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1. If I follow the Zone diet, does this mean I can never have rice,
pasta or bagels again?
Of course not. Following a Zone Diet only means that you should be using
these sources of carbohydrates in moderation, like condiments. Simply make
sure that most of your daily intake of carbohydrates come from fruits and
vegetables.
2. Do I have to be obsessive about the Zone Diet to be successful?
Obviously, the greater the precision, the greater the results, but if
you only use the rules found in Mastering the Zone, and use the eyeball method, you won't
be too far away from the center of the Zone. Just remember to pay very close
attention to your responses after a meal. Using the simple tools in this book, you
will be able to adjust your hormonal carburetor with increasing precision without having
to obsess about portion size, blocks, and calculations.
3. Should I be concerned about such a seemingly low daily caloric
intake?
If you have excess body fat (greater than 15 percent for males and
greater than 22 percent for females), then all the calories you need are already stored
in your body. Remember that the typical male or female in this country carries about
100,000 calories of stored fat on them at all times. To put this in perspective,
this represents approximately 1,700 pancakes, which is a pretty big breakfast. To access
those 1,700 pancakes you simply need a "hormonal ATM card" to release these
stored calories. The Zone Diet is that card. If you are using that ATM card
correctly, you don't have to consume as many external calories to meet your body's
energy requirements. On the Zone Diet, you are eating as if you are already at
your ideal percentage of body fat because you are using a combination of your
stored body fat and incoming calories to meet your total caloric requirements.
4. Doesn't any low-calorie diet cause fat loss?
Not necessarily. Research studies in the 1950s conducted by Kekwick and
Pawan at the Middlesex Hospital in London demonstrated that on diets
consisting of 1,000 calories per day. All patients lost substantial weight on a high-protein
(90% of calories) diet, high-fat (90% of calories) diet, and a mixed (42% of
calories as carbohydrate -- basically a Zone diet) diet, but most patients actually
gained weight on a high-carbohydrate (90 percent of calories) diet. Cutting back on
calories without gaining access to your hormonal ATM card is a sure-fire
prescription for deprivation, constant hunger and fatigue. Any time you reduce calories,
you will lose some weight, but eventually you hit a hormonal plateau where the
weight loss (and more importantly fat loss) stops, but feelings of hunger,
deprivation and fatigue continue. The Zone Diet is not a diet, it's a hormonal
control program, which allows you to optimize your quality of life.
5. What is more important, the amount of carbohydrates you consume or
the glycemic index of the carbohydrates you eat?
The total intake of carbohydrates is most important. However, you will
get even greater results on the Zone Diet by making sure most of your
carbohydrates come from low-glycemic carbohydrates. By eating low-glycemic
foods, you are retarding their rates of entry into the bloodstream, thereby
maintaining the best possible balance of your insulin levels. In addition,
low-glycemic carbohydrates provide the maximum amounts of vitamins
and minerals with the least amount of carbohydrate.
Finally, by eating primarily low-glycemic carbohydrates, you will be
constantly faced with a very hearty meal because low-glycemic carbohydrates are
also usually low-density carbohydrates. It is simply very hard, if not impossible, to
over-consume low-density carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables.
6. How long before I can expect to see results on the Zone Diet?
Within two to three days you should see a noticeable reduction in your
carbohydrate cravings with increased mental focus. Within five days you
will notice a significant increase in your lack of hunger throughout the day coupled
with better physical performance. Within two weeks, although you will not have lost
much weight, you will notice that your clothes are fitting much better. Keep
in mind the maximum fat loss you can expect is one to one and a half pounds of fat
per week. It is simply impossible to reduce excess body fat any faster.
7. Why doesn't the Zone Diet include the protein content of
carbohydrate-rich sources like vegetables or grains?
Because people would get too bogged down in the calculations. A
significant amount of the protein in these foods is not absorbed, therefore one has
to impose correction factors to take into account the actual amount of protein
that is absorbed and thus its effect on hormonal response. Since vegetable sources
are not very protein dense, it makes more sense to ignore their protein contribution.
Vegetarians should make sure that they always include protein-rich vegetarian
sources such as firm tofu, isolated protein powders, or soybean imitation meat
products at every meal to ensure adequate protein intake.
8. What is the minimum amount of daily protein block intake?
Obivously, no one should be eating more protein than their body
requires. We always recommend a minimum of eight protein blocks throughout
the day for adults.
9. Won't a high-protein diet cause osteoporosis and kidney failure?
Not if you are eating a protein-adequate diet like the Zone Diet. This
is one of the great myths of nutrition. No one should be eating more protein than
their body requires, but conversely no one should be eating less because to do so
is to put yourself in a state of protein malnutrition. On the Zone Diet, you are
not only eating adequate protein, but also spreading it over three meals
and two snacks. It's almost as if you are receiving an intravenous drip of protein. Excessive
protein at any meal can't be stored by the body, and therefore has to be converted into fat.
The first step in this conversion process is the removal of the amino group from
the protein, which can put a strain on the kidney if excessive protein is floating
around in the bloodstream. Furthermore, the newest research indicates that even for
patients with kidney failure, the earlier reports about protein restriction may have
been overblown. Calcium loss, even when eating excessive amounts of protein,
is completely blocked if adequate calcium is supplied with the protein. The
one mineral many women don't get enough of is calcium. So if you are
concerned, drink a glass of milk with each meal or take a calcium supplement.
10. Why don't the French have high rates of heart disease?
Nutritionists just hate the French. They smoke, they drink, they eat
lots of fat, they don't exercise, they seem to have a very good time, and they have the
lowest rates of heart disease in Europe. It's called the French Paradox. It's only a
paradox if it is contrary to your expectations. Obviously, there are a number of reasons
for these surprising statistics, but I believe the major factor is that their
meals are moderate in calories, rich in fruits and vegetables, always contain protein, and
they include fat. That's basically the Zone Diet. We also have the so-called Spanish
Paradox. In the last 20 years, Spaniards have eaten more protein, more fat, and fewer
grains and their rates of cardiovascular disease are dropping. These are not
paradoxes, simply adjustments in the hormonal responses of a population to a changing
diet.
11. The Chinese eat a lot of rice, don't they have low rates of heart
disease?
The rates of cardiovascular mortality in urban Chinese males are nearly
as great as Americans, and Chinese females, both rural and urban, actually have
greater rates of cardiovascular mortality than American females.
12. I'm concerned about pesticides on fruits and vegetables, and the
hormones and antibiotics used in beef and chicken production. What
should I do.?
These are valid concerns. You should always try eat organic fruits and
vegetables and range fed beef and chicken. However, be prepared to pay about a
significantly higher price and be willing to cope with their reduced availability.
Don't, however, make this an excuse for not eating the appropriate protein-to-
carbohydrate ratio at every meal.
13. I'm not overweight. Why would I need to follow the Zone Diet?
The Zone Diet is not a diet. It's a lifelong hormonal control program.
Loss of excess body fat is only a side effect (although a very beneficial side effect).
The Zone Diet was originally developed for cardiovascular patients, and was tested on
world-class athletes. Between those two extremes lies everyone else. If you are at
your ideal per cent body fat, and want to think better and perform better, then the
Zone Diet is for you.
14. When was the Zone Diet developed?
The program has been undergoing constant testing and revision since
1984. The present program represents the seventh generation of my original concept
to control hormonal responses using dietary intervention. The book The Zone
provides a more detailed history of this development process. The Zone Diet has
been used by thousands of individuals during this developmental period since 1984.
15. Can I still continue to use my vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are an excellent low-cost insurance policy to
ensure adequate levels of micronutrients. However, a Zone Diet -- which is
primarily composed of low-fat protein, fruits and vegetables -- provides an
excellent base of vitamins and minerals, and requires much less supplementation.
The only supplement that I strongly recommend is extra Vitamin E since the Zone
Diet is still a low-total-fat diet, and most dietary vitamin E comes from fat.
16. What exactly do you mean by "use in moderation" when referring to
unfavorable carbohydrates?
Try not to make unfavorable carbohydrate (grains, starches, breads, and
pasta) more than 25 percent of the total carbohydrate blocks in a meal. Use
them as condiments, not the primary source of your carbohydrate intake.
17. Should I be concerned about sodium?
Not if you are following a Zone Diet because excess insulin activates
another hormonal system that promotes sodium retention. However, it always makes
sense not to use excessive amounts of sodium.
18. I'm a pure vegetarian. How can I make this diet work for me?
Simply add protein-rich vegetarian foods to your existing diet to
maintain the correct protein to carbohydrate ratio. Ideal choices would be firm and
extra firm tofu and isolated soybean protein powder. The new generation of soybean
based imitation meat products (hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, etc) are
another excellent way of getting protein-rich vegetarian foods into your existing meals.
Traditional vegetarian protein sources, such as beans, have an exceptionally high
amount of carbohydrate for the amount of protein they provide, which makes it
impossible to achieve the desired protein-to-carbohydrate ratio needed to enter the
Zone.
19. Which protein powders are best?
Excellent sources of isolated protein include egg and milk combinations
and lactose-free whey powder. For vegetarians, isolated soy protein powders
are excellent choices. Protein powders are available at most health food
stores. These protein powders can be added to carbohydrate rich meals, like oatmeal,
to make them more hormonally favorable. They can also be added to flours and
mixes (like pancake, muffin, and cookie) for cooking and baking to fortify the
protein content.
20. What impact will various cooking methods have on the quality of the
macronutrients or micronutrients?
Cooking has little effect on the macronutrients (except that excessive
heat can damage and cross link protein with carbohydrates). However, cooking can
have a significant negative effect on micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
Vitamins are extraordinarily sensitive to heat. And minerals can be leached out of
food when cooked with water. Therefore steaming vegetables is an ideal preparation
method to retain micronutrients and yet make the vegetables more digestible.
Fruits are usually eaten raw, retaining all of their micronutrients. The more
carbohydrates are processed or cooked, the more rapid their rate of entry into the
bloodstream. This is why instant forms of carbohydrate like instant rice or instant
potatoes should be avoided.
21. Do I eat my meal or snack even if I'm not hungry?
Yes. This is the best time to eat in order to maintain hormonal
equilibrium from one meal to the next.
22. Will this diet heal the damage done to my body over the years?
The body has a remarkable ability to repair itself given the appropriate
tools. The best of those tools is the diet, especially one that orchestrates the
appropriate hormonal responses that accelerate the repair process.
23. Why don't I count all the protein, carbohydrate, and fat in
everything I eat?
Because you would probably need a mini-computer to make all the
calculations This is why I devised the block method that takes into account protein
digestibility, the fat content in low-fat protein, and the content of insulin-promoting
carbohydrates, thereby making your calculations for preparing each meal
exceptionally simple.
24. Will a liquid meal in the correct ratio get me to the Zone? If not,
why not?
A liquid meal has a much greater surface area than a solid food. As a
result, the digestion and entry rate of macronutrients into the bloodstream cannot
be controlled as well, and there is a corresponding decrease in the desired hormonal
control. Liquid meals are more convenient, but they are not as hormonally
desirable as solid food. They can used be occasionally if you just don't have the time to
cook.
25. Can children use the Zone Diet?
The diet is ideal for children because they need to be in the Zone even
more than adults. For children, assume that they have 10 percent body fat when you
make their lean body mass calculations. Then, whatever their activity factor
actually is, increase it by two levels. This is to ensure more than adequate protein
for growth spurts. The one protein source that virtually every child will eat is
string cheese. Although a little high in saturated fat, string cheese is a good way to
begin to introduce more protein in your child's diet. That leaves just the hard
part for parents: getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables instead of pasta
and bread.
26. How do I know that two years from now the Zone Diet will not turn
out to be like the other diets that initially produce great results?
The Zone Diet is not a diet, but a life-long hormonal control program
that allows you to maximize your full genetic potential. These hormonal systems have
evolved over the last 40 million years and are unlikely to change soon.
Surprisingly many diets are based on gluttony. Either eat all the carbohydrate you want
(high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets) or all the protein and fat you want
(i.e. high protein, low-carbohydrate diets). The Zone Diet is based on moderation.
There are limits on the amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat consumed at every
meal.
27. I'm off the body fat calculation charts found in The Zone. What
should I do?
Assume that you have 50 percent body fat. With time you will lose
sufficient fat so that you can follow the per cent body fat charts. If you are off the
weight charts, then also increase your physical activity level by one level, because
with all the extra fat you have, you are essentially doing light weight training 24 hours a
day.
28. The holidays are here. How do I stay in the Zone?
Ironically, holiday buffets often represent the easiest time to maintain
the Zone Diet. Always search out for the low-fat protein first to put on your plate.
The volume of that low-fat protein determines how much carbohydrate you can have
before you get an insulin overload. If you want to eat unfavorable carbohydrates,
then make your carbohydrate volume equal to your low-fat protein volume. In other
words, always have a protein chaser with each carbohydrate. Also treat alcohol
as a carbohydrate. With each glass of wine have about 1 oz. of cheese. For
each beer have the equivalent of 2 oz. of cheese. This is true whether it is the
holidays or not.
29. What should I be looking for in a protein powder?
Protein powders come in three primary varieties; egg, milk, and soybean.
My personal choices are (a) lactose-free whey protein powder, and (b)
isolated soy bean concentrates that provide a complete amino acid profile. Although
the lactose-free whey may taste a little better, the cardiovascular benefits
of soy bean isolates are very impressive.
30. Is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which is found in fish oil a good
supplement for the prevention of cancer if you have a family history of
this disease?
EPA is an excellent choice with this caveat; make sure that you have
more than adequate intake of Vitamin E as extra EPA can deplete your own internal
stores of Vitamin E. If you are taking EPA in capsule form, then look for
molecularly distilled EPA (to remove any PCBs), and make sure it is fortified
with at least 20 I.U. of natural Vitamin E per gram of fish oil. To my knowledge
the only fish oil product that meets these criteria are EicoMarine capsules
(see Zone Tools section).
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