Can you get zone bars and shakes anyplace other than the zone website?

No. To get the "real thing", you would have to order online.

Ok......thanks

Just getting back into the zone...After years of abuse and stupidity, I was diagnosed with type 2 this week. I noticed when looking at the zone bar ingredients that they do not list Omega 3 any more!

Is it true? Did they stop adding omega 3 to the zone bars?

I was last in the zone back in 98 and have been forced to return. It works plain and simple.

David, you may want to check ZoneLabs, but I believe that is true. I believe that they removed it to improve the taste. Also, the amount was not significant enough to really make a difference. Perhaps this is also a cost-saving technique.

Welcome back David! No time like the present to get back into the Zone!

Wit until you try the newest bars! Absolutely delicious!

Thank you all for the quick reply,

I have tried the new bars and they are awesome. I am wondering why the selection on the official site is so limited.

I am already feeling the results after 2 days. I was in the hospital for 3 days due to chest pain and "weird" blood sugar related symptoms. I was clueless and probably have had Type 2 for a few months. It all came crashing down this week.

I remembered how healthy and awesome I felt back before my son was born back in 1998. I was a zoner since Dr. Sears first book came out. When the cardio came back negative and they told me I had Diabetes..I imediatlely knew what I had to do.....Get back into the zone.

The "nutritionist" :confused:That consulted with me upon my diagnosis disappointed me...they mixed my diet requirements up.....I stopped eating the crap the hospital was feeding me (one ceral/muffin/oj beakfast they served spiked my blood sugar to 320)
My wife began to smuggle my 4 block meals to me. :satisfied:

My goal now is to get off the meds. (metformin/BP/Statin). Lucky for me, I know how....The Zone:)

Hi David!

Sorry you had to go through all that, but good that your symptoms were not cardio in origin.

The bars on this site are the only Dr Sears Zone Bars that exist. Barry Sears and Zone Perfect went their separate ways around the time you exited the Zone in the late 1990's. Barry Sears is not affiliated with Zone Perfect and he does not endorse their products. ZP no longer carries the bars that Barry Sears developed. Their's are not the ones Barry Sears has tested on diabetics, and not the ones he has patented.

Sounds like you have a good plan!

OMG!...Thanks for the info Sue

No wonder...I got some ZP bluebery things from publix. I did not pay close enough attention. I was kinda wondering about the corn syrup and other crap I do not remember being in the original Zone bars.

I wonder how many people are affected by this confusion. The zp bars taste good and did not seem to drastically hurt me...I just feel better knowing I have the real thing.

Thanks again

You're welcome David!

Yes, lots of people don't seem to be aware of the difference, so spread the word!

More info on that. If you go to the ZP web site, you'll see ethy are owned by Abbott and the dietary info they now promote isn't the Zone Diet.

Here's some additional interesting info. Information I read about the newest Dr. Sears Bars, those with the crunches in them, explained that they were made possible with the development of a pure fructose syrup that is used as a binding agent. As I understand, previously there were no binding agents that would allow for the controlled release of nutrition that sets Dr. Sears Zone bars apart from other bars. As you know, it's not simply only about how the numbers of P, C and F grams in a bar add up. In addition to those proportions, its the quality of the ingredients and the hormonal response they offer that will make or break the bar.

Oh, another good topic!

I would advise people NOT to be fooled by the "real" zone bars, either. If you really read the nutrition label for the ingredients, there are some things on there that are NOT zone-healthy.

Now, not to say that they aren't balanced, but eating these bars on a regular basis is probably not really the best way to stay in the Zone. For an emergency, any of the "balanced" bars will do, or will be better than going completely out of the Zone.

Rather, if you read what SEARS intended for people to eat on the Zone nutrition plan, I see "lowfat protein", zone-favorable veggies and fruits" and "a dash of mono-unsaturated fat". The bars were created for convenience, but I highly doubt that Sears intended for people to consume them on a daily basis in order to stay in the Zone.

Dr. Sears Zone bars were not only created for convenience sake, but more importantly to provide an excellent means for maintaining hormonal control within the parameters of the Zone. They have been tested on diabetics with excellent results. Dr Sears holds patents on his state of the art nutritional products. One need not hesitate to rely on them on a daily basis. In fact one of the Zone ads promotes getting into the Zone by eating two of your meals a day from Zone bars and shakes. My whole family has been eating them daily for years with excellent results. We're also fans of Zone Cereal and Zone Pasta

That is nice that you shared that information with us, Sue!

I would regard a zone bar as a nutritional replacement for a candy bar.

There is a "line" that I feel should be drawn, when it comes to the Zone.

The line falls between the "real" zone that Sears wrote about in his books, and then there is the "business" zone that keeps the zone going on and on.

The "real" zone is the place where I feel Dr. Sears had intended for us to be. Living our lives eating just the things that Elias mentioned.

The "business" zone is composed of the products that make it attractive to people who would otherwise not give the zone a second look. For instance, the Zone pasta (refer to the pasta thread for more info on it), the bars and shakes, and the cereal. If one really LOOKS at the labels of these products, I think the eyes would widen.

Am I going to swear off of these products? Of course not. But, I think it is reasonable to approach the use of these products as things to be used in moderation.

Besides all of that, I would go broke if I were spending my money on all of these products all the time!

I don't think the use of zone bars and shakes are an indicator for the level of commitment to the zone. Many people live lives that are highly variable and low on time. The bars and shakes provide an extremely quick and convenient passport for 3 to 4 hours of the zone. The also provide additional enjoyment since that taste so dang good.

Dr Sears has been very honest about his products. I've yet to every read or hear of him explicitly pushing any of the 'supplements' other that Sea Health Plus. My guess is that he realizes that while they might make a small difference to the end-goal, they are certainly not the place to start.

There is also the issue of environmental sustainability. Something I wish Dr. Sears would weigh in on. He lightly touched on it in his soy zone book. Presumably these products could be used to replace some of the animal proteins that are likely consumed by an individual to stay in the zone. I for one don't feel it makes sense to sacrifice my own health in an effort to consume less energy. These products alleviate some of the pressure to make that choice.

As for the zone pasta, I wonder how many of the critics have tried it? If you did, was the meal not satisfying? Were you hungry too soon? I love the stuff. It may not be as ideal as blueberries + broccoli + salmon but it has certainly eased some of the tension between my wife and I! She now gets to cook her pasta dishes and I now don't have to consume something that i don't particularly enjoy and that doesn't make me feel particularly good.

thatsalligot.

Chris,
Thanks for weighing in!

As for environmental sustainability, I think that there are lots of other choices that can be made without eating animal products for protein. I have never read the Soy Zone, but I am sure that you are correct in that this is probably touched on. Besides, if you look at a wrapper, isn't one of the proteins a whey-based protein? Whey comes from dairy.

I have not tried Zone pasta, nor will I put my money into that product. The ingredients are exactly the same as the ingredients in store-bought pasta, except that it has less carb and it has protein added. If you want to save a ton of money for your wife, you can just portion out the pasta, so that you have the right # of blocks of carb. Personally, regular pasta is much more flexible to eat with, because you are not limited as far as what toppings you can add to it. With Zone pasta, there is much less "wiggle-room" for adding things to it.

I will admit, the zone products ARE very convenient, and for those who are not able to find the time to come up with their own meals, then hopefully they can find themselves in the Zone. However, a zone meal should last 4-6 hours, and I don't think that 3-4 hours' lack of hunger is an indication of an adequate zone meal. I know how busy my life is. I am a mother of 3 children, ages 5-8-11, plus I work a full-time job. I still find time to make up my own breakfasts and other meals, without having to be dependent on the bars and shakes.

This is not to say that I haven't used the bars. I do try to keep them on hand for life's emergencies. A snack that was forgotten... or a day that just presents itself as too difficult to deal with fixing lunch. But, these events are "emergencies" and not every day life. Events that save me from using the vending machine, or eating something that I should not!

[quote]Posted By Cranberrycat on 08/18/2008 10:40 AM


I will admit, the zone products ARE very convenient, and for those who are not able to find the time to come up with their own meals, then hopefully they can find themselves in the Zone. However, a zone meal should last 4-6 hours, and I don't think that 3-4 hours' lack of hunger is an indication of an adequate zone meal.


[/quote]

4 hours without hunger is the very basis Barry Sears uses to determine that a Zone meal is hormonally correct!

The importance of the 4 hour hunger free time frame is explained in detail in every Zone book.

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For those readers who might be unfamiliar with Dr. Sears Zone products, the packaging of a Dr. Sears Zone bar states "3 Hours of Satisfaction" in regard to hunger control provided by "Controlled Release Nutrition". That's 3 hours for 1 bar because 1 bar contains 2 blocks. If you use Dr. Sears Zone bars for a meal you eat 1.5 bars (3 blocks) or 2 bars (4 blocks), and you get 4 to 6 hours hunger free.

The packaging of a Dr. Sears Zone shake mix (each shake makes 3 or 4 blocks, depending upon whether it's mixed with 1 or 2 cups of milk) states that it provides "4 Hours of Satisfaction", that's 4 hours without hunger. For more details click on the PRODUCTS tab.

To read about Zone Labs' mission click on "ABOUT ZONE LABS" at the bottom of thie page. Here's the address for that page: http://www.zonediet.com/AboutZoneLa...fault.aspx

Sue, thanks for all the info about the bars and shakes. I find that when I use them as meal replacements, I feel squarely in the Zone - unlike the way I feel when I consume a candy bar. Glad to know you use them regularly. I think I'll include them in my diet a bit more now. I placed my second order today, and look forward to getting them.

About how long does it take to receive an order? If I ordered today, any chance I'd have it by Thursday? I'm in the Midwest.

You're welcome Cici!

Dr. Sears Zone bars and shakes, as well as Zone Cereal and Zone Pasta, work great for me too, and I'm one of the more carb sensitive people. I go for hours and never become hungry with them, and my most recent fasting insulin blood test (June 2008) was excellent, as it's been for many years, at a reading of 3.

Hi Shari,

I'm in the Northeast, so I don't know how long it takes for the Midwest. If it helps, my orders arrive 1 or 2 days after the day they ship.

Well, just for the record, I have never had a zone bar or shake (or even the cereal) sustain me for the same amout of time that an equivalent meal would. AND, my last fasting insulin was 4.7.

Hi Cran!


My insulin level demonstrates that one can maintain excellent insulin levels while frequently eating these products, contrary to your hinting at earlier that those who eat them may be compromising their ability to be in the Zone (re your comment "hopefully they can find themselves in the Zone"). I have many friends and family members, who eat Dr. Sears Zone foods on a frequent basis and enjoy results similar to mine.

There could be a number of reasons why your ability to achieve longevity with meals and snacks differs from those of others.

Keep at it and you'll reach your goals!

My best to you!

[quote]Posted By Sue on 08/19/2008 11:57 AM
There could be a number of reasons why your ability to achieve longevity with meals and snacks differs from those of others. quote]

Sue,
Same thing goes for your experience and that of your family. Your individual experience with maintaining good insulin levels while eating these products is just that--individual.

As they say, "individual results may vary".

Hi Cran!

Though you may choose to view the experience of my family and friends as individual responses that don't represent the usual, I don't think that Zone Labs' test results on the products can be as easily dismissed.

[quote]Posted By Sue on 08/19/2008 5:12 PM

Hi Cran!

Though you may choose to view the experience of my family and friends as individual responses that don't represent the usual, I don't think that Zone Labs' test results on the products can be as easily dismissed.

[/quote]

Sue,
Do you think you could do me a favor? Plesae direct me to the research literature that publishes the test results that were done on the Zone products. Perhaps, if I can just read it for myself, I may be more convinced.

Unfortunately, I have never seen an actual study done on Zone Lab's products. So, if Zone Labs claims that they have tested this stuff out, I think that there should be some research articles available.

So, if you wouldn't mind, I am sure you must be aware of where this can be found. I think that this information would benefit most anyone here!

Thank you, in advance!