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Summary: The diet is complicated, and the claims are unsubstantiated.
Review: I read the book, and decided before even trying the diet that it was way too complicated. I didn't want to spend three hours per day planning and preparing meals. I also didn't want to buy those high-priced Zone meals at the supermarket.As to the author's claims of how following his diet will make you live forever and never get sick, where are the citations to the body of credible research which backs up his claims? Mr. Sears follows the same "this is true, because I'm an 'expert' and I say it's true" approach that plagues popular health and wellness literature. The program will work to lose weight, since it is, after all the fluff is scraped away, essentially a calorie-cutting diet program. But there are easier ways to cut calories than "the Zone."
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Summary: The Zone principles are true but....
Review: The Zone premise is that the portions of Carbs, Proteins and Fats you eat can affect your production of good or "bad" eicosanoids and therefore lead you into The Zone. That is true but it is overemphasized. The influence that you exert on your insulin levels by means of your food intake is much lower than for example, your stress level, mood, exercise and overall mental attitude, not to mention your genetic disposition. Conclusion: The potential benefits expected following the zone does not justify the pain of following the strict principles of 40:30:30 in every single meal
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Summary: Impossible for the average reader to understand
Review: The good doctor has a point. If only I could figure it out.
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Summary: It works
Review: More an eating lifestyle change than a "diet" and certainly not to be confused with Atkins, the zone works. I was diabetic and weighed 247 @ 5'10" and my "numbers" from bloodwork were so terrible they were scary.
I got this book on a recommendation from a medical student, read it all (it's very technical/scientific in its approach and requires some persistence to read it all). In 4 months I have lost 40 lbs, but more than that, my bloodwork numbers for glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol are incredibly good. My doctors were thrilled and wanted to know the secret. It's no secret, it's the zone. If you're conservative, careful, diabetic, and willing to take direction for changing your eating habits and getting some sensible exercise, this book could change your life. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A little too scientific for the average reader
Review: The great thing about the Zone is that you CAN have carbs, just as long as you balance them with protein and fat. Everything in the 40-30-30 ratio. Every meal, every snack. Sounds simple enough. I read the book and found it all very informative. They discuss insulin levels and balancing your hormones. A lot if it was geared toward physical performance, like that of Olympic swimmers who got better times when they were "in the Zone." I didn't feel like the book was confusing. But putting it all together and actually doing the diet was another story. It requires a lot of planning and seems to require a lot of math. The ratio business sounds easy, but trying to use it when eating an actual meal and not just a cup of this and 3 ounces of that is very difficult. If you're truly committed to the principles and theories presented here, then you can make it work, lose weight, and look great. But I think that the average reader will get too frustrated to really make a go of the Zone.
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Summary: Eye-opening Read
Review: I found this book to be fascenating. The diet is easy to follow, but it takes a few days to get used to it. By following it I am also saving $$$$ because I am not grabing lunch or breakfast from the fastfood drive through. I have been on the diet for 3 weeks and I have lost 6 pounds. I am very pleased with it so far. My fiance actually switched from Atkins!
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Summary: The Zone Short Summary
Review: Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes right? You wake up feeling alert, refreshed, and full of energy. You cruise through the day finding solutions to problems and tasks surrender to your clear, efficient, yet apparently effortless approach. You even have energy to spare into the evening. You may not have thought of it this way, but you were probably in the Zone - the mysterious but very real state in which your body and mind work together at their ultimate best. In the Zone, the mind is relaxed, yet alert and focused. Meanwhile, the body is fluid, strong, and apparently indefatigable, almost euphoric. Most athletes, even those of us who are weekend enthusiasts, have experienced this state at least once, and the experience is unforgettable. But there is nothing mystical about the Zone. The Zone is a real metabolic state that can be reached by everyone, and maintained indefinitely on a lifelong basis. Barry Sears looks at why Americans still have dietary problems in spite of following the advice of experts. By challenging the current recommendations for a high carbohydrate diet, Sears looks into man's history as well as the diets on which athletes succeed, to build a new dietary picture. Anyone looking for better health through an improved relationship to what they eat should try the Zone Diet Plan. What is the Zone as defined by Dr. Sears? It's the metabolic state at which the body works at peak efficiency. Life in the Zone creates significant health benefits. The little illnesses that plague us all - colds, flus, allergies - seem to happen less often. When they do hit, they're not as severe. And some of our more serious chronic diseases - heart disease and cancer, for example, become less likely to strike. And if these diseases do occur, in the Zone their treatment is more manageable. So how do we reach the Zone? There are no magic potions, pills, herbs or mantras. The truth is that every time you open your mouth to eat, you're applying for a passport to the Zone. To get that passport, though, you must treat food as if it were a drug. You must eat food in a controlled fashion and in the proper proportions. Learning how to control the body's hormonal responses to food is your passport to entering and staying in the Zone. This is achieved by balancing one's intake of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal. The trouble is that most of us are using the wrong eating rules - eating the wrong foods, or just as bad, eating the right foods in the wrong proportions. So our access to the Zone is being constantly denied. But follow the rules and your entrance is ensured. It's science. To get a new perspective on food, here's some information you need to know: * Eating fat does not make you fat
* It's hard to lose weight by simply restricting calories
* Diets based on choice restriction and calorie limits usually fail
* Weight loss has little to do with will power
* Food can be good or bad
* The biochemical effects on food have been constant for the last forty million years
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Summary: Lidia LoPinto (author of eco books) lost 70 pounds!!
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with Diabetes II or a weight problem. As the author of eco novels and environmental crimes of this century "The Adventures of Juliana Del Rio: EPA/FBI - I have personally lost 70 pounds using the ZONE!!!. In the year 2001 I was diagnosed with Diabetes II and had to desperately loose weight. I searched the internet and asked all of my friends and doctors were not helpful in recommending a good diet. When I read the Zone, as a chemical engineer, it made a lot of great sense. The whole process of how your system handles carbohydrates was immediately clear and I was able to go on a diet that allowed me to loose 70 pounds over 1 year, without cravings. As the author of environmental books dealing with Eco crimes it is my opinion that the greatest eco crime of all is the peddling of high density carbohydrates to children. Children are drinking soda and eating chips in school instead of milk and protein and fresh vegetables. Starch is cheaper than protein and so selling it in large quantities is good business. But, the cost to our children's health is too high. We should be feeding our children the best foods. Diabetes II is at epidemic proportions because of our high starch diet and we need to start our children off on the right path - starting with school lunches. I personally have struggled with this horrible disease and would want all Americans to know that you can overcome this with a diet such as the Zone. Lidia LoPinto
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Summary: The way EVERYONE should eat ! Healthy and it works !
Review: Hi there ! I'm a family physician who has been on "The Zone" for about 6 months now. I am 5 feet 2 inches and have dropped from 148 pounds to 128 pounds. I think this diet is healthy, and it is something that people can live with in the long term. I didn't feel like I was starving, and my workouts have improved from 3 mile runs to having the energy for 7 miles. I look great, and I am recommending this diet to my patients. My only complaint it that the book is very scientific, and I have been told by some of my patients that it is too difficult to understand. try it !
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Summary: Not that impressed
Review: I am 27, and have struggled with weight issues since high school. I have been desperately trying to lose the "last 10 pounds" for the last year, so I thought I would give The Zone a try. The plan is easy enough to follow. The most difficult thing for me was finding "good fats" to incorporate into my diet. Dr. Sears' ideas really made sense to me, and I started the diet with a real "GUNG HO" attitude. After the following the diet EXACTLY for three weeks, I stepped on the scale. I GAINED FIVE POUNDS. I appreciate that Dr. Sears has helped people to lose weight, and I applaud their success. But, I do not think this diet works for everyone. Plus, I still had hunger issues and carbohydrate cravings. The bottom line is, I think this diet may work well for people who have a great deal of weight to lose. But, I think if you are simply trying to shed a few pounds or want to lose a little excess holiday weight, this is not the way to go. Good luck.
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