The Zone Arrives in Israel

By Dr. Barry Sears

As I have mentioned many times, the Zone Diet is the evolution of the Mediterranean diet, providing far greater control of cellular inflammation. But what Mediterranean diet are we talking about? Is it the Italian version, the Spanish version, the Greek version or perhaps some other version from a country that borders the Mediterranean Sea? In each country, the local food ingredients are different.

The new Mediterranean country that the Zone Diet has entered is Israel. Once I visited the country, I found remaking the Israeli diet into a Zone Diet was actually far simpler than I had anticipated. First, just take all the white food ingredients off the plate. That means no bread, no rice, no pasta, and no potatoes. While most Americans would rather die that do that, people in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea find it easy because richly colored vegetables and fruits are an integral part of their diets to begin with. Interestingly, it turns out that Israel is one of the leading producers of fruits and vegetables in the Middle East due to its pioneering work in water-drip technology that allowed them to turn otherwise arid landscapes into very productive Zone gardens. As a result, the cost of colorful carbohydrates is relatively inexpensive in Israel.

In addition, we had already done research collaborations with some of Israel's leading neurologists in treating depression. Finally, our Israeli marketing partners did a superb job of organizing a network of trained nutritionists who had attended some of my prior educational conferences in Italy. I can definitely see that I will probably be spending more of my time in this area of the Middle East as the Zone continues to spread.

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The month of June was a joyous one for Dr. Sears and his wife, Lynn. Their daughter Kristin was married on Lake Como June 29. Dr. Sears also celebrated his 10th anniversary with his Italian partners, EnerZona, at a festive dinner at the fabulous Como hotel, Villa D'Este.