored as fat. When you eat foods that rapidly produce insulin your body is encourage to store fat rather than burn it for energy. Spikes in insulin are believed to cause heart disease and diabetes.
As we discussed some foods cause a spike in insulin. Which foods you ask? Well white flour and processed foods contain empty calories (simple carbohydrates) that cause insulin to flood the blood streams. Avoid these foods and white flour like the plague. Instead eat fruits and vegetables because the sugars (carbohydrates) in these foods are generally more complex and don't cause the unhealthy insulin spike!
The traditional eating plan of three meals a day and two snacks are eaten on the Zone diet plan. The snacks are added to keep participants from experiencing hunger and overeating at the next meal. The snacks shouldn't be high in sugar or they will defeat the purpose of maintaining steady blood sugar levels. For the meals, a regular dinner size plate is divided into 40/30/30. The largest portion is carbohydrates and they are simple carbs like green vegetables, corn, cauliflower, and peppers. The size of the meat portion is about the size of the palm of the hand for a four ounce piece of chicken or steak. Excess fat needs to be trimmed before cooking.
Consumption of the proper amount of fat is essential because doing so slows digestion and provides a continuous source of steady energy. Slowing your digestion is good because you won't feel hungry immediately after eating because your body will be busy digesting. The Zone Diet recommends eating good fats contained in nuts and canola and olive oil.
Avoid insulin spiking foods whenever possible. Sweets like candy, cakes, pies, chocolate treats and such are terrible. But be aware that other more common foods like breads, pasta noodles and heavy starches are similarly bad. Candy, breads, and pasta are addictive and its very easy to overeat when consuming these foods.
The Zone diet provides affordable pre-packed foods to help you get started and stick to the diet. Also, we can provide you with dozens of sources of zone diet recipes. With just a few changes to your weekly grocery list you'll be Zone Diet Compliant! In fact, your family probably won't even notice the change to their menu once you do the switch.
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