The Zone Diet Meal Plan and Benefits

Barry Sear's diet programme lays high emphasis on nutrition and well-being. Find out if it's the best weight loss diet for you!

The Zone Diet has been created by PhD Barry Sears and Bill Lawren who claim that by following their advice, people can retool their metabolism and lose significant amounts of extra weight.

According to its creators, this diet is 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbohydrates, reason for which it can turn back ailments such as diabetes, heart diseases and high blood pressure. What is the most interesting about this diet is that it does not support a meal plan low in fats and proteins. In exchange, it tries to create a balanced plan that includes fats, carbohydrates and proteins as well.

Therefore, the Zone Diet foods are highly varied. In addition, the diet does not rule out consuming fewer calories than you presently do, but replacing them with others. For instance, the diet recommends eating small protein amounts at every meal.

These amounts must fit into the palm of your hand in order for them to be the right quantities. In addition, these proteins must also be included into the two snacks that the diet allows: one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Moreover, the carbohydrates must be included in your meals as well. Their quantities have to double the protein ones. These include most fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lentils and beans.

In case you choose to eat some unhealthy carbohydrates, their amounts have to be smaller. In this category, you can find fruit juices, brown rice, carrots, pastas, tortillas, papayas, bagels, mangoes, breads, bananas and breakfast cereals.

As far as dairy products go, these must mainly be consumed in the form of egg whites or egg substitutes and no-fat or low-fat milk and cheese. Saturated fats must also be kept to a minimum and consumed only in the form of avocadoes, olives, macadamia nuts and canola.

As far as the Zone Diet meal plan is concerned, this can include the following: an omelet made of four egg whites and two strawberry cups or one cup of low-fat cheese, plus one and a half cups of oatmeal for breakfast, 4 oz. of tuna or of turkey breast combined with one tablespoon of mayonnaise and no more than two pieces of bread made of whole-rye for lunch, plus 4 oz. of chicken breast, a salad, one cup of broccoli and an orange for dinner.

When it comes to snacks, these could be represented by chocolate malt, a Snickers bar, a cornbread muffin or a cup of low fat yoghurt.

All in all, the Zone Diet can be highly beneficial for those people looking to lose some extra weight and at the same time maintain their blood sugar levels healthy. At the same time, the diet can be very easy to follow due to the fact that it does not impose confusing schedules or complicated conditions.

On the other hand, the fact that the same diet limits the amount of carbohydrates that can be consumed per day makes it unacceptable to follow by athletes who are known to need more nutrients than people with regular lifestyles.