Popular Diet Comparison: The Zone Diet

Popular Diet Comparison

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days! Lose 10 pounds a week and eat all you want! We’ve all seen these statements – miracle diets that claim to have you losing large amounts of weight with little to no effort, or on the flip side, diets that ask you to deprive or starve yourself in order to see results. And if you want to lose weight, these miraculous claims can certainly seem appealing. But many of these diets are not realistic in the long term (or even healthy in the short-term!) and if you are serious about achieving healthy weight loss/maintenance for life, then it requires a life-time commitment. 

Here we’ll go through some of the more popular diets out there – what they are, how they work, what to expect, some unbiased pros and cons and then our own evaluation and rating (good, bad or ugly) based on the safety and effectiveness of each. At the end, we hope that you’ll be able to make an educated decision regarding the healthiest and most effective diet for you!

Popular Diets:

• The Atkins Diet
• The Cabbage Soup Diet
• The Blood Type Diet (aka Eat Right 4 Your Type)
• The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet

Official Site: www.zonediet.com

Overview:

Developed by Dr. Barry Sears, the Zone diet’s basic principle is that each of your meals and snacks should be made up of a balanced 40/30/30 ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Each nutrient component is considered a block and each meal or snack should consist of certain carbohydrate blocks, protein blocks and fat blocks. These zone meals, along with particular meal times (you’ll be eating 5 times a day on this diet) and portion sizes combine to create the popular Zone Diet.

How it works:

The theory behind this diet is that when you eat this specific 40/30/30 nutrient ratio, you’re creating a proper hormone balance. Dr. Sears suggests that by consuming the right amounts of these components, you can control your body's insulin production. Sears says that when your insulin is at the right level, your body burns fat more effectively. The diet is also meant to control another hormone-like substance called eicosanoids. Eicosanoids control many vital physiological functions, including those of the cardiovascular system, immune system, and nervous system. Dr. Sears believes that certain eicosanoids are “good” while others are “bad”, and that the ratio between good eicosanoids and bad can be changed by following the Zone dietary plan. The Zone is not a ‘diet’, but a life-long hormonal control strategy.

Length of program

Indefinite

Expect to eat a whole lot of:

Lean meats, egg whites, poultry, seafood, low-fat dairy foods and small amounts of low-glycemic index fruits and veggies.

Say goodbye to:

Simple one-component meals, caffeine, foods with a high glycemic index (bread, cereals, sweets, many fruits and juices, potatoes, etc).

Pros:

• If you follow the plan exactly, you will lose weight simply due to the restricted caloric intake (under 1500/day).
• Advocates of the diet claim improved energy levels, mental clarity and endurance.
• The Zone’s reduction of sugar and focus on portion control are positive, healthy life changes (diet or no diet).

Cons:

• Making sure every meal and snack has an exact 40/30/30 ratio can be very time-consuming and frustrating. They do sell a line of pre-made meals, but these are very expensive and would not be a sustainable solution in the long-term. 
• As this is a very low caloric diet and complicated to follow, it will be difficult to stick to the program exactly and for a long period of time.

Thoughts on the Zone Diet:

While a healthy and balanced diet with exercise is the best long-term plan to lose weight and stay healthy, the ratio of this diet is a little off. Compared to the current recommended guidelines, this diet is very high in protein and low in carbohydrates (current Canadian guidelines recommends a ratio of 55/30/15 for carbohydrates, fats and protein respectively). Since carbohydrates are our main source of fuel, it’s worrisome that they are restricted. Athletes and very active individuals may find that this diet does not keep up with their active lives. As well, getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure that you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Each fruit and veggie, along with adding variety to your diet, adds their own unique and valuable nutrient profile, and cutting out certain produce deprives you of those nutrients.

There is also much debate right now over the science behind this diet. Advocates feel that the scientific basis is correct and this diet is the best way to maintain balanced insulin levels and lose weight. Others feel that the scientific explanations are unsupported and illogical. Unfortunately, this debate continues, so there is no definitive right and wrong regarding this diet.