 |
|
|
|
|
|
Out of sight, out of mouth and mind. That’s Dr. Sears’ feeling about most grains and starches. Grab any processed starch you can find (breakfast cereals, flour, crackers, pasta, bread, bagels, muffins, cookies, cake, breadsticks, granola bars, and so on) and put all these products into a trash bag. Fill another trash bag with traditional starches like rice, potatoes, and grains. But you can keep barley and steel-cut oats if you have them on hand. Now look in your pantry to see if you have products rich in sugar, such as fruit rollups, chocolate, or candy. Put these in a bag as well. Now scour your kitchen for dangerous fats: butter, margarine, Crisco, lard, and most important, vegetable oils such as soybean, corn safflower and sunflower. Don’t even try to save them, just throw them out. Now take all these bags with unopened high glycemic-load products to the local food bank. As hard as it may be to remove these foods from your kitchen, your body will thank you later. These items are the worst offenders when it comes to raising insulin levels and increasing silent inflammation. These fall into the category of either high glycemic-load carbohydrates or pro-inflammatory fats. They are, literally, poison to your future wellness.
Your kitchen might be looking a little bare at this point. Not to worry. You are about to fill it up again—this time with low glycemic-load carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables. You’ll also add the right kinds of protein and fat.
People usually buy fresh produce with the best of intentions, but time usually conspires against them. Salad greens wilt, berries become moldy, peaches become mushy, and we often end up throwing our money in the garbage. The easiest way around this is to simply buy only two or three days’ worth of produce at a time. Good idea, but highly unlikely in today’s world with its growing time constraints. Instead, stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables. Not only are they less expensive than fresh items, but also they are surprisingly more nutritious. This is because only the ripest fruits and vegetables are frozen. What’s more, they are frozen soon after harvesting, which seals in their vitamins and phytochemicals. Fresh produce, on the other hand, will lose many of these nutrients when it is transported and stored.
Canned fruits and vegetables are more problematic. You have to avoid any that are floating in sweetened syrups, which are added during the canning process. (The high sugar content reduces bacterial growth.) Also, canned produce often contains a much lower vitamin content than frozen produce. Nonetheless, they still make a better choice for Zone carbohydrates than the high glycemic-load carbohydrates that you donated to the local food bank.
Look for low-fat sources of protein and buy them in serving-size portions. It’s easy to purchase too much protein, which means you’re likely to eat more than you need. Let the butcher at the supermarket become your ally. If all the meat, chicken, or fish you can find is packed in 2-pound bundles, ask the butcher to repackage it in eight l/4-pound packages. Keep one of the packages in the refrigerator, and freeze the other seven. Or, buy in bulk to save money and repackage the meat in smaller portions yourself using freezer bags. Once you use one of the packages in the refrigerator, immediately replace it with one from the freezer. This type of portion control reduces the likelihood of thawing out too much protein (and eating too much), or worse, not having any protein (because you don’t want to thaw a huge package). You can apply the same trick to low-fat deli meats. Just have the butcher put a piece of wax paper between every ¼ pound of deli meat.
Eggs are a great source of protein that come in convenient portion-control sizes. Let me emphasize that I’m talking about egg whites, not egg yolks, which are rich in pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (AA). For omelets and scrambled eggs, you may want to buy an inexpensive egg separator, or you can buy egg substitutes, such as Eggbbeaters. If you eat hard-boiled eggs, make sure to eat only the white and discard the yolk.
Packaged portion like low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, and canned tuna, salmon, and sardines are also great sources of low-fat protein. They provide you readily accessible sources of low-fat protein with easy-to-control portions. For vegan meals, purchase soy protein products like tofu, tempeh, or soy imitation-meat products. You can also purchase a pure protein powder (isolated whey protein tastes the best) that can be used to make Zone smoothie shakes with mixed berries or added carbohydrates such as oatmeal on the side to give you the correct protein-to-carbohydrate balance you need to maintain long-term blood glucose control.
Having easily accessible protein sources is key to staying in the Zone because it stimulates the release of glucagons, which helps stabilize blood glucose levels. In order to maintain stable insulin levels, you need to eat before you get hungry, or within a minute or two of feeling those first hunger pangs. Opening a can of tuna or grabbing a hard-boiled egg white from your fridge mixed with some precut low glycemic-load carbohydrates and a drizzle of olive oil can make an easy-to-prepare a meal in less than two minutes. Keeping hunger at bay by controlling your blood glucose levels is the key to staving off cravings for high glycemic-load carbohydrates like bagels, cookies, and cake.
Last but not least, you have to stock your kitchen with the right kinds of fat. You’ve already gotten rid of the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, which increase levels of silent inflammation, by throwing out the vegetable oils. Removing saturated fat from your diet is just plain common sense. Now you have to increase your supply of monounsaturated fats. You should buy a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil (for dressings & seasonings) and refined olive oil (for cooking). You should also keep a stock of nuts: slivered almonds, pine nuts, & chopped cashews are all great for making pestos or topping salads. Keep at least one avocado in your fridge for slicing into salads. All of these foods are great sources of monounsaturated fats.
This diet relies too heavily on high-density carbohydrates like grains, starches, and pasta (in other words, it follows the USDA Food Pyramid). As a result of increased carbohydrate intake, insulin levels can increase on this diet. Ironically, the number-one risk factor that best predicts future heart disease is increased insulin levels. Perhaps not surprisingly, the number of heart attacks is once again rising in America.
While The Zone is often lumped into the same category as the Atkins Diet by the popular press, nothing could be further from the truth. The Atkins Diet is the most extreme example of the high-protein, high-fat diets. You simply can't go around over-consuming fatty sources of protein (often rich in arachidonic acid) and think good things will be the long-term result. Sure, you lose weight quickly, but much of that initial weight loss is primarily due to increased urination to eliminate abnormal ketone bodies. However, on the Atkins Diet you are virtually guaranteed to regain the weight because continual ketosis adapts your fat cells to become "fat magnets" due to increased cortisol secretion to converted muscle into necessary glucose for the brain. Most importantly, the Atkins Diet increases silent inflammation - your worst hormonal nightmare.
In a nutshell, follow the Atkins Diet for two weeks to put your body in an abnormal state of ketosis (you'll lose water weight, which many people mistake for real fat loss); then reintroduce low glycemic-load carbohydrates, and you're on the South Beach Diet! After the first two weeks, the South Beach Diet is like a totally unstructured version of the Zone Diet. Because it pays no regard to the right balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates necessary to help control inflammation within fat cells and stabilize insulin levels, the South Beach Diet is not likely to satisfy hunger for any length of time, increasing the risk of failure.
This is the diet used in the Lyon Diet Heart Study, which demonstrated a 70 percent reduction in fatal heart attacks compared to a control group who followed the American Heart Association diet. Like the Zone Diet, the Mediterranean Diet keeps saturated fat intake low, stresses the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the liberal comsumption of Omega-3 fats. As good as these recommendations are, the Zone Diet actually encourages the consumption of even more fruits and vegetables than the Mediterranean Diet, with a corresponding decrease in the intake of unfavorable grains and starches. Therefore, the Zone will lower insulin to a far greater extent. The Zone also recommends even more long-chain Omega-3 fats than the Mediterranean Diet, which is important for the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. Finally, you would consume fewer total calories (thereby increasing longevity) following the Zone Diet compared to the Mediterranean Diet.
|
 |
| ARTICLES: Top Eating & Lifestyle
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TESTIMONIALS: Eating/Weight Loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FORUMS: Eating Related Posts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Dr. Barry Sears is a leading authority on the dietary control of hormonal response. A former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Sears has dedicated his research efforts over the past 30 years to the study of lipids. He holds 13 U.S. Patents in the areas of intravenous drug delivery systems and hormonal regulation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
A turning point in his research occurred in 1982. That year, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discoveries of the role that specialized hormones, known as eicosanoids, play in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. Since eicosanoids are only generated from dietary fat, Dr. Sears reasoned that one could apply intravenous drug delivery principles to nutrition in order to control these exceptionally powerful hormonal responses with laser-like precision. In essence, his approach treats food as if it were a drug.
This area of his research led to various patents in the area of hormonal control by essentially using food as an oral drug delivery system to modulate eicosanoids especially for cardiovascular, diabetic, and neurological patients.
The impact of Dr. Sears’ revolutionary work in the dietary control of hormonal response began with the publication of his landmark book, The Zone. Since its publication in June 1995, The Zone has sold more than 2,000,000 hardcover copies, and became a #1 best seller on the New York Times book list. In addition, The Zone has been translated into 22 languages indicating a worldwide response to Dr. Sears’ research. His second book, Mastering the Zone, published in 1997, also became a New York Times bestseller with hardcover sales in excess of 500,000 copies to date. His third book, Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes, published in 1997, quickly became one of the best-selling cookbooks of 1997 and an another New York Times bestseller. The Anti-Aging Zone was published in 1999 and provides the molecular insights into how the Zone Diet can reverse the aging process. The Omega Rx Zone, published in 2002, explores the molecular foundation of chronic disease and how high-dose fish oil can dramatically reverse it. His latest book The Anti-Inflammation Zone discusses how to combat silent inflammation in order to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and many other inflammatory conditions—and how to reverse these conditions if they are already present. To date more than 5 million hardcover copies of his Zone books have been sold in the United States.
His research has elevated food from more than simply a source of calories to being recognized as an exceptionally powerful drug. Because of his revolutionary research, Dr. Sears has been a frequent guest on many national programs such as 20/20, Today, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, CNN, and MSNBC.
Dr. Sears continues his ongoing research as President of Zone Labs, a biotechnology company in Danvers, MA as well as the President of the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, MA. In addition to continuing research on the hormonal effects of food, Dr. Sears has expanded his research in developing innovative dietary approaches to treating cancer and neurological conditions, as well as his on-going work in treating cardiovascular diease and type 2 diabetes.
|
|
I have been taking the Fish Oil for over 3 years now. I am 44 playing hockey and working out. The Fish oil helps with the pain that I get from playing hockey. It greatly enhances my performance on the ice and while working out. I have noticed a big difference in my energy, attentiveness and memory. If I miss a day for whatever reason, I notice a huge difference and it feels like something is missing. Anyway that is my short little story and it comes from the heart.
– Carter B.
I am a nutritionist and Ph.D. doctor of health and nutrition. For Dr. Sears to figure out balancing fat, carbs and protein, is really beyond brilliant. It is a milestone in diet history. I go over people's diet/emotional journals. Mostly all the time, we discover that the fatigue, irritability, unstable emotions were due to the imbalance in their diet. Using the Zone to balance them out, helps control weight, roller coaster emotions and gives them energy. Dr. Sears is so right when he says food is medicine. He has figured out the most powerful drug combination going, called The Zone.
Best and healthy wishes,
– Elaine W., Ph.D., N.C., M.A.
I have a very exhausting job as a flight attendant. I read the "Omega Rx Zone" about 4 years ago and started taking the fish oil. I am 47 and have been flying for 22 years. I am very active, I run and lift weights. But combining lack of regular sleep, a physically demanding job, and irregular eating patterns this job takes a toll on the body. Since taking the fish oil, I have noticed that I do not get exhausted. I get tired, but not exhausted. I stopped taking it for a couple of months and then started taking another company's fish oil. I started getting exhausted again. I came back to Zone Labs and will continue with the fish oil for the rest of my life. I believe in the product and it makes a huge difference in my life. It makes a difference with my running as well. I also bring the bars and shakes with me on the road. It is almost impossible to eat the way I should at work. I haven't found the right secret. At least I have my Zone fish oil, bars, and shakes.
– Kathryn S.
I have been in the Zone, for about 1 month now. I wanted to share with you how wonderful I think this program is. I have been a personal trainer for almost 10 years and actively compete in numerous athletic activities. The Zone program has helped me to achieve a better awareness of my nutritional needs and the results I have seen are amazing! I have lost nearly 13 lbs since I have been in the Zone. I feel more mentally alert, more focused at work, have greater intensity during my training, have made significant strength gains, and just feel better over all. With that said, I would like to thank you for helping me in my quest for "super-health"!
Thank you!
– Rob Y.
I read 'The Zone' and as exactly as I could followed the advice for diet. I noted weight loss progress. Over six months, I lost 33 pounds. One year has passed since then. I have maintained the new weight, guided always by Zone concepts. The Zone is powerful - I have found it fantastic and I am very grateful to Dr Sears.
– Lyn S.
Before I stumbled across the Zone I was weighing close to two hundred pounds and I was depressed. I used to be a gymnast as a young man. I would think, "look at me now," when I looked in a mirror. The day I found 'The Zone' book, I was intrigued and as I read it the science made sense and so, I began to follow the "treatment". I began to lose weight and I was feeling way more energetic. I am forty two years old, I am very active and my weight is down to 162 lbs, 38 pounds lost on the Zone. I cycle, walk, jog, swim and I can now perform some of the more simple gymnastic skills I did twenty years ago...I literally feel like I have turned back the clock.
Thank you!
– Jack J.
I have been on the Zone diet for 7 years. I did not go on the diet to lose weight necessarily; but fairly quickly I lost 25 pounds, going from 190 to 165; from a 36-inch waist to a 32-inch waist. I primarily did the Zone to live healthier. My health is excellent now. I just turned 62 years old. My Zone is my eating lifestyle now; I seldom stray; and I do not miss anything. It is The Good Life.
– Curtis Y.
My wife's doctor told her to read "Enter the Zone" and to do the diet, so I told her I would do it with her. After only one week on the plan we went on a strenuous hike (the first of the year), and when we stopped at our favorite coffee shop on the way home I was able to get out of the car and stand upright and walk into the place without pain or stiffness. The Zone had eliminated all the inflammation that had always forced me to stumble all humped over into the coffee shop any time we skied or hiked all day.
Thank you, Doctor Sears.
– Larry C.
I used to have a lot of knee pain when I walked or ran. I have been taking Omega Rx for almost a year now, and rarely have any pain. I believe it is the anti-inflammation action of the oil. I feel smarter as well. Thanks for developing such a superior oil!
– Joe W.
Prior to following the Zone Diet, my body fat was around 15% and my weight around 153 pounds. No matter what I did, my weight and body fat did not change much. I regularly cycled 20-30 hours per week logging well over 400 miles. That had little impact on body fat or weight. Diet also seemed to have little impact on body fat or weight. Within a couple of months of following the zone diet, my weight dropped rather quickly to 142 pounds and body fat to about 8%. I still regularly cycle up to 20 hours per week (during the summer). I have also started strength training. I eat about 16 blocks per day. I take 3.6 grams of fish oil per day, along with Vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, and B & C vitamins. I also take GLA, which in my opinion, has significantly reduced fatigue and improved recovery times after exercise.
– Jeremy S.
|
|
All polyphenols have antioxidant properties than can be measured by their Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), but not all polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. The polyphenols in Dr. Sears’ Zone Polyphenol Plus have been carefully chosen to have both.
Polyphenols are the phytochemicals that not only give fruits and vegetables their color, but also help regulate inflammation. In addition, polyphenols also activate the key enzyme (AMP kinase) that helps restore cellular ATP levels. Polyphenols also help regulate the activation of inducible inflammatory proteins (such as COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines).
There are more than 4,000 known polyphenols, and the richest sources are fruits and vegetables. In general, the more color a fruit or vegetable has, the richer the polyphenol content.
|
|
Zone Labs’ Ultra Refined Omega-3 Concentrates are three times fresher and contain less than 1/10th the mercury than what is allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard
Zone Labs adheres to the International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS), an independent third party validated laboratory quality standard that is more rigid than any other global standard for purity.
- No company in the worlds runs more tests with IFOS than Zone Labs
- Zone Labs receives a 5 out of 5 star IFOS rating for every batch it tests
|
| Standard |
IFOS Standard for a 5-Star Ranking |
Council for Responsible Nutrition |
European Pharmacopeia |
| | |