Hi everyone,

I am back on the Zone after going to the Dr. and finding my cholesterol to be 223. This is after being on a trial of low carb - I.E. not necessarily a diet, just low carb, an I mean low carb everything - which is not what they advocate, but I am sure was probably the problem. I started out on Atkins, but ended up just eating low carb with no particular diet. I think this is what escalated my cholesterol - heavy cream, cheese, etc. - way more than was allowed on any diet. While I am not advocating Atkins, it works for my husband, whose cholesterol went down to 117. He does not eat all of the extras that I did. To each his own. Now we are on separate diets.

Anyway, I pulled out and dusted off my old "A Week in the Zone" book and here I am. Several years ago, I lost so much weight on the Zone (down to 116, am 5'4", that people told me I was loosing way too much, but the funny thing - I felt wonderful! I slowly went back to my old ways. I have now been back for 4 days and already feel fantastic with no hunger, and it makes me wonder why I ever strayed. One reason is probably that I didn't do the pig out meal once a month. Also, I was much younger then and the weight came off easily.

Sooo... I am now trying to figure out the block system once again and how to incorporate it in the winter comfort food casseroles, which I think is the hardest part of this diet.

Wish me luck - I have to have my cholesterol re-checked in 4 months and am confident this will keep me from being on medication!

...Mari

Welcome back Mari! I am glad that you found your way "home".

Are you taking fish oil? I would highly recommend it as a very important supplement to the Zone eating plan and lifestyle.

Hi Cranberrycat and thanks for the welcome. To answer your question, I am currently taking 2000mg of fish oil daily. Is this an acceptable amount?

That is pretty close. A standard dose of Zone Labs fish oil is 2400 mg, which is 1600 mg of EPA and 800 mg of DHA. More importantly, does your fish oil have a 2:1 ratio of EPA/DHA?

And your Fish Oil should be at least 60% of combined EPA/DHA in a 2:1 ratio.
Example: 1 capsule of 1000 mg Fish Oil with 400/200 EPA/DHA is 600 mg or 60%.

Hi Mari!

Welcome back to the Zone! Just think, by this time next week you'll be well on your way feeling great again. Because you've been on Atkins, plus dabbling and then continued to eat low carb, you may find you need to practice very close adherence to the Zone diet as you begin this time around. You might have already read Dr. Sears' info about how ketosis (the Atkins diet induces ketosis) turns one's fat cells into "fat magnets". No worries though, because you can turn it around with the Zone. Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you didn't know that it might take you a little bit longer than a person who hasn't been in ketosis.

To repeat it all in one place, the criteria that Barry Sears has set for fish oil is to use an ultra-refined fish oil with a 60 % concentration of EPA and DHA in a 2:1 ratio, form a batch that has attained the IFOS 5 star rating (this is the only really dependable measure of concentration and purity, becuase it is independent testing done by a top lab). To put it in simpler terms, as John already did, every 1000mg of total fish oil should contain 400mg of EPA and 200mg of DHA. You will not find this kind of fish oil sold retail. Also, Barry Sears' fish oil dose recommendations are stated in terms of grams of combined EPA and DHA (not total grams of fish oil).

Your fish oil dose would be a minimum of 5g of combined EPA and DHA daily.


The amount of Omega Rx fish oil (or its equivalent) that you'd take daily depends upon your degree of wellness. It's explained in TOXIC FAT as follows (again, grams refer to total amount of EPA and DHA combined).

To maintain wellness, 2.5 g/day (4 caps; 1 teaspoon liquid).
For overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, or before starting a diet, 5 g/day (8 caps; 2 teaspoons liquid).
For chronic pain, 7.5 g/day (12 caps; 3 teaspoons liquid).
For existing neurological conditions 10 g/day (16 caps; 4 teaspoons liquid).

A final tip, I highly recommend reading the latest Zone book TOXIC FAT. There have been a lot of developments in the past 10 years that are not included in A WEEK IN THE ZONE.

I'll be happy to help if I can. I've had a lot of personal success with the Zone in the past 15 years, and I love to share my knowledge if it can help others. (I'm on vacation at the moment but will be back next week. Please understand if I don't happen to get back to you right away).
Good Luck!

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By John on 10/22/2009 10:10 AM

And your Fish Oil should be at least 60% of combined EPA/DHA in a 2:1 ratio.
Example: 1 capsule of 1000 mg Fish Oil with 400/200 EPA/DHA is 600 mg or 60%. </div>

Good point, John. THe capsule may read 1000 mg, but the total EPA/DHA may not add up to that, due to the proprietary blend. Certainly if there is less than 60% of combined EPA/DHA, one would wonder what they are REALLY getting in their fish oil capsule!

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Cranberrycat on 10/22/2009 11:31 AM

Certainly if there is less than 60% of combined EPA/DHA, one would wonder what they are REALLY getting in their fish oil capsule!
</div>

It means you're getting a less purified fish oil that contains more pollution from heavy metals and chemicals.

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Sue K on 10/22/2009 1:59 PM
It means you're getting a less purified fish oil that contains more pollution from heavy metals and chemicals. </div>

Not necessarily. It means that there is less concentration of EPA/DHA and more of a proprietary blend. Most brands that are sold today are free from pollution from heavy metals and chemicals.

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Sue K on 10/22/2009 10:58 PM
To all readers here,

Simply stated, the author of the above quote is misinformed.
</div>


LOL! Geez, I wonder who Sue is referring to?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/...n11832856/

Try the link above, maybe that will clear up the confusion. I can copy some of the text here:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Quality & Purity

One of the common concerns with fish oil supplements relates to product contamination, in particular the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and heavy metals such as mercury. However, a recent report on fish oil supplements by ConsumerLab.com found no detectable levels of mercury (less than 1.5 parts per billion) in the products analyzed. Consumer Reports also recently tested several popular brands and found that none contained significant levels of mercury, dioxins or PCBs.

The lack of mercury in fish oil supplements may be attributed to the fact that most mercury in fish is concentrated in the meat, not the oil. This is especially good news for those taking high therapeutic doses to treat neurological disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. Distillation processes used by most manufacturers to remove contaminants may also explain the lack of heavy metals and other toxins.

http://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/...ls/omega3/

Here's another link, this one is the "abstract" of the full report, which you would need a subscription to access. But, all of the brands that were tested are listed on this page, if you follow the link.

Oh, I must have misunderstood. I guess when you were posting replies to my posts, I must have thought you were interested in some discussion.

I don't see anything wrong with bringing other points of view here, do you?

I disagree that you were being argumentative. You simply provided a reference to information from two sources, and a short abstract of that information. I see nothing wrong with providing the findings of two reputable sources.
I, too, subscribe, to both of those: Consumer Labs and Consumer Reports. And for in-depth nutrient analysis, I highly respect Consumer Labs. I think, after you provided the referencial information, the statement that your quote is misinformed was unnecessary.
.
It probably could have better been stated, not as a fact but as another point of view, but more importantly included the WHY and the other point of view, and its source.
.
But to state it as fact, with no basis nor opposing reasoning, was not the best way it could have been written or worded.

Thanks, John. Thought I was missing something here.

BTW, I don't know if you realize this or not, but I have posted this information in the past. I guess, in retrospect, that I could have posted it again here, but you know what they say about hindsight!

I used to belong to Consumer Labs but have let my membership expire. I also value their opinions and testing.

I missed the follow-ups here, until now, however posted my answer on fish oil on the health board. After doing some extensive reading I have opted on the fish oil that John suggested due to the price and comparable reviews. Not that Dr. Sears brand is not good, I am sure that it is fabulous, I just choose not to pay the high price. I also don't necessarily think one persons way of thinking is better than someone elses, and we all are here obviously to make our lives healthier. Bottom line is we all have to do what's best for ourselves and our situations and we should all commend ourselves for at least, even though we may not be perfect, trying to stay healthy.

I work in a hospital and see so many people coming in that are my age and wonder why they ever let themselves get to the point that they have, and when I see them, I pat myself on the back every day for being obsessed with staying healthy, no matter how many slices of pizza that I have given up!

Hey Mari!

I am glad that the information was useful to you. I also agree that one person's thinking is not always better than anothers. I usually use a variety of sources to help me make determinations in the pathway that I am going to follow.

I am also glad that John's info is helpful, it is helpful to me, as I am considering a switch for a less expensive brand!

Hi All,

When comparing cost, just add the "active ingredients" EPA & DHA. Zone Labs is not expensive check it out...
http://www.zonediet.com/Shop/Omega-...rates.aspx copy and paste this URL then click on Omega|Rx is a strong value. Here is why. »

Tech Support;

...PRODUCT:....EPA/DHA..Ratio..Total..%....#...Total..Price...$/gm....
.
Zone Liquid......400/200...2:1...600...60%..214..128400..$63.96..$0.50...
Zone capsules..400/200...2:1...600...60%..120..72000..$40.76..$0.57...
.
LEF caps SALE..350/250...7:5...600...60%..120..72000..$12.80..$0.18...
LEF capsules.....350/250...7:5...600...60%..120..72000..$21.00..$0.29...
.
Nat Factrs.......400/200...8:4...600...60%..120..72000..$16.17..$0.22...