Zone Diet Complete Overview the most important basic rules of this diet

Wikihealthya

8 Sep, 2023

Zone Diet: Learn with us the most important basic rules of this diet.

The Zone diet not only helps a person lose weight, but also works to enhance his mental and physical health, and slow down aging. We will talk here about this wonderful diet in detail.

Zone diet.

It is one of the most famous modern diets in the world, which has been adopted by most Hollywood artists, and even global politicians, after it has proven impressive results when adhering to it. The Zone diet is a low-carb diet for weight loss, developed by the biochemist Barry Caesar, who identified portions of carbohydrates balanced with protein at each meal. Learn with us the most important basic rules of this diet, and no what are its most important advantages?

About Zone Diet

The Zone diet is one of the diets that help lose weight, as food is divided into proportions that are supposed to maintain the body in a state of “metabolic balance.” Barry Sears invented it and worked on developing it and setting certain proportions of nutrients in each meal in order to determine the consumption of each of them in a system Zone. Which depends on:

40% of carbohydrates.
30% protein.
30% fat.

Sears coined the term "Zone" for hormonal balance. This is when a point of balance is reached in insulin levels and glucagon levels. Where the body then produces anti-inflammatory chemicals that have an effect similar to aspirin without its negative results that cause stomach bleeding. In this diet, the Zone program recommends eating 5 meals a day to maintain a sense of satiety, which facilitates the process of continuing the program.

The basic rules of the Zone diet

This diet is a low-profile diet, and the Zone diet relies on gradual weight loss, with weight loss rates ranging between 1:1.5 pounds per week. Weight loss is from fat mass only while preserving and supporting muscle mass. With regularity in the program, you will notice the change in the appearance of your body and the measurements of your clothes. In order to achieve tangible results in the Zone diet, you must follow the following basic rules and instructions:

Commit to eating your first meal of the day an hour after you wake up.
You shouldn't go 5 hours without snacking.
Be sure to eat a light meal before bed, so that the number of meals is 5 meals a day, three main meals, and two snacks between them.
Drink the equivalent of 3.8 liters of water daily.
Your diet should be low in salt, based on fresh ingredients, and avoid preserved foods where the sodium content is high.

Foods that can be eaten on the Zone diet

Many of the most popular food choices are similar. The healthy zone diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, which is one of the most popular diets. Here are the foods that can be included in the Zone diet:

Variety of meat.
Skinless chicken and turkey breast.
Seafood such as fish or shellfish.
Soy products are a good source of plant-based protein.
Low-fat cheese.
Low-fat milk or yogurt.
avocado.
Macadamia nuts such as peanuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios.
Peanut Butter.
Sesame tahini

carbohydrates

When following the Zone diet, it is important for a person to choose vegetables with a low glycemic index that works on insulin resistance. Where this diet plays a major role, good choices include vegetables rich in fiber and low in sugar, such as:.

Some fruits, such as berries, apples, oranges, and peaches.
Vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms.
Yellow pumpkin and chickpeas.
Grains such as oats and barley.

In order to start the Zone diet on a proper basis, you must calculate the percentage of fat in your body to the percentage of your muscle mass. Based on this information, the appropriate diet can be customized for you. The rate of fat loss will be from 1:1.5 pounds of body fat per week, and any increase from that rate means that you are starting to lose muscle mass from the body. Therefore, these proportions must be adhered to.

Zone diet and insulin resistance test

If the level of insulin resistance rises in the blood, this means that the person is susceptible to diabetes and heart disease. The researchers of the Blue Zone Diet found that in order to know the truth about your condition, you should consult your physician, who will ask you some questions, and through answers, he can determine the extent of your insulin resistance. Among these questions:

When do you feel hungry after eating the main meal?
If you miss your meal time. Do you feel tired or sweaty?
Do you feel tired after eating?

Zone diet plan for men and women

It is necessary to eat a healthy breakfast that includes eggs, turkey slices, and vegetables. Below is a table showing the Zone diet plan for men:

Breakfast	- 2 well-beaten eggs - 3 slices of turkey - Low-fat cheese - apple - 3 and a half cups of cooked spinach - A cup of boiled mushrooms - 1/4 cup of boiled onions - 1 1/3 tablespoons of olive oil
lunch	- Skinless grilled chicken - Boiled eggs - 1 cup raw mushrooms - 1 cup sliced raw cucumber - 1 sliced red capsicum - avocado - 1 teaspoon vinegar - Two plums
Snack	- 3 almonds - 1/2 apple
Dinner	- Grilled salmon - 1 cup of baked potato - 1/4 cup of raw tomatoes - 1 cup sliced raw cucumber - avocado - A teaspoon of olive oil
Snack	- 1/4 cup of cottage cheese - 6 grains of peanuts - 1/2 orange

Foods prohibited in the Zone diet

Nothing is expressly forbidden in this system. However, there are some food choices that are forbidden because they promote inflammation. Including:

Some fruits have high levels of sugars, such as bananas, grapes, and dried fruits in general.
High-sugar or starchy vegetables like peas, corn, carrots, potatoes, etc.
Also refined and processed carbohydrates from forbidden foods, pasta and other white flour products.
Breakfast cereals, muffins and foods that contain sugars such as cakes and biscuits.
Among the forbidden foods are also red fats coated with fat, and egg yolks.

The Zone diet may have many advantages that you should pay attention to, which include the following:

A distinct system for reducing weight while avoiding potential side effects, while preventing heart disease, if the system is followed strictly for life.
Zone diet contains the body's needs of nutrients.
The Zone system achieves the required weight loss without causing any health problems.
Zone diet depends on reducing the intake of starches and carbohydrates, so it is suitable and fully compatible with diabetics.
It does not completely prevent the consumption of fats, but it permits the consumption of benign and good fats.

As for the disadvantages of the Zone diet, they are

It is not compatible with athletes who feel tired during their sports activities.
People who are used to eating carbohydrates and starches find it difficult to give them up forever.