The Zone Diet Plan - Time for a Lifestyle Change
Balance is the secret word in the Zone Diet plan. The Zone diet, unlike many other diets, expounds upon moderation, proper nutrition and balancing your hormonal levels. The idea behind this mundane concept, as opposed to more extreme and hyped diets, is its focus on maintaining the lifestyle forever.
The trademarked plan is called the, “Zone 1-2-3 Method.” In short, the nutritional method explains that, ideally a body should take in 1 gram of fat (the good kinds), along with 2 grams of protein, along with 3 grams of carbohydrates (the good kinds) as a daily eating regimen.
The plan’s marketing touts an element of diabetes control and, further, the plan strives to balance 3 specific bodily hormones, insulin, glucagon, and eicosanoids. These three hormones are selected as targets to support the theory that insidious inflammation, throughout the body, hinders its proper healthy functioning. Reduction of inflammatory factors encourages better overall physical and psychological health.
Insulin, in excess, is associated with storing fats in the body. It is a necessary part of your survival systems, but too much, unbalanced with proper diet, makes for an unhealthy body. Diabetes management is connected with insulin levels as well. Glucagon is a hormone associated with the steady release of carbohydrates to the body, and thus, the stability of blood sugars. Too much of this hormone, unbalanced, creates fluctuations that sap normal energy levels from the body. Eicosanoids are key hormones that direct other hormones in the body, so balancing this hormone is essential to balancing the others.
The Essence of the Plan
The diet itself is based on proteins, fats and carbohydrates. To balance the hormones, the diet must be balanced too. So it is not difficult to follow, a simple rule of food percentages is the key to eating right. 100% of your daily diet should be 40-30-30. By consuming a daily diet of 40% advantageous carbohydrates, 30% advantageous fats and 30% proteins, optimal health and energy can be achieved.
If you have the need for more detailed eating information, the Zone Diet explains more. Using a method of blocks, meaning units, you are allowed so many blocks per day for your daily eating routine. Weight Watchers devised a similar method of points, for unit eating, long ago. In the Zone Diet an average man would be allowed 14 blocks per day, and an average woman would be allowed 11 blocks. For your specific block consumption number there is a block calculator.
The blocks represent portions of foods. Your block number represents the total number of blocks allowed for each meal. There are 2 snacks per day allowed, afternoon and before bed, and each snack, for men or women, is allocated 1 block.
The recommended portions of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are further described. For daily intake, the normal 3 meals a day are consumed, and the additional 2 snacks are included. Each meal for a woman would be 3 blocks allowed.
The blocks each represent a portion of protein, carbohydrate or fats. The portions of each food group are further described. They are a modest serving of protein, a small serving of fats and, usually, a large serving from the carbohydrates group.
Foods from Scratch or Prepared Foods - It's your choice!
To help you with making intelligent dietary choices, the Zone Diet plan provides information to select ordinary prepared foods from the grocery store with components that fit into the guidelines of the Zone diet plan. If cooking from scratch is your preference, many recipes are provided to create healthy meals at home. In addition, Zone Labs markets a small line of food products, featuring nutrition shakes and snack bars, within the diet’s food ranges. A Zone Diet sideline, focusing on peak athletic performance, markets omega 3 and polyphenol supplements as well. In more urban areas, there are also, daily meal, home-delivery, foods that can be ordered.