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Zone Living
The Zone Can Help You Reach Your Goals
Dr. Sears has spent more than 40 years researching how the foods we eat impact our hormones and the expression of our genes.
The Zone Diet® was developed by Dr. Barry Sears more than 30 years ago to reduce diet-induced inflammation, The Zone Diet® will help you shed excess pounds and improve your mental and physical performance while living a more fulfilling life. The Zone Diet® is a life-long dietary program based on strong science to reduce diet-induced inflammation.
Comments:
Dr. Sears has spent more than 40 years researching how the foods we eat can impact our hormones and the
expression of our genes that are involved in turning on and turning off
inflammation
How to follow Pro-Resolution Nutrition
Pro-Resolution Nutrition starts with the anti-inflammatory Zone diet to reduce inflammation.The Zone diet is based upon balancing your plate at every meal to reduce inflammation with the following balance of nutrients:
- Protein – 1/3rd of your plate,
add some lean protein, about the size and thickness of your palm.
Protein sources could include egg whites, fish, poultry, lean beef, or
low-fat dairy.This level of protein will stop hunger for four to five hours by stabilizing blood glucose levels. - Carbohydrates – 2/3rds of your
plate at every meal is composed of colorful non-starchy vegetables with
limited amounts of fruit to prevent the over consumption of glucose that
will inhibit AMPK activity. - Fat – Add a little monounsaturated fat. This type of fat is found in olive oil, avocados, or almonds.
How the Zone diet compares to the Mediterranean diet
The Zone diet should be considered the evolution of the Mediterranean diet to optimize the Resolution Response.It is lower in calories than the Mediterranean diet, but adequate in protein.The result is you will lose excess body fat without hunger.This is important since excess fat body represents a significant reservoir of unresolved inflammation.The
Zone diet is also more abundant in omega-3 fatty acids than the
Mediterranean diet to generate the hormones (i.e., resolvins) that
resolve inflammation.Likewise, the Zone diet is more abundant in polyphenols than the Mediterranean diet.This increase in polyphenols will activate AMPK to repair damaged tissue and accelerate healing from any injury.
Pro-Resolution Nutrition Supplements
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements
It is often necessary to supplement the
Zone diet with omega-3 fatty acid supplements to maintain adequate
levels in the blood to generate resolvins that eliminate residual
inflammation.The levels of
omega-3 fatty acids required are determined by the ratio of arachidonic
acid (the building block of eicosanoids) to eicosapentaenoic acid (the
building block of resolvins) in the blood.
Polyphenol Supplements
To get adequate levels of polyphenols in
the blood to activate AMPK, which is the final step of the Resolution
Response, will often require supplementation of water-soluble
polyphenols that found in berries.These polyphenols can be purified to a higher concentration in the form of polyphenol extracts that are low in glucose.The levels required can be determined by the level of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the blood.
Blood markers used to assess the optimization of the Resolution Response
The blood will indicate whether you or are not in the Zone.If
you are in the Zone, you have done everything possible to optimize your
internal Resolution Response, which is the key to longer healthspan.
These are the blood markers used to personalize Pro-Resolution Nutrition:
1.Triglyceride/HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL) ratio:This
is a surrogate marker of insulin resistance in the liver. This marker
is reduced by following the Zone diet and primarily adjusted by changing
the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio while maintaining adequate protein
intake.
2. Arachidonic acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio:This
is a marker of the levels of unresolved inflammation as well as the
levels of cytokines in the blood. This marker is reduced by an adequate
intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
3.Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c): This is a marker of long-term blood glucose control, which will
indicate the degree of inhibition of AMPK as elevated blood glucose
levels inhibit AMPK activity. Adequate intakes of polyphenols will
reduce this marker.
Marker | Measures | Ideal Range |
TG/HDL ratio | Insulin resistance in the liver | Less than 1 |
AA/EPA ratio | Balance of inflammation to resolution | 1.5-3 |
HbA1c | Activation of AMPK | 4.9-5.1% |
You only are in the Zone when all three blood markers are in their appropriate ranges.Unless
you are in the Zone, then your Resolution Response will not be working
at peak efficiency, and your body’s ability to heal from inflammation
caused by random injuries will be compromised.Making
the dietary changes to reach the Zone and stay there may initially
appear complicated, but with time they become easy to follow dietary
habits.Regardless of the
initial effort, they are well worth the effort if you want to extend
your healthspan, which is the molecular definition of wellness.
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7/28/2020