Zone Diet: Should you be in or out of it?

The Zone Diet is now growing in popularity as several Hollywood stars like Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Cindy Crawford, Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods are now listed by Wikipedia.com as among its followers. This diet style has even been introduced in Italy for some patients and athletes. Still, it sure does not mean that you should jump in the bandwagon.

Dr. Barry Sears who wrote the book on the Zone Diet is pointing out that the roadmap to losing weight permanently is having just the correct balance of insulin inducing foods in the ratio of 40:30:30 or 40% carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent healthy fats. He is convinced that diets that advocate lesser carbohydrate intake and/or taking in low-fat food stuff actually messes up the body?s hormonal balance instead. Sears? rationale is that low-fat diets increase the production of the hormone insulin causing the body to store more fats like that of effectively fattening-up cattle in a ranch by feeding them lots of low-fat grain. He believes that fat consumption is essential for burning fat. Sears also pointed out that a number of low-carb dieters have increased in the West these days yet there is a growing number of more obese people than before.

However, there are a number of groups whose members are wary of pushing the Zone Diet for all to follow such as the American Hearth Association Some, some vegetarian groups and nutritional experts, even including those who are considered to be Sears? former colleagues. Some of them are critical of Sears conclusions and they are not recommending the Zone Diet to anyone just yet. For these group, the Zone Diet involves high protein and lack of essential nutrients. They are contending that there is still no direct study to verify Sears? conclusions and little is still known of the Zone Diet?s long-term effects.

So whether or not you should be in the Zone Diet or not is something that you should take time to research, plan and thread on carefully. Deciding on a diet, like everything that is important in life, is a step that should not be taken too lightly.