Mrs. Stephanie Oakes a supposedly [b:f9c8010d4a]"Expert"[/b:f9c8010d4a] wrote an article in the 2 Nov 2003 edition of the Sunday newspaper insert [u:f9c8010d4a]USA Weekend[/u:f9c8010d4a]. In it she lumps the ZONE in with "Fad & all hyped diets such as Grapefruit & SlimFast" I e-mailed her the following response. I wonder if we'd get a reply from her if most of us all e-mailed her to correct her? The e-mail address is: Fitness@usaweekend.com OR: Contributing editor STEPHANIE OAKES, FITNESS, USAEEKEND, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA, 22107. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mrs. Stephanie Oakes! RE: Your FitSmart Article. Before you proceed to give advice, I would suggest you do your research first. The ZONE as written by Dr. Barry Sears, is NOT a "hyped, in-a-hurry diet" as you purport and misinform the nation in general! Have you even bothered to do any research at all? Or are you just making it up like the Washington Post and/or the NY Times has recently been reported in doing? For your uneducated information, the ZONE is everything you proceed later in your article to tell people is the right way to eat! You are telling them the essence of the ZONE is right (without the details) after you tell them that is is not balanced nor good. Point-by-Point. 1.) ZONE: Eat less saturated fat, hydrogenated oil, cholesterol, and sodium. The ZONE goes even further stating that only one kind of good fat should be eaten: Mono like in Olive Oil, or almonds. And very small amounts. We do need some good fats. BUT YOU lump the ZONE in with diets that "omit major food categories our bodies need." Our bodies do need a small amount of good fats, and the ZONE includes them. 2.) ZONE: Eat more complex carbohydrates, including a variety of fruits and vegetables. This is one of the main parts of the ZONE. Those foods that have a lower Glycemic Load value, i.e., complex carbs. And the ZONE goes even further, because even some fruits and vegetables have a high GL and therefore are considered unfavorable (simple) carbs, as well. But you would know that if you even knew one iota about the ZONE before making FALSE blanket statements. The Zone, here to, goes even further by saying that the favorable (complex, Low GL) carbs should be 2/3 or twice the amount of protein. 3.) ZONE: Drink more water. Again essence of the Zone as well. However I would like to point out that the old idea of 8 glasses of water as has recently been found - was based on erroneous data not counting the water content of foods. Thereby making the minimum of 8 glasses of water per day - actually too high, And that by drinking too much water can be detrimental to one's health. But overall, most Americans do not drink enough water, and by merely saying "Drink More Water" you are not inaccurate. If you had fallen for the "8 glasses a day", then you would have had to be corrected. 4.) ZONE: Eat plenty of lean protein. Unlike Atkins or others, The ZONE does advocate lean protein. However, you use the word "plenty". This is too vague and misleading! One difference here (with the ZONE) is that the body can only absorb and use no more than an average of 4 oz of (lean) protein at any one eating (3 oz for most women). The remainder is converted to body fat. The best way to get plenty of enough good protein is to do it throughout the day in several mini-meals, and not in one or two huge meals with unhealthy snacking in-between. 5.) Instead of one or two large meals per day, a person should consume many mini-meals each day. With each min-meal being balanced from all foods. (But you state the ZONE does not include all food categories, so, here, you're wrong, again!) Most "EXPERTS" all agree on this, many balanced mini-meals throughout the day - though you leave this out. And by-the-way, this is also the essence of the ZONE, with each meal being balanced, from all food groups, (Protein, good fat, & Favorable carbs). So before you lump the ZONE in with Atkins, GrapeFRuit, & Slim-Fast, at least know what you are talking about! Oh, and, from what I understand, in the last book written by Atkins, even his diet was modified even more to closer resemble the Zone! The ZONE is a balanced and healthy way of eating. One final thing is that most experts agree that the healthiest way to lose weight and keep it off is to steadily lose no more than 1 to 1-1/2 lbs per week. This is accomplished by using the ZONE. I was a skeptic of all diets, never bothered to try any of them my wife wanted to try. I finally read one of the ZONE books, and it was the first (and only) one that actually made sense. And was one I could stick with for the rest of my life, not only to lose the weight, but for proper health maintenance for the rest of my life. Sign me a very male skeptic of all diets and dieting advice, until the ZONE! Not a quick fix nor a fad.

It really irks me when people who have obviously not read any of the zone books proceed to offer their opinions and advice to others. You can count me in! I have already sent them my email! crumbelina~ :x

I was [b:30d0e72882]just[/b:30d0e72882] talking to Donna about the Diet and Nutrition section of WebMD. Choose the "Lose Weight" search and then "Evaluate the Diets". They have so-called "nutrition experts" put in their two (no) cents on all of the "latest" diets, including the Zone. It is OBVIOUS that they had some idiot "brief" them and then made their statements from mis-information! These people are INFURIATING :evil: By the way, has anbody else seen the new KFC commercial where the wife tells the husband that he's now eating "healthy" by choosing KFC over BK??? Small print at the bottom of the commercial states that 2 pieces of KFC are ONLY 38 grams of fat compared to 56 grams of fat in a Whopper. Oh yeah!! That's healthy!! Can anybody say, "Lawsuit" ?? They certainly are asking for it! Michelle

Here is my email to her: [quote:6eacf6eec5]Perhaps you should actually READ a Zone book before you report on it????? You obviously didn't!!!! Michelle Elgas -lost 55 lbs in 8 months, the RIGHT way, by eating low-fat proteins to maintain LBM, healthy fats and low-glycemic carbs to control insulin levels and appetite and promote optimum brain function, and plenty of water to hydrate body and flush wastes from system. There is much more to add, but it's obvious that you can't be bothered with DETAILS... [/quote:6eacf6eec5] Too harsh? Michelle

Hey Michelle.... I think you hit the nail right on the head...good for you :) Jim

Thank you, Jim, for your comments :) Michelle

I didn't read the article, but have seen many similar ones recently. Here's my response to Mrs. Oakes. I tried to keep it professional, and not to attack her, in hopes that she would read the whole thing. Please let me know what you think. :) Ronica Dear Mrs. Oakes, The American public would appreciate it if you would do careful and thorough research when reporting on items that affect our health. New information surfaces every day, and it is your duty as a journalist to report in a fair, balanced, and well-research way. Dr. Barry Sears, founder of the Zone lifestyle, has done years of clinical research that supports his findings on the benefit of the 40-30-30 lifestyle and the supplementing of Fish Oil on health and well-being. The Zone is not a diet as much as a way of life that helps its followers to find a healthy and balanced way to live. Dr. Sears' impetus for starting this research was the health problems in his own family, which included adult-onset (type 2) diabetes and heart disease. His findings have been miraculous, and many people all over the world have read his research, tried the Zone, and found a better way of life. I count myself as one of the lucky ones. Here are some of the facts that Dr. Sears advocates in his books on the Zone. I have given you a very simplified version of them, trusting that you can read his books and find out more specifics on your own. They are available wherever books are sold. These facts are generally accepted by the medical community, and most doctors would agree with them individually. Bad press has caused many people to be skeptical of any "diet" or way of life that is not exactly what they have been doing. Please read the following, and see if you agree that these are not fads, but proven facts for healthy living. 1. Eat balanced meals 2. Eat regularly to maintain blood sugar levels. 3. Eat complex carbohydrates, including vitamin-rich vegetables, fruits and some whole grains. Avoid white bread, rice, pasta, and processed carbohydrates, which spike blood sugar levels. 4. Eat lean protein at every meal. Fish is encouraged due to Omega 3's and other benefits. 5. Eat monounsaturated fats at every meal (examples are olive oil, nuts, olives, and canola oil.) 6. Avoid high-fat proteins, which are high in cholesterol. 7. Maintain adequate hydration. 8. Avoid caffeine and artificial sweetners which spike insulin levels. 9. Get adequate sleep. 10. Get adequate exercise. 11. Supplement with some vitamins, minerals and Pharmecutical grade fish oil (omega 3's--heart benefits and many other benefits.) 12. Drink in moderation. 13. AND MOST IMPORTANT: Don't beat yourself up over "mistakes". The Zone is a lifestyle, including mind, body and spirit. The great part about it is that you can start fresh at the next meal, and live without guilt. You can still reap the benefits, health and well-being wise, if you occasionally enjoy a treat! Before I started the Zone, I couldn't control my eating. It was related to emotions, hormones, blood sugar spikes and crashes... and I was a mess! My weight kept climbing, and my self-esteem kept dropping. When I found the Zone, I soon felt more in control, was thinking more clearly, and I began to slim down. I now have more energy, feel happier and stronger than ever before, and want to share the good news with everyone I meet. The Zone has answered so many questions for me, without resorting to weird "fads" such as the almost-all-sausage-all-the-time diet or the neverendinggrapefruit diet. The Zone is a lifestyle, and one that I will continue for life. Mrs. Oakes, I hope that my letter has been helpful for you, to answer some of your questions about the Zone. I encourage you to do more research on the subject, and to follow up your article in the USA Weekend. Reporters with integrity are not only important in our society, they are highly valued. Sincerely, Ronica Skarphol Brownson Zoner and Music Educator Madison, WI With the Zone it's not what I've _lost_, it's what I've _gained!_ <clarinetpower@hotmail.com>

Great letter, Ronica! Eve

Thanks, Eve! What can I say, I guess I am a born teacher--can I lecture or what!!! :lol: Ronica