Dr. Barry Sears states he created the Zone Diet as a very precise instrument to help control insulin levels in the bloodstream. However, that specific level has to suit each individual's metabolism. He guarantees that by eating the specific protein “blocks” adequate to your body, and keeping the 40-30-30 ratio between the three macro nutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat), your insulin level will be optimal (“not too high, not too low”). If your insulin levels are optimised, then losing excess weight will follow.
Calculating the Daily Protein Need
As part of your healthy diet plan, Zone diet recommends the consumption of fat free protein (chicken breast, grilled lean meat, or fish). Dr. Sears suggests that staying in the Zone requires an adequate consumption of daily protein. This optimum quantity varies with height, weight and other individual features. As part of your weight management plan, the protein need is calculated differently for men and women. For example, women need to know their hip size, while men need to know their wrist circumference. Also, the protein index is calculated according to your daily energy output.
A traditional zone diet calculator estimates:- Body Fat Percentage
- Lean Body Mass
- Protein daily requirement (grams per day)
- Protein daily blocks requirement
Once you know your daily protein block need, you'll be able to follow the Zone diet adequately.
Example
Using Dr. Sears' calculator, you find that you need 77 protein grams every day. That equals 11 mini-blocks of protein. You know that a 40-30-30 meal means equal blocks of every macro nutrient, although a protein mini-block doesn't weigh the same as a carb mini-block, or a fat mini-block. In fact:
- 1 mini-block of protein = 7 grams
- 1 mini-block of carbohydrate = 9 grams
- 1 mini-block of fat = 1.5 grams
One mini-block of each macro nutrient equals one block of Zone meal (food). Theoretically, this is sufficient information for you to cook healthy Zone meals. Even though all this measuring and counting complicates things and won't suit everybody, once the basic tools are mastered, the whole Zone Diet process becomes quite simple. A healthy diet and weight management is within your grasp.