Free Diet and Weight Loss Plans

Is The Zone Diet Weight Loss Program Healthy?

Most of us have heard of Atkin's diet which calls for almost a complete carbohydrate cut from our diet for the first 2 weeks (induction phase)and then to add carbohydrate to our meals progressively thereafter. Whilst there are many success stories for this weight loss diet, there are also many criticisms claiming that Atkin's diet weight loss program is very unhealthy.

Well, to me, most weight loss diets are unhealthy. Anyway, I find Doctor Barry Sear's zone diet as one of the better or healthier weight loss diet. Please do note that I am not advocating dieting alone as a weight loss plan and strategy. I believe to lose weight and to keep the extra weight off permanently, we must combine healthy eating habits with regular exercise.

So what is the Zone Diet weight loss program?

The Zone Diet plan advocates protein-carb-fat balance in our meals. Very much like eating balanced meals.

Protein In Zone Diet

Our body needs a constant supply of protein as proteins are our body's building blocks. This is the reason why zone diet meals start with low-fat protein. Proteins stimulate glucagon production, a hormone that helps our body to release stored carbohydrates (glycogen) from our liver to maintain blood sugar levels for the brain. However, we should not consume protein in an amount bigger than the size and thickness of the palm of your hand, said Dr Barry Sears.

The protein serving should occupy one third of our dining plate because our body cannot use more protein than that (for ordinary folks who are not into building muscles).

Do choose the leanest protein as there are likely fats in your meal and saturated fat in any weight loss diet program should be kept low.

Carbohydrates In Zone Diet

The protein portion of a zone diet meal must be balanced and on par with the carbohydrates. Do note that not all carbs are equal. Fruits and vegetables are good carbs with a low capacity to stimulate insulin production, while other vegetables (such as carrots and potatos etc) and grain-based or refined flour products (white bread, pasta, white rice, cakes etc.) are bad carbohydrates as they are high glycemic carbs. Since the Zone diet's goal is insulin control, we must make sure that most of the carbohydrates are of the low glycemic types.

So one third of our meal should come from protein source and two thirds from good carbohydrate source like green leafy vegetables.

Fats In Zone Diet

A Zone diet meal requires fat. Good fats come in two forms: monounsaturated fats and long-chain omega-3 fats. Monounsaturated fats come from olive oil, some type of nuts aznd avocados etc. Long-chain omega-3 fats can come from fish oil.

Limit bad fats like saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fat comes from animal meat and high-fat dairy products. Trans fats are artificial fats created by the food industry, commonly listed as partially hydrogenated oil.

Then there is a type of omega-6 fatty acid known as arachidonic acid, found mainly in fatty red meats, egg yolks and organ meats. We do need some arachidonic acid in our diet, but too of this acid much can be damaging to our health just like any other fat.

Conclusion Of The Zone Diet Weight Loss Program

Sounds like common sense balanced meals isn't it? Would you include The Zone Diet plan into your weight loss program? What do you think about The Zone Diet?

Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer and author of "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast". More free articles at his site and blog http://www.sgfitness.com and http://sgfitnessonline.blogspot.com

MORE ARTICLES:

Why High Fiber Diet Is The Best Diet
Dieticians and physicians agree that a high fiber diet is the best diet not only for a healthy weight but also for a healthy heart and over all health and general well being. According to the Surgeon General, the American Dietetic Association and the National Cancer Institute, fiber should become an essential part of your daily diet, and adults should consume 20-35 grams of fiber everyday for optimal health. For children the standard rule of ?age plus five? applies, for example a child of six should take eleven grams of fiber everyday.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms Helped by Following New Weight Loss Diet Revealed in The Ultimate Diet Handbook
By following the diet outlined in The Ultimate Diet Handbook by Dr. Raj Banerjee, fibromyalgia symptoms can be helped. Fibromyalgia is a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread muscle and joint pain. By following this new fat loss diet, fibromyalgia victims are able to create a natural healthy balance allowing their body to automatically lose weight and get healthy.

Healthy Dieting - The Ups And Downs Of The Yo-Yo Diet
Very Real Dangers Of Dieting and the Yo-Yo Diet Effect

The Atkins Diet Vs The South Beach Diet
If you are trying to lose weight or even if you aren't, you have probably heard of the two famous diets: the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. The Atkins Diet was created by a doctor named Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972. He wrote a best-selling book entitled Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution that increased the popularity of the diet.

Low Carb Diets - The South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Zone Diet, and More
The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst dieters. From diet books, free low carb diet plans, online dieting sites, and thousands of low carb recipes, low carb diets have produced favorable results for millions of overweight people.

The Effective Diet Regimen by Alli Diet Pill
The Alli diet pill is a more effective weight loss regimen since it comes with a myalliplan program that constitutes a detailed and complete diet plan that allows its users to closely monitor their progress while obtaining online support from diet health experts Dieting is not an overnight process or with a short term goal

Healthy Diet Plans-How To Establish A Healthy Diet To Achieve Your Goals
Let?s cut right to the chase-most people?s diet today is pathetic. The reason that so many people end their lives in poor health and disease infested is due to a lifetime of poor eating habits.

Diet Company HMR Celebrates 25th Anniversary with $30 Discount Off Diet Kits
To celebrate 25 years of innovative weight and health management programs and low-calorie diet foods, HMR is offering dieters $30 off a Healthy Solutions Diet Kit when they join the HMR Kit Club with automatic delivery of HMR weight-loss foods.

Diets, Diets, Diets…Do They Work?
Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss programs at some time in their lives. The trouble with so many diets and low fat diets is that they are hard to follow.

Fad Diets Why They Are Bad: 3 Reasons Why Your Fad Diet Didn?t Work
Everyone starts a diet with only the best of intentions When you chose your last diet, maybe it was one that you?ve heard a lot of good things about

Diet And Acne: Diet Tips For Acne That Work
Diet And Acne ? There Is A Deep Relationship Between The Two, But Still No Diet Can Cure Acne Find Out More From A Lifelong Acne Researcher Medical profession had long believed that acne and diet were never linked together

Atkins Dieting Basics - Discover How Atkins Diet Can Help You Lose Weight
The Atkins diet has been created since the last 1970s and became popular in the recent years due to the low-fat diet craze. Because other low at plans does not give a perfect solution to the people who search for weight loss, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution book provides them a new hope for losing weight.

Dieting 101 - Choosing The Right Diet Foods
Diet fads come and go but the Food Guide Pyramid seems to continue to stand the test of time (even though they have reissued a new, up to date one. We know that we gain weight because we move less or burn off less energy than we consume. Therefore, if only we eat just enough or burn more energy than what we do now, we will lose weight right? Well, that is the ideal situation. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as that. In the end, it is not just about limiting our food intake and exercising more. It is really about making that conscious decision to eat the right kinds of foods AND to lead a more active lifestyle.

Take Hoodia diet pills with a Smart Diet, not a Starvation Diet
Could Hoodia weight loss supplements fulfill the expectations of dieters and impact the United States obesity troubles? Today fifty million Americans are attempting to slim down with just a low five percent sustaining the weight loss they are seeking. Can Hoodia, the new comer on the scene, assist you to be in that small percentage that gets there, one of the few that will be able to lose the pounds and not have it them come back? From initial reports it may have a chance if these Hoodia pills are not abused and taken in an improper way. The Hoodia Gordonii African weight loss supplement can?t do all the work by itself; you can?t just take this pill, sit back and watch it do a miraculous make over on your body. Hoodia will help you to not b...