Zone Living Articles
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')}}