Zone Diet Health

This is a great forum!

scott0922 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:05:18 GMT

Happy to be part of this forum. I am very excited to learn new things and know more about healthy diet and lifestyle.

lupus, lung disease, menstual issues and paleo zone

Julianne — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 22:32:51 GMT

I just wanted to share a fantastic result that both my mother and I have achieved.

Both my mother and I have a lupus, mine is very mild and results in joint inflammation, - swollen knees, frequent ganglion cysts, also hashimotos.

My mothers is more severe, again knee swelling, joint inflammation, rash on face and small airway disease - a lung condition which she has had for many years.

I found the zone plus 10 mls of omega rx kept it at bay, but I still used to get regular knee swelling especially with exercise.

Mum had a big improvement in health on the zone and omega 3 also - but her lungs were still a big problem.

About 18 months ago I decided to give paleo food choices a go after reading about it's anti-auto immune benefits. Amazingly both my knee swelling and ganglion cysts disappeared, not the tiniest bit of joint inflammation in 18 months, even with intense exercise, and less fish oil. My niggling menstrual pain, vastly improved with fish oil but still present, completely disappeared.

Mum more recently decided to try it too after seeing my success (she is fit, trim and 78) and has been on the zone and loving it for 12 years.

I saw her today - she is stunned, after a few weeks with paleo food choices - her lungs are so much more improved, no more coughing, hugely improved lung capacity. My dad a doctor, cant believe the difference.

I've been teaching zone principles for 12 years and everyone with auto-immune issues, I now recommend they eat paleo with zone balance- and they just have stunning results.

I really want to pass this on, as I believe it could benefit many people

Basically - I eliminated grains, legumes and dairy, and follow a slightly lower carb, higher fat zone ratio (I'm sensitive to carbs; reactive hypoglycemia)

Hydrocortisone and adrenals

Katie — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:06:21 GMT

I'm on hydrocortisone pills for adrenal fatigue!! Can weight be lost while on this diet??

Body fat % Calculation

Robert — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:50:11 GMT

my wife checked her body fat % using the zone calculator, it came up with 18% body fat.

When we used 4 other type formulas we came up with 33%, 30.4%, 28.3% and 26.9%.

we used the Deurenberg 1&2 formula, the Gallagher formula, and the Jackson Pollock formula.

Deurenberg formula 1 (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) - (10.8 x Gender) - 5.4 her results 33.0%

Deurenberg formula 2 (1.29 x BMI) + (0.2 x Age) - (11.3 x Gender) - 8 her results 30.4%

Gallagher formula (1.46 x BMI) + (0.14 x Age) - (11.6 x Gender) - 10 her results 28.3%

Jackson Pollock formula (1.61 x BMI) + (0.13 x Age) - (12.2 x Gender) - 13.9 her results 26.9%

Gender 1 for male 0 for female

I have 3 questions, why the difference between the zone and the others?

What is the Zone formula?

Which one is the correct formula

Bob

Questions about my AA/EPA test

larry — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:14:07 GMT

I just received my AA/EPA test results from EICO Labs. My AA/EPA ratio = 0.6 (AA is 3.56, EPA is 5.76)

I've been taking 7.5g of OmegaRX (= 12 capsules) for 2 months and I've been eating about as low of an Omega 6 diet as is possible. I took the extra fish oil, originally, to see if it would help my chronic neck pain. I didn't help.

The Book "OmegaRX Zone" says the ideal ratio is 1.5 to 3 so I've taken it too low which I think is just as bad as having the ratio too high. I'll save some $$$, too, buy not having to buy all the fish oil and extra polyphenols.

Since I'm getting no benefit in pain relief from it, I'm thinking that returning to the normal dosage of 4 capsules + 1 oz SeaHealthPlus is what I should do and then retest in a few months.

Any advice??

I'm sure glad we have this free testing service since the Eicosanoid Status Report really was no help to me.

Too much saturated fat??

Karen — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:15:11 GMT

My docter is reccomending me to gain weight because im 4'9 and about 72 pounds. So I am starting to gain weight by eating more mono-
saturated fats. But if I eat like for example more peanuts wont that turn into saturated fat? And im not sure how much protein blocks to eat because the measurements for lean body mass confuse me. How much do you think i should eat??

Will it help with Crohns disease?

Erica — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:32:13 GMT

So my mom who is suffering from arthitis-like pains started doing this and says she feels so much better, so she wants me to try it. I'm a bit worried because I've always read about what kind of foods to avoid for crohns which includes raw vegetables and nuts/seeds because the body does not digest them. I have minor abdominal pain, frequent diarrhea, and fatigue are the symptoms I am looking to heal. I also have ulcers throughout my colon. So I'm worried that some foods that are "allowed" by the zone and even recommended might do more harm than good. But I really want to try this diet because its doing really good for my moms inflammation so it might help with mine too.

Will OmegaRX help me with my skin problems?

Alexandru — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:13:54 GMT

I found out that Omega3 can help if you have acne. Since OmegaRX has a high dosage of Omega3, I guess that it will only help me. Or? I want to buy it, but I live in Europe and I think transport costs are high for me so I want to be sure if omegarx helps or not. Oh, and does EPA/DHA ratio matters?

Sorry if I have grammar mistakes.

THANKS!

Back for another go at it!!

Steve — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:16:28 GMT

Hello everyone. Back in January of 2008, I heard about this diet on a radio station called The Zone. I did some research and decided to give it a go. The fact that I weighted 321 had a lot to do with it as well! Anyway, I followed things for a few months and had great results. Went from 321 to 257. I made a promise to myself that I would never be that heavy again. But you know how that turned out..........

So here I am and as of March 11th, 2013 I weighed in at 342 pounds. I had to use the scale in the warehouse because the one at my house didn't go that high. You want to talk about embarrassed!! I got a new job and the guys in the shop wanted to do a weight loss challenge. How could I say no! So I'm back at it again. Following the Zone principals again and have lost 15 pds so far. Don't know how it's gonna turnout but I needed to do something. Wish me luck!!

Nutrition Snack Bars

Steve — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:25:04 GMT

What bars are the best that I can get at my local grocery store, Target, Walmart, etc.. I bought the Atkins bars (Target) and Nature Valley Protein Bars (Costco). Atkins bars are expensive. NV Protein, are kinda high in fat. Just want to buy something that will get me through my mid morning and mid afternoon snack. Thanks!!

fish oil and HPV

Sarah — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 10:23:08 GMT

Did anyone see the recent "Ask Dr Sears" question titled "fish oil and MS"? The question mentions using fish oil to treat HPV. I was recently diagnosed with this, and Dr Sears' answer seems to indicate that to help fight off the virus, 10g fish oil/day should be taken. I am currently taking the 2.5g maintenance dose. Is anyone trying to use fish oil to help control HPV, and is this the dose you are taking? How long do you maintain this dose? Is there anything different I need to do if I plan on increasing to 10g per day? More vitamin E, etc?

Can I start Exercise during Pregnancy?

Linda — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:59:50 GMT

Can I start exercise during pregnancy? It is frequently asked question. Yes, doing exercise during pregnancy is safe under normal conditions. This means if you are going through a healthy pregnancy then exercise would not harm you or your baby at all. What exercise is safe during pregnancy? Swimming, walking and light aerobics are safe during pregnancy. How exercise during pregnancy is beneficial? Pregnancy exercises are beneficial in a sense that they keep you away from the pregnancy discomforts. You will not feel pain in the back which is more common in those pregnant women who are underweight.

Omega 7

Donna — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:36:54 GMT

Hi,

A friend just asked me if I knew anything about Omega 7. I never heard of it before. Does anyone know about it and its health benefits? Does Dr Sears recommend it?

Thanks in advance.

Donna

Acne!

Chris — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:47:37 GMT

I went on the Zone Diet for about 1 months and in that time I started breaking out in acne really bad. (The kind that is under the skin, big and really painful!) So to test whether it was the zone i went off it for a full week and my acne cleared up. Now Im back on it and im back to breaking out again! What is going on with my body and how do i stop this while staying in the zone? I am taking the fish oil and im carefully measuring everything i eat. I read there is often a transitionary period when the body is releasing archionotic acid, but how long does that normally take? because im 34 years old and feel like an insecure teenager all over again. =(

Fish oil really does increase intelligence

craig — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:36:12 GMT

Hi all

Just wanted to share this article with you, based on a PLOS one paper that came out recently:

http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2012/1102_Omega-3-Supplementation-Improves-Working-Memory-In-Young-Adults.htm?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Article&utm_content=Header&utm_campaign=2012Wk44-2&l=0#article

I've been taking fish oil and following the zone diet for a while, and while I was always confident it was improving cognitive function in some sense, this new research hints at even greater benefits. Not only does fish oil fight the symptoms of depression and ADHD, apparently it increases working memory in otherwise healthy young adults. It would be too strong to say that working memory is synonymous with intelligence, but it has been correlated with problem solving ability and measures of IQ.

And here's a link to the original paper for those of you who are interested: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0046832

Ok to eat raw eggplants while travelling?

Sarah — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:19:46 GMT

e.g., have an eggplant with me, eat whey protein powder, cut up eggplant and eat it?

Raw eggplant that is.

Anyone know?

Honey

John — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:43:42 GMT

Sweeteners, though rarely used, are at times necessary.
An alternative view in Honey, not just a sweetener broken down into Glucose or Fructose,
but a whole food. (Raw, virgin, unprocessed honey - only.)
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See, as a general rule, I (MDA) am against the consumption of refined sugars, especially sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. To understand why – if you’re still wondering – check out my definitive post on the subject. But what about the preeminent unrefined natural sweetener – the rich amber nectar that’s been available to humans from the very start (albeit protected by barbed, flying suicide stingers)? How are we to approach honey? Because while refined sugar and particularly fructose are to be avoided, alone those are refined, manmade, processed “foods.” White sugar is just sucrose, which is just fructose and glucose. High-fructose corn syrup is just fructose and glucose. Isolated fructose is just fructose. Those aren’t even foods, though they can be eaten; they’re just disaccharides and monosaccharides, with zero minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, flavonoids, and other micronutrients.
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Honey, on the other hand, contains over a hundred different compounds, not just fructose and glucose. It has a small amount of minerals, amino acids, and vitamins, but the point is that it’s not just sugar. Entire colonies of honey bees thrive on the stuff. It’s food by any definition. And whole foods are different than refined foods, and especially refined food-like products. They have different effects when you eat them. Eating an almond is not the same as taking a shot of rancid seed oil. Eating a handful of berries isn’t the same as sprinkling an equal amount of berry-extracted sugar in your water and drinking it.
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The question, then, is whether or not this holds true for honey. Is honey “better” than sugar or HFCS? Are some of the harmful effects of the sugar contained therein mitigated by the presence of bioactive compounds? Let’s take a look.
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In one study (PDF), researchers compared the effects of honey and refined fructose feeding on rats. Using equal amounts of fructose – just different sources – the authors explored the effects on several health markers. Feeding fructose raised triglycerides more than feeding honey. Feeding fructose decreased blood levels of vitamin E, while honey did not, suggesting less oxidative stress. Feeding fructose also promoted more inflammation than honey. All in all, honey did well for itself.
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Another set of studies compared the effects of honey, sham-honey (a mix of fructose and glucose), dextrose (which is just glucose), and sucrose on several health markers in various groups of people. There’s a lot to wade through, but the gist is that honey performed well. Honey resulted in smaller blood glucose spikes (+14%) than dextrose (+53%). Sham honey increased triglycerides, while real honey lowered them (along with boosting HDL and lowering LDL). After fifteen days of honey feeding, CRP and LDL dropped. Overall, honey improved blood lipids, lowered inflammatory markers, and had minimal effect on blood glucose levels.
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In rats, honey produced lower triglycerides, less body fat, and greater satiety (as indicated by the spontaneous reduction in food intake) when compared to sucrose.
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Looks like wildflower honey might go well in a meat marinade, too: wildflower honey inhibited lipid oxidation in ready to eat beef patties. I’m not sure what a ready to eat beef patty is, and I don’t think I want to know, but the honey info is good to have. Wildflower honey, which comes from bees dining on a wide variety of wild plant life, outperformed clover honey in the study.
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Although discerning the full effects of individual honey-based compounds is many research years out, it looks like honey with lower levels of bioactive compounds acts more like regular sugar while honey with higher levels of compounds acts more like a whole food. In one study (PDF), buckwheat honey was found to be the richest in phenolics and flavonoids, while rapeseed (yes, canola) honey was found to have the lowest number of compounds. The researchers didn’t explore the metabolic effects of the two honeys, but another study did find that people who ate rapeseed honey, but not acacia honey, displayed highly elevated levels of serum fructose. The same thing happens when you eat HFCS. That tells me the bioactive compounds are probably responsible for the “benefits” of honey.
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Darker honeys are typically higher in bioactive compounds and show greater antioxidant activity. They also taste better, if you ask me. Buckwheat is a personal favorite of mine and ranks quite highly in antioxidants, even showing some beneficial effects on serum antioxidant status in those who consume it. When in doubt, choose the darker honey.
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Now, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I don’t go out of my way to dip my paws in a jar labeled “Hunny,” but I keep some raw buckwheat honey around. The last pound I bought has lasted me well over six months, and there’s still plenty left in the bottle. And in the past, it has certainly proven useful. Can you eat it? Sure; you can do just about anything you want. Should you eat it? That depends. Are you active and in need of liver glycogen repletion like the guy who climbed the Congolese tree? Then raw honey might be a nice choice for a treat. It’s clearly superior to refined sugar, and the extent of the damage we normally see from sugar intake doesn’t seem to occur with honey.
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Dangers of Sugar

Bryan — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:26:34 GMT

Crossfitters and others connected to the zone diet often acknowledge the negatives of eating easily-digestible carbs.

What, in particular, is more dangerous about sugar itself, as compared to other easily digestible carbs?

Fasting and then eating, repeatedly...

Bryan — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:47:56 GMT

I've been reading the book "Why we get fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes. I'm only now starting to read and slightly understand how energy systems work and how nutrients are stored.

Can somebody please explain what happens when a person does not eat breakfast and lunch and then subsequently eats a huge dinner.

Let's assume that obesity is a problem for this made up person. What, within the hormonal system, contributes to that fat accumulation? Obviously there is a spike in insulin and thus a storage of fat from the excess insulin, leading to more and future insulin resistance.

How does the long fast affect things? That's my main question.

High BP and metabolic syndrome

Bryan — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:19:00 GMT

If a person has high blood pressure, is it safe to assume they suffer from metabolic syndrome, as well? Do the two always go hand-in-hand?

My father is very thin. 5-8, 125 lbs.

Drinks mountain dew all day long. It's probably over 40% of his calorie intake and he's been doing it for years.

Docs told him he needs to go on BP meds and stop taking in so much salt.

I believe those things are good but it's also the sugar that is producing the high BP results.

Thoughts?