Zone Diet

Conceptualized by Barry Sears, the Zone diet offers a balanced and proportionate intake of food. It functions at a more chemical and physiological level than the Atkins diet.

The Zone diet is not about merely shedding body weight, it aims at inducing hormonal balance, by regulating the secretion of insulin, which helps in fat storage, and the secretion of glucagons, which enables the breakdown of glucose in the liver.

Controlling the insulin ensures limited fat production, while ensuring the release of the glucose makes sure that the body is not starved of its essential requirements.

Zone diet food

The different kinds of food to be taken in a Zone diet include carbohydrates, fats as well as proteins. The diet regimen calls for a user to eat a balanced diet - 40% of carbohydrates, 30% of fats, and 30% of proteins.

The carbohydrates allowed are, however, the ones that do not induce too much fat in the body. Allowed products include beans, whole-grains (except brown rice), and other such vegetables. The products usually frowned upon in this diet plan are high-calorie carbohydrates such as brown rice, bananas, etc.

As you can see, the approach of the Zone diet seems totally different than the Atkins diet. Both are aimed at reducing excess body weight using contrasting methods. The Zone diet calls for providing an ideal balance between the levels of proteins and carbohydrates consumed in a meal, unlike the Atkins diet.

Such a balancing results in the body automatically controlling the secretion and flow of insulin.

Zone diet meal difficulties

While the Zone diet seems a good bet if you are serious about losing the extra pounds in a healthy manner, the biggest headache is in constantly having to figure out what makes up the ideal 40-30-30 break-up.

Besides, there always lurks the danger of cutting out too many things to eat, thereby leading to poor health. Low carbohydrate-levels also mean loss of energy.