The Zone Diet Essay -- Health Nutrition Weight Loss

It seems like everywhere you look there is some new diet plan making miraculous promises of weight loss through pills, plans, and formulas. The zone diet is no exception. The zone diet was developed by Dr. Barry Sears in his book," Enter the Zone" which was on the bestseller lists for weeks. The zone promises high energy, weight loss, and no hunger to those willing to follow the simple set of zone rules. It sounds great you say, but does it really work? What is the Zone? The "zone" was first referred to by athletes as a period of maximum performance and energy levels. When things are clicking and every part of our body is working at its best, we say we are "in the zone." When we fall short we experience a loss of performance, more illness, and feel moody and restless. The zone diet helps individuals to stay in the zone, not just trying to hit or miss. Instead of experiencing periodic energy highs and lows, it regulates levels throughout the day, putting the body in a metabolic state of peak efficiency. Much of this energy regulation is controlled by eicosanoids (http://www.coolrunning.com/sponsor/thezone/zone.htm#eicos). These are some of the most important chemical messengers in the body. However, since they perform their cell-to-cell communications very rapidly and in very small concentrations, they have often been overlooked by many researchers. Eicosanoids are completely derived from dietary fat. In addition, they have opposing physiological functions, which can be either good or bad. The good eicosanoids accelerate the use of stored body fat, whereas the bad do the opposite. These levels of eicosanoids can be controlled by what we eat at each meal. For example, high levels of carbohydrates decrease the produ... ...er 4. Gray, J., and Martinovic, A. (I 994). Eicosanoids and essential fatty acid modulation in chronic disease and the chronic fatigue syndrome, Medical Hypotheses, 43(l): 31-42. Harvey, J., Wing, R.,& Mullen, M. (I 993). Effects on food cravings of a very low calorie diet or a balanced, low calorie diet. Appetite, 21(2): 105-15. Kurilla, Michael G. (I 996). Protein Requirements in Humans. Intemet Librwy Shah, M., McGovern, P., French, S. & Baxter J. (1994). Comparison of a low-fat, ad libitum complex-carbohydrate diet with a low-energy diet in moderately obese women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59(5): 980-4. Suchner, U., and Senftleben, U. (1994). h=une modulation by polyunsaturated fatty acids during nutritional therapy: interactions with synthesis and effects of eicosanoids. Infusionstherapie und Transfusionsmedzin, 21(3): 167-82.