Search
Create an Account - | Customer Service | Healthcare Professionals | My Zone |INTERNATIONAL 
 
Subject: Zone in a nutshell

You are not authorized to post a reply.   

Page 1 of 6123456 > >>
Author Messages
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 2:51 AM Alert 
Hi Zone pals :wink: I wanted to put together an email followup for friends who ask me to tell them about the Zone. This is what I came up with. I would like your opinion/help on the facts --I want to give them the straight scoop. [color=blue:f47b8ff733]September 3, 2004 Here is my summary of the Zone diet: The basic principles of my diet in a nutshell --pun intended: It is called the Zone Diet. It was created by Dr. Barry Sears, a research scientist who specialized in cancer drug delivery biochemistry and using diet to control insulin levels for heart disease patients. It has been mislabeled and misrepresented every time anyone in the popular media has referred to it. It has been incorrectly labeled as a low carb, a high protein, and a starvation diet. It is actually a balanced diet much like humans ate over 10,000 years ago. It is based on three concepts: 1. Human and animal studies for over 50 years have shown that a healthy but moderately calorie restricted diet significantly lengthens life expectancy by retarding the aging process --starting at any age. For instance, if you are 60 and would have lived to 80, you could expect instead to make it to 90, and be in as good of health at 90 as you would have been at 80. I have known about this anti-aging effect for 30 years, but I did not know how to restrict calories without feeling deprived and hungry all the time. With a modern diet, people get hungry real fast after eating all the simple carb foods. I made slow progress on my own getting rid of many junk foods from my diet, but it took finding the Zone diet for it to all make sense --it give me a "recipe" for success. 2. Controlling blood sugar and therefore insulin levels with diet eliminates the causes of half the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by eating foods that convert slowly to blood sugar to avoid insulin spikes, but eating often enough to keep the blood sugar up and insulin levels constant. This has been slowly recognized by the medical establishment over the last 50 years. Insulin control is essential in controlling fat accumulation in the belly. Fat in this area is metabolically active and promotes low level inflammation which has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a host of other age related ills. 3. Controlling AA/EPA ratio of blood lipid levels with diet eliminates the other half of the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by taking extra pharmaceutical grade EPA/DHA long chain omega 3 fats, and lowering saturated fats and omega 6 fats. This has only recently been recognized by the medical establishment (although Grandma knew it). EPA is a long chain omega 3 fat found in some fish (actually made by algae down the food chain). AA is a fat derived in the body from vegetable and seed oils. The ratio of these two fats critically influences the functioning of the immune system. Without AA, the immune system is unable to mount an effective response to disease causing invaders. Without the dampening effect of EPA, the immune system is prone to chronic low level inflammation associated with Alzheimers, Cancer, Allergies, etc. How did our diets get so out of whack from what our body needs to "live long and prosper"? The problem today is that the modern food industry has provided a huge variety of foods that taste great, but are sugar coated poison for the human body. The most common food choices available are guaranteed to violate all three of the above points. In fact the foods that are good for you have been practically pushed off the grocery shelves to make room for all the rest. The mechanics of the Zone diet are fairly simple: 1. Using some tables, determine the amount of lean protein your muscle mass and exercise levels require each day. 2. Using a 7/9 ratio of Protein/Carb grams, determine the amount of low "Glycemic Index" carbs to eat each day. 3. Using a 7/3 ratio of Protein/Fat grams, determine the amount of fat (mostly mono-saturated) to eat each day. 4. A 7g/9g/3g unit of food is called a Food Block for convenience. I call 7g of non-fat protein a "Protein Brick", 9g of digestible carbs a "Carb Brick", and 3g of fat a "Fat Brick". One Food Block is made from one each of these three "Bricks" 5. Eat 2 snacks and 3 meals a day. Each meal is made up of 3 or 4 Blocks. Each snack is made up of one Block. Eat a snack or meal within an hour of waking. Eat a snack within one hour before going to bed at night. Eat again within 2-3 hours of having a snack, and 4-5 hours of having a meal. 6. Add more mono-saturated fat to maintain your desired body fat % at the ideal healthy level for your sports profession (15% for normal males, 22% for females). A body fat calculator can be found at: http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/bodyfatcalcu.jsp 7. Drink plenty of liquids. Pure water is the best form. 1/2 gallon gallon per day (64oz or 8 cups) is the baseline. 8. Treat your food with the same respect that you would treat a prescription drug given to you to counteract aging and disease. The above is the exact scientific method. There are sloppy, but easy methods also, like: put a piece of lean meat the size and thickness of your palm on one third of a dinner plate, and fill the rest of the plate with low "Glycemic Load" vegetables and fruits, then put a dash of olive oil on it. The one I like is: Using a list of 100 favorable foods, pick a protein from column A, a carb from column B, and a fat from column C (I taped up a page I made up in the kitchen). A food table can be found at: http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/foodblockguide.jsp. Beware: the Protein and Fat Blocks in this table are not the same as my bricks (Protein Blocks assume half your fats are in your lean meat protein --my Bricks assume non-fat protein). I edited this table for my own use to make more sense for my food preferences (non-fat vegetarian protein sources). The results are dramatic: 1. You won't get hungry. In fact if you are hungry by the time you should eat again, you are doing something wrong, or you need to tailor the carb choices to your specific metabolism. Your meals can be devised to be as large or small as you like (in volume), but you will always be giving your body exactly what it needs for health. 2. You will lose excess fat. 3. You will be mentally alert all the time --unless you forget to sleep at night. 4. You will feel healthy and full of energy. 5. You will slow the aging process in your body by about 33% 6. You will remove the cause of many modern illnesses of old age. How does it work? It is based on basic biochemistry explained in Dr. Sears books and on his website www.drsears.com. This guy has done his homework, and it not only makes sense to me, but it works. I have been doing this for over one year now. I can't even imagine eating the old way again. It also helps that Alison is 100% supporting the diet. Alison and I made a bunch of mistakes for the first month trying to re-learn how to prepare food to a new recipe. I also did not realize how deficient I was in EPA. As it turns out, I am in a small class of folks that need a lot of extra EPA to get the AA/EPA ratio into balance. I have to take about 8 times what most people have to take. It would be impossible for me to get enough from eating fish, or even from health food store grade fish oil. However, once I found the right dose, all my allergies virtually vanished. I am one happy camper! I have done lots of research, and I can provide additional references for fish oil, and other information sources if you would like. Dennis [/color:f47b8ff733]
White Light User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 5:02 AM Alert 
Hi Dennis, It all looks pretty right to me. You may want to alter the Ideal fat % to Omega RX standards, but no big deal White Light [quote:9cc726dfbe="gofish"]Hi Zone pals :wink: I wanted to put together an email followup for friends who ask me to tell them about the Zone. This is what I came up with. I would like your opinion/help on the facts --I want to give them the straight scoop. [color=blue:9cc726dfbe]September 1, 2004 Here is my summary of the Zone diet: The basic principles of my diet in a nutshell --pun intended: It is called the Zone Diet. It was created by Dr. Barry Sears, a research scientist who specialized in cancer drug delivery biochemistry and using diet to control insulin levels for heart disease patients. It has been mislabeled and misrepresented every time anyone in the popular media has referred to it. It has been incorrectly labeled as a low carb, a high protein, and a starvation diet. It is actually a balanced diet much like humans ate over 10,000 years ago. It is based on three concepts: 1. Human and animal studies for over 50 years have shown that a healthy but moderately calorie restricted diet significantly lengthens life expectancy by retarding the aging process --starting at any age. For instance, if you are 60 and would have lived to 80, you could expect instead to make it to 90, and be in as good of health at 90 as you would have been at 80. I have known about this anti-aging effect for 30 years, but I did not know how to restrict calories without feeling deprived and hungry all the time. With a modern diet, people get hungry real fast after eating all the simple carb foods. I made slow progress on my own getting rid of many junk foods from my diet, but it took finding the Zone diet for it to all make sense --it give me a "recipe" for success. 2. Controlling blood sugar and therefore insulin levels with diet eliminates the causes of half the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by eating foods that convert slowly to blood sugar to avoid insulin spikes, but eating often enough to keep the blood sugar up and insulin levels constant. This has been slowly recognized by the medical establishment over the last 50 years. Insulin control is essential in controlling fat accumulation in the belly. Fat in this area is metabolically active and promotes low level inflammation which has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a host of other age related ills. 3. Controlling AA/EPA ratio of blood lipid levels with diet eliminates the other half of the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by taking extra pharmaceutical grade EPA/DHA long chain omega 3 fats, and lowering saturated fats and omega 6 fats. This has only recently been recognized by the medical establishment (although Grandma knew it). EPA is a long chain omega 3 fat found in some fish (actually made by algae down the food chain). AA is a fat derived in the body from saturated fat and seed oils. The ratio of these two fats critically influences the functioning of the immune system. Without AA, the immune system is unable to mount an effective response to disease causing invaders. Without the dampening effect of EPA, the immune system is prone to chronic low level inflammation associated with Alzheimers, Cancer, Allergies, etc. How did our diets get so out of whack from what our body needs to "live long and prosper"? The problem today is that the modern food industry has provided a huge variety of foods that taste great, but are sugar coated poison for the human body. The most common food choices available are guaranteed to violate all three of the above points. In fact the foods that are good for you have been practically pushed off the grocery shelves to make room for all the rest. The mechanics of the Zone diet are fairly simple: 1. Using some tables, determine the amount of lean protein your muscle mass and exercise levels require each day. 2. Using a 7/9 ratio of Protein/Carb grams, determine the amount of low "Glycemic Index" carbs to eat each day. 3. Using a 7/3 ratio of Protein/Fat grams, determine the amount of fat (mostly mono-saturated) to eat each day. 4. A 7g/9g/3g unit of food I call a brick for convenience. 5. Eat 2 snacks and 3 meals a day. Each meal is made up of 3 or 4 bricks. Each snack is made up of one brick. Eat a snack or meal within an hour of waking. Eat a snack within one hour before going to bed at night. Eat again within 2-3 hours of having a snack, and 4-5 hours of having a meal. 6. Add more mono-saturated fat to maintain your desired body fat % at the ideal healthy level for your sports profession (15% for normal males, 22% for females). A body fat calculator can be found at: http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/bodyfatcalcu.jsp 7. Treat your food with the same respect that you would treat a prescription drug given to you to counteract aging and disease. The above is the exact scientific method. There are sloppy, but easy methods also, like: put a piece of lean meat the size and thickness of your palm on one third of a dinner plate, and fill the rest of the plate with low "Glycemic Load" vegetables and fruits, then put a dash of olive oil on it. The one I like is: Using a list of 100 favorable foods, pick a protein from column A, a carb from column B, and a fat from column C (I taped up a page I made up in the kitchen). A food table can be found at: http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/foodblockguide.jsp. Beware: the blocks are not the same as my bricks (blocks assume half your fats are in your lean meat protein --my bricks assume non-fat protein). I edited this table for my own use to make more sense for my food preferences (non-fat vegetarian protein sources). The results are dramatic: 1. You won't get hungry. In fact if you are hungry by the time you should eat again, you are doing something wrong, or you need to tailor the carb choices to your specific metabolism. Your meals can be devised to be as large or small as you like (in volume), but you will always be giving your body exactly what it needs for health. 2. You will lose excess fat. 3. You will be mentally alert all the time --unless you forget to sleep at night. 4. You will feel healthy and full of energy. 5. You will slow the aging process in your body by about 33% 6. You will remove the cause of many modern illnesses of old age. How does it work? It is based on basic biochemistry explained in Dr. Sears books and on his website www.drsears.com. This guy has done his homework, and it not only makes sense to me, but it works. I have been doing this for over one year now. I can't even imagine eating the old way again. It also helps that Alison is 100% supporting the diet. Alison and I made a bunch of mistakes for the first month trying to re-learn how to prepare food to a new recipe. I also did not realize how deficient I was in EPA. As it turns out, I am in a small class of folks that need a lot of extra EPA to get the AA/EPA ratio into balance. I have to take about 8 times what most people have to take. It would be impossible for me to get enough from eating fish, or even from health food store grade fish oil. However, once I found the right dose, all my allergies virtually vanished. I am one happy camper! I have done lots of research, and I can provide additional references for fish oil, and other information sources if you would like. Dennis [/color:9cc726dfbe][/quote:9cc726dfbe]
jaydpiii User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 10:53 AM Alert 
[quote:bff4c41f4b="gofish"]Hi Zone pals :wink: I wanted to put together an email followup for friends who ask me to tell them about the Zone. This is what I came up with. I would like your opinion/help on the facts --I want to give them the straight scoop. [color=blue:bff4c41f4b]September 1, 2004 Here is my summary of the Zone diet: The basic principles of my diet in a nutshell --pun intended: It is called the Zone Diet. ..... I have done lots of research, and I can provide additional references for fish oil, and other information sources if you would like. Dennis [/color:bff4c41f4b][/quote:bff4c41f4b] I would add: Drink plenty of water, the requisite 8 8oz galsses of water per day.
Sue User is Online
Posts:4638
Zoner
Zoner

09/02/2004 12:20 PM Alert 
[color=darkred:e46ebd041f]Hi, It's commendable of you to try to sum it all up for your friends, but why not simply give them a copy of "A Week in the Zone" ?[/color:e46ebd041f]

sue

lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!

for more photos, scroll over this photo and click when the link appears

Sue, Zone Snack
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 3:22 PM Alert 
[quote:7161f5bec6="Slknorr"][color=darkred:7161f5bec6]Hi, It's commendable of you to try to sum it all up for your friends, but why not simply give them a copy of "A Week in the Zone" ?[/color:7161f5bec6][/quote:7161f5bec6] Sue, I have given away many books. However, some people are put off when I tell them to read a novel when they just want to understand what I am doing in one page. If the one page is understandable and appealing, then they may want to read the book. Otherwise, too many times, the book goes on the tall pile of "excellent life changing books to read when I have a spare minute in my busy life". I know, I was one of them. It was not until I was down with a bad flu bug for a week that I had the luxury time to read about the Zone. It is also important to have a one page accurate summary to refer to and crystalize the concepts for beginners. Try to remember what it was like your first month :? How many times have you had to answer the same questions about the most basic concepts to newbies? It is not because they are stupid. It is because they did not mentally crystalize that one page of key concepts from a book(s) full of information. I read two books and another books worth of text from the websites, and I still had trouble getting it right for the first months.
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 3:43 PM Alert 
[quote:e38350700b="White Light"]You may want to alter the Ideal fat % to Omega RX standards, but no big deal[/quote:e38350700b] I'm not sure what you mean. Please elaborate.
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 3:46 PM Alert 
[quote:70dedd3bb3="jaydpiii"]I would add: Drink plenty of water, the requisite 8 8oz galsses of water per day.[/quote:70dedd3bb3] Thanks John, I have made the edit to the original post.
Scott User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 4:12 PM Alert 
[quote:100157d3ca="gofish"] 2. Controlling blood sugar and therefore insulin levels with diet eliminates the causes of half the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by eating foods that convert slowly to blood sugar to avoid insulin spikes, but eating often enough to keep the blood sugar up and insulin levels constant. This has been slowly recognized by the medical establishment over the last 50 years. Insulin control is essential in controlling fat accumulation in the belly. Fat in this area is metabolically active and promotes low level inflammation which has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a host of other age related ills. 3. Controlling AA/EPA ratio of blood lipid levels with diet eliminates the other half of the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by taking extra pharmaceutical grade EPA/DHA long chain omega 3 fats, and lowering saturated fats and omega 6 fats. This has only recently been recognized by the medical establishment (although Grandma knew it). EPA is a long chain omega 3 fat found in some fish (actually made by algae down the food chain). AA is a fat derived in the body from saturated fat and seed oils. The ratio of these two fats critically influences the functioning of the immune system. Without AA, the immune system is unable to mount an effective response to disease causing invaders. Without the dampening effect of EPA, the immune system is prone to chronic low level inflammation associated with Alzheimers, Cancer, Allergies, etc. [/quote:100157d3ca] I would have reworded 2 & 3 slightly differently, but what you have is accurate. Although AA is not derived from saturated fats. I would say from vegetable oils and seed oils.
Sue User is Online
Posts:4638
Zoner
Zoner

09/02/2004 4:16 PM Alert 
[color=darkred:040ae944d8]Hi Dennis,[/color:040ae944d8] [quote:040ae944d8]I have given away many books. However, some people are put off when I tell them to read a novel when they just want to understand what I am doing in one page. If the one page is understandable and appealing, then they may want to read the book. [/quote:040ae944d8] [color=darkred:040ae944d8]Try telling them that the first 31 pages of the small paperback "AWITZ" (BTW, a quick easy read) will give them all the info re: the Zone basics and how to begin. Are you aware of the phamphlet available from Zone Labs which explains the Zone in concise easy terms (look for the evidence based wellness brochure in the "Downloads" section of the Zone Affiliates site)? You might want to hand these out to friends, too.[/color:040ae944d8] [quote:040ae944d8]It is also important to have a one page accurate summary to refer to and crystalize the concepts for beginners[/quote:040ae944d8]. [color=darkred:040ae944d8]My suggestion would be to work on making your summary more concise with less explanation.[/color:040ae944d8] [quote:040ae944d8]Try to remember what it was like your first month :? [/quote:040ae944d8] [color=darkred:040ae944d8]Not quite sure what you're getting at with this statement/qn, but yes I remember very well. Actually I thought it was fairly easy (BTW I began before "AWITZ came out).[/color:040ae944d8] :D

sue

lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!

for more photos, scroll over this photo and click when the link appears

Sue, Zone Snack
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 4:19 PM Alert 
[quote:583106f4a8="Scott"]I would have reworded 2 & 3 slightly differently, but what you have is accurate. Although AA is not derived from saturated fats. I would say from vegetable oils and seed oils.[/quote:583106f4a8] Thanks Scott, I recall that Dr. Sears said that Saturated fat increased AA. Am I remembering that wrong?
Fatboyslim User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/02/2004 9:46 PM Alert 
Hi Dennis, I think your idea of a 1-page summary is EXCELLENT! Your reasoning is right on the money! I would call 7g/9g/3g a block rather than a brick, becuz it's called a block in the zone books, and might be confusing when someone starts reading the books.
angelrob User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/03/2004 6:39 PM Alert 
Well, being a math geek, I don't see what all the fuss and confusion is about, but I've had two people recently who are "South Beach-ing it" (both of them were aware I was Zoning and had borrow my AWITZ books last year) who said that the Zone was too hard to understand and so they "couldn't" do it. I think all of these new Zone knockoff diets are using the current research and coming up with gimmicks to try make it easier. People can be a very lazy lot :) Personally I think that knowing the [b:35e5f7dda9]whys [/b:35e5f7dda9]of what I'm eating and the health benefits rather than just the weight loss side-effect make it easier to stick with it but apparently that's not the case with everyone (hence a new diet every week on the shelves!) Robbin
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/03/2004 10:59 PM Alert 
Sue, Thanks for the suggestions. [quote:f6cd61616f="Slknorr"][color=darkred:f6cd61616f]Try telling them that the first 31 pages of the small paperback "AWITZ" (BTW, a quick easy read) will give them all the info re: the Zone basics and how to begin. Are you aware of the phamphlet available from Zone Labs which explains the Zone in concise easy terms (look for the evidence based wellness brochure in the "Downloads" section of the Zone Affiliates site)? You might want to hand these out to friends, too.[/color:f6cd61616f][/quote:f6cd61616f] Yes, I have given away many of these. However, it looks like an advertisement for Zone Labs, and that put some people off. The really want a more personal touch. [quote:f6cd61616f][quote:f6cd61616f]It is also important to have a one page accurate summary to refer to and crystalize the concepts for beginners[/quote:f6cd61616f]. [color=darkred:f6cd61616f]My suggestion would be to work on making your summary more concise with less explanation.[/color:f6cd61616f][/quote:f6cd61616f] People, at the stage this is for, want to know why they should do it, not just how to do it. The how part is just enough to let them know it is simple enough to do and get the concepts anchored for the long haul. [quote:f6cd61616f] [quote:f6cd61616f]Try to remember what it was like your first month :? [/quote:f6cd61616f] [color=darkred:f6cd61616f]Not quite sure what you're getting at with this statement/qn, but yes I remember very well. Actually I thought it was fairly easy (BTW I began before "AWITZ came out).[/color:f6cd61616f][/quote:f6cd61616f] Well that might explain why you don't see the need for this (and possibly why you are so good at helping others get through their problems). It came as a lot of work for me, and took a long while before I got it right. I wish I could have been on line and asked you for help in the beginning (I had a lot of trouble getting registered).
Fatboyslim User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/03/2004 10:59 PM Alert 
Dennis, I gave out a free cookie last night!! I was talking to my friend and basically gave him your sheet in explanation. I'd given him The Zone book to read but he hadn't gotten to it yet. The idea I used was yours. I read The Zone first and being somewhat geekoid also, I didn't like AWITZ. And I've done my share of 2+3=5. Even got a college to give me a piece of paper that said "been there, done that" from the math and computer science department. So the number parts of it don't faze me either. I agree with Robbin. Knowing the whys make it easier.
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/04/2004 2:28 AM Alert 
[quote:a12c2d0f0d="Fatboyslim"]Dennis, I gave out a free cookie last night!! I was talking to my friend and basically gave him your sheet in explanation. I'd given him The Zone book to read but he hadn't gotten to it yet. The idea I used was yours. [/quote:a12c2d0f0d] Thanks, It is very gratifying to think that I could be of help in a philosophical way. [quote:a12c2d0f0d]I would call 7g/9g/3g a block rather than a brick, becuz it's called a block in the zone books, and might be confusing when someone starts reading the books.[/quote:a12c2d0f0d] I know, I know. I am experimenting with the terminology for a reason (See my other recent posts about fat blocks). The inconsistency of calling 1.5g one fat block everywhere except in the Soy Zone, which calls 3g one fat block (for the purpose of the food block guides) has been confusing to me. I am in complete agreement with the rational behind Dr. Sears making the switch for vegetarian proteins, but one of the first rules of engineering (yes, I am a retired engineer) is that once you call a thing by a name, that name will always be used only for that thing. So calling 1.5g a fat Block in one case and then calling 3g a fat Block under slightly different conditions is not good practice. Likewise, Dr. Sears called 7g of Protein + 1.5g of Fat a Protein Block everywhere but in the Soy Zone. I needed a way of dealing with this inconsistency, so I decided to call the Soy Zone Blocks "Bricks". That way there is no question about which unit standard is being used. If someone is familiar with the Block system, I will not confuse them when I start talking about Fat or Protein Blocks while meaning "Soy Zone book Blocks". If they don't know what "Bricks" are, at least they will know they don't know what I am talking about, instead of thinking they do when they don't. I guess that another approach I could take is to call the 7,9,3g unit a Food Block (that IS consistent) and say that a Block is made up of three Bricks: 7g Protein Brick, 9g Carb Brick, and 3g Fat Brick. Hey, I like that! Thanks for tweaking me on that. I will edit the original post again.
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/04/2004 2:49 AM Alert 
[quote:612d4e5717="Scott"][quote:612d4e5717="gofish"] 2. Controlling blood sugar and therefore insulin levels with diet eliminates the causes of half the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by eating foods that convert slowly to blood sugar to avoid insulin spikes, but eating often enough to keep the blood sugar up and insulin levels constant. This has been slowly recognized by the medical establishment over the last 50 years. Insulin control is essential in controlling fat accumulation in the belly. Fat in this area is metabolically active and promotes low level inflammation which has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a host of other age related ills. 3. Controlling AA/EPA ratio of blood lipid levels with diet eliminates the other half of the degenerative diseases associated with modern life. This is accomplished by taking extra pharmaceutical grade EPA/DHA long chain omega 3 fats, and lowering saturated fats and omega 6 fats. This has only recently been recognized by the medical establishment (although Grandma knew it). EPA is a long chain omega 3 fat found in some fish (actually made by algae down the food chain). AA is a fat derived in the body from saturated fat and seed oils. The ratio of these two fats critically influences the functioning of the immune system. Without AA, the immune system is unable to mount an effective response to disease causing invaders. Without the dampening effect of EPA, the immune system is prone to chronic low level inflammation associated with Alzheimers, Cancer, Allergies, etc. [/quote:612d4e5717] I would have reworded 2 & 3 slightly differently, but what you have is accurate. Although AA is not derived from saturated fats. I would say from vegetable oils and seed oils.[/quote:612d4e5717] Ok, I edited the part about the oils. How would you edit 2&3 to make it more understandable?
Fatboyslim User is Offline
Posts:0
Newbie
Newbie

09/04/2004 3:33 AM Alert 
I never did use the 1.5g fat block. I figured I was good enuff at elementary arithmetic(I got up to adding 2 digit number!!!) that I'm not gonna mess with that. I didn't need the confusion, nor 5 million explanations when I talked to anyone. A fat block is 3g. If half is in the protein, I have a half block left. Don't need a rocket scientist!
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/04/2004 12:28 PM Alert 
[quote:1abbd44dc4="Fatboyslim"]I never did use the 1.5g fat block. I figured I was good enuff at elementary arithmetic(I got up to adding 2 digit number!!!) that I'm not gonna mess with that. I didn't need the confusion, nor 5 million explanations when I talked to anyone. A fat block is 3g. If half is in the protein, I have a half block left. Don't need a rocket scientist![/quote:1abbd44dc4] Well I'm with you. That is how I finally approached it. However, that is called the gram counting method. The block method mostly has the 1.5g fat block in the books and on this forum. That is why I am pushing this issue. I believe that when approached right, the "Blocky" gram counting method can be almost as easy, but more accurate than the inconsistent block method.
Sue User is Online
Posts:4638
Zoner
Zoner

09/04/2004 3:29 PM Alert 
[quote:cb9df42120="gofish"].....but more accurate than the inconsistent block method.[/quote:cb9df42120] [color=darkred:cb9df42120]What's inconsistant about the block method? If you eat fat free protein you're supposed to double the added fat blocks, and if you have a protein that's a little higher in fat (like salmon) you can skip them if you choose. It's basically the same as the gram method as far as the amount of fat eaten. The block method, the one two three method, and the gram method all give good insulin control and put one solidly in the Zone. I don't see the choice between these three methods as being a big issue. They will all produce the same result. [/color:cb9df42120] 8)

sue

lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!

for more photos, scroll over this photo and click when the link appears

Sue, Zone Snack
Dennis User is Offline
Posts:1
Newbie
Newbie

09/05/2004 2:16 AM Alert 
[quote:91b331cd5e="Slknorr"][quote:91b331cd5e="gofish"].....but more accurate than the inconsistent block method.[/quote:91b331cd5e] [color=darkred:91b331cd5e]What's inconsistant about the block method? If you eat fat free protein you're supposed to double the added fat blocks, and if you have a protein that's a little higher in fat (like salmon) you can skip them if you choose. It's basically the same as the gram method as far as the amount of fat eaten. The block method, the one two three method, and the gram method all give good insulin control and put one solidly in the Zone. I don't see the choice between these three methods as being a big issue. They will all produce the same result. [/color:91b331cd5e] 8)[/quote:91b331cd5e] I have posted before that the block method (as given in the food block table from this site) is not accurate to the point of causing serious out of Zone eating. This happened to me when I was starting out. Lets take a real example: 4 Block Breakfast: (1) cup of non-fat Cottage Cheese (4) Peaches (mine weigh 200g each today) (12) Pecan Halves (8 blocks fat) Grams in the above: Cottage Cheese =24g P + 16g C (4) 200g Peaches = 72g C (12) Pecans = 12g F Using the 7/9/3g formula we get: 24/7= 3.4 Blocks Protein 88/9= 9.8 Blocks Carbs 12/3= 4 Blocks Fat Needless to say I did not stay in the Zone with the "Block" method. I rest my case. Now lets fix the problem to make it easier on the beginners :)
You are not authorized to post a reply.
Page 1 of 6123456 > >>

Forums > Zone Living Forums > Zone Philosophy > Zone in a nutshell



ActiveForums 3.6
Enter your email address:
Learn More
Contest Sm
Cereal Sm
Helpful Tools
Popular Links
Related Products

Dr. Barry Sears, PhD.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.

Why OmegaRx From Zone Labs?

Certified Purity and Proven Potency

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 Norwegian Medicinal Standards
Peroxide < 3.75 meg/kg 5 meg/kg 10 meg/kg 10 meg/kg
Totox Levels < 20 meg/kg 26 meg/kg NA NA
Lead < 10 ppb 10 ppb 100 ppb 100 ppb
Mercury < 10 ppb 10 ppb 100 ppb 100 ppb
Dioxans and Furans < 1 ppt 2 ppt 2 ppt 2 ppt
PCBs < 45 ppb 90 ppb NA NA

 

 

 

 

 

"IFOS – THE TOP GLOBAL PURITY STANDARD FOR OMEGA-3 FROM FISH"

Zone Labs products show no detectable lead or mercury when tested down to 10ppb, which is 10 times below the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard limits.

Zone Labs products are three times fresher than the minimum allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standards (based on average peroxide values).

 

Zone Labs starts with only wild, small fish from pristine Chilean waters and ends with proprietary validation and testing processes to achieve an IFOS certified 5 star rating.

8-Step Manufacturing Process - Quality Assured

Testing to specification all raw materials, bulk products, packaging material and finished products – always using stringent internal standards and in-process testing.

  1. Extraction of fish oil
  2. Winterization – remove limited amounts of saturated fats
  3. Absorption – remove heavy metals
  4. Preliminary Molecular Distillation – refining “touch up” to reduce contaminants
  5. Oil conversion to ethyl esters
  6. Ethyl ester thermal fractionation – remove additional saturated fats
  7. True Molecular Distillation – final refining to remove pcb’s and long-chain monoenes
  8. Rigid Processes – proprietary validation, inspection and encapsulation methods. Independent lab verification of IFOS requirements and certified 5 star rating

 

Clean Sources

No farmed fish. No large fish. Pristine waters.

Zone Labs starts with wild sardines & anchovies fished from cold, pristine waters off of South America where there are less environmental impurities.

 

A recommended serving of Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Concentrates delivers 8 times more omega-3’s than a typical retail fish oil supplement.

Most fish oil supplements have 30% or less of the healthy omega-3s EPA and DHA, with the remaining 70% of the capsule containing unbeneficial, lesser refined fatty acids that contribute to their bad taste and gastric side effects.

 

Getting a clinically valid dose of omega-3’s is easy with Zone Labs’ Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates.

Typical Retail Dose = 300mg omega-3

Standard Zone Dose = 2400mg omega-3

 

A serving of canned tuna has 12 times less omega-3’s than
Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates

Commonly consumed fish and shellfish in the United States

Mercury Source: Food and Drug Administration, FDA 1900-2004, “National Marine Fisheries Service Survey of Trace Elements in the Fishery Resource". Omega-3 Level Source: American Heart Association Website.

  Mercury level
in parts per million (ppm)
Omega-3 fatty acids
(milligrams per 3-oz. serving)
Zone Omega-3 Products < 0.01 2400 (standard 4 capsule serving
Salmon (fresh, frozen) 0.014 1200