Answers:

#1 False

The Zone has been scientifically validated by many studies. Go to: (http://drsears.com/AntiInflammatoryNutrition/tabid/380/Default.aspx. The Joslin Diabetic Clinic’s (affiliated with Harvard Medical School) 2007 clinical nutrition guidelines for overweight/obese adults are identical to the Zone Diet’s dietary guidelines of 1995.

#2 False

Colorful, non-starchy vegetables have higher polyphenol, vitamin and mineral content than grains. Grains raise blood sugar and insulin levels, rapidly causing hormonal havoc that induces weight gain.

#3 True

The drug companies have convinced us that elevated cholesterol is the culprit. Cholesterol levels can be a poor predictor of a future heart attack. Cellular inflammation causes unstable plaque to break off and block blood flow in the arteries causing a heart attack.

#4 True

The AHA Advisory on omega-6 fatty acids (Jan. 28, 2009,) made a case that it’s OK to consume a lot of omega-6s. Excess omega-6 in the presence of a high-carbohydrate diet, like the AHA diet, is your worst hormonal nightmare. This results in toxic fat (arachidonic acid, AA), the fuel for cellular inflammation that promotes chronic disease. Interestingly, the association neglected to point out in its article that a comparison of its dietary recommendations to a much lower omega-6 fatty-acid diet in patients who already had suffered a heart attack had already been published in the same journal 10 years earlier. The results? A 70-percent reduction in cardiovascular death and heart attacks in the low omega-6 fatty acid group.

# 5 True

The spread of toxic fat (AA) throughout the body resembles the growth of a tumor.

Stage 1: benign tumor, you’re fat, and your blood is not inflamed. Stage 2: slowly spreading cancer, and your blood is inflamed. Stage 3: malignant tumor, you’re fat and your blood is inflamed.

#6 True

According a Harvard Health Publication the glycemic load (GL) of one cup of grain is equal to drinking a Coke Classic. A high-GL diet, like the SAD (standard American diet), induces a sequence of hormonal and metabolic changes that promote excessive food intake.

# 7 True

Decades of research demonstrates that cellular inflammation is an underlying cause for many of the most feared diseases of middle and old age, i.e. heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes and dementia (Alzheimer’s).

# 8 False

All vegetable oils have high concentrations of omega 6’s. Excess insulin combined with high levels of these fats results in the production of increased arachidonic acid (toxic fat). This is the underlying cause of chronic disease. The Zone Diet has been clinically proven to reduce the levels of toxic fat within 30 days.

# 9 True

The high-carbohydrate diet as recommended by the USDA has been proven to increase cellular inflammation. The Zone Diet has been shown to be nine times more effective in reducing cellular inflammation compared to the USDA Food Pyramid.

#10 True

The growing epidemic of obesity is caused by increasing levels of cellular inflammation caused by a pro-inflammatory diet. Too many refined carbohydrates, vegetable oils high in omega-6s and low levels of omega-3s disrupt the hormonal signaling patterns that control appetite and how fat is released for energy. Genetically, we were designed to eat from two food groups, lean proteins and fruits and vegetables, not whole grains.

Scoring:

7-10 correct – you are probably healthier, thinner and smarter than your non-Zone friends
4-6 correct – your levels of toxic fat may be rising
0-3 correct – time for a dietary change to a healthier and longer life.

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