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Summary: A GREAT IDEA BUT......
Review: I HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS BOOK. IT IS A SMART WAY TO EAT AND, WHEN I CAN PULL IT OFF, I AM AMAZED AT HOW GOOD I FEEL. THE FACT THAT YOU CAN NOT FEEL HUNGRY ON A 1200 CALORIE A DAY DIET IS NO SMALL MIRACLE AND A REAL TESTAMENT TO DR. SEARS. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE RECIPES IN THE BOOK ARE JUST SILLY AND TOTALLY USELESS TO VEGANS. I FIND ONLY A FEW OF THEM HELPFUL AT ALL; HOWEVER, I HAVE GOTTEN SOME GOOD VEGAN RECIPES OFF HIS WEBSITE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO REALLY HELP ME OUT. HE NEEDS A BETTER CHEF TO DEVELOP HIS RECIPES; HOWEVER, THE SCIENCE IS RIGHT AND IF YOU ARE A GREAT COOK AND NOT A VEGAN, THIS BOOK MAY BE JUST WHAT YOU NEED.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Vegie Diet Book!!
Review: I recently bought this book, and can't believe how well it is going!! The diet is incredibly easy to follow (for both men and women)and I've been incorporating it into my children's diet too - although they don't need to lose weight! My cravings for carbs have virtually dissappeared, and I thought that would be impossible. I've been a vegie for 12 years, and this is by far the best food plan I've ever tried. I'm losing weight, feeling great, and reccomend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: Best Vegie Diet Book!!
Review: I recently bought this book, and can't believe how well it is going!! The diet is incredibly easy to follow (for both men and women)and I've been incorporating it into my children's diet too - although they don't need to lose weight! My cravings for carbs have virtually dissappeared, and I thought that would be impossible. I've been a vegie for 12 years, and this is by far the best food plan I've ever tried. I'm losing weight, feeling great, and reccomend it to all.
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Summary: Difficult Recipes??? Not for me...
Review: I was so excited to get this book, and was it worth it! Being a Vegetarian, I found it hard to follow the Zone diet from the book that was given to me as a gift. When I saw this, I knew that it was the answer for me. There are tons of recipes that are very good! Meat eaters and non-meaters alike will benefit from this book.
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Summary: The Zone for Vegetarians!
Review: I was so excited to get this book, and was it worth it! Being a Vegetarian, I found it hard to follow the Zone diet from the book that was given to me as a gift. When I saw this, I knew that it was the answer for me. There are tons of recipes that are very good! Meat eaters and non-meaters alike will benefit from this book.
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Summary: Recipes all designed for MALE dieters
Review: I was very much looking forward to a restricted-carb diet for vegetarians, but found this diet extremely difficult to figure out. Definitely don't buy this book the night before you intend to start it (as I stupidly did), as it will take you a few hours to understand how the plan works, and you will almost certainly need to go shopping for some esoteric foods ("stevia extract," I'm looking at you).My biggest problem with this book, however, is that all the recipes are designed to give "4-block" portions, which is the standard portion for men. The standard portion for women is only 3 blocks--so if you are a woman on this diet, you will have to do some ridiculous divisions (ie, 2-2/3 teaspoons of olive oil x .75) in order to get the recipes to work. On the plus side, the plan seems to be much more reasonable than other low-carb diets, and contains lots of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
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Summary: Recipes all written for MALE portions
Review: I was very much looking forward to a restricted-carb diet for vegetarians, but found this plan difficult to figure out. Unless you are familiar with Zone theory from Sears' previous books, don't buy this the night before you hope to start the diet. There is no "shortcut" chapter that boils everything down for you, so it will take a few hours to puzzle out the plan. You may also need to make a trip to a health food store for some of the more bizarre items ("stevia extract," I'm looking at you). A big problem with the book, however, is that virtually all of the recipes are designed to create one "4-block" portion-the standard portion for men. If you are a woman on this diet, you will need to convert all recipes to a standard "3-block" portion. Get out your calculators, ladies, because you'll need to figure out things like what 75% of 2-2/3 teaspoons of olive oil is. On the plus side, the diet seems much more balanced than other restricted-carb plans (no unlimited fatty foods or other common-sense-defying meals) and there are lots of fruits, vegetables, and calcium sources.
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Summary: Fixing Zone meals doesn't have to be difficult
Review: I've been on the Zone diet for four or five years now, have lost 135 lbs. (!), and have never felt better in my life. I've recently begun incorporating more soy protein in my diet as a result of reading this book, and I love it. I've learned how to prepare Zone meals that are quick, easy, and delicious (I never follow the recipes in the books, as they are too complicated). For breakfast, I have a Zone drink.... Nothing could be easier. They come in chocolate or vanilla, are delicious, and satisfy me for four or five hours. You could also make an omelet with Egg Beaters, soy cheese (delicious!), and vegetables. For snacks, try soy nuts (toasted soy beans) with raisins and almonds, or an ounce of soy cheese with unsweetened apple sauce and almonds. For lunch and/or dinner, I've found that stir-frying is the way to go; say, tofu with black beans and your favorite vegetables (I'm partial to onions, broccoli, and cabbage). Or bake some cod (pour a little lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger over it), then stir-fry some vegetables. Or just open a can of tuna, add olive oil, maybe some balsamic vinegar, and garbanzos (chickpeas). I suggest you look through the list of "favorable" foods in the Zone books, pick out your favorites, memorize how much of these foods equals one block (not as hard as it sounds), buy some spices (soy sauce is a lifesaver for me, as are ginger, oregano, basil, and garlic powder), and just have fun experimenting with combinations. You'll be making up your own quick and easy recipes in no time. If I can be of further help, feel free to email me.
Rating:
Summary: Fixing Zone meals doesn't have to be difficult
Review: I've been on the Zone diet for four or five years now, have lost 135 lbs. (!), and have never felt better in my life. I've recently begun incorporating more soy protein in my diet as a result of reading this book, and I love it. I've learned how to prepare Zone meals that are quick, easy, and delicious (I never follow the recipes in the books, as they are too complicated). For breakfast, I have a Zone drink.... Nothing could be easier. They come in chocolate or vanilla, are delicious, and satisfy me for four or five hours. You could also make an omelet with Egg Beaters, soy cheese (delicious!), and vegetables. For snacks, try soy nuts (toasted soy beans) with raisins and almonds, or an ounce of soy cheese with unsweetened apple sauce and almonds. For lunch and/or dinner, I've found that stir-frying is the way to go; say, tofu with black beans and your favorite vegetables (I'm partial to onions, broccoli, and cabbage). Or bake some cod (pour a little lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger over it), then stir-fry some vegetables. Or just open a can of tuna, add olive oil, maybe some balsamic vinegar, and garbanzos (chickpeas). I suggest you look through the list of "favorable" foods in the Zone books, pick out your favorites, memorize how much of these foods equals one block (not as hard as it sounds), buy some spices (soy sauce is a lifesaver for me, as are ginger, oregano, basil, and garlic powder), and just have fun experimenting with combinations. You'll be making up your own quick and easy recipes in no time. If I can be of further help, feel free to email me.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Alternative!
Review: Since the publication of the Zone in 1995, the scientific literature has supported the premise that adequate protein intake (from a variety of animal/plant sources) is essential to reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and a host of other "western" diseases that are ultimately a consequence of elevated insulin levels and the resulting overproduction of a series of inflammatory and immune-depressing eicosanoids. This was further confirmed in a study appearing in the AJCN whereby vegetarians who also consumed fish and or eggs/dairy had a lower risk of heart disease than strict vegans. This poses a dilemma for those who do not wish to take part in animal protein. Thanks to Dr. Sears, the Soy Zone provides the necessary means by which to achieve all the wonderful Zone benefits without having to rely on animal protein. The book is not as technical as his previous works, and one may have to refer to them to find support for the underlying science, but then again, the program has been criticized as being too difficult and so The Soy Zone lays it out simple and effectively. Simply a wonderful eating plan that can be enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. And with the planet's population expected to reach 9 billion in another fifty years, the Soy Zone should contribute to addressing not only the world's food shortages but malnutrition as well. Its too bad political, financial and personal agendas continue to attempt to discredit Dr. Sears' work...
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