According to the classic rules of nutrition, the daily caloric quantity should be provided in broad terms by 60% carbohydrates (pasta, rice, starchy foods), 20% protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products) and 20% fat ( oil, butter, as well as protein food fats).
The zone diet has different percentages: 4 0% in carbohydrates, 30% in proteins and the remaining 30% in fats . These proportions are respected at every meal and are functional to avoid the overproduction of insulin caused by excessive carbohydrate intake. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that when it exceeds the normal parameters transforms all the surpluses into fat deposits.
The proteins instead favor the production of another hormone, glucagon, which causes the body to extract energy from existing fat deposits. The infamous "zone" was designed by its creator, the biochemist Barry Sears, as an ideal hormonal zone for well-being.
Benefits of the zone diet
Each meal contains a dose of the three food groups and this redistribution is functional to the body's hormonal balance . When hormones work well, nutrients are better absorbed, fats burn earlier and all vital functions take place efficiently. This is also why the diet allows you to lose weight while maintaining muscle tone .
When "reaching the Zone", that is when entering the yield induced by the ratio of dosage between proteins and carbohydrates to be taken in meals, the procedure is activated whereby the fats are immediately transformed into energy. The result is multiple positive aspects: the level of insulin is kept under control while keeping the carbohydrates low, to avoid blocking the consumption of fat and, at the same time, the necessary micronutrients are taken (salts, coenzymes and antioxidants).
Another advantage, then, is that typical of the factor that triggers when you start a diet in the right way: you get on the path of knowing your body, you are about to understand what is good for you, what is best avoided thanks to the variation of food which characterizes the zone diet menu.
Limitations of the zone diet
For those used to a healthy Mediterranean diet, however, the zone diet can be uncomfortable for two reasons: the drastic reduction in the quantity of carbohydrates and the complication of the constant calculation of doses.
To overcome the second difficulty, some followers of the zone diet adopt a fairly empirical method that is based on a simple instrument, the palm of the hand, and observation. In other words, the doses are calculated by eye, taking the palm of the hand as a unit of measurement.
