Prehistoric Zone Diet
To see what the future has in store for the Zone Diet, let us consider the past. For millions of years our ancestors have evolved on a diet of low fat protein (wild animals) and low density carbohydrates (fruits, roots and vegetables). They followed the natural Zone Diet and as long as quantity was available, they thrived. Human skeletal remains show strong healthy bodies…apart from those with spear wounds and teeth marks!
Large scale grain consumption dates back only 10000 years. The Egyptians led the way with grain production, but the skeletal record shows a serious decline in human health. Reduced bone mass, obesity, heart disease and cancer is apparent.
Dr Sears’ genetic disposition (heart problems) led him to his detailed research into the role of insulin (produced by the body as a result of carbohydrate consumption) in heart disease. Dr Sears found that our health could be optimised by an appropriate eating plan. This optimal eating plan was called Zone Diet. The information gathered in his research has been published in Dr Sears’ Zone Diet series of books. He believes that conventional nutritional wisdom is seriously flawed. Misguided government and institutional food pyramids still show the high GI carbohydrates, bread and grains, in the “eat most” category. This in spite of the fact that they are the foods that raise insulin levels and contribute to the gradual decline of human health.
Hormones and Zone Diet
Dr Sears believes that this erroneous thinking is a result of caloric thinking as opposed to hormonal thinking. The effect the food we eat has on our hormonal function is being ignored. The hormonal system being so crucial in the way humans process food, Dr Sears believes once we begin to think hormonally these nutritional myths will be replaced by clear and effective guidelines. Humans who follow the Zone Diet principles will be eating for optimal health.
With the ever decreasing level of health of the human population, coupled with the ever increasing costs of treatment, Dr Sears believes Zone Diet principles will guide insurers into wanting to know your insulin profile as a precondition to acceptance. Insurers may even require you to be on the Zone Diet if you are to be insured. After all, better basic health means huge reductions in medical costs.
The three major causes of natural death are heart disease, cancer and stroke…and this applies to the developed and under developed world populations.
Protein and Zone Diet
Protein is a vital component of the Zone Diet. The production of protein from grain fed animals requires eight times as much fossil fuel energy as does the production of plant protein. It requires a disproportionate amount of water and causes significant environmental degradation. Dr Sears suggests the use of low fat soybean protein. Unfortunately this plantation style farming employs genetic modification techniques. It is also causing the loss of natural forest in previously undeveloped areas and this loss of natural diversity will have long term harmful effects to the environment.
Dr Sears’ key to improving world wide health is for humans to consume the appropriate amounts of fats, carbohydrates and proteins for their unique physiology and for most, especially to increase protein intake. To eat optimally, he suggest you eat according to his Zone Diet guidelines.
