Hi Lucia, I hope I'm not too late to reply to this. I tried the zone a few years ago - I wasn't fanatical about maintaining the 40-30-30 balance, but because I started eating 'balance' nutritional bars it actually set me back (I was dealing with a yeast imbalance at the time and those 'nutrition' bars made me constipated and worsened the yeast overgrowth). Some of Sears information may be valid, and probably most people eat too many carbs for their particular biochemistry, but there is nothing magical about hitting the 40-30-30 ratio like Sears seems to claim. I think the quality and variety of foods, and including substantial raw foods and fats, are much more important than the exact protein-carb-fat ratio, and I think Sears, like Atkins, really overlooks those factors (probably in both cases so their books will appeal and sell to a wider audience). What type of meat was your husband eating? I've found that for me certain animal foods like fish (even raw) and cooked chicken breast are definitely majorly constipating in large amounts, while undercooked lamb or tender dark-meat chicken (cooked) are much less so. (I haven't tried raw chicken and don't intend to). I've found eggs also somewhat constipating but the effects from eating perhaps a couple of thousand Country Hen eggs over the past couple of years (usually raw) have been so good as far as improving my endocrine function that I can't give those up. Eating lots of raw green veggies and taking some healthy oils have balanced out the constipating effects of these foods. Paul