Even though the Zone diet originated twenty years ago, I had never heard a
word about it until reports surfaced that Renee Zellweger utilized it as her
tool for shedding the pounds gained for her role as Bridget Jones in the Bridget
Jones\' Diary films. What is the Zone Diet? How does it work?
The Zone Diet Concept
This diet actually originated 20 years ago. It was initially developed for
treating heart disease in Type II diabetes patients. Its basic objective is to
stabilize insulin level within the body by treating food like a drug.
It is not a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, and there are no phases to
trudge through. In fact, the foundation of this diet is carbohydrates, primarily
attained through fruits and vegetables. The recommendation is 10-15 servings of
fruits and vegetables a day, over three times the amount recommended by the
United States government.
Protein is supplemented through meat servings; rule-of-thumb is meat should
not exceed palm-size.
The Zone diet uses the dietary principles 40,30,30 as
a guide to preparing each Zone diet meal or snack-40% carbohydrates, 30% fat,
and 30% protein. The precise amount differs for each person depending on your
activity levels etc.
All in All
Obviously, each of these diets, if followed closely, proves effective as
there are living testimonies everywhere singing their praises. However, the more
research I performed for each program, the more I discovered how similar they
really are. Each diet not only addresses weight issues but also health issues in
general. And as with any diet, they each have the potential for major regression
and disappointment if not diligently followed. So now it is up to you to decide
which end of the bandwagon you wish to jump on. Good luck!