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Subject: How is a Carb Block Calculated?

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Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/09/2008 9:04 PM Alert 
Hello,

I'm new to The Zone but spent several years following low-carb. The only reason I switched is because I quit smoking just over 10 months ago and gained 27 pounds even though I never stopped following LC. I'm desperate to get the weight off so am going to give The Zone a try.
Coming from LC, I'm accustomed to calculating "net carbs" as Total Carbs minus Fibre. I'm curious how a Zone carb block is calculated? The list of foods in the Quick Start Guide are vastly different and either aren't 9g total and/or don't net out to 9g of what I suppose we could call "impact carbs" (insulin stimulating carbs) even though that's what it says at the top of the page.
For example, one cup of cooked asparagus has 8g total carbs but only 5g net. And 4 cups of raw cabbage is 15g total and 9g net carbs. They glycemic index of asparagus and cabbage is pretty much the same so that can't be a factor either.
So, when it says that a Zone carb block is 9g, is that total or net grams? I'm very confused. :crazy:
Cranberrycat User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/09/2008 11:06 PM Alert 
Hi, Beverly,
I can't tell you how a zone block is calculated. I have noticed similar discrepencies. For instance, the block list lists 1.5 cups of onion as 1 block, even though the net carb content (total carb minus fiber) is still way over 9 grams.

One thing, I think there is SOME impact of the glycemic load figured in. You mentioned glycemic index, but Sears takes it a step further and uses glycemic load in his calculations.

So, I usually use 9 grams of carb as my guide when reading labels, but when I use fresh produce, I generally follow the food block guide (and I am currently looking at using Zone Points, see the thread titled Zone Points, if you are interested in that discussion).

Most important, is how your body responds. Some foods will work better than others at keeping you in the Zone. So, my recommendation is to keep a food diary or journal, so that you can record your response to meals prepared with certain carb ingredients and amounts. If you respond favorably, without significant hunger 4 hours after a meal, then you can say that you have a good food combination, regardless of whether or not you were a bit above or below the recommended grams.

In other words, try not to be so inflexible that you can't go one gram over! Unless you are really sensitive to carbs, it probably won't make a difference.

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 4:43 AM Alert 
When you say "I usually use 9 grams of carb as my guide when reading labels", are you talking about total or net grams? Using total grams doesn't make any sense...there are differences in the impact of the carbs depending on the food. 9 net carbs of bread has a much higher impact than 9 net carbs of lettuce becauce the lettuce is almost all fibre.
I understand it's based on the glycemic load, but you need to know the glycemic index to calculate the load. Is there a maximum GL per meal that we're trying to stay under? The list is just too vague. For instance, 3 blocks of oatmeal has a GL of 9 but 3 blocks of black beans has a GL of only 4 which is less than half. And most of the veggies will have a GL of close to zero.
I use FitDay and keep track of everything I eat. I'm not inflexible but I need to know how this works so I can calculate how much food I'm suppose to eat in a meal. I can't possibly eat 20 cups of spinach (and that's only 1 block) so I have to calculate 1 cup of spinach plus other foods to add up to the 27g of carbs for 3 blocks. The easiest way to do that is to add the carbs until I get to where I need to be.
So what I need to know is if I should subtract the fibre before I calculate to 27 grams?
Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 5:35 AM Alert 
Another thing that has me puzzled is that the nutrient blocks don't work out to 40-30-30. 1 block each of 9g carbs, 7g protein and 1.5g fat works out to 46-36-17.
Sue User is Online
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 8:13 AM Alert 
Hi Bevely,

One of the most crucial factors that comes into play in whether a meal will keep you in the Zone is the glycemic load of the meal. Zone carb blocks were determined taking glycemic load into consideration. This is probably the biggest reason that people are confused when they try to make sense of block amounts in terms of grams of carb and fiber only. Dr. Sears devised blocks to simplify things so people wouldn't have to take all the factors into account themselves (factors such as grams of carb and fiber, glycemic index, glycemic load, etc.). Considering glycemic load in the whole mix gives one a better outcome in regard to the Zone than simply gram counting alone.


To answer your question, the 9 grams of carb which make up one Zone carb block when gram counting are those you have referred to as the "net grams" (total grams of carbohydrate in the particular food minus the total grams of fiber in that food). In Zone lingo they are referred to as the "insulin stimulating carb".

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
Sue User is Offline
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Zoner

02/10/2008 8:29 AM Alert 
[quote]Posted By Beverly on 02/10/2008 5:35 AM

Another thing that has me puzzled is that the nutrient blocks don't work out to 40-30-30. 1 block each of 9g carbs, 7g protein and 1.5g fat works out to 46-36-17.
[/quote]



Hi Beverly,

They don't work out to 40-30-30 in your calculation because you have an error in the fat amount. At least 3 grams of fat are necessary for every fully balanced block of P, C, and F. One half of the fat (1.5g) is in the low fat protein source and the other half (another 1.5g) is in the monounsaturated fat block added to the meal. If you recalculate you'll see that 7gP, 9gC and 3gF will yield 40-30-30. Incidentally,since we're on the topic, and you may not have yet read this info, when choosing a fat free protein (e.g. egg whites, protein powder, fat free dairy) you should double the fat blocks you add to the meal to make up for the fat missing in the protein source. It's of the utmost importance to have that minimum of 3g fat for every protein block (7gP). A little more fat is ok because it enhances insulin control by slowing the rate of entry of carbs into the blood stream. But a little less fat is not ok. Less than than that minimum 3g fat per block of P will prevent you from being able to keep insulin levels within the Zone.

All that said, 40-30-30 is only that one point which represents the ideal P/C/F at the middle of the Zone. This is but the starting point for the Zone diet, from which one would adjust to meet the needs of their personal biochemistry if neecessary. Dr. Sears has written that he regrets having originally referred to the Zone as a 40-30-30 eating plan because it has caused so much misunderstanding.

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
Sue User is Online
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 8:48 AM Alert 
[quote]Posted By Beverly on 02/10/2008 4:43 AM

Is there a maximum GL per meal that we're trying to stay under?
[/quote]


"A good rule of thumb: Never consume a glycemic load of more than 3,000 in any one meal." (quoted from page 294 of "Top 100 Zone Foods" by Barry Sears)

You can gain a better understanding of this topic, including practical applications of it in regard to the Zone diet by reading pages 50 to 62 of "The Anti-Inflammation Zone" by Barry Sears.


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
Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 11:35 AM Alert 
Sue, thank you for all the helpful info. You've answered a lot of my questions, especially regarding the 40-30-30 discrepancy.
I have to ask, though, how is he calculating the glycemic load if 3,000 is a possible outcome?! The standard calc is GI x (carbs - fibre) * 100. I did a lot of research on GI and GL before coming to The Zone. The common recommendation for weight loss is a GL of 5 or less for a snack and a GL of 10 or less for a main meal.
Everything I've read about The Zone so far has been online. The books are out at my local library (weight-loss books of all kinds are extremely popular at this time of year) but I've requested a hold when they become available. So I'm relying on you kind people for my info in the meantime. :)
Sue User is Online
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 12:03 PM Alert 
Hi Beverly,

You're welcome. I'm glad I could help.

Yes, GL is GI x insulin stimulating C. Dr. Sears didn't divide by 100 when he presented GL info in the book I quoted from. In his newest book he presents GL as you are familiar with it (GI x grams of insulin stimulating C per serving, divided by 100). I think it will all fall into place with more clarity once you read a book. You have a very good grasp of it at this point. I'd higly suggest "The Anti-Inflammation" Dr. Sears' most recent book. It gives an excellent picture of the entire Zone.

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
Cranberrycat User is Offline
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Zoner

02/10/2008 12:37 PM Alert 
Hi Beverly!

When I said that I usually use 9 grams of carb as my guide, I was referring to the "net carbs" (total carb minus fiber). And, yes--I agree that 9 net carbs of bread has a higher impact than 9 net carbs of lettuce (although, I believe that there is much more water in lettuce, and maybe not as much fiber as you think). So, when Sears made up the food block guide years ago, he used 9 grams of net carbs as his guide, and then categorized foods as "favorable" or "unfavorable". The food block guide today lists favorable as "low density" and unfavorable as "high density".

And, I totally agree that one must know the glycemic index in order to calculate out the glycemic load. Keep in mind, though, that carrots have long gotten a bad wrap because they are high in GI but very low in GL! So, using GI alone is not always beneficial. Also, GI is very relative, it is based on the average of glucose responses of the tested foods in a defined population. Your individual response may be different than the "average", since we are all individuals.

FitDay is a nice tool, but try not to get hung up on the total grams, since it is all relative. YOu may want to keep track of how you feel 4 hours after a meal, and record the number of grams (or blocks, or whatever measuring tool that you choose). So, to answer your question, YES, you would subtract the fiber from the total carbs to get your net carbs. In other words, if your total carbs in the meal are 33, but 6 grams are from fiber, then subtract the fiber for a net carb total of 27.

When you are able to get your hands on a copy of the Anti-Inflammation Zone, check out the Zone Points list in the back of the book. We are having a discussion on this on another thread, as well. The Zone Points system basically rates carbs with a point value. The idea is that you can compose a meal of carbs to get your point value up to 15. Doing this with low-density veggies, and it is possible to have a TON of food on your plate. However, if you mix in some moderate and higher density foods, then the plate is not as full once you total 15.

Hope I have been helpful to you!

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Cranberrycat User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/10/2008 12:39 PM Alert 
[quote]Posted By Beverly on 02/10/2008 5:35 AM

Another thing that has me puzzled is that the nutrient blocks don't work out to 40-30-30. 1 block each of 9g carbs, 7g protein and 1.5g fat works out to 46-36-17.
[/quote]

Beverly, I think Sue explained this to some degree.

In each block of protein, it is assumed that there is 1.5 grams of fat. So, you would need to add 1.5 grams of fat to total 3 grams of fat per block. However, if you use a fat free protein, then you can double your fat.

You sound like you are very familiar with the glycemic index and glycemic load of carbs. If you are looking for a nice website with a large database of nutritional information, try looking at www.nutritiondata.com. This site lists nutritional content, as well as the glycemic load. There are some good articles on that site which explain GI and GL, and they also tally a "fullness factor". Incidentally, they also tally the anti-inflammatory potential of a food.

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner

02/11/2008 1:12 PM Alert 
I don't know how I'd feel if I didn't eat for 4 or more hours because I eat approximately every 3 hours. It's a habit I developed when I started low-carb 4 years ago and this schedule is the only one that works for my lifestyle. I have breakfast at 5:20am, snack at 8:30am, lunch at noon, snack at 3:00pm and dinner at 6pm. I go to bed around 9:30pm and I don't eat before bed because I take supplements that have to be taken on an empty stomach and that's the only time of day I can do it.
But I'm experiencing hunger, foggy-headedness, klutsyness (knocking things over, etc.), inability to concentrate, etc., most of the time now. I'm fine after breakfast but within an hour after my morning snack, I turn into a semi-vegetable for the rest of the day. What's going on? Should I wait for a few days to see if my system adjusts and this stops happening or do I need to lower my carbs? Everything I'm eating is very low-GL. The only other time I experienced this was the first few days at the beginning of low-carb.
I picked up the books from the library on my way to work this morning, but I'm so dopey I couldn't concentrate well enough to read them.
Cranberrycat User is Offline
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02/11/2008 3:56 PM Alert 
I don't know if you stated when you started, you posted on 2/9/08. Anyway, if it has been a few days, and you are feeling this way, try increasing your fat by 2 blocks. If that doesn't help, then try dropping 1/2 to 1 block of carb. Let me know how it goes, implementing those changes.

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/11/2008 5:01 PM Alert 
Since I didn't know how to calculate the carbs for a block, I suppose I'm technically on day 3.
I don't understand...why would I increase fat? And where would I do it? If I increase fat in a main meal, I'll be over 300 calories and it says in the FAQ that anything over 300 calories in one sitting for a woman will be converted directly to fat. Do I do this only for the 2 snacks?
Sue User is Online
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Zoner
Zoner

02/11/2008 5:07 PM Alert 
Beverly, the symptoms you describe are those of too much carb in relation to protein. The recommended adjustment would be to drop 1 C block from every meal while keeingp snacks the same as usual 1P, 1C, 1F. I realize you posted you are eating a low GL. If you'd like to post exactly what and how much of it you ate, we might be able to give a more appropriate suggestion. The bedtime snack is very important in order to stay in the Zone. Maybe you could take the supplements on an empty stomach when you wake up in the morning.

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
Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/11/2008 5:42 PM Alert 
This is what I ate today. The powdered egg white protein I use is 11.5g protein/tbsp. My breakfast and snacks are the same every day. Only lunch and dinner change but the following is typical. I also take 1 tsp of high-potency omega-3 fish oil after dinner.
I don't generally eat barley, but I couldn't figure out how to get enough carbs in the meal without it and then it brought the protein up higher than I need.

Breakfast: Smoothie (1 cup plain kefir; 1 tsp agave syrup; 1 tsp concentrated Greens powder; 1.75 tsp powdered egg white protein; 1 tbsp mesquite pod meal; 1 tbsp acacia powder (pure soluble fibre); 1/2 cup berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries); 2 prunes) (26g net carbs; 20g protein; 8g fat; GL = 6)

Snack: 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1.75 tsp powdered egg white; 2/3 tsp almond oil (8g net carbs; 7g protein; 3g fat; GL = 3)

Lunch: Black Bean Chili (2.2 oz. lean ground beef; 1/8 of a medium onion; 1/8 of a large green pepper; 1/4 clove garlic; 0.88 cup tomatoes; 0.38 cup black beans; spices) & 6 oz. V8 juice low-sodium (24g net carbs; 21g protein; 8g fat; GL = 3)

Snack: 6 oz. Activia Yogurt (sweetened); 1/2 tsp powdered eqq white protein; 2/3 tsp almond oil (10g net carbs; 7g protein; 4g fat; GL = 3)

Dinner: 3 oz. lamb, lean only; 1 cup peas and carrots; 1/2 cup cooked hulled barley (28g net carbs; 31g protein; 11g fat; GL = 9)

I get up at 5 am and eat breakfast at 5:20. The supplements I'm taking are proteolytic enzymes (for uterine fibroids) and need to be taken on an empty stomach 2 hours before or 3 hours after anything with protein. Bedtime is the only time I can take them.
Cranberrycat User is Offline
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Zoner

02/11/2008 7:17 PM Alert 
Hi, Beverly!

Since you have been doing this for only 3 days, I would NOT suggest adding or dropping a block of carb at this time. Instead, I would try changing some of your meals.

Increasing the fat by 2 blocks will only add a few calories (about 30), but fat will slow the digestion of the carbs, and so the entry of the glucose into the bloodstream is slower, resulting in a more moderate insulin response.

I am surprised that the FAQ would say that anything over 300 cals in one sitting for a woman will be converted directly to fat! I will have to check that one out, because I have not read that. Generally, we don't count calories in the Zone, we focus on insulin control. Excess fat WILL convert to fat, but I would not consider 2 extra blocks to be excess.

Anyway, I will check on that, and get back to you. I have some menu suggestions, and will put that into a new message.

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/11/2008 7:33 PM Alert 
It's a misconception that fat slows absorption of nutrients or delays gastric emptying. Recent studies (more than one) prove that dietary fat has no effect on transit time (satiety) or the amount of blood sugar or insulin released. Protein and fibre will make a difference but fat won't.
Cranberrycat User is Offline
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02/11/2008 7:37 PM Alert 
Beverly,
I found the FAQ topic that you were referring to. The question was related to whether or not one can eat as much as he/she wants, as long as he/she keeps everything in zone balance. Here is the answer:

"Any excess calories at a meal, even if perfectly balanced, that can't be immediately used by the body will be stored as fat because of the increase in the overall insulin levels. The typical calorie size for the typical female is approximately 300 calories, and approximately 400 calories for the typical male".

I think that the context of the question was whether or not one could eat in excess of the number of blocks allowed.

Also, the way that the answer is phrased, it is "suggesting" that a woman's meal is about 300 calories, but it isn't really implying that one can't go over in calories. And, the extra 30 calories that the added fat provides is really not "excessive", and can really do a lot for you with regard to insulin control.

Here are my suggestions for your menu:

Breakfast: smoothies don't work well for carb sensitive individuals. I have tried all kinds of tweaks to my smoothie recipes, and I really can't get more than a few hours of hunger control out of them. My suggestion would be to try some solid food for breakfast.

Snack: unsweetened applesauce is not a bad choice, but sometimes people don't do as well because this is a processed product (rather than a whole fruit). You could try 1/2 apple and see if that works better.

Lunch: I am not sure if your tomatoes were canned or raw before adding to the chili. If raw, then it looks like you are short on carb. You are also barely making the minimum for fat.

Snack: I would change the Activia yogurt to plain unsweetened yogurt. The sweetener may be the problem(if sugar, then it is unfavorable).

Dinner: I would replace the peas (unfavorable) with some other veggie choice.

I see your problem with the enzyme. You might be able to make a time in between meals to get this in, if you can manage to get a meal to last 5 hours. Like between breakfast and lunch, since you eat so early, perhaps you can work on getting a breakfast meal to last 5 hours, then you can take the enzyme 3 hours after breakfast and then eat 2 hours after taking the enzyme.

Cranberrycat

We don't own the earth; we borrow it from our children.

Bev-Ann User is Offline
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Zoner
Zoner

02/11/2008 7:49 PM Alert 
See my previous post regarding fat and insulin.
I've been eating the same smoothie (although lower in carbs) for 4 years. It's very filling and I've never had a problem, and still don't, with it keeping me feeling full for several hours. Also, I only have 10 minutes to eat breakfast so having to chew food would be too slow. I'm fine until about an hour after the morning snack.
The tomatoes in the chili are canned.
Unfortunately, the Activia yogurt only comes in sweetened varieties (I emailed the company and they had no plans to make an unsweetened one). I eat it because it has a very specific probiotic that helps with my digestive problems. It's not something I can find a replacement for.
The scheduling of my meals and snacks is very precise becaue it's the only one that works for me. I'm not going to change it and I'm not going to start eating before bed, period. The human body needs to repair and rebuild during sleep, not digest more food. And with my gut problems, it would cause me a lot of grief.
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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.

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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
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
* ND: Mercury concentration below detection limit.

 

OmegaRx®

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

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

 

 

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