The natural diet the Zone or diet of middle is unquestionably diet trendy of this new century, adopted by the vast majority of stars American (Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford …) Discover the secrets of this method.
Developed in 1995 by a Barry Sears, a former researcher at the prestigious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), The Zone diet has the wind in its sails. The book by B. Sears, “Enter the Zone diet,” was published in different languages. In France, now it is found in paperback under the title “ The regime Stars “.
The objective of the scheme “happy medium” is to maintain stable blood sugar levels through a diet low in carbohydrates and calories. To achieve a perfect balance, the theory of Dr. Sears uses the control of two types of female hormones insulin, secreted by the pancreas following the ingestion of carbohydrates to regulate blood sugar and eicosanoids, hormones manufactured by all cells and are involved in fat metabolism.
To keep them in an ideal Zone for health and slimming, Barry Sears advocates not only regular meals (three meals a day and two snacks) but also specific relationships between different dietary energy molecules. Thus, when ingested 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g must make proteins, and for every gram of protein ingested, you must eat 0.4 grams of fat! … Also, each meal should not exceed 500 kcal and snacks should remain below 100 kcal bar.
The Zone regime in practice:
The scheme includes menus with 5 daily food intake. They shall take place at regular intervals of 5 hours at most, and 30% of energy intake should be in the form of protein (chicken, fish, egg white, soy …), 35% as fat (only unsaturated fats from vegetable oil, almonds, avocados …) and 35% from carbohydrates (wholemeal bread, fruit, dried vegetables …). To make life easier for dieters, Dr. Sears has developed a system of equivalence between food portions and to respect the various reports. The hand of the individual to the “diet” then serves as a visual cue for portions of meats, cereals, fruits …
Although the “Zone” prohibits any food, some are considered less good for health or the balance between the two types of hormones (insulin and eicosanoids): all refined sugars and white flours, juices and sodas (even light), alcohol, caffeine rich drinks, bananas, figs, grapes, potatoes, carrots, peas and corn should be avoided.
There are menus in the book, like: for breakfast, wholemeal bread with cheese and scrambled egg; snacks, a yogurt, an apple and almond paste; at lunch, a filet of sole mustard with green lentils and beans; snacks, crudités sticks dipped in mayonnaise with olive oil; dinner, chicken cutlet with a steam broccoli. There is also an Internet-American site offering products stamped “The Zone”, the composition between energy molecules is adequate to the regime: cereal boxes, flavored energy bars, milks, protein powder, as well as kits with menus ready to follow the regimen of 30 days.
Effectiveness of The Zone diet:
The author predicts a loss of 500 g to 1.5 kg per week, which is true the first few weeks. But very quickly, the weight stagnates and there is a yo-yo effect, this “regime” not at variance with the rule.
The benefits of the Zone diet:
But what are the advantages and disadvantages of this method? Petit panorama:
Advantages: This diet creates a calorie deficit and therefore allows weight loss the first few days, which is motivating. Certain principles seem equally interesting, such as leaving a fairly important place to proteins. The latter make it possible to feed the muscle which prevents fatigue. This plan also proposes to drink plenty of water throughout the day, including a large glass before dinner. This phenomenon, coupled with the fiber in whole foods often cited, can be fed quickly enough. Make five “small” meals a day is also well to avoid compulsions or cravings, and this also helps promote digestion. Lastly, foods are often recommended actually interesting for health (fruits, vegetables, foods rich in omega 3, fish …).
Disadvantages of The Zone diet :
This scheme really does not stick to official nutritional recommendations which suggest 50% to 55% of calories from carbohydrates, 15% to 20% from protein and no more than 30% as fat. There is also no food reeducation. It does not take sufficient account of tastes and it’s not really suitable for professional life. Binding, this system requires a lot of calculations and planning: no improvisation or invitation is possible, which can lead to frustration. After stopping the program, weight gain seems inevitable.
In conclusion, this scheme is for people wanting to find out what the stars have to endure as Bratt, Cindy and Demi to be slim! … But beware, it causes too much stress and frustration.