Zone dietIt aims to reduce inflammation and maintain healthy insulin levels. It helps people balance their protein and carbohydrate intake.
It also encourages you to consume healthy fats and antioxidants, including omega 3 oils and polyphenol antioxidants in supplement form.
The diet recommends limiting calorie intake but does not limit calorie intake to a specific amount.
Zone dietDr. Barry Sears says the diet aims to prevent inflammation in a controlled way. It also states that it can help a person lose weight, improve mental and physical health, and slow aging..
What is the Zone Diet?
Zone Dietis a diet program that encourages practitioners to eat 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat.
As part of the diet, preferred carbohydrates should have a low glycemic index, meaning that they release sugar slowly to keep you full for a long time. Protein it should be lean and the fats should be mostly monounsaturated fats.
Zone Diet More than 30 years ago, an American biochemist Dr. Developed by Barry Sears. His best-selling book "The Zone" was published in 1995. Zone Dietclaims to reduce inflammation in the body. Dr. According to Sears, people's gaining weight, getting sick, and aging rapidly increase inflammation.
Dr. Sears claims that as a result of reduced inflammation, fat will be lost as quickly as possible, aging will slow down, the risk of chronic disease will be reduced and performance will be improved.
Zone DietHere are some basic rules of;
Eat a meal or snack within 1 hour of waking up in the morning.
Start every meal or snack with a low-fat protein, then continue with healthy carbohydrate and fat-containing foods.
- Whether you are hungry or not, eat frequent meals in the form of main meals every 4-6 hours or snacks within 2-2.5 hours later.
Consume plenty of omega-3s and polyphenols, as they have anti-inflammatory properties.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
How to Make a Zone Diet?
Zone Diethas no specific phases and should be followed for a lifetime. Zone DietThere are two ways to implement the: hand eye method or a Zone food blocksDo not use.
Most people start with the hand-eye method and, as it is more advanced, continue to use Zone food blocks at a later stage. Since both methods have benefits, you can change your method whenever you feel ready.
Hand Eye Method
Hand eye method, Zone Dietwhat is the easiest way to get started. As the name suggests, your hand and eye are the only tools you need to get started, but it is recommended that you set a watch so you can be careful when you need to eat.
In this method, your hand uses it in several ways. To determine portion sizes, your five fingers remind you to eat five times a day and not take any food for five hours.
In the meantime, use your eye to guess the portions on your plate. To design a Zone-friendly meal, you must first divide the meal into three parts.
One-third lean protein
One third of your meal should be a source of lean protein roughly the thickness of your palm.
Two-thirds of your meal should consist of low glycemic index carbohydrates.
Some fat
Eat monounsaturated fat such as olive oil, avocado, or hazelnut oil.
Hand eye method for beginners Zone DietIt is designed to be a simple way of implementing. It is also flexible and allows dining out.
Zone Food Block Method
Zone meal blocks by calculating how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat you can contain per day Zone DietIt is designed to personalize the body in our body.
The number of Zone blocks that need to be eaten per day depends on your weight, height, waist and hip measurements. Your number here you can calculate. The average man eats 14 Zone blocks a day; the average woman eats 11 Zone blocks a day.
While main courses like breakfast, lunch, or dinner have three to five Zone blocks, there is always one Zone block in a snack. Each Zone block consists of a protein block, a fat block, and a carbohydrate block.
Protein block: Contains 7 grams of protein.
Carbohydrate block: It contains 9 grams of carbohydrates.
Fat block: Contains 1.5 grams of fat.
A detailed guide on the different options and how many food choices are needed to make a protein block, carb block, or fat block.
What to Eat on the Zone Diet?
On the Zone Diet, Many of the food choices make it one of the healthiest diets Mediterranean Diet It is similar with. Food options according to the food groups that can be eaten in the diet are as follows;
Protein
Lean beef, lamb, beef and mutton
Skinless chicken and turkey breast
Fish and shellfish
- Egg whites
Low-fat cheeses
Low-fat milk and yogurt
Fat
- Avokado
Peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds or pistachios
Peanut Butter
- Tahini
Oils such as canola oil, sesame oil, peanut oil and olive oil
carbohydrates
- Fruits such as strawberries, apples, oranges, plums
Vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, chickpeas
Cereals like oatmeal and barley
polyphenols
These are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants help the body neutralize free radicals. Free radicals result from natural body processes and external factors such as unhealthy diet and smoking.
As these molecules accumulate, they can cause oxidative stress. This can lead to inflammation and cell damage that can increase the risk of disease, including some cancers. Fruits and vegetables are natural sources of antioxidants.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Studies suggest that omega 3 oils can help reduce or manage inflammation. Fatty fish such as sardines are good sources of omega 3 fats. Zone Dietrecommends taking polyphenol antioxidant supplements and fish oil supplements daily.
Which Foods to Avoid in Zone Diet?
Zone DietAbsolutely nothing is prohibited. However, some food choices are considered negative because they promote inflammation.
Fruits with high sugar content
Like bananas, grapes, raisins, dried fruits, and mangoes.
High sugar or starchy vegetables
Like peas, corn, carrots and potatoes.
Refined and processed carbohydrates
Bread, pasta, noodles and other white flour products.
Other processed foods
Including breakfast cereal and muffins.
Foods with added sugar
Like sweets, cakes and cookies.
Soft drinks
Both sugary and unsweetened drinks are not recommended.
Coffee and tea
Keep these to a minimum, because water is the more advantageous drink.
Sample Diet Plan with Zone Food Block for Men
Here is a sample diet plan for the average man with 14 food blocks.
Here is a sample diet plan for the average woman, with 11 food blocks.
Breakfast (3 food blocks):
2 eggs, boiled
3 slices of turkey bacon
1/2 apple
1 cup (156 grams) of mushrooms, boiled
630 grams of spinach, cooked
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of olive oil
Lunch (3 food blocks):
60 grams of grilled chicken, skinless
1 boiled eggs
2 heads of iceberg lettuce
1 cup (70 grams) of raw mushrooms
1 cup (100 grams) of raw cucumber, sliced
1 slice of red pepper
2 tablespoons of avocado
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vinegar
1 erik
Afternoon Snack (1 food block)
1 boiled eggs
3 almonds
1/2 apple
Dinner (3 food blocks)
110 grams of salmon, grilled
2/3 cup (67 grams) sweet potato, cooked
1 heads of iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup (40 grams) of raw tomatoes
1 cup (100 grams) of raw cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons of avocado
1/3 teaspoon (3.3 ml) of olive oil
Before Bedtime Snack (1 food block):
1/4 cup (56 grams) of cottage cheese
6 peanuts
1/2 orange
How Does the Zone Diet Lose Weight?
Zone Dietaims to optimize hormones to allow the body to enter a state called the "Zone". This is where the body is optimized to control inflammation from the diet.
The benefits of being in the "zone" are:
Losing extra body fat as quickly as possible
- Slow down the aging rate
- Better performance and faster thinking
Dr. Sears recommends testing three blood values to determine if you are in the "Zone".
TG / HDL Ratio
This is the ratio of "bad" fats known as triglycerides to "good" HDL cholesterol in the blood. A lower value means healthier and good cholesterol balance.
Zone Diet Less than 1 suggests a good value, which is low. A high TG / HDL ratio increases the risk of heart disease. This value should be checked by a healthcare professional.
AA / EPA Ratio
This is the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats in the body. A lower value means you have more omega 3 fats in the blood, which are anti-inflammatory.
Zone DietSuggests a low value of 1.5-3. If it's a high number for your AA / EPA ratio, depressionYou may be at an increased risk for obesity and other chronic diseases.
Zone DietSuggests a value of less than 5%. Higher HbA1c increases the risk of diabetes.
HbA1c should be tested by a healthcare professional.
Zone Diet Supplement Suggestion
Zone Dietto maximize health benefits Fish oil recommends using omega 3 supplements such as. It reduces the risk of "bad" LDL cholesterol and other chronic diseases in the body.
Zone Diet He also recommends taking polyphenol supplements, which are molecules found in plants with antioxidant properties.
Benefits of the Zone Diet
Unlike other diets, Zone Diet does not restrict food.
- However, it is against negative options such as added sugar and processed foods.
- It, Zone DietIt makes it more attractive to people struggling with food restrictions than other diets.
- Zone Diet The recommended food options for people are very similar to the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet is one of the best diets backed by evidence for long-term health.
- Zone Diet It also provides flexibility because there are two different ways to follow the diet.
The Harm of the Zone Diet
Zone DietAlthough it has many benefits, it also has some disadvantages.
Zone Diet claims to improve performance. However, a study conducted on athletes after diet found that despite losing weight, they lost their stamina and were exhausted faster than others.
Reducing dietary inflammation to reach the "Zone" level is another claim of the diet. Zone Dietclaims that when the blood values target is reached, the body will be at the "Zone" level.
Although some studies show that the diet can improve blood values, researchers note that more research is needed before they can significantly reduce inflammation in the body.
The second reason to use the Zone DietThere is little evidence to support the proportion of 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat as the optimal ratio for fat loss and health benefits.
Another study found 60% carbohydrate, 15% protein and 25% fat, with the effect of a diet containing 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat. Zone DietThe effects of are compared.
The study found that more weight was lost at a Zone-based rate. However, this difference may be due to the higher protein intake.
Interestingly, the study also found no significant difference in sugar, fat, and cholesterol values between the two groups.
It, Zone Diet and means that blood counts found in other studies may be due to supplementing with omega 3 and polyphenols rather than the benefits from the diet alone.
Should You Try the Zone Diet?
To lose weight, you should choose the diet that best suits your lifestyle. If you want a diet with food options similar to the Mediterranean Diet Zone Diet may be ideal for you.
While the theory behind the diet is linked to better health outcomes, there is insufficient evidence to support that the diet will reduce the risk of chronic disease, slow down aging, improve physical performance, or allow faster thinking.
To gain healthy eating habits, Zone Diet It can help you.
