Zone Diet Contributions by Alice

Breakfast:

• Egg white and asparagus spinach omelet cooked in with olive oil

• Oatmeal

• Fresh strawberries

• Blue Berries with a dash of lemon juice

Lunch:

• Broiled Boiled chicken breast Mixed salad greens with with herbs and garlic

• Baby leaf salad with sliced tomato and olive oil salad dressing Sliced pear

• Medium Apple

Dinner:

• o Salmon poached in orange juice o with lemon juice and a tsp of low sodium soy sauce

• Summer squash and zucchini sautéed in butter o Blueberries

• Strawberries

Day Two

Breakfast:

*Whole grain French toast made with

and egg whites, topped with light agave syrup

• Turkey bacon

• An orange

• Sliced Pear

Lunch:

• Pita pocked stuffed Low carb tortilla wrap with deli hamturkey, low fat cheese, mustard, lettuce, tomato and alfalfa sprouts

• Lettuce and spinach salad with cucumber, tomato and broccoli, topped with olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Dinner:

• Eggplant Parmesan

• Baby spinach salad with strawberries and blackberries, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar

.Day Three

Breakfast:

• Breakfast burrito with scrambled egg substitute, turkey bacon and cheese in a tortilla
• Turkey Bacon and low fat cheese frittata
• Fresh blueberries

Lunch:

• Chicken fajita burrito in a low carb whole wheat wrap
• Avocado and cottage cheese salad

Dinner:

• Shrimp stir-fry with snow peas, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bean sprouts

• Strawberries with cottage cheese

Snacks

• Mozzarella cheese and an orange
• Pudding
• Frozen blueberry yogurt
• Chicken salad
• Berry banana slush
• Almond oatmeal cookies

citation: Kathleen Robers. “Menu for the Zone Diet,” LovetoknowDiet, July 17, 2011, http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/MenufortheZoneDiet

Jim. F.“Manuel Uribe: Zone Diet's Biggest Success Story,” DietBlog, Accessed Aug. 5th, 2011, http://www.diet-blog.com/08/manueluribezonedietsbiggestsuccessstory.php.

Breakfast: 6 egg white scrambled eggs ¾ cup melon, ½ grapefruit, and 1 cup strawberries 3 tablespoons guacamole

Lunch: 3 ounces tuna salad with avocado and cucumber ½ grapefruit 3 cups vegetables

Snack: Protein Shake (3 scoops Zone Protein Powder in water, 18 peanuts, 3 peaches or 1 cup mandarin oranges, blended)

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas (3 oz. chicken, onions, peppers, and 1 6" tortilla) 2 cups vegetables

2nd Dinner: Fish Filet in Green Salad (4 oz. white fish, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pumpkin, green beans, squash, and cucumbers) 3 tablespoons avocado 1 apple

Snack: Protein Shake (1 cup 2% milk, 3 scoops Zone Protein Powder, 9 almonds, Splenda, ½ cup strawberries, and 1 cup melon)

Breakfast:

• Egg white and spinach omelet cooked with olive oil

• Oatmeal

• Blue Berries with a dash of lemon juice

Lunch:

• Boiled chicken breast with herbs and garlic

• Baby leaf salad with sliced tomato and olive oil salad dressing

• Medium Apple

Dinner:

• Salmon with lemon juice and a tsp of low sodium soy sauce

• Summer squash and zucchini sautéed in butter

• Strawberries

Day Two

Breakfast:

*Whole grain French toast made with and egg whites, topped with light agave syrup

• Turkey bacon

• Sliced Pear

Lunch:

• Low carb tortilla wrap with deli turkey, low fat cheese, mustard, lettuce, tomato and sprouts

• Lettuce and spinach salad with cucumber, tomato and broccoli, topped with olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Dinner:

• Eggplant Parmesan

• Baby spinach salad with strawberries and blackberries, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar

.Day Three

Breakfast:

• Turkey Bacon and low fat cheese frittata
• Fresh blueberries

Lunch:

• Chicken burrito in a low carb whole wheat wrap
• Avocado and cottage cheese salad

Dinner:

• Shrimp stir-fry with snow peas, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bean sprouts

• Strawberries with cottage cheese

Snacks

• Mozzarella cheese and an orange
• Pudding
• Frozen blueberry yogurt
• Chicken salad
• Berry banana slush
• Almond oatmeal cookies

citation: Kathleen Robers. “Menu for the Zone Diet,” LovetoknowDiet, July 17, 2011, http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/MenufortheZoneDiet

Kathleen Robers. “Menu for the Zone Diet,” LovetoknowDiet, July 17, 2011, http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/MenufortheZoneDiet

Sears, Barry (2000). The Soy Zone. Regan Books. ISBN 0060393106.

Sears, Barry (1995). The Zone: A Dietary Road Map. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060987065. Sears's initial book on the Zone diet.

WebMD. “The Zone Diet,” WebMD, July 18, 2011, http://www.webmd.com/diet/zone-what-it-is?page=3.

Wikipedia. “Zone Diet,” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, May 16, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_diet.

ZoneDiet.com. “Dr. Sears Zone Diet,” ZoneDiet.com, July 18, 2011, http://www.zonediet.com.

The Zone Diet Plan.com. “The Zone Diet Plan: Your Healthy Weight Loss Solution!,” The Zone Diet Plan.com, July 17, 2011, http://www.the-zone-diet-plan.com/.

By stabilizing the bodies hormones, specifically insulin levels, the Zone diet creates and optimal balance within the body to produce maximum health benefits.

Some of the potential benefits include:

• Weight Loss
• Increase in muscle mass
• Improved mental focus and acuity
• Greater energy and performance
• Decreased body fat levels
• Elevated mood
• Better ability to handle everyday stress
• Prevention of heart disease and diabetes

Guidelines & Levels of the Zone Diet - By Barry Sears

Level 1:

• Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day (eight 8-ounce glasses).
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, and less pasta, breads, grains, and starches during the day.
• Eat more frequent meals with fewer calories.
• Eat small amounts of low-fat protein at every meal and snack.

Level 2:

• Determine how much protein you require per day and consume that amount.
• Use the eyeball method to control your ratio of protein to carbohydrate at every meal.
• Add some extra monounsaturated fat to every meal.
• Drink 8 ounces of water thirty minutes before a meal.

Level 3:

• Make sure most of your carbohydrates come from fruits and vegetables, and use grains, starches, pasta, and breads as condiments. Try to keep grains, starches, pasta, and bread to no more than 25 percent of the total carbohydrates consumed at a meal.
• Never let more than five hours go by without eating a Zone meal or snack.
• Always eat a Zone breakfast within one hour of rising.
• Always have a small Zone snack before you go to bed.
• Always have a small Zone snack thirty minutes before you exercise.

The Zone Diet was developed by Dr. Barry Sears in 1995 and suggests that by choosing the right foods, your body will be ‘in the zone’ and function at it’s optimal level. The Zone Diet focuses on stabilizing hormone levels, specifically insulin production, and allowing the body to return to a natural "hormonal state" for better health of body and mind. As stated by Sears, the Zone is a "metabolic state in which the body works at peak efficiency," The Zone is a low (refined) carbohydrate diet that encourages good protein consumption, lots of fruits and vegetables and adequate levels of mono-unsaturated fats all to stabilize blood sugar and maintain equilibrium within the body. On the Zone diet meals, there is a 40:30:30 ratio of complex carbohydrates (mostly from vegetables or fruits), protein and healthy fats. For each meal, 40% of calories from complex carbohydrates such as fruit and vegetables (broccoli, tomatoes, green beans, apples, strawberries, etc.), 30% of calories come from low-fat protein* (about the size of your palm) as well as 30% monounsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts and seeds or avocados. The balance of protein, complex and unrefined carbohydrates (mostly vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans, whole grains) and fat is very important. Protein must be included in all main meals and snacks. By maintaining this balance, a zone dieter shouldn’t experience carbohydrate cravings or hunger because their hormonal and insulin levels are being kept constant.

*For vegetarians, Sears published the Soy Zone in 2000 where he outlined a zone diet based around soy protein and soy foods.

The timing of what you eat is an important factor within the Zone diet in order to maintain consistent insulin levels throughout the day. Zone Dieters eat 3 main meals a day and at least 2 snacks throughout the day. The guidelines suggest eating 4-5 hours after a meal or 2-2.5 hours after a snack. This timing of meals and snacks is to prevent major drops or increases in insulin levels and dieters are encouraged to stick to this schedule, hungry or not. The diet claims that you should never be hungry if you are eating at regular intervals and choosing the right foods for each meal. Dr. Sears focuses on insulin as a cause for much of today’s obesity problems and states, ‘excess insulin makes you fat and keeps you fat.’ An excess of carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates found in breads, cereals, white pasta, rice and sweets, are a major cause of skyrocketing insulin levels and need to be drastically reduced for weight loss and overall health benefits. Fat on the other hand, especially healthy fats like Omega 3’s found in fatty fish and other mono-unsaturated fats from nuts, seeds and avocados help burn fat and are important in the Zone balance diet.