What to Eat Before a Workout or After
Having a pre or post workout snack doesn’t have to negate everything you’ve burned off during the course of your activity. In fact, having the right mix of fuels in your body allows you reap the best results from your workout. A pre-workout snack can give you the energy you need to power through, while eating immediately after helps to replenish muscle glycogen and promote greater recovery. We recommended consuming a Zone snack 30-45 minutes before a workout and having another within 15 to 30 minutes after. When choosing a snack, all you need is about a 100 calorie Zone snack balanced in protein and carbohydrate and a little fat. The combination of protein and carbohydrate prior to working out will help to minimize muscle damage and maintain blood glucose levels which naturally fall during a workout. Fueling post-workout helps to replenish muscle glycogen and initiate muscle repair. So what might this combination look like? Pre-Post Workout Snack Ideas Greek Yogurt, Almonds, Blueberries This combination has the right blend of protein, fat and carbohydrate, plus its light to avoid that full or bloated feeling prior to or after exercise. Greek yogurt packs a protein punch with just a 1/4 cup having 6 grams of protein. Couple this with blueberries which are rich in polyphenols to help combat the stress from your workout and some almonds to keep your energy going longer. Apple with Cheese This snack is a convenient one to have on hand and if you forgot to pack your snack and are headed to workout, you can often find this combination in most convenient stores. Cottage Cheese, Almonds, Fruit Cottage cheese is rich in leucine, an amino acid that helps with protein synthesis, making this a great recovery snack. Eggs with Hummus or Guacamole If you aren’t a huge breakfast eater and tend to work out in the mornings this is something you can make ahead on the weekends and grab before your morning workout. Simply scoop out the yolk inside in a hardboiled egg, discard, and replace with guacamole or hummus for a nutritious snack that won’t leave you feeling too full. ZoneRx Bar There is nothing more convenient or portable than a ZoneRx bar. Easy to eat on the go and to have tucked in your workout bag when you’re ready. Simply have half a bar before you workout and the other half immediately after and you’ve hit all your pre and post workout needs. ZoneRx Shakes Move over chocolate milk and welcome ZoneRx shakes. For a long-time chocolate milk has been touted as one of the best recovery drinks because of its mix of protein and carbohydrate. Unfortunately too many carbohydrates in our snack choices can actually impede growth hormone from being released post-exercise due to high levels of insulin. Instead reach for a ZoneRx Shake. When our workouts fall before a main meal, ZoneRx Shakes make for a great post-recovery meal replacement. They have the right mix of everything you need to keep blood sugar levels balanced and are enriched with polyphenols to help combat any post-workout stress. If you don’t want a full meal replacement but still want something substantial, simply use half the amount of powder and milk for a great post-recovery snack. For more pre and post workout ideas check out our recipe section to search through hundreds of perfectly Zoned meals. {{cta('a9e96fff-3523-4d72-b761-29f9ef2a1279')}}
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)
Our Top Supermarket Picks
Not many of us have the luxury of spending hours in the grocery store going aisle to aisle. Here we’ve highlighted some of our top grocery finds from each area of the supermarket that can easily be incorporated into tasty weekdays/weeknight meals and get you in and out in a zip. Dairy: 2% Lactose Free Milk Why we Like It: It has the right balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat making it Zone approved. Plus it’s a good source of high-quality protein to promote satiety while being rich in calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and other essential nutrients. Why Lactose-free? Regular cow’s milk contains lactose, which many can be difficult to digest. In lactose-free milk, the lactose has been totally removed to consist of only glucose and galactose. Want an easy meal no matter the time of day? Add 10oz of Lactose free milk to a scoop of ZoneRx Shake mix to keep you going until your next meal. Seafood: Wild Salmon Why we Like it: It’s a great source of protein, low in saturated fat and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, known for their brain boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Opting for wild salmon over farm-raised brings the omega-3 content up even further and has been shown to be 8 times lower in PCBs compared to farm-raised. How does it’s omega-3 content compare to OmegaRx 2? A 3oz serving of raw wild salmon contains about 1700mg of total omega3 fatty acids, whereas one serving of OmegaRx 2 (4 capsules or 1 tsp.) contains nearly twice as much with 3000mg of the omega-3s EPA and DHA. Meat: Grass-Fed Beef Why We Like It: Compared to regular beef, grass-fed beef can contain almost 2x the amount of omega-3s compared to regular beef. While we know red meat should be consumed in moderation, when you do choose to consume it, opting for grass-fed is a good way to go. Using it ground makes for great tasting burgers, a taco night hit, or a delicious filling for stuffed peppers. Fruit: Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries)Why We Like It: They have one of the lowest glycemic responses compared to most fruits out there. Why we really like them is that they are rich in polyphenols, the chemicals in plants responsible for the color and wide range of nutritional benefits. Although summer is the peak season for berries, you can find different varieties (e.g blackberries) all year long that are fairly priced too. Berries make for a perfect sweet to end a meal, a great addition to steel cut oats, or nicely coupled with low-fat cheese for a mid-afternoon snack. Veggies: Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower and Kale)Why We Like Them: They’re nutritional powerhouses based on their levels of fermentable fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and are known for their cancer-preventive properties too. Plus they have lowest amounts of carbohydrate making them less likely to stimulate insulin. Roast or sauté in a little olive oil and use as a side dish to any protein choice. They’re also a great base for any salad when you swap in baby Kale, shaved Brussel Sprouts or Broccoli slaw in place of romaine or iceberg.Frozen: Green VegetablesWhy We Like Them: Produce that sits in the refrigerator for days or has traveled long distances to reach us, loses its nutrients with time. Frozen vegetables are a great option in this case as they are typically flash frozen at low temperatures to stop aging and retain their nutritional value. Spinach, broccoli, or asparagus make for great weeknight stir-fry’s. If you haven’t tried frozen riced vegetables yet (available in broccoli and cauliflower (although not green), these can be added to soups in a cinch or a great replacement for rice in any dish. Plus the ones in the microwavable steamer bags can be made in minutes for those nights you really run short on time.Inside Aisles: Almonds Why We Like Them: They are rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats, along with numerous vitamins, and minerals. Almonds are easy to have on hand or for a snack on the go, plus they add a nice crunch when topped on oatmeal, yogurt, or slivered on vegetables. Since they are about 79% fat, just be careful to limit your intake and be mindful of portions as the calories can really stack up and they are easy to over-consume. Steelcut OatsWhy We Like Them: They contain GLA (gamma linolenic acid), an essential fatty acids known to help boost the production of the good eicosanoids (PGE-1). Consuming 2 to 3 times per week can help build up your GLA levels. Plus they are a great alternative to breakfast cereal since they have a lower glycemic response, and are high in fiber, B-vitamins and calcium. Canned BeansWhy We Like Them: Beans are a great source of fermentable fiber and their versatility lends themselves to most dishes you create. While lectins, a protein within them, might be giving them a bad rap lately, don’t stress, because cooking sprouting or fermenting them degrades lectin. It’s only individuals who have a compromised gut barrier, like “leaky gut” whole need to limit their consumption.SpicesWhy We Like Them: Spices like basil, oregano and rosemary are incredibly rich in polyphenols (good for the gut), plus they are a great way to add flavor to any dish. Elevate any of your dishes by adding them to omelets, meat, salad dresses or vegetables. Extra Virgin Olive OilWhy We Like It: It’s primarily a monounsaturated fat, known for their heart healthy benefits, and rich in the polyphenol known as hydroxytyrosol. A good rule of thumb is to buy a cheaper olive oil for cooking, since polyphenols degrade upon heating, and then use a high quality one like Zone Extra Virgin olive oil for use in salad dressings or on top of cooked dishes to reap all their health promoting properties.{{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}}
Peak Performance: An Athletes Guide to Meal Timing
Fueling for performance requires knowing what foods to choose and when to have them. Dr. Sears has worked with elite athletes his entire professional career and his recommendations are based on years of seeing what has led to the greatest improvements in becoming faster, stronger, and leaner. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to use this guide. No matter your fitness level, use these recommendations to reap the most from your workout and enhance how quickly you can get to your next one. Hormonal Timing and Performance: A More In-Depth Look Performance can be considered to fall within 4 phases:Hormonal Warm-up –ensuring your body has the right fuels to performThe Demand Phase - when you are working out and putting stress on the bodyThe Recovery Phase - Immediately following your work outThe Repair Phase - The remainder of the time when you are not working out and repairing damaged muscle tissue Hormonal Warm-up:When: 30-45 Minutes Before and During Exercise.What To Do: Eat a Zone snack 30-45 minutes prior to exercise. Half of a ZoneRx bar is an ideal choice. Why: Consuming protein helps to minimize muscle damage and stimulate glucagon synthesis to elevate blood glucose levels that will fall during exercise. Carbohydrate consumption helps spare muscle glycogen that will be depleted and maintain blood glucose levels that will be lowered during exercise. Demand Phase-When: The workout or activity that is putting stress on the bodyWhat is Happening Hormonally Pro-inflammatory eicosanoids increase Pro-inflammatory cytokines increase Insulin decreases Cortisol increases What is Happening Metabolically ATP is depleted Protein degradation increases Muscle glycogen is partially depleted Muscle damage increases Fluid loss increases Recovery Phase When: Peaks 30 Minutes After Exercise and lasts a maximum of 120 minutes (Recovery Phase Is Short)What To Do: Eat a Zone snack immediately following exercise. Half a ZoneRx bar would be an ideal choice.Why: The combination of protein and carbohydrate helps to replenish muscle glycogen and initiate muscle repair. Growth hormone is released once exercise stops to initiate repair and this can be inhibited by high levels of insulin. Where carbohydrates alone could impede the release of growth hormone, the combination of both protein and carbohydrate helps to ensure this release happens quicker. Repair Phase When: The 20-24 hours following workout completionWhat To Do: Consume a Zone meal or snack every 4 to 5 hours. Ensure each meal contains at least 25-30 grams of high quality protein. Aim for lean protein choices that contain leucine, an amino acid found in foods such as chicken, lean beef, pork, fish, seafood, and cheese. Consuming about 2.5 grams of leucine helps activate mTor, a gene transcription factor required for new protein synthesis. Balance your protein with non-starchy vegetables at each meal. This will help to control insulin levels between meals and when balanced with the right amount of protein will help stabilize blood sugar levels. Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols.Why: The combination of the Zone Diet, omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols helps maximize the anti-inflammatory response that results in tissue repair post-work. Calculating Your Protein Needs Depending on your sport you might be trying to gain weight, primarily through lean body mass, or to lose body fat while maintaining lean body mass. Either way it’s important to know how much protein you should be consuming each day. To find your personalized requirements based on your gender, size and weight, try our Protein Requirement/Body Fat calculator. This will also tell you how many Zone Food Blocks of carbohydrate and fat you should consume each day to go along your protein requirements. The following menus are based on Dr. Sears' work with Olympic athletes. No matter your fitness level, used this as a guide and simply adjust the amounts based on what you've determined your protein requirements to be. Get started here with our meal planners for both males and females. {{cta('a9e96fff-3523-4d72-b761-29f9ef2a1279')}}
High Protein Vegetables
Many of us have heard the importance of getting adequate protein at each meal due its role in keeping us full, but for those who are vegan, vegetarian, or trying to minimize their carbon footprint, finding non-meat sources of protein can be challenging. The good news is you might be surprised to learn that vegetables can be a source of protein as long as you know which ones to choose and get adequate amounts. Here we’ll give you our top picks and which ones rank high on Dr. Sears’ approval list. Dr. Sears Best of the Best: The following vegetables rank high in Dr. Sears’ opinion when following the Zone Diet. The reason for this is not only are they a good source of protein, but their ratio of protein to carbohydrate is high, ensuring that you maintain the ideal hormonal balance once consumed. Plus they are rich in fermentable fiber and polyphenols, making them a great addition to any PastaRx Fusilli or Orzo dish. Spinach: 2 cups of fresh spinach = 3 grams of protein. 3 grams of protein might not sound like a lot, but if you’ve ever cooked with spinach you know how quickly it wilts down to almost nothing. One 10oz package of baby spinach (probably shrinks to about 1+ cups once cooked) supplies 7 grams of protein not to mention being a powerhouse when it comes to our daily intakes of vitamins and minerals (e.g. supplying 1100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin K). Low levels of vitamin K in the blood have been linked to a higher risk of bone fractures, so this is a great way to boost your levels. In addition to Vitamin K, 10oz of spinach meets your entire daily intake for Vitamin A, 89% Vitamin C and is rich in Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. Of course cooking or sautéing gives you the most bank for your buck nutritionally speaking based on how much you can consume, but even replacing iceberg or romaine with spinach in your salads can really elevate its nutritional profile. Mushrooms: 1 cup of mushrooms = 2 grams of protein and 15 calories. Don’t be fooled by the color of this veggie. Just because it’s white doesn’t mean its lacking nutrients. Where many fruits in vegetables are rich in vitamin A, C and Potassium, what makes mushrooms unique is they provide nutrients other fruits and veggies don’t typically offer. Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D supplying 114% of our recommended daily intake in just one serving (great for those who avoid dairy!). They are also rich in Copper (40% DV), Selenium (34%), Zinc (7%) and a variety of B vitamins too. Sauté in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and you have a great addition to any meal! Asparagus: 5 spears = 2 grams of protein with 2 grams of fiber. 5 spears might not sound like much when it comes to asparagus, but even this small amount supplies 10% of the DV for Vitamin C along with small amounts of vitamin A, calcium and iron. Ever wonder why your urine is so fragrant after consuming asparagus? During digestion sulfurous amino acids in the vegetable are broken down resulting in its odor. Only 22-50% of the population can actually smell the pungent odor asparagus produces in the urine. Are you part of the lucky bunch? Kale: 2 cups= 2 grams protein. Kale definitely had its moment in the sun popping up in everything from shakes and smoothies to kale chips. Nutritionally speaking in addition to its fermentable fiber and polyphenol content, kale has a lot to offer so it’s worthy of its praise. Just 2 cups contains 13% of the DV for Vitamin A, 16% vitamin C, 71% vitamin K, 15% calcium, 20% Manganese, and 6% Potassium. Plus at 7% of the DV for fiber it helps keep you full and promotes good digestion too! Broccoli 1 cup= 2 grams protein. Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, a group known for its cancer preventive properties. It’s naturally low in calories and sodium and a good source of fiber in addition to being rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. For certain groups 1 cup of raw broccoli contains almost the full daily requirement for Vitamin C (90 % DV) and Vitamin K (77% DV) in addition to providing many other nutrients such as potassium, Vitamin A, and lutein which is great for eye health! Cauliflower: 1 cup= 2 grams protein. Another member of the cruciferous family cauliflower contains glucosinolates, sulfur-containing phytochemicals linked to their role in reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. Just 1 cup supplies 8% of the DV for fiber, 57% of the DV of Vitamin C, B Vitamins and lots of minerals too. Brussels sprouts: 1 cup= 3 grams protein. Brussel Sprouts may be the highest in this bunch for their fiber content per cup at 3 grams or 12% of the daily value. Also a member of the cruciferous family, Brussel sprouts contain alpha-lipoic acid which has been shown to be beneficial in individuals with diabetes to help lower glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress. Plus it’s rich in B-vitamins and clocks in at 130% of vitamin K, 83% Vitamin C, along with many minerals too. Artichokes: 1 medium artichoke= 4 grams protein. It also contains 7 grams of fiber or 25% of our recommended intake. In addition to healthy digestion and keeping us fuller longer, dietary Fiber has been shown to help support healthy blood cholesterol levels, lower the risk of heart disease and help promote good bacteria in the gut. Artichokes are also high in folate, which is important for woman of child bearing age, along with being a good source of numerous vitamins and minerals. Don’t have the time to cook, try using artichoke hearts instead which are a great addition to any salad or pasta dish! Good Carbohydrates: These veggies get an OK rating by Dr. Sears’. They are slightly higher on the protein to net carbohydrate ratio so should be consumed in smaller amounts although excellent sources of fermentable fiber. Garlic: 10 cloves 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate Onion: 1 cup 2 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrateLeeks: 1 cup chopped, 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrateBeets: 1 cup sliced, 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrate Satisfactory Carbohydrates: The following list of vegetables and legumes meet Dr. Sears’s approval, but again caution should be taken since the protein to net carbohydrate content is a bit on the higher side. Eggplant: 1 cup cubed <1 gram protein, 5 grams carbohydrate Peppers: 1 cup chopped >1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrate Tomato (not really a vegetable, but a fruit): 1 cup cherry tomatoes >1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrate Beans: ¼ cup 3.5 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate Lentils: ¼ cup 4 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate What is considered a serving of vegetables? When using vegetables with PastaRx, we use the same guidelines as the USDA for serving size. If you are eating fresh vegetables, a serving size is 1 cup (2 cups for leafy green vegetables). For cooked vegetables, a serving size is considered to be ½ a cup (1 cup for leafy green vegetables). For those who follow the Zone Diet and consume meat, poultry or fish, legumes would fall in the vegetable group, but we realize that for vegetarians, vegans, and individuals who rarely eat these foods, you may consider legumes as part of your protein requirements. In this case we would want to ensure you are consuming adequate amounts of vegetables in addition to this. How much should you consume? We suggest aiming to have 3-4 vegetables servings at each meal when using PastaRx as your protein source. The goal being to have 7-8 servings of vegetables per day. If following the classic Zone Diet you can use the block guide to help determine your needs here. On the go? Click to download as PDF. Listing of Vegetables and their Ratio of Protein/Net Carb as an addition to PastaRx Below is a list of vegetables and legumes for adding to Zone PastaRx. Based on Dr. Sears' recommendations if the Protein/Net Carb ratio is greater than 0.79 it will help to enhance the hormonal response when using PastaRx as your protein source. Note: The asterisks below denote vegetables naturally rich in either fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or glucooligosaccharides (GOS). These are considered prebiotics and a type of non-digestible carbohydrate. One asterisk signifies it is *rich in FOS and two means ** rich in GOS. {{cta('4f5c5df9-024e-4218-ab5e-8490f8243f6f')}}
Q&A with Dr. Barry Sears
You have questions, Dr. Sears has answers. We know it's hard to stay current with everything in the news and what exactly to believe. Leave that to Dr. Sears! Whether its a question about a study in the news, health trend, or something that pertains to your own personal health, this section is devoted to answering these questions. Most likely if you have questions, someone else has them too! The New York Times Recently Published an article that fish oil doesn’t protect against heart disease. What are your thoughts on this? This article was based upon a meta-analysis looking at various studies using fish oil and markers of heart disease. The highest dose of fish oil used in any of these trials was 1,800 mg of EPA and DHA per day, with the majority using around 400 mg of EPA and DHA per day. What this study showed is that when you don't give therapeutic levels of fish oil, you won't see the benefits. You will see no effects on the resolution of inflammation, a driver of heart disease, until you reach about 5,000 mg of EPA and DHA per day. Kombucha is a fermented beverage that has a long tradition of being used in many cultures because of its nutritional benefits and is gaining popularity in the marketplace. It’s thought that its fermentation process results in the production of a large number of healthy bacteria? Do you feel it’s a good aid for gut health? The benefits of Kombucha are believed to come from their levels of probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria. 99.99% of probiotics are destroyed in the stomach due to its high acidity. The few that survive only pass through the gut acting as target practice for the immune cells that line the gut to improve their recognition of more pathogenic bacteria. Probiotics do not colonize the gut. They have benefits, but those benefits are mild compared to fermentable fiber and polyphenols for gut health. What exactly are the differences between Prebiotics and Probiotics. Is it important to have both in the diet? Probiotics are live bacteria that are unable to colonize the interior of the gut. This means they lack the ability to change the microbial composition of the gut. Prebiotics are fermentable fiber that serve as the food source for the microbes in the gut. Fermentable fiber can significantly change the microbial composition within the gut, thus they are far more important for gut health. Non-starchy vegetables are an excellent source of fermentable fiber. What is bone broth and what are your thoughts on it as a protein supplement? Bone broth is essentially cooking stock. It is made by taking the bones from either chicken or beef, adding vegetables and spices for flavor, and then covering with water and simmering for anywhere from 24-48 hours. Using bone, beef, or chicken broth for cooking is better than using water, but the true nutrition for a meal will come from the protein, carbohydrates, and fermentable fiber that you are adding the broth to. When it comes to bone broth as a protein supplement, there are others that are vastly superior. Bone broth contains primarily collagen which is a poor source of quality protein as well as minerals. When choosing a protein supplement one with milk or whey protein isolates would be more ideal as they richer in essential amino acids whereas collagen is not. What have you been doing to protect yourself against the flu this season. Do you have tips for how to keep your immunity high the rest of the season? Whether you’ve had the chance to get vaccinated for the flu or not, there are things you can do to bump up your immunity. The first would be good hygiene with regards to keeping up on good handwashing, making sure you are getting plenty of rest, and ensuring a healthy diet that doesn't make your immune system have to work even harder. A diet balanced in lean proteins, good fats and colorful carbohydrates primarily from vegetables, is most ideal to avoid overloading your immune system. This is why I think it’s important to follow a strict Zone Diet, coupled with OmegaRx 2 to increase the resolution of existing inflammation and to provide your immune system further capacity to defend you again the flu virus. Let us know in the comments below if you have questions you'd like Dr. Sears to address in his next round of Q&A.{{cta('cd305230-6e34-42f6-9e2c-c2beda556f50')}}
The Importance of Polyphenols in Athletic Performance
Within every cell in our body are ancient bacterial fragments called mitochondria. Essentially, the role of mitochondria is to take the food we eat and turn it into energy (a.k.a ATP). For an athlete, without adequate levels of ATP, muscles can’t contract, nor can they repair the damage done by exercise. The only way to make enough ATP is to make sure that adequate levels of oxygen are getting to the muscle cell and at the same time making sure the mitochondria in the muscle cells are working at peak efficiency to generate as much ATP as possible. Anything that increases ATP production will give the athlete a significant advantage over their competitors. Polyphenols and Performance The role of polyphenols in athletic performance is only now beginning to emerge. Polyphenols operate at several levels including gene activation which leads to increased mitochondrial efficiency and increased blood flow to deliver more oxygen to the mitochondria. In particular, replacing damaged mitochondria while simultaneously replacing them with newly synthesized mitochondria is a key function of polyphenols. Since mitochondria supply 85-95% of the energy to a muscle cell, the more efficient the mitochondria are, the greater the athletic performance. The Impact of Polyphenols on Recovery Times Polyphenols are the chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their color. They are also key components for gut health as they function as the primary guardians of the gut to defend it against pathogenic microbes. However, small levels of polyphenols can also enter into the blood. Once in the blood, they can become gene activators (1). In particular, they activate the gene transcription factors that cause the increased synthesis of specialized proteins. One of these gene transcription factors is Nrf2 known to increase the expression of anti-oxidative enzymes that are a 1000 times more powerful than standard anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C or Vitamin E in reducing excess free radical production. This is important for reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is the extended muscle pain and soreness due to injury that reduces strength until the muscle is finally healed. That takes time, and that is why you need increased recovery times the more intense you workout. The other gene transcription factor activated by polyphenols is AMP kinase. AMP kinase is the master switch for your metabolism. In particular, it is the key to replacing damaged mitochondria (mitophagy) and simultaneously replacing them with new ones (biogenesis). Since the cells in the body need ATP on a constant basis, this is equivalent to changing tires on your car while driving 60 miles an hour. It is only possible if AMP kinase is working at full efficiency. Another benefit of adequate levels of polyphenols in the blood is to increase blood flow by increasing nitric oxide (NO) production which increases oxygen transfer to the mitochondria for still greater ATP production (2). The mechanism of polyphenol-induced vasodilation appears to be via the enhanced conversion of dietary nitrates (primarily found in green leafy vegetables) into NO. The greater the number of hydroxyl groups on the polyphenol, the more efficient the conversion of dietary nitrate into NO (3). Thus the benefits of taking nitrate supplements such as beetroot juice (4) can be greatly enhanced in the presence of high levels of polyphenols. Why You Need Adequate Intake of Polyphenols for Performance This is all great news for the athlete. The bad news is that the bioavailability of polyphenols into the blood is low, and even if they enter the blood they are rapidly removed making their lifetime in the blood very short. This means to get the full benefits of polyphenols for sports performance, they have to be taken at high concentrations on a continual basis to maintain improved blood flow and optimal ATP production. Since the levels of polyphenols in fruits and vegetables is low (0.1 to 0.2% by weight), you would have to consume a minimum of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to obtain the minimum levels of polyphenols required for enhanced sports performance. For many athletes, that sounds like Mission Impossible. Purification of Polyphenols Fortunately, polyphenols can be purified to high concentrations as extracts. Supplementation with polyphenol extracts may potentially achieve adequate levels of polyphenols in the blood to increase ATP production and decrease delayed muscle soreness. Not All Polyphenols Are the Same There are more than 8,000 known polyphenols, all different in structure. The most effective polyphenols fall into a general classes known as flavonoids. These polyphenols have a fused phenol ring structure that provides a unique spatial configuration to enhance their action to activate gene transcription factors. Furthermore, the number of hydroxyl groups in its structure determines the bioavailability of the polyphenol. The one group of flavonoid polyphenols that have the greatest bioavailability is delphindins, and they appear to be the only type of polyphenol that can be absorbed intact by the body (5). A rich source of delphinidins is blueberries. In particular the Maqui berry grown in the Patagonia region of Chile has the highest known concentration of delphinidins. In addition, the most studied flavonoid polyphenol for increasing blood flow are those from cocoa (6-8). Thus, combinations of Maqui and cocoa polyphenol extracts may provide the greatest potential for maximum impact in sports performance. How Many Polyphenols Do You Need For Performance? A lot. You need probably at least 1,000 mg of polyphenol extract per day. Furthermore, that total amount should also be spread evenly throughout day to maintain adequate levels of polyphenols in the blood. Frankly, no one is going to be taking capsules all day long to achieve that goal. This is why the most realistic way is the use of food products (bars) that not only supply necessary nutrients (you have to eat) to maintain stable blood sugars levels, but also supply the necessary levels of proven polyphenol extracts to constantly activate the genes needed for optimal athletic performance.{{cta('a9e96fff-3523-4d72-b761-29f9ef2a1279')}}References: Sears B. The Mediterranean Zone. Ballantine Books. New York, NY (2014) Lundberg JO et al. “Strategies to increase nitric oxide signaling in cardiovascular disease.” Nat Rev Drug Dis 14: 623-641 (2015) Rocha SA et al. “Dietary nitrate in nitric oxide biology.” Curr Drug Targets 12: 1351-1363 (2011) Wylie LJ et al. “Beetroot juice and exercise: Pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships.” J Appl Physiol 115: 325-336 (2103) Matsumoto H et al. “Orally administered delphinidin 3-rutinoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside are directly absorbed in rats and humans and appear in the blood as the intact forms.” J Agric Food Chem 49: 1546-1551 (2001) Schroeter H et al. “(-)-Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa on vascular function in humans.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103: 1024-1029 (2006) Heiss C et al. “Endothelial function, nitric oxide and cocoa flavanols.” J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 47 Suppl 2:S128-135 (2006) Desideri G et al. “Benefits in cognitive function, blood pressure, and insulin resistance through cocoa flavanol consumption in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) study.” Hypertension 60:794-801 (2012)
Gut Health Explained
Atrip down your local dairy aisle and you may be surprised to find the word prebiotic beginning to appear next to probiotic on several labels. Often these words or concepts are introduced to us in the marketplace and while they may become familiar sounding over time, chances are we’re still at a loss to explain how they improve our health (unless you read our blogs of course!). Here we’ll dive into the topic of gut health, defining some of the key terms and our recommendations for a healthy gut. What is Gut Health? When we hear the word “gut” we might initially think stomach or that butterfly feeling we get when we’re nervous or anxious, but the subject is incredibly complex and evolving each day. In the simplest form, gut health encompasses our entire digestive system starting with where food enters our mouth and where it exits. You can see why this topic doesn’t come up at dinner parties! We may not think much about the process of eating, unless of course it doesn’t agree with us, but so much happens within that 25-30 hour window from when we first smell and ingest a food to its excretion from the body. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, or tube that runs from our mouth to large intestine, is lined with mucus and trillions of microorganisms (a.k.a microbes) that thrive and metabolize the foods we eat. The majority of these reside in our large intestine or colon. We now know that a strong link exists between the microbes (bacteria being a type of microbe) that inhabit our gut and our risk for disease. This is why gut health is such a hot topic. What are Probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria or yeast found in food products that help to promote the maintenance of the beneficial bacteria in our gut1. They aid in keeping the balance between both the good and bad bacteria. This is one reason their use is suggested after we go on antibiotics. In an effort to get rid of the bacteria causing us to be ill, antibiotics can’t discriminate and wipe out both the good and bad. Probiotics such as those found in kefir or yogurt help to provide a stimulus to the immune cells that line the gut to prevent potentially bad bacteria from trying to get into the gut while good bacteria are being re-established. Think of them as immune boosters. What’s interesting to note, is that it can take almost eight weeks after antibiotic use for the number of bacteria to rebound to baseline2,3, but weeks to months for the diversity of that bacteria (meaning the different types) to return4. This just stresses the importance of not overusing antibiotics as we are still learning about how their use disrupts the balance of bacteria in the gut5 and the long-term implications on our health. Common Probiotics Found in Foods: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Saccharomyces. What are Prebiotics (a.k.a Fermentable Fiber)? Prebiotics are the food that stimulates the growth of good bacteria in our gut. They come from non-digestible carbohydrates and are found naturally in foods like leeks, asparagus, artichokes or additives such as inulin or oligosaccharides. Since these aren’t fully digested they are able to reach the colon where they are fermented by good bacteria. This is why you may hear them referred to as fermentable fiber. The result of this fermentation is that it produces beneficial changes in the composition or activity of the bacteria helping to improve our overall health and well-being1,5. All prebiotics are fiber, but not all fiber is a prebiotic5. One of the primary end products of fermentable fiber is short-chain fatty acids. These have a profound impact on our health including maintaining a strong barrier between the microbes in the gut and limiting their potential entry into our blood. If you don’t have enough fermentable fiber in the diet, you will have a deficiency in short-chain fatty acids. This can lead to a leaky gut, where you get holes in the lining of the gut barrier and bacteria begin to leak into the blood, creating an assortment of health problems. How to Optimize Gut Health Gut health requires two essential agents: fermentable fiber to supply energy to the microbes in the gut (primarily in the colon) as well as adequate levels of polyphenols. Think of the polyphenols as gardeners that help to promote good bacterial growth and inhibit the bad. Without adequate levels of either in the diet, the result is increased gut inflammation and an increase in leaky gut which can cause inflammation in the body. 3 Ways to Support a Healthy Gut 1. Eat Fermentable Fiber (Prebiotics) Not all fiber is fermentable by the bacteria in the gut. In fact, only about 10-15% of the stated fiber content of a food is fermentable. Since you need about 6 grams of fermentable fiber per day, this means you should be consuming about 40 grams of total fiber per day. Most Americans are nowhere close to that level, but following the Zone helps to get you there. The best sources of fermentable fiber include non-starchy vegetables (such as onions, garlic, asparagus, and artichokes, selected fruits (berries and apples), legumes (beans and lentils), and nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.). These are all rich in both fermentable fiber and polyphenols necessary for optimal gut health. The vegetables are harder to digest if you don't have adequate diversity in your gut bacteria. 2. Take Your Polyphenols Polyphenols represent the primary defense mechanism to prevent bad bacteria from inhabiting the gut while increasing the production of the good bacteria. They also have gene activation properties that can increase the expression of anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging gene products. The more colorful the carbohydrates, the higher the levels of polyphenols. Most Americans get their polyphenols primarily from coffee. Unfortunately, the polyphenols in coffee or tea are not nearly as active as are the polyphenols found in vegetables or fruits. 3. Add Your Omega-3s The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are the starting point for the production of hormones that reduce inflammation in the gut and prevent the development of a "leaky gut". Gut-derived inflammation is a primary source of inflammation for the rest of the body. Ideally consuming a minimum of 2.5 grams of EPA and DHA per day can help maintain a healthy gut. The average American consumes about 5% of that suggested level. Buyer Beware Diets that strictly limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed can reduce the diversity of bacteria in the gut since they restrict fermentable fiber and polyphenols. When choosing foods it’s important to think about how the foods you eat help to nourish and support a healthy gut. By following the Zone Diet you’ll consume the right type and amount of carbohydrates to achieve the optimal levels of both fermentable fiber and polyphenols. {{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}} References: 1. Markowiak P, Śliżewska K. Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Human Health. Nutrients. 2017 Sep 15;9(9). pii: E1021. doi: 10.3390/nu9091021. Review. 2. F. Fouhy, C.M. Guinane, S. Hussey, R. Wall, C.A. Ryan, E.M. Dempsey, B. Murphy, R.P. Ross, G.F. Fitzgerald, C. Stanton, and P.D. Cotter, 2012. High-throughput sequencing reveals the incomplete, short-term recovery of infant gut microbiota following parenteral antibiotic treatment with ampicillin and gentamicin. Antim. Agents Chemother. 56:5811-5820 3. Grazul H, Kanda LL, Gondek D. Impact of probiotic supplements on microbiome diversity following antibiotic treatment of mice. Gut Microbes. 2016;7(2):101-14. 4. Langdon A, Crook N. The effects of antibiotics on the microbiome throughout development and alternative approaches for therapeutic modulation. Genome Med. 2016; 8: 39. 5. Gibson G.R., Probert H.M., van Loo J., Rastall R.A., Roberfroid M.B. Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: Updating the concept of prebiotics. Nutr. Res. Rev. 2004;17:259–275.
What Is the Ketogenic Diet and How Does It Compare to the Zone Diet?
Over the past few months we’ve received a number of inquiries regarding Dr. Sears’ stance on the Ketogenic Diet and how it relates to the Zone in terms of health and weight loss. Is this just the next diet craze or is it as good for weight loss and health as it’s touted to be? What Is the Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet consisting of approximately 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrate. Compare this to the Zone which is moderate in these macronutrients and supplies 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbohydrate as total dietary calories. The Ketogenic Diet is based on getting the body into a state of ketosis (hence “keto”). Ketosis is a back-up metabolic system used to provide the brain with an energy source, called ketones, if glucose isn’t available or if blood levels fall too low. What’s the Buzz About? The popularity in the Ketogenic Diet stems from the quick weight loss it produces and its perceived health benefits. The diet is thought to increase the body’s ability to burn stored body fat and lower insulin levels. It’s important to note that the weight loss that stems from this diet isn’t necessarily fat loss, despite fat being the preferred/primary fuel on this eating plan. Weight Loss from the Ketogenic Is Not From Stored Body Fat In general, when we lose weight, it results from one of three factors: the loss of retained water, loss of muscle mass or loss of stored body fat. The ideal scenario would be to lose stored body fat. Ketogenic diets can promote an initial loss of retained water that comes with the depletion of glycogen (storage form of glucose). This is because stored glycogen retains significant levels of water. As the glycogen levels are reduced (due to limited carbohydrates in the diet), the retained water associated with that stored glycogen is also rapidly lost through increased urination. Although the loss of weight on a scale can be considerable in the first few days of a ketogenic diet, it will result in little loss of stored body fat. The loss of stored body fat only comes with significant calorie restriction as the body has many biological processes that help us to preserve it. Why You Don’t Lose Fat on the Ketogenic Diet Ketogenic diets are high in fat, which means the blood levels of fat will also be increased. As the availability of glucose in the blood decreases and the availability of fat increases, the metabolic flexibility (inherent in muscle cells) switches to using circulating fat as the preferred source of fuel for energy production (a.k.a. ATP), instead of glucose. This leads to the misconception that by getting into a state of ketosis you burn stored body fat. Instead, it is that the higher levels of dietary fat entering the blood stream are now becoming the preferred source of energy. Furthermore, a ketogenic diet being low in carbohydrates lowers insulin levels so less of that circulating fat can be stored in adipose tissue for long-term storage. Protein can also increase insulin levels resulting in circulating fat being transported into the adipose tissue for storage. This is why eating a high-fat diet containing excess calories, but with adequate levels of protein would not result in any fat loss, even though the carbohydrate content of such a diet can be very low. Hormonal and Physiological Changes that Take Place on Long-term Ketogenic Diets What is known from clinical studies is that significant hormonal changes take place on ketogenic diets and it’s not necessarily for the better. Here is a snap shot of the hormones impacted when following the diet long-term. Hormonal Changes Insulin1 Thyroid 2 Cortisol 2 Testosterone 3,4 Physiological Changes Immune Function 5 Mental and Physical Fatigue Due to Low Blood Sugar 6 Gut Dysbiosis 7,8 Since the ketogenic diet is limited in carbohydrates, it will not supply enough fermentable fiber for gut health. This lack of fermentable fiber will reduce the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that are required for maintaining the integrity of the mucus barrier and tight junction of the mucosa as well as increasing the production of T-regulatory cells. The end result is a greater likelihood of metabolic endotoxemia which can lead to weight regain. Loss of Muscle Mass 9 Stimulation of protein synthesis requires the combination of insulin (to drive amino acids into the muscle cell) and testosterone (to activate the receptors that signal for the stimulation of new muscle formation. Both hormones are decreased in ketogenic diets thus making it difficult to maintain muscle mass. Why the Zone Diet Is Preferable to the Ketogenic Diet A few years back, we set out to test how the Zone Diet compared to a Ketogenic Diet. This study kept both the protein and total calorie intake constant between a ketogenic diet and the non-ketogenic Zone Diet10. It controlled the diet for the first six weeks by supplying all the food to the subjects. These were calorie restricted diets (1,500 calories per day) to ensure that there was a sufficient calorie deficit to determine the effect of the two diets on loss of stored body fat, which can be only be achieved if a calorie deficient is maintained for long enough period of time. In the first three weeks of the study, the weight loss of the non-ketogenic Zone Diet and the ketogenic were essentially the same. However, in the second three-week period, the weight loss on the non-ketogenic Zone diet was greater than compared to the ketogenic diet. The same was true for fat loss. Even though it was a calorie restricted diet, there was no change in the fat-free (i.e. muscle mass) mass of either group during the six-week period indicating that the protein intake (which was equal in both diets) was sufficient to spare the loss of muscle mass. The AA/EPA ratio in the blood is indicative of inflammation. On the ketogenic diet, this inflammatory marker doubled during the six-week period of the study, whereas there was slight lowering on the non-ketogenic Zone Diet. Furthermore, mental state and exercise capacity of the subjects following the non-ketogenic Zone Diet improved during the study when compared to the subjects following the ketogenic diet. This study presented evidence that there were no advantages of a ketogenic diet compared to one with equal protein, calories, and higher carbohydrate and lower fat content such as the Zone Diet. In addition, the study suggested that a ketogenic diet significantly increases inflammation in a relatively short period of time compared to non-ketogenic Zone Diet. Summary Although initial weight loss (but not necessarily fat loss) on a ketogenic diet may be higher compared to a non-ketogenic diet, there are no long-term differences in overall weight loss. This may be due to the changes in hormonal responses induced by a ketogenic diet. Furthermore, the hormonal and inflammatory changes induced by a ketogenic diet may have significant adverse health consequences as suggested in epidemiological studies. Fat loss is only achieved by calorie restriction and can be maintained only if the diet used is one that is without hunger or fatigue so that the fat loss can be maintained for a lifetime. This can be achieved by a calorie-restricted diet that is adequate in protein to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass, supplies adequate levels of carbohydrates to reduce the generation of ketone bodies and promote gut health, maintains adequate levels of blood glucose for the brain, and finally contains a low level of dietary fat to encourage the use of stored fat for energy by the rest of the body. That’s the promise of the Zone Diet.{{cta('cd305230-6e34-42f6-9e2c-c2beda556f50')}}References: Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, Makris AP, Rosenbaum DL, Brill C, Stein RI, Mohammed BS, Miller B, Rader DJ, Zemel B, Wadden TA, Tenhave T, Newcomb CW, and Klein S. “Weight and metabolic outcomes after 2 years on a low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet: a randomized trial.” Ann Intern Med 2010 153:147-57 Ebbeling CB, Swain JF, Feldman HA, Wong WW, Hachey DL, Garcia-Lago E, and Ludwig DS. “Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance.” JAMA 2012 307:2627-2634 Anderson KE, Rosner W, Khan MS, New MI, Pang SY, Wissel PS, and Kappas A. “Diet-hormone interactions: protein/carbohydrate ratio alters reciprocally the plasma levels of testosterone and cortisol and their respective binding globulins in man.” Life Sci. 1987 40:1761-1788. Lane AR, Duke JW, and Hackney AC. “Influence of dietary carbohydrate intake on the free testosterone: cortisol ratio responses to short-term intensive exercise training.” Eur J Appl Physiol 2010 108:1125-1131. Sephton SE, Dhabhar FS, Keuroghlian AS, Giese-Davis J, McEwen BS, Ionan AC, and Spiegel D. “Depression, cortisol, and suppressed cell-mediated immunity in metastatic breast cancer.” Brain Behav Immun 2009 23:1148-1155. White AM, Johnston CS, Swan PD, Tjonn SL, and Sears B. “Blood ketones are directly related to fatigue and perceived effort during exercise in overweight adults adhering to low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss: a pilot study.” J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 107:1792-1796. Duncan SH, Belenguer A, Holtrop G, Johnstone AM, Flint HJ, and Lobley GE. “Reduced dietary intake of carbohydrates by obese subjects results in decreased concentrations of butyrate and butyrate-producing bacteria in feces.” Appl Environ Microbiol 2007 73:1073-1078. Cani PD, Amar J, Iglesias MA, Poggi M, Knauf C, Bastelica D, Neyrinck AM, Fava F, Tuohy KM, Chabo C, Waget A, Delmée E, Cousin B, Sulpice T, Chamontin B, Ferrières J, Tanti JF, Gibson GR, Casteilla L, Delzenne NM, Alessi MC, and Burcelin R. “Metabolic endotoxemia initiates obesity and insulin resistance.” Diabetes. 2007 56:1761-1772. Fujita S, Rasmussen BB, Cadenas JG, Grady JJ, and Volpi E. “Effect of insulin on human skeletal muscle protein synthesis is modulated by insulin-induced changes in muscle blood flow and amino acid availability.” Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006 291: E745–E754. Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, and Sears B. “Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets.” Am J Clin Nutr 2006 83:1055-61.
What Is Protein? And Why Do I Need It?
Protein is no longer the nutrient geared solely for body builders and gym buffs. While it plays a role in building and preserving muscle mass, its benefits are more vast, ranging from weight loss and maintenance, to improved mood. It's quite common to see commercials touting products and how many grams of protein they contain. While it’s important to have some at every meal and snack to help control blood sugar levels and to keep you full, you don’t want to overdo it on this nutrient either. So what is the right amount to consume? Plus, not all proteins are created equal, so which proteins are right for you? Here is the lowdown on what you need to know the next time you’re shopping for your protein fix. What Is Protein, and What Does It Do for My Body? Protein is an integral component in each and every cell in our body. It’s used to make enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters, and is found in our muscles, bone, skin and hair. The building blocks that make up protein are called amino acids. Think of amino acids like beads on a chain. Each bead represents an amino acid and when the chain is complete, the end product is considered the protein. There are 20 amino acids in all: Non-essential amino acids – These are the 11 amino acids our bodies can make on their own. Essential amino acids – These are the 9 amino acids cannot be made by the body, and must be consumed in our diet. If a food supplies all the essential amino acids we need, it’s called a complete protein. Generally, animal protein sources provide all the essential amino acids (e.g., beef, chicken, turkey, dairy, eggs, fish). If a food lacks one or more essential amino acids, it’s called an incomplete protein. It’s the incomplete proteins in essential amino acids that are most important to replenish when you grab an energy bar or a yogurt as a snack. Protein Isn’t New, So Why the Hype Now? Protein isn’t a new wonder drug, but its popularity is rising due to its ability to help keep us full longer. This occurs because of its role in controlling blood sugar, fat loss and weight maintenance. Compared to carbohydrates and fat, protein is more filling.1 Even among protein sources, data shows there is variability in perceived level of fullness between them. In a study looking at the satiety of 38 foods (i.e., whether or not they made you full), participants had their blood sugar checked at various intervals and were asked to rate their overall fullness of foods across numerous food groups. Proteins were ranked from highest satisfaction to lowest satisfaction. Fish was ranked the most satisfying.2 Yogurt was ranked the least satisfying (Sorry, Cam Newton. That Oikos Triple Zero Greek Nonfat Yogurt may not fill you up). What’s the Best Way to Consume Protein? When choosing your sources of protein, be selective, as protein sources can be high in saturated fats or high in sodium. Aim for leaner, less processed choices. The Zone Diet was created to assure an optimal protein-to-glycemic load balance for improved hormonal control. It’s important to focus on making sure each meal has adequate protein balanced with appropriate levels of carbohydrate and fat to help stabilize blood sugar. For even greater hunger control, start your meal with your protein choice first, followed by carbohydrates. This will result in even better outcomes from a post-meal blood glucose and insulin response.3 How Can I Supplement My Protein? Protein bars, shakes and powders can be used to supplement or boost your intake in meals that are lacking. Be careful not to overdo it. If you are looking for a snack, aim for around 7 to 14 grams of protein. For a meal, aim for about 25 grams of protein. The key when using bars or shakes as a replacement is to pay attention to the balance of macronutrients. For every 1 gram of fat, you generally want to consume 2 grams protein and 3 grams of carbohydrate. For a post-workout recovery, the best time to supplement is during the first 15 to 20 minutes after the workout. This will help replenish muscle glycogen. An excellent recovery drink is 2% milk because its carbs and protein are perfectly balanced. Don't got milk? Our Zone Protein Powder can easily be added to whatever beverage you have on hand to help you get the ideal balance of protein to carbs. Plus, we even have several smoothie recipes with protein powder that you can enjoy. How Can Vegetarians or Vegans Get Their Protein? If you’re vegan, you must get your protein from plant sources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. This requires a little more work because many of these foods are incomplete proteins, requiring you to group them together to ensure you get all the essential amino acids you need. However, there are a handful of plant sources that do contain all that your body needs: Amaranth Buckwheat Chia Hempseed Quinoa Soy Because the American diet is so varied, it’s usually not a problem for vegans and vegetarians to consume all their essential amino acids over the course of the day. Plant sources usually contain too much carbohydrate relative to their protein content to get the optimal hormonal response. While it is true that consumption of grains and seeds is kept to a minimum in the Zone, for individuals who are vegan (avoid meat or animal products), soy imitation meat products have become better in taste and can replace animal protein in virtually every Zone recipe. Dr. Sears' book, The Soy Zone, was written to address this. If you are lacto-ovo vegetarian (96% of vegetarians are), then it is much easier to get your protein because you can include egg and dairy products. The protein selections are even greater when you include Zone PastaRx as your protein source. How Much Protein Do I Need? The amount of protein you need truly depends on your muscle mass and level of physical activity. Use the following as a general guideline: Females – Need about 20 grams of low-fat protein per meal (3 Zone Blocks). To balance each meal you’ll want to add 3 blocks of carbohydrate and 3 blocks of fat. Males – Need about 28 grams of low-fat protein per meal (4 Zone Foods Blocks). Then balance with 4 blocks of carbohydrate and 4 blocks of fat. To find your personalized requirements based on your gender, size and weight, try our Body Fat Calculator, because it shares your protein requirements in the results. Also be sure to try our Zone Food Blocks tool to see how many blocks are in the foods you eat. Protein is important regardless of your age or lifestyle. The key is consuming moderate amounts of good quality protein and a variety of types at every meal and snack balanced with low-glycemic carbohydrates. This way you can enjoy the benefits that come from key amino acids that are important for improved blood glucose control, preservation of lean body mass with loss of excess body fat, and better mood control. {{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}} References: Paddon-Jones D1, Westman E, Mattes RD, Wolfe RR, Astrup A, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 May;87(5):1558S-1561S. Holt SH1, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Sep;49(9):675-90. A satiety index of common foods. Shukla AP, Iliescu RG, Thomas CE, Aronne LJ. Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels. Diabetes Care. 2015 Jul;38(7):e98-9.
Then & Now: Calorie Restriction and the Impact on Disease
Reduce your risk of chronic disease by making simple changes to your diet. Starting with Hippocrates 2,500 years ago, to Luigi Carnaro 400 years ago, to Dr. Barry Sears today, data continues to prove that a calorie restricted diet can reduce your risk of chronic disease. Discover how you can benefit from history repeating itself. More than 400 years ago, Luigi Cornaro demonstrated that calorie restriction increases your health span. The story began in the year 1507, when Cornaro, a Venetian nobleman, was near death at age 40 due to a poor dietary lifestyle. At that point, he started a rigorous calorie-restriction program. Starting at age 83, Cornaro wrote three widely-read diet books. When Cornaro died at age 99, his death was due simply to old age, not from any chronic disease. Calorie Restriction is Not Malnutrition Calorie restriction is not the same as starvation. It usually consists of a 30% reduction in normal caloric intake without sacrificing any nutrition. A recent study set out to validate the impact of calorie restriction on species closest to humans.1 The researchers used rhesus monkeys which share 93% of the same genes as us and live for about 30 years. So essentially you can assume these findings from monkeys should be applicable to humans. Virtually all the earlier work on calorie restriction had been done in worms and mice which are not quite the same as humans in terms of genes or lifetime. What was impressive about this study, was that it was a 30-year experiment to determine the long-term consequences of caloric restriction versus normal intake. When the calorie restriction was started after the monkeys had reached maturity, they didn’t live that much longer than those fed a normal diet. They did however have significantly lower levels of cancer, heart disease, and insulin resistance than controls consuming a normal laboratory diet. The authors state that there are clear parallels between humans and rhesus monkeys and that it is quite probable that the healthy effects of calorie restriction seen in monkeys will also be visible in humans. The Advantages of a Calorie-Restricted Diet To understand the real advantage of a calorie-restricted diet requires an understanding of the link between diet and inflammation. A calorie-restricted diet is also an anti-inflammatory diet. This means that chronic diseases with a strong inflammatory linkage such as obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and cancer to name just a few, can either be prevented or significantly managed following such an eating plan. One would think following an anti-inflammatory diet should be the goal of health care reform. This could be our answer to continually rising healthcare costs, especially since the majority of those costs come when we are plagued chronic disease in our last years of life? Today health care “reform” generally increases the size of your deductible before your health insurance actually kicks in. The best strategy to overcome such “reform” is simply to not to get sick in the first place. That is the promise of calorie restriction. The proof it works was demonstrated in the above mentioned 30-year rhesus monkey study. Of course, calorie restriction in free living humans is only possible if you are never hungry or fatigued. The Zone Diet was built upon this concept. That makes the Zone Diet a lifelong dietary program to treat heart disease and diabetes by reducing inflammation. The caloric ratio of the macronutrients (carbohydrates to protein to fat) is approximately 40–30–30. This balance allows for stabilization of blood sugar to prevent hunger and fatigue. The Zone is also nutritionally superior (if not greatly exceeding standard diet) if the carbohydrates consumed are primarily non-starchy vegetables. These will be exceptionally rich in essential nutrients including polyphenols and fermentable fiber (i.e., prebiotics) necessary for gut health. If you take the 30% calorie restriction in the rhesus monkey study and applied it to humans, that would mean an average adult male would consume 1,500 calories per day and an average female 1,200 calories per day. It doesn’t sound like a lot a calories, but without the correct balance of macronutrients, those decreased calorie levels would likely generate constant hunger and fatigue. Obviously, this would make it difficult to live the rest of your life regardless of the health benefits. I put forward the balance of macronutrients necessary for controlling hunger and fatigue in my first book, The Zone.2 A decade later, those same recommendations were the foundation of the new dietary guidelines of the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School for treating obesity and diabetes.3 This year, Joslin published their 5-year study on diabetic patients following such a dietary program.4 The results were exceptionally encouraging for all diabetics. And if they are good for diabetics, then they will be extraordinary for non-diabetics. How to Combat Hunger on a Calorie Restricted Eating Plan Your first thought might be: How can I comply with this monkey food business, I’ll surely die. I guarantee you that the monkeys didn’t die following a calorie-restricted diet and neither will you. How? First, the carbohydrate intake on the Zone Diet is limited to about 40% of total calories. This ensures that the brain gets its daily need for glucose, which is about 130 grams of glucose. The Zone Diet contains 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates (400 to 600 calories), split over three meals and one or two snacks, which easily supplies that level of glucose for optimal brain function. However, if these carbohydrates were mostly composed of non-starchy vegetables then to consume 400 to 600 calories of carbohydrates would require you to eat approximately 4 pounds per day. Although this represents only about 50 – 67% of the total amount of carbohydrates in our typical American diet, you can see it may be difficult to consume the required amounts for the Zone Diet because of the very low glycemic index of the carbohydrates. Furthermore, you never want to consume more than 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrates at any one meal. Any greater amount is going to generate excess insulin, which makes you hungry and fatigued by driving down blood glucose levels. The result is you are constantly hungry, searching for food all the time. The secret of the Zone Diet is that the glycemic load of a meal is balanced by adequate levels of low-fat protein (25-30 grams) at each meal to help stabilize blood sugar levels and to release satiety hormones (like PYY and GLP-1) from the gut to tell the brain to stop eating. The Zone Paradox: Fewer Calories Doesn’t Equate to Hunger or Fatigue Although the Zone Diet is a calorie-restricted diet, you will not be hungry or fatigued. This is the Zone Paradox. It is untrue that the Zone Diet is a high protein diet. Yet, following the Zone Diet guidelines you still get the absolute protein intake of the typical American diet because even though the percentage of protein (30% of total calories) is higher, the total number of calories being consumed daily is restricted. Because of its calorie restriction, it is also a low fat diet in absolute terms. Finally since you always consume more carbohydrates than protein, it is difficult to refer to the Zone Diet as a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. It’s simply not correct since you are always consuming more carbohydrates than protein at a meal. Thus, the best description of the Zone Diet it is a calorie-restricted, protein-adequate, carbohydrate-moderate, and low fat dietary plan. Who could argue with that? Obviously not the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard. As Hippocrates said 2,500 years ago, “Let food be your medicine and medicine your food.” Luigi Cornaro demonstrated it works 400 years ago, and today the Zone Diet makes it possible to live better with the least amount of effort if you are willing to balance your meals to live a life without hunger or fatigue.{{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}}References: Mattison JA et al. “Caloric restriction improves health and survival of rhesus monkeys.” Nat Comm 8:1-12 (2017). Sears B. The Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (1995). Giusti J and Pizzotto J-A. “Interpreting the Joslin Diabetes Center and Joslin Clinic clinical and nutrition guidelines for overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes.” Curr Dia Rep 6:405-408 (2005). Hamdy O et al. “Long-term effect of intensive lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular risk factor in patients with diabetes in real-world practice: a 5-year longitudinal study.” BMJ Open Dia Res Care 5:e000259 (2017).
Lose Weight at Your Favorite Restaurants
Americans spend more money eating out than they do buying groceries. Today, we rely heavily on restaurants and takeout meals not just as an excuse for indulgent behavior, but as a necessity due to our busy lifestyles. It is possible to eat these prepared foods without impacting your waistline. More than ever, restaurants are catering to a healthier clientele, so it’s easy to stay in the Zone while eating out. Waitstaff are accustomed to answering questions about how foods are prepared so if you want to know the types of oils, if you can double the veggies, or add protein to your salad, don’t be afraid to ask. Here are some tips for navigating numerous cuisines while staying in the Zone. Keep Dining Out Simple in 3 Easy Steps The Zone Diet is easy to follow when dining out. Divide your plate into three equal parts. On one-third of your plate, put some low-fat protein that is no bigger or thicker than the palm of your hand. That’s about 3 ounces of low-fat protein for women and 4 ounces of low-fat protein for men. Fill the remaining two-thirds of the plate with colorful, non-starchy vegetables, especially those from the Mediterranean region (e.g. tomato, eggplant, artichokes). Add a dash of heart healthy monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, slivered almonds, walnuts or guacamole. With these tips, you can successfully create a healthy Zone meal anywhere. Even if you deviate slightly, you can always get back on track at your next Zone meal. American Cuisine Many American restaurants overdo it on the amount of protein they serve, especially when it comes to steak. When you order an entrée, ask for a to-go bag and immediately cut the protein in half and take the other half for a meal to enjoy later. Avoid the starchy sides like mashed potatoes, rice and French fries, and ask for double vegetables instead. Here are some menu items in a traditional steakhouse that are Zone Friendly: Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer with a side of vegetables Chicken or Shrimp Caesar Salad (dressing on the side) Grilled Chicken on the Barbie Atlantic Salmon or Lobster Tails with vegetables on the side Steak (consume in moderation, go for leaner cuts and try to avoid cream sauces on top.) If you find yourself eating fast food, try a soup/salad combo. Broth-based soups that contain lots of vegetables and garden salads with grilled chicken and low-fat dressing on the side are good options. At McDonalds, Burger King or Wendy’s consider having a plain hamburger or grilled chicken sandwich without the bun and add a side salad. Wendy’s also serves chili, which is a good alternative too! Asian Cuisine (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Taiwan and Others) When eating Asian cuisine, hold the rice and noodles. No matter how healthy the rest of your meal looks, the starchy carbohydrates have a tendency to leave you feeling hungry shortly after you finish your meal. Instead, aim for foods that have a mix of lean protein and favorable carbohydrates like those found in fruits and vegetables. Entrées served in Asian restaurants are more likely to be larger than one portion, so consider splitting an entrée with someone else or taking the other half to go. Use chopsticks. The chopsticks help you to eat slower since you can’t get as much food in each bite. You’ll be less likely to overeat because you'll feel fuller quicker. Try to avoid the sweet-and sour and coconut sauces and go for the ponzu, rice-wine vinegar, wasabi, ginger or low-sodium soy sauces instead. The following are menu items worth considering: Wonton, Miso or Hot-and-Sour Soup Edamame Cucumber Salad Chicken Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps Lightly stir-fried entrees with lots of boiled, broiled, steamed vegetables Indian Cuisine Although many traditional Indian entrées are prepared with clarified butter, fried or sautéed, it doesn’t mean you have to rule out this cuisine completely. Many entrées include legumes and vegetables with meat being used as a condiment. For appetizers, start with salads or yogurt dishes containing chopped vegetables. Choose chicken and seafood over beef and lamb, and try to keep it to one protein option. Here are some standard menu items to consider: Dal Soup Chicken and Cilantro Soup Vegetable Soup Garden Tandoori Tikka Salad Tandoori Grilled Vegetable Salad Three Bean Salad (avoid potatoes if included) Chicken Tikka Chicken Tandoori Italian Cuisine When dining Italian, eat like the Italians. It is a misconception that the bulk of the diet in Italy is large portions of pasta and pizza. In actuality, pasta and pizza make up a small portion of their meals. The rest is lean protein and vegetables. Order dishes that contain lean meats, chicken or fish, and ask for extra grilled vegetables on the side. Avoid pastas and breads. When ordering entrées containing sauces, stick with marinara and tomato-based sauces rather than cheese and cream sauces. Here are some ideas: Caprese Salad Warm Spinach Salad Chicken Caesar Salad (avoid croutons and ask for dressing on the side) Insalata Blu Scallops and Spinach Salad Grilled Chicken or Shrimp Spiedini Grilled Salmon or Halibut Mexican Cuisine Enjoy the spices and heat of Mexican cuisine while limiting your intake of the starchy carbohydrates found in flour tortillas and rice. Many restaurants offer great choices for salads. Just avoid the fried tortilla shell they come in, and ask for a vinaigrette dressing on the side. Use lean meats, black beans, salsa and avocado for fillings, and go easy on the mixed cheeses and sour cream. Grilled chicken and fish are usually easy to come by, but instead of rice, have the black beans with extra vegetables. Here are some Zone favorable suggestions: Guacamole (swap out chips for Jicama- a crunchy root vegetable high in fiber) Chicken Fajita Salad (go easy on tortilla strips and bacon) Spicy Garlic and Lime Grilled Shrimp Salad Margarita Grilled Chicken Fajitas/Enchiladas (avoid the flour tortillas and taco shells and keep it to just the filling) Eat Out Without the Guilt If you follow the three Zone steps above, eating out is simple and allows you to navigate any cuisine. Even dessert isn't off the table—mixed berries with a little whipped cream is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you end up straying a bit, just remember you can get back on track at your next meal. Straying from time to time doesn’t have to be an excuse to give up on your commitment to healthier living. {{cta('daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47')}}
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