Healthy Habits for Weight Loss
Turning the page on a new week, new month or new year brings hope, a sense of new beginnings and a fresh start. No matter where you begin, be realistic with yourself. Setting lofty goals or intentions is like trying to get the perfect photo to post on social. Just like you rarely get everyone smiling on the first try, it takes several attempts to get it right, requires work, and sometimes it’s just not realistic. The best way to be successful with your goals is building on what you’re already doing right now, no matter how big or small, and determining what tools you have and need to get you there. This will create habits that stick and make your goals more attainable. Here are some ideas for small things you can do or add into your weekly routine to keep up the healthy habits you’re trying to achieve in 2021. Define Your Goals and How You Plan To Reach Them: Saying you want to lose 10lbs could be a realistic goal, but your success will depend on your plan to get there. Ask yourself what you need to do to reach your goal; whether its logging meals daily, grocery shopping every Sunday, meal planning, enlisting the support of family, establishing an exercise routine, and/or weekly food delivery. Write down the tools you have and the ones you need to succeed. Each week evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and where you can improve. Make Time For Your Priorities: It’s easy to have the best intentions going into the day and then have it spiral out of control with meetings, appointments, or things you hadn’t planned. Getting up early to either prep your meals or workout is a great way to set the day up for success. Not a morning person? Schedule your calendar at the start of the week based on when you want to shop, meal prep, menu plan, or workout. When its already built into your schedule you’re more likely to have it stick. Remember there is always time for the things you prioritize. Try A New Recipe Each Week: If 2020 was the year you ate out less and cooked more at home, build on this healthy habit. Break up the monotony of your weekly meals by incorporating one new meal into your repertoire each week. This is a great way to add more variety to your meals, spice things up, make them healthier and try new things. If you can’t eat out with family and friends why not make this a social event and pick a recipe with a friend or family member and make it together virtually. Move More: A study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirmed that globally overall activity levels declined during the pandemic (1). Even if you’ve continued to workout, chances are your overall lifestyle activity has declined due to running less errands, working remotely, and trying to streamline your daily activities to minimize exposure. Try and get short bursts of activity wherever you can such as walking the stairs in your house every hour, taking a walk around the neighborhood a few times a day, or bring a little extra fire and intensity to the workouts you’re already doing. Declutter Your Kitchen: One of the biggest things working against you could be your environment, especially if you’re still working remotely or spending more time at home. Studies show that individuals eat less when they’re in an environment that is less cluttered and less chaotic. Declutter your countertops, keep healthy foods in your line of vision, keep processed foods out of reach or avoid buying, and make sure to keep your pantry and fridge stocked with easy to grab healthy options like nuts, Greek yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, hummus, or veggies. Don’t Ditch the Carbs, Swap Them: Processed carbohydrates (breads, pastries, cereals, starchy snacks and sweets) are convenient, but the calories can add up quick. Replacing simple carbs with those rich in fermentable fiber like vegetables and fruit improves the release of hormones in the gut tied to satiety. These hormones send signals to our brain staying stop eating. Just remember to increase your intake of fiber rich foods slowly and consume more water when you do. This will improve digestion and keep everything moving. Evaluate Your Relationship With Alcohol: Maybe the idea of Sober January wasn’t a bad one. Alcohol consumption has drastically increased over the past year with heavy drinking (more than 4 glasses) in women spiking 41% (2). Alcohol can wreak havoc on our mood, energy, activity level, and relationships making little to no alcohol the ideal choice. Evaluate your relationship with alcohol and if it might be time to change the frequency of your consumption. Show Some Gratitude: One thing we learned in 2020 is gratitude and to not take things for granted. Having gratitude and expressing it in small ways can promote feelings of happiness, decrease stress, and improve mental well-being. This could be done through writing notes of appreciation, verbalizing thank you’s or writing down what we’re grateful for daily. The goal is to focus on what you have, not what you lack which promotes greater satisfaction and happiness (3). Check out our daily gratitude journal here. As we kick off 2021 with our hopes of a fresh start, make sure to give yourself credit for all the positive things you did for your health in 2020. Build on these positive behaviors, congratulate yourself when you hit milestones, and don’t be hard on yourself if you slip up. Set realistic and achievable goals and we know this will be your best year yet. Remember that no matter what your health goals are this year that we’re always here to help! Tison GH, Avram R, Kuhar P, Abreau S, Marcus GM, Pletcher MJ, Olgin JE. Worldwide Effect of COVID-19 on Physical Activity: A Descriptive Study. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Nov 3;173(9):767-770. Alcohol Consumption Rises Sharply During Pandemic Shutdown; Heavy Drinking by Women Rises 41%. Available at: https://www.rand.org/news/press/2020/09/29.html. Accessed: January 7, 2021. Giving thanks can make you happier. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier. Accessed: January 7, 2021.
Holiday Tips for Healthy Eating
The holidays will look different for the majority of us this year. Besides not having the same size gatherings this might be the first year you forego the traditional foods for takeout or decide to roll your sleeves up and make the meals yourself from soup to nuts. No matter where this season finds you, here are few tips to get you to the New Year feeling like you have more control and a greater ability to navigate whatever the holiday season throws your way. Simple Tips To Navigate Holiday Eating Make What You Enjoy: Since this year doesn’t entail larger affairs maybe scale back a bit on the menu and decide to make or bring the things you truly enjoy most and skip the rest. It’s also okay to taste things without finishing them so you feel like you enjoyed without going overboard. Remember not to skip meals throughout the day in order to “save up” for calories later. That usually is a recipe for eating in excess. Balance Your Macros: When plating your meal make sure you have a combination of lean protein, healthy carbs, and good fat so you keep hunger and your hormones under control. Think about dividing your plate in 3rds with 1/3 lean protein, 2/3rds carbohydrates and a dash of fat. Remember to keep starchy carbs to small/condiment sized portions. Control Your Portions: It’s easy to say you won’t eat sweets or have an alcoholic beverage, but then when you’re confronted with it lose all willpower. You can still eat and keep the pounds off with the simple strategy of portion control. Eat reasonably small portions, limit the foods you know you should limit, and don't stuff yourself. Know Your Triggers: Each of us has our "trigger" foods, those foods we just can't seem to control our intake of. They taste so good but make us feel guilty, tired, low energy, and wanting more. Keeping their intake to one or two events versus repeatedly throughout the season allows for a balance between moderation and overindulgence. Get Your Rest and Stay Hydrated: Not getting enough sleep and letting the stress and anxiety of our worlds get the best of us can leave us tired and fatigued. Often times we replace water with caffeine to stay awake but this makes us mildly dehydrated and thinking we want food when in actuality we're just tired and thirsty. Make sure to get your rest and if you can’t do what you can to stay hydrated. Keeping hydrated especially before meals can significantly curb how much food we consume at that meal! A slice of orange, lemon or lime will seem refreshing and flavorful; flavored non-caloric seltzers accomplish the same thing while keeping cravings in check. Get Moving: No matter what activity looks like for you these days, get it in. It could be a simple walk or logging into your gym online to keep up with your healthy routines. Exercise can be just the thing to increase your energy, reduce stress, and get your blood flowing. By being active in the morning, you'll improve your insulin sensitivity, making your body more ready to handle the calories during the day and also eliminate some of the holiday stress. Be Present: Since our get togethers will be small, take the time to really enjoy those you are able to be with. Enjoy the conversations, be present, and savor not only the company but the food you eat. Eat slow, put your fork down between bites, and taste each mouthful. This is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plate full of food without going back for more. Choosing fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, salads, and other foods with lots of water and fermentable fiber can add to that feeling of fullness too. You may also like: 6 Things That Lead to a Fluctuating Scale During the Holidays
Weight Loss: The Real Reason You Should Want to Lose Weight
We continually hear about the health reasons why you should lose weight. But what are the molecular reasons? Now we have a clue; increased production of resolvins. Resolvins are a group of molecules derived from omega-3 fatty acids that help resolve inflammation. In a recent paper, it was demonstrated that losing a moderate amount of weight (about 11 pounds in 12 weeks) resulted in a dramatic increase in certain resolvins (1). As I discuss in my newest book, The Resolution Zone, resolvins are among the key players in the body’s internal Resolution Response that allows you to heal from inflammatory damage, especially diet-induced inflammation (2). Not all resolvins increased in that study. The only resolvin that increased was RvE1, which increased by 600 percent! This increase is critical since RvE1 promotes increased bone formation, decreased atherosclerosis, decreased diabetes, decreased neurological problems, and improved tumor clearance in animal models (3-9). The same benefits are also observed in humans who lose weight, suggesting that increased production of RvE1 may be a primary reason for the clinical benefits of weight loss. What is the best way to lose weight and keep it off to gain all of these benefits of increased RvE1 production? It remains the Zone diet (10). Here are the basic rules for permanent weight loss by following the Zone diet. Zone Diet Rules #1. You have to reduce calories The only way to lose weight by the diet is to reduce calories. There is no mystical new way. Ketogenic diets have no “metabolic advantage” compared to the Zone diet (11), and intermittent fasting is no better than continuous calorie restriction (12,13). A calorie is a calorie. That is why calorie restriction is the foundation of the Zone diet. However, the secret is to reduce calories without hunger or fatigue, which leads to the next rules for following the Zone diet. #2 Consume adequate protein at each meal You will need at least 25 grams of protein at every meal to induce hormonal signals (such as PYY and GLP-1) that come from the gut and go directly to your brain to stop hunger. #3 Hormonal control in the blood is key The level of protein at each meal must be balanced by the appropriate glycemic load. This achieves a stable balance of insulin and glucagon in the blood after each meal to stabilize blood sugar levels. The balance of these opposing hormones stabilizes blood glucose levels to prevent hunger and mental fatigue for the next four to five hours. Consistent blood sugar control comes from maintaining the appropriate protein-to-glycemic-load at each meal, which is another critical feature of the Zone diet. #4 Reduce the glycemic load by eating primarily non-starchy vegetables as your carbohydrates The easiest way to reduce the glycemic load is to increase your intake of non-starchy vegetables while moderating fruits and significantly reducing your consumption of grains and starches. The reason is that non-starchy vegetables have the highest amount of fermentable fiber with the least amount of carbohydrates. Fermentable fiber is used by the microbes in your gut to generate the formation of short-chain fatty acids that enhance the satiety effects of PYY and GLP-1. #5 Dramatically reduce your intake of saturated and omega-6 fatty acids The Zone diet is a diet that is low in total fat. However, the fat it contains is rich in monounsaturated fats (which are non-inflammatory) and highly restricted in saturated fats and omega-6 fats (which are pro-inflammatory). Zone Diet Tips Here are some simple dietary tricks to get started and make compliance easier. #1. Eat your protein first before you consume your carbohydrates It takes more time for protein to enter the blood than does carbohydrates. By eating your protein at a meal first you will achieve a better hormonal balance (14,15). #2 Calorie density per meal is important Consuming too many calories, even if they are perfectly balanced, can cause inflammation in the hypothalamus, which disrupts the appetite control center in the brain (16). The Zone diet recommends about 400 calories per meal to prevent such hypothalamic inflammation caused by consuming too many calories in a meal. #3 Time restriction for eating should be based on your circadian rhythms, not your watch. A recent study indicates that the more calories consumed at night induced more fat accumulation compared to the same number of calories consumed during daylight hours (17). Furthermore, the same study demonstrated the importance of eating breakfast to be in alignment with the circadian regulation of your metabolic pathways. This spreading of your calorie intake to be in alignment with circadian rhythms also relates to calorie density. The more you restrict your feeding duration, the higher the calorie density during that shortened eating period, and thus the higher likelihood of hypothalamic inflammation (16). A good rule to follow is to eat within one hour after waking up and stop eating no later than 12 hours after waking up. This timing might be considered to be a “12-12” feeding cycle to minimize fat accumulation and prevent hypothalamic inflammation since you are reducing the calorie density through your eating window. Summary Many of the clinical benefits of weight loss may be attributed to increased resolvin production. The most clinically-validated way to achieve and maintain weight loss is the Zone diet as long as you follow the rules. Of course, if you follow the Zone diet to reduce inflammation, you also want to take omega-3 fatty acids to resolve inflammation and add adequate levels of polyphenols to repair the damage caused by inflammation. The combination of the Zone Diet coupled with high-purity omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenol supplementation is what I term Pro-Resolution Nutrition. Pro-Resolution Nutrition is also the best way to optimize your healthspan (2). References Barden A et al. “Effect of weight loss on neutrophil resolvins in the metabolic syndrome.” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids 148 25-29- (2019) Sears B. The Resolution Zone. Zone Press. Palm City, FL (2019) El Kholy K et al. “Resolvin E1 promotes bone preservation under inflammatory conditions.” Front Immunol 9: 1300 (2018) Sima C et al. “Function of pro-resolving lipid mediator resolvin E1 in type 2 diabetes. Crit Rev Immunol 38: 343-365 (2018) Sulciner ML et al. “Resolvins suppress tumor growth and enhance cancer therapy. J Exp Med 215: 115-140 (2018) Carracedo M et al. “The resolution of inflammation through omega-3 fatty acids in atherosclerosis, intimal hyperplasia, and vascular calcification.” Semin Immunopathol 41: 757-766 (2019) Siddiquee A et al. Effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on resolvin (RvE1)-mediated suppression of inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 41: 250-257 (2019) Freire MO et al. “Neutrophil resolvin E1 receptor expression and function in type 2 diabetes.” J Immunol 198: 718-728 (2017) Hasturk H et al. “Resolvin E1 (RvE1) attenuates atherosclerotic plaque formation in diet and inflammation-induced atherogenesis.” Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 35: 1123-33 (2015) Sears B. The Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (1995) Johnston CS et al. “Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets.” Am J Clin Nutr 83: 1055-61 (2006) Trepanowski JF et al. “Effect of alternate-day fasting on weight loss, weight maintenance, and cardioprotection among metabolically healthy obese adults.” JAMA Intern Med 177: 930-938 (2017) Schubel R et al. “Effects of intermittent and continuous calorie restriction on body weight and metabolism over 50 wk: a randomized controlled trial.” Am J Clin Nutr 108: 933-945 (2018) Shukla AP et al. “Food order has a significant impact on postprandial glucose and insulin levels.” Diabetes Care 38: e98–e99 (2015) Shukla AP et al. “Carbohydrate-last meal pattern lowers postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in type 2 diabetes.” BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care 5: e000440 (2017) Cai D. “Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in overnutrition-induced diseases.”Trends Endocrinol Metab 24: 40–47 (2013) Kelly KP et al. “Eating breakfast and avoiding late-evening snacking sustains lipid oxidation.” PLoS Biol 18: e3000622 (2020)
Is Your Kitchen Making You Gain Weight? Tips for Equipping Your Space for Weight Loss
The environment in which we work and live is a key piece to our weight loss success. When we hit bouts of stress in our lives often our health is the priority that falls to the bottom of the list. This chaos can translate into where we live and be visible in piles of mail and papers, dishes in the sink, take out boxes and overall poorer food choices. What you may not realize is that the external cues we get from our environment can influence our behavior leading us to consume more. Feeling out of control or overly stressed coupled with a cluttered environment can make us prone to overeat. One study showed women who were stressed and put in a cluttered kitchen ate twice as many calories from sweets compared to those who were stressed and put in a tidy kitchen (1). Studies have shown that individuals eat less when they are in an environment that is less cluttered, less chaotic and with minimal distractions. Stressed or not, each of us has a different organization style whether it’s neat and orderly to organized chaos. Knowing this may prove beneficial when trying to equip our kitchen for weight loss. For some of us if it’s not easily seen it’s not a temptation, but for others even when hidden we’re better off not having it there to begin with. Here are some tips on how to optimize your kitchen for weight loss while making it Zone® friendly too.Take a look around your kitchen and see where you might be able to free up some space. Remember the more cluttered things appear, the more likely you’ll be to reach for the higher calorie treats. Consolidate papers or mail to one section rather than having it spread all over. Move appliances you rarely use to free up space for healthy meal prep. Designate a cabinet or shelf to tempting foods rather than keeping them on the counter in plain sight.Keep a bowl of fruit on the counter or replace whatever you have in the cookie jar with healthier snacks like ZoneRx bars instead. Make healthy foods like cut-up vegetables, yogurt, or hummus the first things you see when you open the fridge. Then when the urge to snack strikes you’ll have plenty of healthy options on hand to grab.Consider tossing or designating a cabinet for unfavorable carbohydrates like pasta, rice, dry cereal, crackers, cookies and pastries. Replace these with barley, slow-cooked oats, and Zone PastaRx.Replace vegetable oils, shortening, butter and whole fat dairy with those low in both saturated and omega-6 fats. Substitute olive oil or nut butters rich in monounsaturated fats in place of vegetable oils. To keep portions in check, consider an oil mister which allows you to spray oil on to veggies for easy roasting. Keep nuts like almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews and pistachios on hand for snack choices. Use low-fat or part-skim dairy products and keep items like cottage cheese and yogurt on the top shelf of the fridge for an easy to grab breakfast or snack option.Frozen fruits and vegetables make for great smoothies, stir-fries, or additions to yogurt and oatmeal. Since these are picked at their ripest and then quickly frozen they’ll have a higher vitamin and mineral content than fresh fruits and vegetables that sit in the refrigerator for days. The freezer is also great for storing lean protein like chicken and fish that can easily be taken out ahead of time for weeknight meals.Spices are a great way to add flavor (and polyphenols!) to your meals. Since they are calorie free, go to town! Add cinnamon to your oatmeal, fresh spices like mint or basil to salads, or rosemary and oregano to your protein choices.Although canned foods get a bad rap for being high in sodium, don’t completely rule them out. Beans are a great way to add protein and soluble fiber to your salads and meals. Canned sardines and salmon make for a portable protein option and vegetable soups make for an easy meal that couples well with Zone PastaRx™. Do be mindful of the sodium content of canned goods and be sure to rinse the excess sodium off when possible before using.An easy way to cut empty calories is to eliminate sodas, fruit juices, and sugary beverages from the house. Add berries, lemons, limes and cucumber to water to add some flavor or choose calorie-free beverages like caffeine free coffee, tea, or seltzer to add in some variety.Having TVs in our kitchen and having tablets and phones by our side makes it hard to disconnect during meal time. Being distracted when eating can lead us to consume larger portions, eat faster, and feel less satisfied with the meal we have. Take a break from your device and bring some mindfulness to meal time. When it comes to weight loss most of us know what to do. It’s a matter of actually doing it. Make staying in the Zone easy by optimizing your kitchen for success. References 1. Vartanian, Lenny R., Kristin M. Kernan, and Brian Wansink. “Clutter, Chaos, and Overconsumption: The Role of Mind-Set in Stressful and Chaotic Food Environments,” Environment and Behavior.
Keto Diet: Your Questions Answered
Chances are you or someone you know has tried the keto diet. This high-fat, very low carbohydrate eating plan is enticing for many because of its promise for quick weight loss. We had the opportunity to ask Dr. Sears some questions about the keto diet and get his thoughts on the plan. See why he says the cons far outweigh the pros and why you may want to think twice before jumping on this trend. Question: What is the Ketogenic Diet? Answer: The keto diet is a high fat, very low carbohydrate diet. This reduction in carbohydrates puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This only occurs when there is not enough stored glycogen in your liver to convert fatty acids completely to carbon dioxide and water (i.e. a clean burn). In ketosis, the fatty acids are not completely burned to make ATP, so you make less energy. Contrary to popular belief, ketones are not a good source of energy for the brain as glucose remains the preferred fuel source for ATP production in the brain. Question: What do you consider the pros and cons of this eating plan? Answer: With this eating plan the cons greatly outweigh the pros. Pros: Rapid initial weight loss in three days is primarily due to loss of retained water, but not stored body fat. So, if you are thinking only about weight loss, this could be considered a pro. Less thinking by removing carbs from the diet. Less hunger by eating more protein. Cons: Acetone is one of the ketone bodies produced during ketosis. Acetone is also the primary chemical in nail polish. A ketogenic diet increases calcium loss from bones. High levels of dietary fat on a ketogenic diet will reduce the likelihood of using stored body fat for energy unless you have significant calorie restriction at the same time. Lack of ATP production on a ketogenic diet makes it easier to become fatigued with mild exercise. After seven days on a keto diet, eating a single “cheat meal” (one high in carbohydrates) causes damage to the blood vessels. Lack of polyphenols on a ketogenic diet makes it difficult to activate the genes required to optimize your metabolism by improving the efficiency of the mitochondria in converting fat into chemical energy (ATP). There is no difference in weight loss on a ketogenic diet compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet in long-term studies. Careful studies have demonstrated there is no "metabolic advantage" on a ketogenic diet and that the fat loss on the ketogenic diet is the same as a low-fat, high-carb diet with the same number of calories in the short-term. Lack of fermentable fiber due to lack of carbohydrates leads to compromised gut health and increased likelihood of developing a leaky gut (condition in which bacteria and toxins can "leak" through the intestinal wall), which can become a significant source of inflammation. Build-up of cortisol levels to convert muscle mass to glucose for the brain which is the preferred fuel source for the brain. Excess cortisol increases insulin resistance which makes you regain the lost weight body as fat, depresses the immune system making you more likely to get sick, and destroys memory cells in the hippocampus. Question: A main component of the diet involves your body going into “Ketosis”. How does this happen? Answer: To completely metabolize fat to carbon dioxide and water, you need to have a sufficient level of carbohydrates in the liver stored as glycogen. The liver glycogen is also the primary storage site for glucose that can be used to replenish blood sugar levels to maintain adequate glucose for the brain. If the carbohydrate levels are too low in the liver, the incoming fat is not completely metabolized and because of this incomplete fat burning metabolic products known as ketones begin to appear in the blood. These are recognized as foreign and the body increases urination to remove them. That's why ketogenic diets deliver early weight loss but primarily in the form of dehydration. Question: Do people see real benefits or is this just another fad? Answer: A true ketogenic diet is also a calorie-restricted diet since it is difficult to consume high levels of fat without carbohydrate. Calorie restriction itself will have benefits by lowering the levels of inflammation, but only if protein, fat, and carbohydrates are relatively balanced as shown in highly controlled clinical studies. In fact, those studies indicate that a ketogenic diet is a pro-inflammatory diet. Question: Would the keto diet make you gain weight? Answer: There is no such thing as a “metabolic advantage” to a ketogenic diet. Fat loss is simply a matter of calorie reduction. A ketogenic diet reduces the minimum blood glucose levels needed for brain function so much that the body is forced to increase the secretion of cortisol which breaks down muscle mass into glucose for maintaining brain function. As cortisol levels build up, this causes an increase in insulin resistance resulting in elevated insulin levels which causes weight to regain. This problem is more apparent in females than in males. Question: How does the keto diet impact gut health? Answer: Gut health requires both fermentable fiber and polyphenols coming from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A ketogenic diet will likely be deficient in both. In addition, saturated fatty acids (especially palmitic acid) found in ketogenic diets enable the transport of microbial fragments into the blood which will increase inflammation. A ketogenic diet is usually rich in saturated fats, especially palmitic acid which is the most pro-inflammatory saturated fat. Fermentable fiber is the source of nutrition for the bacteria in the gut and without adequate levels, the bacteria will start digesting the mucus barrier that is your first line of protection against a leaky gut. Polyphenols disrupt the biofilms used by pathogenic bacteria to evade detection and destruction by the gut's immune system. Anything that disrupts gut health is a leading cause of microbial-induced inflammation. There is nothing magical about a keto diet and careful studies have demonstrated it offers no metabolic advantage. It works for weight loss because it is also a calorie-restricted diet.{{cta('72aca16a-1bab-4262-84b4-f4d2e40c1279')}}
Calorie Restriction: Why There's More To It Than Simply Weight Loss
Regardless of what you are told, the only way to lose excess body fat is to eat fewer calories. I have long talked about the benefits of calorie restriction as a way to improve your cardiovascular health thereby improving your healthspan as well. (1-3). A recent analysis of CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), a study looking at two years of prolonged caloric restriction in healthy individuals, found this to be true in “normal weight” subjects (4). I say “normal weight” because although their average BMI was 25, their percent body fat was 33 per cent which is considered to be obese (greater than 25 percent for males and greater than 32 per cent for females). Although they tried to reduce their calorie intake by 25 percent for the two-year study, the best they could achieve was about 12 per cent. This means the calorie-restricted group was eating about 300 fewer calories per day for two years. A couple of surprising things from the study. First, nearly all the change in weight took place in the first six months with very little change in the next 18 months even with continued calorie restriction. This is typical of most controlled calorie-restriction programs like the long-term Pounds Lost studies at Harvard (5). Likewise, it appeared that most of loss of body fat happened in this same time period. At the 12 month mark, individuals had lost on average 13 pounds of fat, but more than 10 pounds of muscle mass. The loss of body fat was due to the restriction of calories, but the loss of muscle mass was due to protein restriction. Total protein intake went from an average of 102 grams of protein per day to 89 grams of protein per day. At 24 months, muscle mass hadn’t been regained, but individuals had gained back about 2 pounds of fat. Although the calorie-restricted group had lower insulin levels, the change in their fasting glucose levels was virtually the same as the control group. This is because muscle is the primary site for taking glucose out of the blood, and if you lose muscle mass, then glucose levels in the blood don’t go down even though you are consuming fewer calories. Nonetheless, those in the calorie-restricted group did see their blood pressure and blood lipids decreased. However, all of these changes occurred in the first year with virtually no changes in the second year of the study. The only parameter that continued to change in the second year compared to the first year was a continued reduction in inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein. What this means is that most of any weight loss, fat loss, reduction in blood pressure, blood lipids, as well as blood glucose levels are all likely to take place in the first six months of any calorie restriction program. That’s not encouraging news. But the continued drop in inflammation with calorie restriction is great news because that is the real cause of both a decreased healthspan as well as lifespan. This is why Zone Pro-Resolution Nutrition offers an even greater potential for health care in the future. The Zone Diet is a calorie-restricted diet, but unlike the CALERIE study the Zone Diet contains adequate protein to not only maintain muscle mass, but also to improve satiety. However, as we have shown clinically, when using the new generation of Zone Protein as a significant source of your total protein, you gain muscle mass instead of losing it (6). But the real benefit of following the Zone Diet for a lifetime is the continued reduction of inflammation that can be greatly accelerated by the addition of high-dose omega-3 fatty acids to speed up the resolution of any existing inflammation. Finally, by adding high-dose polyphenols, you can further active the gene transcription factor AMPK that repairs tissue damaged by inflammation. All of this is detailed in my new book, The Resolution Zone, that will be available shortly (7). Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols (along with calorie restriction) can also help you finally reach the Zone. Once you're in the Zone, then you know you have done everything possible to optimize your body’s internal Resolution Response which is the real key to future of medicine. {{cta('7e36e182-1d26-4052-ae0d-23a08508788b')}} References Sears B. The Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (1995) Sears B. The Anti-aging Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (1999) Sears B. The Anti-Inflammation Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (2005) Kraus WE et al. “2 years of calorie restriction and cardiometabolic risk.” Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol DOI.org: 10.1016S2213-8587(19)30151-2 (2019) Bray GA et al. “Lessons learned from the POUNDS Lost study: genetic, metabolic, and behavioral factors affecting changes in body weight, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk.” Curr Obes Rep. 8: 262-283 (2019) Johnston CS et al. “Use of novel high-protein functional food products as part of a calorie-restricted diet to reduce insulin resistance and increase lean body mass in adults: A Randomized controlled trial. Nutrients 9: E1182 (2017) Sears B. The Resolution Zone: The Science of the Resolution Response. Zone Press. Palm City, FL (2019)
Weight Loss Tips Backed With Science
Chances are you know someone whose following keto, doing intermittent fasting, or onto cabbage soup and grapefruit to shed some pounds. While a quick fix might seem like the best option to reach your weight loss goals, the reality is these diets can be hard to follow over the long-term and some can do more harm than good. The secret to weight loss is finding something you can stick with while keeping the weight off for good. Here are 8 science based tips you can start now that will help you reach your goals without landing you back where you started. Eat Protein: Crash diets that don’t contain adequate protein won't work even if they might produce some initial changes on the scale. Not only will they make you hungry and fatigued, but you end up losing muscle mass which makes it harder lose weight in the future. If you want to cut back on calories, don’t do it at the expense of protein. Make sure that every meal and snack has adequate protein about 25 grams for meals and 7 grams for snacks. This will keep hunger in check while ensuring you don’t lose your muscle mass at the same time. One more fun fact is that studies have shown that starting your meal with your protein choice first dramatically reduces hunger levels. Calories Do Count: Our overestimation of how much we are eating can make all the difference when it comes time to weigh in. Calorie restriction has been shown to activate AMPK, an enzyme important in energy metabolism. Higher levels of AMPK have been associated with numerous health outcomes, one of which is reduced abdominal fat. Curb Hunger with Fermentable Fiber: You can still cut back on calories without having to feel deprived. Processed carbohydrates (breads, pastries, cereals, starchy snacks and sweets) are easy to over consume and quickly add up. Instead, replace these foods with those rich in fermentable fiber like vegetables and fruit. Fermentable fiber improves the release of hormones in the gut tied to satiety. This hormones send signals to our brain that we're full. Just remember as your bump up your fiber intake to increase your water consumption too. This will ensure better digestion and keep everything moving as it should. Keep Insulin in Check: We often blame carbs as the reason for our weight gain, but in actuality it is constantly elevated insulin levels that makes us gain weight, and keep the weight on. Inflammation is at the root of high insulin levels, also known as insulin resistance. The best way to keep insulin levels in check is to lower inflammation by ensuring you have the right balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat at every meal and snack. Stay Hydrated: Having a broth based soup as an appetizer or 16 ounces of water may help to curb how much food you consume during your meal. Try and keep a water bottle on your desk, in your bag, or when dining out finish your glass before your appetizer or entrée arrives. Keep Healthy Foods on Hand and in Sight: Having a supply of healthy snacks on hand allows us to make better decisions throughout the day. Small frequent meals every 3-4 hours that are balanced in protein, carbohydrate and fat help maintain stable blood sugars throughout the day making us less inclined to indulge should the opportunity come our way. Log it: There are so many apps for tracking what you eat and some of the features from scanning barcodes, syncing with your Fitbit, to online communities for support are great for accountability. That said it doesn’t matter whether you use a pen or paper or an app of your choosing. The data is clear that if you log it you’re less likely to overeat and that’s a good thing. Try the Zone Food Journal. Rev Up Your Workouts: High intensity interval training (HIIT) helps to burn more body fat as its been shown to increase AMPK activity. HIIT is based on doing intense bursts of exercise followed by an active recovery to keep your heart rate up and burn fat quicker. Not in your wheelhouse? It doesn’t take cutting edge fitness trends to make it work for you. Find an activity you enjoy doing and stick with it. Consider incorporating both strength training and cardio so you can maintain and build muscle while you torch calories too. Making simple changes based in science is the most successful way to lose weight and keep it off. Just make sure your changes are simple, sustainable and fun. That’s the formula for success. {{cta('f794fdb4-e128-4289-b30c-cba36c1ddb7d')}}
Food Journaling and Weight Loss
You might be surprised to learn that one of your biggest assets when it comes to weight loss or weight maintenance is as simple as having a pen and paper. When getting started on a weight loss routine or trying to get through a weight loss plateau keeping a record of everything you eat or drink over the course of the day can be a huge piece of your success. Studies have shown that people who keep food journals can lose twice as much weight as those who don’t (1). Food journals are also helpful to improve food choices and identify deficiencies, food triggers or potential allergens in your diet. How to Start Food Journaling: Find What Works Best For You: There are numerous ways to track, but the key is finding something that works for you. If it’s not easy you won’t stick with it. Sometimes a pen and paper is the best way to jot things down as you go, plus its portable so you can keep on hand. There are also plenty of apps you can access too for easy tracking. Record Everything: No matter how big or small write-it down. It’s the little things that add up like beverages, condiments, eating leftovers when cleaning up from dinner or the candy on your co-workers desk. Track after Your Meal: Try and record everything you eat as close to meal time as possible. If you wait until the end of the day you’ll be likely to forget what you had or estimate incorrectly so write as you go. Be Accurate: Having a food scale or measuring cups and spoons may be helpful to ensure your portions sizes are accurate. We often over estimate our portions so this is a good place to start. This is especially helpful if you feel as though you've been doing everything right and the scale doesn't seem to budge. You don’t have to keep this up long just until you get comfortable that you are estimating correctly. If you aren’t home to weigh things out, use the nutrition facts panel as a guide or many restaurants have their calorie information posted online. Getting acquainted with these portions sizes can help too. Write How You Feel and Time of Day: When we are tired, irritable, emotional or stressed that is when we are more likely to throw the towel in on healthy eating. When tracking your intake make a note of how you feel. This can be a note about what made you eat (tired, boredom, stress) or how the meal itself made you feel (tired, fatigued, energetic). This gives you the insight to know what your triggers are and how to better navigate them moving forward. If You Cheat, Track It: If you’ve completely overindulged, it’s ok, just write-it down. There is no guilt here, just get back on track at your next meal. You gain the most insight when you log your cheat meals as it allows you to track how frequently the indulgences occur. Logging also increases the likelihood that your next meal will be healthier, rather than forming a new pattern of poor choices. {{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}} Keeping a food journal keeps you accountable for your food choices. If you have to write down a poor food choice, you’ll be less apt to put it in your mouth. Whether you’re just starting on your weight loss journey, trying to maintain your current weight or want to identify food cravings, journaling is great way to identify patterns, cravings and how your emotional triggers influence your food choices. References: Hollis JF, Gullion CM, Stevens VJ, Brantley PJ, Appel LJ, Ard JD, Champagne CM, Dalcin A, Erlinger TP, Funk K, Laferriere D, Lin PH, Loria CM, Samuel-Hodge C, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP; Weight Loss Maintenance Trial Research Group. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight-loss maintenance trial. Am J Prev Med. 2008 Aug;35(2):118-26. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.04.013.
Three Hormones That Could Be Impacting Your Weight
Many of the problems that prevent us from reaching our weight loss goals are due to hormonal imbalance. If you are careful about your food choices, exercise regularly and still aren't seeing the scale budge, your hormones may be to blame. When trying to reach the Zone, you’ll often hear us talk about the importance of hormonal control. When our hormones are unbalanced it can accelerate the aging process, decrease our overall wellness, and hinder our ability to perform or maintain our weight. Here we’ll focus specifically on hormones that might be impacting your weight and what you can do to manage them. What are hormones? For many of us, our first introduction to the word hormones was somewhere in our early teens. While it may be a word that is familiar to us, defining it could prove more challenging. Hormones are chemical messengers that travel in our blood, tissues and organs helping with communication throughout our body. While they do impact growth, development and the aging process they also play a critical role in how our body gets energy from the foods we eat, known as metabolism. Hormones are powerful in that small amounts produce big changes within our bodies (1). This is why the foundation for reaching the Zone is based upon using the foods we eat and supplements we take to control our hormones. Hormones and Weight Dr. Sears has written about this extensively, but the real reason we gain weight is not due to insulin per se, but increased insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is caused by increased inflammation in our insulin-sensitive cells. This makes it difficult for insulin to communicate its message to its target cells in the liver, muscles, and adipose tissues. Increased insulin resistance forces the pancreas to produce even more insulin to try to get that message to the target cell in an effort to respond. As a result, insulin levels rise in the blood and stay constantly elevated. In the case of the fat cells in the adipose tissue, these constantly elevated insulin levels drive circulating fat into your existing fat cells and block the release of stored fat. This makes it difficult to lose weight. The Solution: To optimize your insulin levels for fat loss requires following an anti-inflammatory eating plan like the Zone Diet which is based upon controlling insulin levels at every meal and snack. This is achieved by balancing the protein-to carbohydrate ratio at each meal coupled with the use of small amounts of monounsaturated fats know to be anti-inflammatory. Since diet is one of the main reasons we develop insulin resistance, it’s also one of the easiest changes we can make to help reverse it. Adiponectin is a protein hormone that plays a role in insulin resistance. Individuals who are overweight, obese or have high levels of insulin resistance have been shown to have low levels of adiponectin. The leaner you are, the more circulating adiponectin you have which is strongly correlated with decreased insulin resistance in the fat cells. It is thought that adiponectin works by increasing fatty acid oxidation leading to improvements in insulin sensitivity (2). The Solution: In addition to an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce insulin resistance and keep adiponectin levels high, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to increase circulating levels of adiponectin (3) as well as exercise (4). Cortisol is a hormone that the body produces under stress and can hinder our ability to lose weight. You need some cortisol, but where you run into issues is when the body is producing excessive amounts. In addition to stressful conditions we might be under in our day to day lives, excessive exercise, fasting, inflammation, and excess insulin can increase cortisol production. Cortisol is produced during fasting conditions when energy stores are depleted. During this time blood glucose and insulin levels begin to drop and as a result cortisol is released. Cortisol levels naturally rise in the morning, but its release signals the body to begin breaking down muscle for energy. This is why it’s critical to eat an appropriate breakfast coming off an overnight fast to restore blood sugar levels and replenish glycogen and to avoid skipping meals. In addition, when we have too much insulin circulating in our bodies it can drive down blood glucose levels resulting in the increased cortisol levels and making it difficult for it our bodies to release stored fat. The Solution: There a number of ways to reduce cortisol. One is to follow the Zone Diet to reduce diet-induced inflammation. The second is to resolve inflammation using high-dose omega-3 fatty acids. The third is to use polyphenols which help repair tissue damage caused by inflammation. The three of these together form the basis for the Zone Pro-Resolution Nutrition Program. Finally, there is the traditional way using stress reduction. Stress reduction can include meditation, relaxation, or moderate exercise (too intense can actually increase cortisol) to help reduce excess cortisol levels by reducing the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Many of the problems that prevent us from reaching our goals are due to hormonal imbalance. The Zone Pro-Resolution Nutrition program consisting of the reduction, resolution, and repair of diet-induced inflammation is your best pathway to get to the Zone and make your goals a reality. {{cta('61bf66d9-5561-4209-b869-f696d6532948')}} References Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/hormones.html. Accessed: September 6, 2018. Lihn AS1, Pedersen SB, Richelsen B. Adiponectin: action, regulation and association to insulin sensitivity. Obes Rev. 2005 Feb;6(1):13-21. Wu JH, Cahill LE, Mozaffarian D. Effect of fish oil on circulating adiponectin: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jun;98(6):2451-9. Markofski MM, Carrillo AE, Timmerman KL, Jennings K, Coen PM, Pence BD, Flynn MG. Exercise training modifies ghrelin and adiponectin concentrations and is related to inflammation in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014 Jun;69(6):675-81.
Intermittent Fasting vs The Zone Diet
Abstaining from food and beverage, other than water, for a period of time (a.k.a fasting) has been used since the beginning of time out of necessity for survival, spiritual reasons, and health promotion. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that goes between days of fasting or partial fasting and eating. IF has become increasing popular in the health and fitness arena for its perceived role in weight loss and improved health. Here we’ll tell you more about it and give you Dr. Sears’ take on this old concept but new trend. What is Intermittent Fasting? Calorie restriction is the reduction of calorie intake without compromising nutrition. Calorie restriction has been shown to be the most effective way to help slow down the aging process. A recent study showed that restricting calories over a two year period of time slowed metabolism and reduced oxidative stress, two key pieces for reducing the rate of aging and protecting against age-related disease (1). Intermittent fasting (IF) tries to replicate the benefits of calorie restriction, without having to continuously restrict calories. The idea being that not restricting calories daily makes compliance easier to follow. IF involves restricting calories 1-3 days per week and then eating as you normally would on your non-restricted days. There are several approaches to Intermittent Fasting but the premise is you eat normally a few days a week and drastically cut back on calories the other days. This form involves a day in which food and beverages (other than water) are completely restricted followed by a day where foods and beverages can be consumed normally. There are variations within alternate day fasting as well. A more scientifically investigated form involves eating 25 percent of your needed calories on one day and then 125 percent of your needed calories on the next day. The total calorie intake would be 75 percent of needed calories (2). Some calories can be consumed on fast days but it’s severely restricted to 20-25% of your energy needs (approximately 500-600 calories). This is the basis for the 5:2 diet where you restrict energy two non-consecutive days and then eat normally the other 5 days. This involves daily fasting intervals ranging from 12-20 hours. Religious fasts often use time-restricted feeding (i.e. Ramadan). The Science The science on calorie restriction (CR) itself is strong, but what about using the IF approach to calorie restriction? Many of the benefits of intermittent fasting such as improved metabolic profiles, decreased weight and reduced risk for chronic disease have been widely studied in animals. Despite the success of those studies, the same benefits are mixed when it comes to human trials (3), which may be related to compliance. In studies comparing similar caloric intake using both IF and CR there are no differences between the two groups in either weight loss, improvements in blood markers (glucose, insulin, lipids, inflammation) and chronic disease risk (4). Both may be equally effective for weight loss and cardio-protection. In one series of carefully controlled long-term trials (the CALERIE studies), the goal was to have individuals reduce calorie intake by 25 percent on a continuous basis. Even though individuals could only reduce their intake by 15% these calorie restricted (CR) experiments demonstrated significant clinical benefits (1). The data is clear that if you can restrict calories there are benefits to be gained. Intermittent Fasting vs. The Zone Diet Intermittent fasting is based on the idea that continuous calorie restriction is too hard to follow for the lifetime. So maybe you can do it for a couple of days with fasting or mini-fasts, knowing you can eat normally or overeat the next day or every other day. Regardless of the approach used, the answer appears to be that there is no benefit of intermittent fasting compared to consuming the same number of restricted calories day in and day out according to recent studies. Furthermore, there is no difference in weight loss between a continuous calorie–restricted diet and an intermittent fasting diet because the weekly intake of calories consumed is about the same. However, subjects in these studies using intermittent fasting tend to be less compliant as they are hungrier on their fasting days. The key to the Zone Diet is not simply the restriction of calories, but the constant maintenance of hormonal balance that results in stable blood glucose levels so that you are not hungry between meals. After all, who wants to be hungry no matter what the potential health benefits may be. In addition, if you use Ramadan as an example in which observant Muslims who fast all day and then only eat after the sun goes down, you see that they do lose weight, but the lost weight is all regained shortly after the fasting period is over. This isn’t ideal for long-term health benefits. In addition 16 hour fasts may place stress on your bodies hormonal systems as one may run the risk of upsetting the hormonal levels like insulin, glucagon, and cortisol. The Zone Diet is built upon the concept of calorie restriction coupled with hormonal balance, so that you are never hungry or fatigued and can easily follow it for a lifetime. Following a calorie restricted Zone Diet will yield many of the clinical positive benefits often attributed to various forms of fasting but with greater long-term compliance.{{cta('a8225404-c675-40b7-8eaa-4836beb805da')}} References: 1. Leanne M. Redman, Steven R. Smith, Jeffrey H. Burton, Corby K. Martin, Dora Il'yasova, Eric Ravussin. Metabolic Slowing and Reduced Oxidative Damage with Sustained Caloric Restriction Support the Rate of Living and Oxidative Damage Theories of Aging. Cell Metabolism, 2018.2. Trepanowski JF, Kroeger CM, Barnosky A, Klempel MC, Bhutani S, Hoddy KK, Gabel K, Freels S, Rigdon J, Rood J, Ravussin E, Varady KA. Effect of Alternate-Day Fasting on Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Cardioprotection Among Metabolically Healthy Obese Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Jul 1;177(7):930-938. 3. Horne BD, Muhlestein JB, Anderson JL. Health effects of intermittent fasting: hormesis or harm? A systematic review.Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):464-70. 4. Patterson RE, Laughlin GA, LaCroix AZ, Hartman SJ, Natarajan L, Senger CM, Martínez ME, Villaseñor A, Sears DD, Marinac CR, Gallo LC.Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 Aug;115(8):1203-12
What Are Carbohydrates?
When trying to lose weight carbohydrates are usually first on the list to be eliminated, but should they be avoided? Here we’ll breakdown what carbohydrates are, why you need them, and our recommendations for how much to consume.Carbohydrates DefinedCarbohydrates are one of three macronutrients (protein and fat being the others) that are an important energy source for our bodies. We often think of carbs as breads, pastas, rice, and desserts, but fruits, vegetables and legumes are carbohydrates too. Carbohydrates are not an “essential” nutrient since the body can convert protein into them, but you need a moderate amount in your diet since the brain relies primarily on glucose (a breakdown product of carbohydrates) in order to survive. Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbs Not all carbohydrates are created equal. While it is true that once carbohydrates are broken down to glucose in the body they are treated the same way, the rate at which this happens depends on the type of carbohydrate consumed. Quality and quantity are important. Simple carbohydrates are those that breakdown quickly to glucose. Since they are easy to digest, they rapidly raise blood sugar and insulin too. While many of the foods that fall in this group should be limited due to being rich in added sugars or refined carbohydrates (fiber and nutrients have been removed during processing), not all simple carbohydrates are bad. Nutrient rich foods like fruits and non-starchy vegetables fall in this group too. Though the types of sugars found in fruits and vegetables makes them easy to digest, the fact that many are rich in fiber (a non-digestible carbohydrate) helps to slow down how quickly this takes place. Complex carbohydrates enter the blood as glucose much more slowly than simple or refined carbohydrates. This is because their chemical structure takes more time to break down in our body. Complex carbs consist of three or more sugar molecules linked together. Foods in this group consist of starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Fiber Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can’t be digested in the body. It helps slow down how quickly carbohydrates are broken down into sugar. This is beneficial when it comes to simple carbs like vegetables and fruit. Fiber can either be soluble, dissolving in water (think oatmeal), or insoluble (e.g. vegetables). Soluble fiber is what has been linked to improvements in blood cholesterol levels and healthy blood sugar whereas insoluble is often linked to improvements in gut health. Non-digestible fiber is found naturally in foods like leeks, asparagus, artichokes, but can also be added to foods during processing such as inulin and oligosaccharides. Since this type of fiber isn’t fully digested it is able to reach the colon where it is fermented by good bacteria. This is why we refer to it as fermentable fiber. The result of this fermentation is that it produces beneficial changes in the composition or activity of the bacteria in our gut helping to improve our overall health and well-being. Glycemic Index Categorizing carbohydrates as simple or complex doesn’t give the full picture on how a food will impact your blood sugar levels. Each carbohydrate containing food enters the blood at a different rate. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranges from 0-100 and rates how slowly or how quickly a food raises blood sugar. The scale is based on consuming 50 grams of carbohydrate in one particular setting and its rate of entry into the blood. The 100 on the scale is for pure glucose, so the higher the glycemic index of a food is to that, the faster that food raises your blood sugar and insulin secretion (e.g boiled potato has a GI of 87 whereas an apple has a GI of 36). Glycemic Load Since the GI is based on 50 grams of carbohydrate from one particular food, it doesn’t take into account the total carbohydrate consumed in a meal. This is where the glycemic load comes in. Glycemic Load is a more precise measure as it factors in the rate of entry of carbohydrates into the bloodstream as well as the total amount of carbohydrates you consume in a sitting. This predicts how much insulin your body will produce in response to the carbohydrates actually consumed. Too much math? Don’t worry we’ve taken the guesswork out of it for you. The Amount of Carbohydrates You Need Ideally your carbohydrate intake should primarily come from non-starchy vegetables, limited amounts of fruits, and small amounts of legumes to maintain stable blood glucose levels. Choosing these foods as your main source of your carbohydrates helps to lower the glycemic load of meal. Glycemic load is a measure of how the quality and quantity of your carbohydrates choices at a meal impact the blood glucose and insulin response to that meal. To find out how many carbohydrates you should consume each day and what carbohydrate choices fit within the Zone check out our Body Fat Calculator and Food Block Guide. Why Carbohydrates Need to be Balanced with Protein The rate at which carbohydrates raise blood glucose varies depending on the carbohydrates you choose and whether there is fat and protein in the meal too. Even though vegetables and fruit are the best carbohydrates choices, they still raise blood glucose levels when consumed alone. To further stabilize blood glucose and minimize its rise you want to balance your carbohydrate intake with lean protein found in low-fat dairy, eggs, and lean meats. This is the foundation of the Zone Diet. When making a Zone meal we recommend aiming for one that is under 400 calories, has less than 12 grams of fat, 25 grams of protein and about 35 grams of net carbs (total carbohydrates minus fiber). If you have the right balance of protein to the glycemic load at a meal, you will not be hungry or fatigued for the next five hours. Why Moderate Carbohydrate Intake is Better than Low or High Carbohydrates are commonly blamed for weight gain, but in actuality it is constantly elevated insulin levels that lead to weight gain and prevent us from getting the weight off. Consuming excess carbohydrates coupled with an increased intake of omega-6 fatty acids promotes the development of insulin resistance which causes the body to secrete more of the hormone insulin. Insulin resistance promotes the storage of excess calories as increased body fat and also makes it more difficult to release existing stored body fat for energy. Alternatively consuming too few carbohydrates like a ketogenic diet (high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets) makes the body secrete the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol signals the breakdown of our muscle mass in an effort to give the brain enough glucose to function and increases insulin resistance. Between those extremes lies the Zone where your intake of carbohydrates is moderate, coming primarily from colorful vegetables and fruits, and balanced with adequate amounts of lean protein and a dash of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. The result is that insulin and blood sugar levels are both stabilized, helping you combat hunger and fatigue. Find yourself having a hard time cutting out refined carbohydrates like pasta? Consider PastaRx as your protein source for a meal. Although it looks and tastes like traditional pasta, it has been clinically shown to significantly reduce insulin resistance. It is insulin resistance that makes you gain weight and keeps the weight on. Try our Cheesy Spinach Fusilli recipe made with Zone PastaRX. Instructions: Prepare Zone PastaRx Fusilli according to package directions. Add spinach for the last 2-3 minutes. Drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of liquid and set aside. Add the pasta back into the saucepan along with the tomatoes, spices, cheeses and as much reserved pasta water as you want to the saucepan. Stir until warm. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve. {{cta('297eb944-2751-46ba-b69b-897464cab474')}}
Insulin Resistance and Weight Loss
Carbohydrates are often villainized as the culprit for our weight gain, but it’s more complex than this. It is constantly elevated levels of the hormone insulin that actually makes you fat and keeps you fat. Since carbohydrates cause a short-term increase in insulin levels, this has led to the carbohydrate-insulin theory of obesity, or the idea that the solution to our growing obesity crisis is to cut out carbohydrates. It’s not that simple. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate the amount of glucose, a breakdown product of carbohydrates, in our blood required for optimal brain function as well controlling enzyme activities, gene expression and the distribution and storage of energy. Under normal metabolic conditions, insulin levels rapidly rise and rapidly fall in response to our intake of carbohydrates. This all changes as you develop insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, insulin is less able to tell our cells (primarily muscle) to quickly remove glucose from the blood. As a result, the higher levels of circulating glucose make the pancreas secrete higher and higher levels of insulin to accomplish the task. These constantly elevated insulin levels are a result of insulin resistance, which in turn is caused by increased cellular inflammation. So it is not insulin per se that makes you gain weight, but the constantly elevated levels of insulin caused by insulin resistance that is the problem. How Insulin Resistance Makes You Fat It is constantly elevated insulin levels that makes you gain weight, and keep the weight on. The reason is that if the muscle cells are not taking in enough glucose from the blood, the increased insulin levels drive that glucose into the fat cells instead and that accelerates the storage of dietary excess calories as stored fat. This makes you gain weight. Furthermore, these increased insulin levels prevent your fat cells from releasing stored fat to be used as energy for the body. This keeps the weight on. What Causes Insulin Resistance? There are several factors that play a role in insulin resistance, but cellular inflammation is the biggest culprit. Cellular inflammation results from an imbalance of two key fatty acids in our blood, Arachidonic Acid (AA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA). When the levels of arachidonic acid are in excess it leads to the generation of hormones known to be pro-inflammatory. This inflammation makes it difficult for insulin to communicate with our cells in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. In an effort to increase communication, more and more insulin is produced resulting in high circulating levels and with that comes the excess weight. It is the dietary factors below that over the long term lead to increased cellular inflammation, making it more likely to become insulin resistant. An imbalance of protein to carbohydrate at each meal. Excess dietary caloric intake causing oxidative stress. Excess dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids. Excess dietary intake of the saturated fatty acids, especially palmitic acid. Lack of dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Lack of dietary intake of polyphenols to activate anti-oxidative genes to reduce oxidative stress. Lack of dietary intake of polyphenols to promote gut health. Lack of dietary intake of fermentable fiber to promote gut health. How to Tell If You Have Insulin Resistance You can’t determine your level of insulin resistance by looking in the mirror as about 16% of healthy, normal weight Americans have severe insulin resistance (1). However, if you have diabetes (30 million Americans) or pre-diabetes (86 million Americans), you are guaranteed to have severe insulin resistance. More than 80% of obese Americans have severe insulin resistance. This high prevalence of severe insulin resistance goes a long way to explaining our obesity epidemic. The higher your levels of insulin resistance, the more likely you are to gain excess body fat and have difficulty in losing it. It also means that that you are likely to regain all the lost body fat unless you reduce the underlying cause which is not carbohydrates, but insulin resistance that is caused by cellular inflammation (2). Blood Tests for Insulin Resistance There are blood tests to know whether you are insulin resistant. Measuring insulin levels can get expensive, yet the triglyceride (TG) to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) ratio can be used as a surrogate marker for insulin resistance and is commonly performed in your routine blood work. Insulin resistance is typically associated with an increase in body fat, so it makes sense that the first place you can measure its start is in the liver. This is because the liver is where dietary fats are repackaged into lipoproteins which transport triglycerides and cholesterol to cells. When insulin resistance develops, triglyceride levels rise, HDL levels decrease, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) becomes smaller and denser. If you’re one to avoid blood testing, we have developed a simple quiz to gauge whether you may be insulin resistant or on the road to becoming it. You can access our insulin resistance quiz here. How the Zone Diet Can Help The Zone Diet was developed to help control insulin levels in the body. This is achieved by balancing the protein-to carbohydrate ratio at each meal coupled with the use of small amounts of monounsaturated fats know to be anti-inflammatory. Since diet is one of the main reasons we develop insulin resistance, it’s also one of the easiest changes we can make to help reverse it. Within 4 days of following the Zone Diet, it has been shown clinically to reduce insulin resistance (3). With our new Zone Foods, we’ve tried to make it even easier for individuals to stick to the Zone eating plan with minimal thinking to help reverse insulin resistance quicker. Using the Zone Foods (e.g. Zone Cereal and PastaRx) at every meal has been clinically show to decrease insulin resistance 24 times more effectively than using their gluten-free equivalents (4). Summary Constantly elevated levels of the hormone insulin can make it difficult to lose body fat. High insulin levels are a result of insulin resistance, which in turn is caused by increased cellular inflammation. Insulin resistance can be reversed within 4 days of following the Zone Diet. As we age it becomes more and more difficult to lose excess body fat due to insulin resistance and increased levels of cellular inflammation. By bringing the focus back to choosing the right foods and ensuring the appropriate balance of protein to carbohydrate at each every meal along with adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols we can keep insulin levels in check and keep us on the path to continued wellness.{{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}} References McLaughlin T, Allison G, Abbasi F, Lamendola C, and Reaven G. “Prevalence of insulin resistance and associated cardiovascular disease risk factors among normal weight, overweight, and obese individuals.” Metabolism 53:495-499 (2004) Sears B and Perry M. “The role of fatty acids in insulin resistance.” Lipids Health Disease 14:121 (2015) Markovic TP, Jenkins AB, Campbell LV, Furler SM, Kraegen EW, and Chisholm DJ. “The determinants of glycemic responses to diet restriction and weight loss in obesity and NIDDM.” Diabetes Care 21:687-694 (1998) Johnson CS, Sears B, Perry M, and Knurick JR. “Use of novel high-protein functional food products as part of a calorie-restricted diet to reduce insulin resistance and increase lean body mass in adults: A randomized controlled trial.” Nutrients 9:1182 (2017)
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