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Subject: First day in the zone - coffee?

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newzoner User is Offline
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09/11/2003 4:43 PM
Hello~ Today is my first day in the zone and I am following the 7 day meal plan. My day does not get off to a good start without coffee, but I didn't see anything in the book about a coffee allowance. So, I made my coffee this morning and added my usual Sweet 'n Low and Half 'n Half...was that a big mistake? I'm excited and would love to hear from anyone on this! Cheers, Newzoner
RBrownson User is Offline
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09/11/2003 5:56 PM
The books say that caffeine can raise insulin levels in some (most) people, so usually zoners avoid it, but I have found that I can handle 1 cup with breakfast and stay in the zone. That's pretty much all the caffeine I need in a day, but I am a night owl with an early bird job, so that promise of coffee in the morning does get me out of bed. The half and half and sweet-n-low is another story. I suggest you try Splenda sweetener, as Sears believes it has no effect on insulin (also tastes better to me.) Try lightening your coffee with a little bit of milk. Half and half has lots of extra fat, which you don't need. If you can do it, wean yourself off the lightener altogether. (I drink mine black, no sweetener.) Too much sweetener and cream turns coffee into more of a dessert, IMO. Once you've been zoning for a week or so your sweet cravings will diminish and you won't need it. (However, whether or not you can stomach coffee black is up to you.) Half and half, per fluid ounce, has 3.45 grams of fat and over 11 mg. of cholesterol. As a beginner, it's probably best to start cold turkey, and once you have a better feel for the program, add in the luxuries you can't live without in small amounts. (I admit to an occasional piece of chocolate, balanced with protein.) When I tried this at first, I really didn't know the zone well enough, or my own response well enough, so had a lot of trouble with it. After 5 months, I can judge my body's response much better. :) Now it's a lot easier to cheat a little bit without blowing it completely! Best of luck, and looking forward to hearing your success story! Ronica
newzoner User is Offline
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09/11/2003 6:13 PM
Thanks for the feedback on coffee. I suspected it wasn't part of the program but wasn't sure. So, do you think I should give up the coffee altogether? That would hurt! :x I'll try Splenda and go with the skim milk. So, do you think I will see/feel results within a week?
jfsoonipi User is Offline
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09/11/2003 9:47 PM
Hi Newzoner... I have coffeee every morning on the way to work and I always drink caffinated. I find that one cup does nothing to kick me out of the zone and I feel more mentally allert because of it. I personally use half and half in mine. I typically cut back a bit on my fat at breakfast to compensate but if not...I don't sweat it. In my experience, the extra half a block of fat isn't going to hurt you...at least it hasn't effected my weight loss in a negative manner. If you like decaf....go for it. You may or may not be one of those folks who's insulin levels are effected by caffeine consumption. Keep in mind that the Zone is not about abstinence...it is about eating balanced and in moderation. Good Luck! Jim PS...where are you from?
newzoner User is Offline
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09/11/2003 10:28 PM
Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I guess I'll have to go along and see if/how the caffine affects me. Meanwhile, I'll try to make on the skim milk, though I'm already hating the taste tomorrow morning! I think that's a good idea to go easy on the fat from breakfast in order to allow a little cream in my coffee. Can I ask you another question? Would it be ok for me to have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack in my first 7 days? The 7 day meal plan does not include snacks, but today has been a challenge to make it from breakfast to lunch, and now lunch to dinner. What would you advise? Thanks Jim! Roxanne (Newzoner from San Diego)
jfsoonipi User is Offline
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09/12/2003 12:51 AM
We were all new at this once :D Two snacks are recommended per day (with qualifications) of 1 block each. One should be late afternoon (1-1.5 hours before dinner) and one an hour or so before bedtime. The late night snack can be done away with on any particular day if dinner is eaten within 3 hours of bed time. Now....you can break your meals up and do what we call GRAZING. You consume the same number of blocks per day, but you eat them as "little meals" rather than 3 major meals with snacks. This actually is the most optimal method of eating as it keeps insulin regulated and you're eating more frequently and therefore don't become hungry. Now...unless you're eating really early, you should be able to get from breakfast to lunch without being hungry. (Remember...no more that 4-5 hours between meals). I always spilt my breakfasts up. Some days I have a block before leaving for work (6AM), two blocks around 8:30 (cottage cheese and applesauce works good) and another block around 10:30. Another variation that works well for me is a strawberry, blueberry and protein powder shake (plus some almonds or macadamias) around 6:30 (I drink this on the way to work) and then the other half of my breakfast around 9:30. Many mornings I use Zone Perfect bars or Omega Zone bars (Omega Zone is preferred by me...I love the lemon!) as a block or sometimes two. Keep in mind that each bar is 2 blocks. Variety is the spice of live ya know? Jim [color=blue:48935d0a7b][/color:48935d0a7b]
newzoner User is Offline
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09/12/2003 4:00 PM
Jim, Wow...you really know your zone! I'm still beginning to understand the block system and how to plan my meals. I visited Dr. Sears' resource page where the blocks are listed, but I'm still trying to visualize what a 1 block meal is versus a 2 or 3 block meal. I think for now it might be best for me to stick with the 7 day plan to immerse myself in the program, then will modify as needed when I understand it better. By the way, I thought Zone Perfect bars were not "zone friendly," meaning they are not 40-30-30...do you know? Are Omega Zone bars available in stores? I think today (my 2nd day) will be much better since I ate my whole breakfast and brought my snacks! Had I eaten my whole breakfast yesterday, I'm sure it wouldn't have been a struggle to get to lunch. Thanks again, Jim. Believe it or not, I actually feel different/better today! Cheers, Roxanne
Canadian Zoner User is Offline
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09/19/2003 4:57 PM
Hi, all. I am new here, but not new to the Zone. I have been doing this WOE for about a year now and love it! :D I have lost over 60 pounds and have slowed down now, but will not ever stop eating this way. I feel (and look) better than I have in a long time. I find that "grazing" works best for me. I eat 8x a day and have only one or two blocks each time. As you begin to feel more comfortable with this plan, you will figure out what works best for you. One of the most important things to remember is not to get stressed out trying to do it perfect. You will still do fine with mistakes. The other important thing to remember is always eat within one hour of waking and one hour before going to bed. I look forward getting to know you all better and Happy Zoning! :lol:
jfsoonipi User is Offline
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09/19/2003 5:31 PM
A) Here ya go...the difference between a one, two or three block meal (visually) is: Some more food Even More Food Even more food again! Seriously....The more blocks and the quantiyty simply goes up. Don't get caught up in trying to over analyze things as it will only bog you down. The folks that I have helped getting into the Zone have all printed out the favoirable Foods List Block guide and hung it somewhere in the kitchen...usually inside a cabinet door. Refer to it often! Mostt everything on it is very common foods and it won't be long before you're comfortable simply eating appropriate amounts of favorable things you like to eat. After a while, you won't even have to refer to the list (except during brain cramps which I sometimes have!) Also keep in mind....you're allowed to consume up to 25-30% unfavorable carbs during the day. Don't go hof wild and make it all twinkies but you can certainly use things like potato, some of the more natural breads, etc. Zone perfect bars are 40-30-30, they just have less than optimum ingredients as they have been commercialized for mass consumption. Omega RX Zone bars (for me at least) deliver their nutrients in a more controlled manner which allows me to go longer without any hunger. Hey...have a great day! Jim :mrgreen:
gorooster User is Offline
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09/19/2003 10:38 PM
I understand the habit of morning coffee, having been a chronic caffeine user over several long periods of my life. After zoning off and on for 8 years I have to advocate for eventually ridding yourself of caffeine if at all possible. First of all, it’s really something to experience The Zone for everything that it is when you know that there’re no other stimulants responsible for that energetic buzz: it’s real and unmistakable, and you should notice some definite changes in your sleep patterns. Additionally, when you’re weaned from that mug for a few weeks you’ll probably notice some more subtle changes in your body and immune system (especially if you deal w/ some compromising factor, as in chronic fatigue, depression, pain, difficult periods, skin problems, etc.). You’ll then have a better baseline experience with which to compare and evaluate new zone meals, medications, moods, and the like. Of course, the beauty of the Zone is the element of moderation, and once you get a handle on it, the occasional treat or cheat is truly appreciated and further understood, to wit: you’ll really love that desert after the great meal; you’ll see the need for that cup of coffee afterwards so you can drive home without falling asleep at the wheel; when you wake up groggy and bloated and late for work the next day, you’ll still feel good overall because you’ll know that you’re one zone meal away from clarity, and—even better—that you’re on the right, sensible course of eating for the rest of your life.
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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.

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
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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