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Grant 
Posts:6
Newbie
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| 04/13/2009 1:19 AM |
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My head is spinning with blocks, calories, and equations! I need help calculating my daily intake requirements. My stats are as follows:
Age: 30
Height: 70"
Weight: 169lbs
Body Fat: 12.8%
LBM: 147.4lbs
I CrossFit 4-5 times a week. I swim or run 2-3 times a week. I run in circles in an stressful ER 40hrs a week.
My goal is to gain lean body mass and lower my body fat percentage, nothing new. I'd like to be The Zone calculator puts me at 18 blocks which works out to 1,395 calories a day. EVERY OTHER DIETARY RECOMMENDATION FOR MY AGE, WEIGHT, AND ACTIVITY LEVEL FALLS BETWEEN 2,796 AND 3,112 CALORIES A DAY TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT WEIGHT. Note, these are MAINTENANCE values. Shoot, my estimated basal metabolic rate is 1,804 calories a day so how could 18 blocks ever be adequate? How can there be such a large discrepancy between recommendations?
Where am I going wrong? What have I not calculated? I've tried searching the forums but haven't found an appropriate answer. Zonecompete.com seems to be a Zone Labs marketing page devoid of any practical/pragmatic information or discussion. Sue? Cranberrycat? Anybody? Help!
My long-term goal is 180lbs at 10% body fat which is a 15lb increase in LBM.
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Margaret
Posts:409
Zoner
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| 04/13/2009 8:01 AM |
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Hi Grant
Sorry you are having trouble. You are not going wrong! First of all - dont count calories - the Zone works on the block system or eyeballing. Forget about calories. You will have plenty of healthy food.
If you have put all the correct measurements into the block calculator and have a very active life then 18 blocks sounds right. Again dont compare that to the calories.
Sounds like the eyeball method might be the way to go for you. I do both.
Checkout the Quick Start Guide and Block Food List to the right.
Have a look at the 7 Day Meal Planner as well. You will need to add extra blocks if you are on 18. Dont foget to have the snack before bedtime.
Dont be too stressed about the Zone. Once you get the hang of it it becomes second nature. Can you borrow some Zone books from the library? I am sure once you have read about the Zone it will all make sense.
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 8:02 AM |
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Hi Grant!
This might help you understand it better:
To quote Barry Sears (pg. 104, The Anti-Inflammation Zone”), “One of the more difficult concepts to get across to athletes, coaches, dieticians, and physicians is the differences between burning calories and producing ATP from calories. ATP is the chemical that is required not only for muscle contraction, but also for virtually all of our metabolism. ATP is made on an as-needed basis from either glucose of fat. Your production of ATP is far greater from a calorie of fat than from a calorie of glucose. In the Anti-Inflammation Zone you are primarily burning fat for ATP production as opposed to glucose. This means you are also making all the ATP you need, even though fewer calories are being expended. This is why diabetics, world-class athletes, or just plain normal people require fat fewer calories on the Zone Diet than calculated from the usual metabolic equations. It is because they are producing more ATP from less calories.”
18 blocks is more like 1800-1900 calories, the exact amount depending upon the particular foods you choose. You may have neglected to take into account the calories in the fat that is in protein blocks (which by itself is about is about 250 calories in an 18 blocks), in the protein that's in some carb blocks, in the carb that's in some protein blocks, etc.
Watch the videos of Dr. Sears on Zonecompete.com. They are very informative in regard to the Zone diet. The basic info about hormonal control and how to do the Zone diet that's presented in the videos apply to all people, not only to athletes.
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/13/2009 12:57 PM |
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Sue:
I actually went to check out what Dr. Sears claimed about ATP production from fat versus ATP production from carbohydrates being 3:1 by consulting various biochemistry texts. It turns out that this is only true when you are comparing the amount of ATP being generated through anaerobic or aerobic energy systems. But when comparing apples to apples, so to speak (i.e., the use of carbohydrates and fat through oxidation), the ratio of ATP produced by a gram of carbohyrdrates and a gram of fats is almost identical to the calories contained in each. Also, after anaerobic exercise, the body uses the aerobic energy system to return the body to homeostasis (which means that it is oxidizing fat and carbs to restore ATP and muscle glycogen levels, as clearing lactic acid and returning the body's temperature to normal).
The idea that a Calorie of fat in your body produces more ATP than a Calories of carbohydrates in your body under the same circumstances is simply wrong.
Grant:
This is one of my major problems with the Zone diet. It doesn't work that well if you are already fairly lean, very active and trying to gain muscle. It simply does not provide enough energy to do that very well. One or more of several things is likely to happen when you eat a diet that is significantly lower than your caloric expenditure.
1. Your metabolism will slow down.
2. You will be significantly less energetic.
3. You will lose body fat
4. You will lose muscle mass
For someone who is already lean, training hard, and has a stressful job, I think that #1, #2, and #4 are the most likely, particularly when consuming a diet that provides you with a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories or more a day. I happen to think the Zone needs to be tweaked for people based on where they are and what direction they want to head.
In fact, it is pretty obvious that even Dr. Sears recognizes that the calories provided in the Zone may not be enough for certain athletes. In "Enter the Zone", Dr. Sears recommends that "truly elite athletes" might eat 2x the number of fat blocks to make up the calorie deficit (although he does not define what a truly elite athlete is). I know that some Cross Fitters and other athletes in the Zone will consume as many as 3x the number of fat blocks.
I use a slightly different strategy. I believe (and there is controversy about this) that there are benefits for people who train very seriously with weights in consuming more than 1g/lb. of lbm. In fact, I try (don't always succeed, but I try) to get 1.5g/lb. Obviously, to stay in the "Zone" this means increasing the number of carb and fat blocks accordingly. So, that means getting 50% more calories just from eating more blocks. In my case, this doesn't quite make up my calorie deficit (I am usually training in excess of 20 hours per week), so I add to that post workout carb + protein meals (these are non-zone meals), and whatever additional calories I need are through increased fat. |
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 2:22 PM |
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Hi Matt!
The Zone works extremely well for the lean people I know, which includes a fair share of athletes. Their Zone results have been just the opposite of those you listed in your previous post (items 1-4). BTW, the athletes and Cross fitters you mentioned who add fat are following the Zone, not changing it. Adding fat to provide for increased energy needs is indeed a basic Zone principle! I happen to eat 2X, and at certain times 3X, the minimum amount of fat required for Zone balance.
Whether an athlete or not, placing the main focus on calories, rather than on hormonal balance and inflammation lowering, will inevitably prevent one from reaching their full potential, both mentally and physically.
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/13/2009 3:45 PM |
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Sue:
If you are eating 2x or 3x the fat blocks, there has to be a reason. And reason cannot simply be "hormonal balance" since you would be in hormonal balance with the 1x fat block too. The reason has to be because you need more calories. Hormones certainly matter a great deal, but so too do calories. Obviously #1, #2 & #4 aren't going to happen if you are getting enough calories by adding extra fat blocks to make up for the deficit. And this is exactly what you are telling me that lean Zoners do. I have to tell you this, the law of thermodynamics says that one of those 4 things has to happen to maintain an energy balance. Either your body has to burn something off to make up the calories, or your body needs to burn off fewer calories. The law of the conservation of energy demands that this must be the case.
By the way, it is not an either/or thing. You need both the right quantity of food and the right quality of food. Eating 1,800 calories of the right foods when your body needs 2,700+ calories isn't really the best idea in the world. Eating 2,700 calories of bad food isn't the best idea in the word either. So why not do both? Eat enough calories and make sure those calories come from the proper sources in the right ratios?
Here we have a man who is fairly lean, who is training as often as 8 times per week in addition to working a stressful active 40 hour per week job, and who wants to add lean muscle being concerned that eating 1,800-1,900 calories per day simply isn't enough when pretty much every calculator out there is telling him that his maintenance energy levels are a minimum of 2,700 calories. He is right to be concerned. And he is right to think he might just need more calories than he is getting with 18 blocks to achieve his goals. |
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 4:30 PM |
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Why not do both? Because it's not going to be hormonally correct.
Incidentally, regarding another remark in you previous post, not every individual is necessarily going to achieve hormonal balance with 1 block of fat to balance each bock of P and C. |
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/13/2009 6:20 PM |
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Sue:
In another thread, you wrote:
If you follow the Zone principles you'll be eating a calorie restricted diet...
So, let me ask this: How does someone who is already fairly lean follow the Zone principles (including eating a calorie restricted diet) and add 15 lbs. of muscle at the same time?
Under the law of thermodynamics (the conservation of energy) the energy to build those 15 lbs. of muscles has to come from somewhere. You can talk about hormones all you want, but you could inject steroids and HGH into a person and if they are not eating enough and don't have enough fat that can be used to both meet energy requirements and to build new muscle and it won't matter.
Calories are important. So are hormones. It isn't an either or situation. The fact that athletes are recommended to eat 2-3x the fat blocks (meaning eating 30-60% more calories per day) isn't being done JUST for hormone balance, it is also being done for extra calories to meet energy requirements.
You can object to my belief that eating more total blocks is one way to make up the calorie deficit. You can object to my suggestions regarding non-Zone carb+protein post workout meals. But I don't see how you can object to the concept of the need for more calories to meet energy requirments, particularly when you, yourself, wrote:
Adding fat to provide for increased energy needs is indeed a basic Zone principle!
So, if this is a basic principle of the Zone (and it appears to be from what I have read), it is obviously a recognition of the fact that hormones aren't the only thing that matters. People who are eating 2 and 3x the fat blocks aren't doing to achieve the hormonal balance they couldn't get with 1x fat blocks, they are doing it to meet their energy requirements which would not be met with a lower amount of total calories. Obviously, they are doing it in a way that maintains their hormonal balance, but maintaining that hormonal balance is obviously not the only thing that is important.
Like I said, I don't expect everyone to agree with me on the concept of eating more blocks (by going above the 1g/lb suggestion for protein). I don't expect everyone to agree with me on the concept of high GI carb + protein meals post workout. But I don't see how it is possible to disagree with me (particularly based on what you have written above) on the idea of the need for some to consume more calories to meet their energy requirements. Where that extra energy should come from might be a source of disagreement or debate, but the need for it shouldn't be.
Let's say Grant had an identical twin brother who was doing the exact same training program he was and doing the same job. Let's say that for the next year, Grant's twin followed the Zone diet and ate 18 blocks providing him with 1,800-1,900 calories (which he adjusted upwards as he gained lbm, assuming that he gained any). Let's say that over the next year Grant ate the same Zone diet, but ate 3x the fat blocks (which would roughly be 2,900-3,100 calories, adjusting upwards as he gained LBM). Let's also assume that from a hormonal perspective, both twins are hormonally optimal whether they eat 1x fat blocks or 3x fat blocks.
After a year, which twin do you think would be closer to gaining 15 lbs. of lean body mass?
I think it would be hard to argue that Grant, eating 2,900-3,100 calories per day would gain LBM the fastest. I would be shocked if his twin eating 1,800-1,900 calories per day would gain much muscle at all (he might put on a little, take off a few pounds of fat, but at some point progress would stall completely).
Now, I would argue that if they had an identical triplet who followed my suggestion of taking a post workout meal with the ratios I suggested, and possibly increased his blocks, but who was still consuming between 2,900-3,100 calories per day (adjusting upwards as LBM was gained) that this triplet would gain muscle faster than either of them, but that is besides the point -- the point I am trying to make is that it is not ALL about hormones. Hormones play in important part, but it is ALSO about total calories.
I am willing to bet that when you lost your 100 lbs. 14 years ago, you didn't do when you were eating 2-3x your fat blocks on average. You probably did it eating 1x your fat blocks. If what I am surmising is true, you started increasing your calories when you reached a weight that you wanted to stabilize at and did not want to keep decreasing in body weight. It wasn't because was optimal for you hormonally when you were 100 lbs. heavier was 1x fat blocks, and what was optimal for you 100 lbs. lighter was 2-3x fat blocks, it was because you needed more calories to maintain your body weight.
Please don't get me wrong. I am CERTAINLY NOT arguing that hormones are not critically important (they are). But to argue that total calories are also not critically important just doesn't jibe with common sense or my experience, nor does it jibe with basic science like the law of thermodynamics. The only ways I can conceive of a body being able to put on lean body mass in a calorie restricted environment is to decrease energy expenditure (i.e., lowering the metabolism and/or lower energy levels) and/or using energy from one structure (for example fat) to supply the body with enough total energy needed to build muscle (assuming that sufficient levels of protein are present). The problem is that there is a ceiling to how much can be accomplished using this approach, and once that ceiling is reached, so too will progress halt. |
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Grant
Posts:6
Newbie
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| 04/13/2009 7:21 PM |
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Matthew: You definitely seem to understand my concern... I'd always been taught "calories in, calories out" during my undergrad courses in biochem, physics, and exercise physiology. I'm perplexed by the polarized modes of thought on this subject.
Sue: Why can't I keep the proper ratios/hormonal balance at higher caloric levels? Did I understand you correctly?
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Grant
Posts:6
Newbie
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| 04/13/2009 7:23 PM |
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| Can anyone offer any peer-reviewed research articles on the subject? |
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 8:13 PM |
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Hi Grant,
Increasing protein intake beyond the maximum Zone recommendation of 1 gram per pound of LBM is not going to be to your benefit. Most Crossfitters I know eat .8 to .9 g of protein per pound of LBM and have had excellent results. To read one person's experiences (a successful Zone diet/Crossfit forum member by the name of Matt) search for all posted by whiteknuckle. |
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 8:17 PM |
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Hi Matt,
The topics you've addressed in your previous post are discussed in detail in the book THE ANTI-AGING ZONE as well as in other Zone books.
Re "I am willing to bet that when you lost your 100 lbs. 14 years ago, you didn't do when you were eating 2-3x your fat blocks on average. You probably did it eating 1x your fat blocks......"
You'd lose the bet. I've always needed more additional fat (more than 1 F block to each P block) to achieve Zone balance. In fact, I was more liberal with fat intake during the two years I was losing the weight than I am now. |
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Cranberrycat
Posts:5313
Zone Expert
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| 04/13/2009 9:43 PM |
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Grant,
I see that you posted earlier asking for some peer-reviewed articles--I had actually written in to the Zone to see if they could provide some references, but I have not received any references yet.
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Cranberrycat
We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/13/2009 11:27 PM |
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Okay, Sue, I would lose the bet. LOL.
That said, the point remains, you cannot violate the law of thermodynamics. And eating a calorie-restricted diet when you already have fairly low body fat stores and are trying to put on muscle is a recipe for failure. The energy to build that muscle MUST come from somewhere. The choices that I can think of are (1) reducing energy expenditure, (2) slowing your metabolism, and/or (3) existing fat stores. But your existing fat stores are fairly a fairly limited source of energy for a lean person. Expending less energy and a slower metabolism aren't really long run options either. There is a limit to how efficient your metabolism can get at converting food to energy and losing energy isn't particularly helpful when you have a job running around like a madman in an ER 40 hours per week and training 8x per week (with the goal of gaining muscle).
I think for people who have never tried to do it before, they have no idea how much work it takes to put on 15 lbs. of muscle. It is much more difficult than losing 15 lbs. of fat. A normal-sized man is lucky to gain 15 lbs. of muscle in his first year of training (when muscle gains come easiest and when he is specifically training for that purpose). Now imagine trying to gain that muscle when you are already fairly lean and eating a calorie restrictive diet.
Sorry, it just ain't gonna happen. That's the reality. Like I said, we can discuss where the extra calories should come from (extra blocks, extra fat only, non-zone meals, some combination of the above), but the need for more calories is beyond dispute as far as I am concerned. And I am talking from both personal experience and from having trained numerous people looking to gain muscle.
15 lbs. of muscle is 37,500 calories (2,500 calories per lb.) Now, let's say that it takes (realistically) a year to put on 15 lbs. of muscle for a man in his 30s who isn't using steroids. That means that a about 720 calories a week are needed on average. Now, if you are already operating at a 1,000 calorie deficit per day, that is a 7,000 additional calories. So where does 7,720 calories per week come from?
Well, if we assume no slow down in energy or metabolism, Grant has approximately 22 lbs of body fat. But let's be realistic. Getting down below about 8% body fat is tough (it gets harder the lower your body fat percentage) and staying below 5-6% body fat for an extended period of time can be pretty unhealthy. So, being generous here, let's say Grant can use 14 of those lbs. of fat to maintain his energy levels and build muscle at the same time.
So Grant has 49,000 calories worth of energy that he can use from his existing fat stores (3,500 calories/lb of fat). Basically what the means is, that without losing energy or a slow down in metabolism, Grant has enough fat stores for about 6 weeks... and that is assuming a perfect exchange of energy from fat and no energy expended in even making the muscle in the first place. This also assumes that Grant is capable of losing 2 lbs of fat per week (a pretty large number for a man of normal size and reasonably low body fat levels).
So what happens after 6 weeks, when Grant has 8 lbs. of body fat, an additional 1.8 lbs. of muscle, and he is still operating at a big calorie deficit? How can he maintain his energy levels and continue to build muscle? Where does the energy come from to build new muscle?
The law of thermodynamics says that either Grant's ability to generate the energy for his work and workouts and daily life must drop, his metabolism must slow down, or he has to break down something in his body (read: muscle). What this means is that I can predict, with almost 100% certainty, that any progress Grant might make towards his goals will come to pretty much a dead stop after no more than 2 months -- no matter how perfect his hormones are.
Like I said, have Grant eat a 1,000 calorie/day deficit diet for 2 months and have him inject steroids and HGH (which are synthetic hormones, after all) at the same time, and he still will hit a wall of how much muscle he can put on, because even with steroids and HGH, you still need a source of energy to meet your basal metabolism requirements and build new muscle tissue. And since we are dealing with someone with low body fat levels already, there is a cap to how much of that energy can be supplied by existing fat stores.
And the above assumptions really assume a perfect world... and as we all know, a perfect world doesn't exist. |
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/14/2009 7:37 AM |
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The Zone does provide Grant with the means to meet his goals and support his lifestyle without suffering the consequences you predict in your previous post. Barry Sears has already done a fantastic job of explaining it, as well as backing it with published clinical studies and the results of professional athletes in the Zone that he's worked with over the past 20 years. Incidentally, for those readers here who may not be aware of this, much of Barry's orignial work during his development of the Zone diet was done with elite athletes.
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/14/2009 9:43 AM |
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The Zone does provide Grant with the means to meet his goals and support his lifestyle without suffering the consequences you predict in your previous post.
How? Through increasing that amount of calories he consumes by eating 2-3x the number of fat blocks, right? |
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/14/2009 10:40 AM |
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I would love to see an example, just one example, of a Zone athlete under 200 lbs. who already has a fairly low body fat percentage and is following a calorie restrictive diet of 1,000 calories or more per day adding 15 lbs. of muscle.
Could a 330 lb. offensive lineman with a body fat percentage of 20% or more follow a calorie restrictive version of the Zone diet and still add 15 lbs. of muscle without a reduction in energy or his metabolism? Quite possibly. But a 330 lb. offensive lineman with 20% body fat has 66 lbs. of fat to supply his energy requirements. And a gain of 15 lbs. of muscle is really only an increase in LBM of about 5-6%.
Compare that with someone with 150 lbs. of lbm, for whom adding 15 lbs. of muscle is an increase of 10%. And if that same person is walking around with 12-13% body fat, that means instead of 66 lbs. of body fat, we are talking about someone with about 22 lbs. of body fat available to make up for the energy deficit AND provide enough energy to build new muscle.
I will bet you dollars to donuts that any single adult Zoner who started out with low body fat levels and added a significant amount of muscle didn't do so in a large caloric deficit. He or she was adding significant additional calories (30-60% more if they are eating 2-3x the fat blocks) through increased fat consumption (or by adding more total blocks, or by adding non-Zone meals).
The bottom line is BOTH quality AND quantity of your food matters. This is true regardless of whether your goal is gaining muscle, losing body fat, or just maintaining your present state. |
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Grant
Posts:6
Newbie
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| 04/14/2009 4:40 PM |
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My problem with professional athlete/CrossFitter examples is that the greater majority of these athletes were already near peak performance levels and ideal body compositions. These individuals switched to Zone and saw marked improvement, but they didn't necessarily utilize Zone to DEVELOP their high performance level. They use Zone to MAINTAIN this level.
Frankly, the lack of available data to support Zone claims in terms of improving athletic performance, especially in terms of developing strength and power, are discouraging. Maybe there are studies that I am unaware of, but the databases I have searched have returned limited results.
Conundrum. |
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Sue K
Posts:8674
Zone Expert
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| 04/14/2009 5:05 PM |
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Hi Grant,
Matt, who I mentioned, was not in peak shape. You really ought to take a look at his posts about his progress. It's quite impresive. He's an ex-marine, a guy who used to be in good shape but who had who had gained a lot of weight (he lost 70 or so pounds of body fat in his first year on the Zone, as I recall) and had not stayed in the greatest shape (sorry Matt! :-) ).
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos scroll over this picture and click when the link appears.
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Matthew
Posts:174
Zoner
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| 04/14/2009 5:30 PM |
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Sue:
I think you are actually proving my point with the Matt example (by the way, I served in the Marines too and there is no such thing as an "ex" Marine... other Marines will understand... once a Marine, always a Marine).
He lost 70 lbs. of fat. That is fantastic! And maybe he put on a good deal of muscle at the same time while eating a calorie-restricted diet.
But Grant and Matt are not in the same boat. Grant has 12-13% body fat. He doesn't have 245,000 surplus calories (70 lbs. x 3,500 calories/lb) to supply the energy requirement he isn't getting from his diet and have enough left over to build 15 lbs. of muscle.
You are trying to use Matt as an example of why eating 1,800-1,900 calories should work for Grant. But you are not comparing apples with apples.
I'll ask it again:
Show me one lean person under 200 lbs. who added 15 lbs. of muscle while following a calorie-restrictive diet of 1,000 calories per day the entire time he or she added that muscle... just one.
I have never seen it happen... ever... And according to my understanding of the law of thermodynamics, you will never see it happen. You cannot create energy out of nothing. The energy to build muscle has to come from somewhere. Matt had 70 lbs. worth of fat to use for energy, Grant does not. |
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ActiveForums 3.6
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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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| 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 |
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"IFOS – THE TOP GLOBAL PURITY STANDARD FOR OMEGA-3 FROM FISH"
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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.
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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).
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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.
- Extraction of fish oil
- Winterization – remove limited amounts of saturated fats
- Absorption – remove heavy metals
- Preliminary Molecular Distillation – refining “touch up” to reduce contaminants
- Oil conversion to ethyl esters
- Ethyl ester thermal fractionation – remove additional saturated fats
- True Molecular Distillation – final refining to remove pcb’s and long-chain monoenes
- Rigid Processes – proprietary validation, inspection and encapsulation methods. Independent lab verification of IFOS requirements and certified 5 star rating
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
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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.
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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 |
| Flounder or sole |
0.050 |
480 |
| Pollock |
0.041 |
450 |
| Crab |
0.060 |
400 |
| Scallops |
0.050 |
290 |
| Shrimp |
ND* |
290 |
| Catfish |
0.050 |
270 |
| Clams |
ND* |
250 |
| Cod |
0.095 |
210 |
| Canned Tuna (light) |
0.120 |
200 |
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Zone Labs’ leading product. OmegaRx delivers all of the benefits of Zone Labs’ ultra-refined omega-3 concentrates.
Advantages
- Delivers clinically proven health benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA*
- Promotes a healthy heart, healthy brain, healthy immune system, healthy circulatory system, healthy joints, healthy moods, healthy triglyceride levels and a healthy pregnancy*
- Combats silent inflammation
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