The Zone Diet is founded on the idea of eating a balancedratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. By eating in the ratioof 40/30/30, meaning 40 percent carbohydrate and 30 percent eachof protein and fat, the idea is that your metabolism is impactedto run at its most efficient level. The diet also emphasizesgetting the right amounts of fruit, vegetables and lean sourcesof protein. The right combination of foods results in anincreased metabolism and weight loss. Designing meals that meetthese requirements can be tricky, but the program offers a rangeof ideas. You can also purchase cookbooks with recipes intendedfor the followers of the diet as well. But some people stillwonder what they are allowed to drink when following thediet.
You can still drink juice and either low fat or skimmilk, as long as you count the calories and grams ofprotein, fat and carbohydrates. But since our bodies are mademostly of water, water is the recommended drink. Thehealth benefits of drinking enough water cannot beunderestimated. Water helps to flush toxins out of the body, itkeeps the cells and metabolism supplies with the water needed towork properly and it quenches thirst better than any other fluidyou can ingest. The Zone Diet guidelines require that followersdrink at least sixty-four ounces (or eight cups) of fluid everyday. If you are one of the many people who simply don't like thetaste of water, there are other options for you.
You can add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to yourwater to give it a little bit of extra flavor. Or, you canpurchase bottled waters that have a slightly fruity flavoring tothem so that they taste more like a seltzer than plain water.Pour them in a glass full of ice for a refreshing beverage. It'simportant, however, to read the labels, even for water.Since the Zone Diet guidelines require you to limit sugar andcarbohydrates, you don't want to take in sugar unknowingly.Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and refill itwhenever it gets empty. Soon enough you can change your habit ofdrinking soda, tea or juice, especially when you see the goodresults in your efforts.
If you are a coffee or tea drinker, you will needto make some changes as well. The Zone Diet guidelines instructyou to eliminate caffeine from your diet. This change can bedifficult and cause withdrawal symptoms like headaches. It mightbe a good idea to gradually start eliminating caffeine from yourdiet in the weeks before you begin following the Zone Dietguidelines. Decaffeinated coffee or tea will let you still enjoythe taste of coffee or tea without the caffeine. The same istrue of sodas. Regular sodas should be completely eliminated.They simply have too much sugar. Diet sodas come in enoughdifferent flavors that you should be able to find one that youlike. However, you do need to switch to decaffeinated versionsin order to improve your chances of success on the program.
Alcohol is one other beverage that will have to belimited or eliminated. There have been some studies that haveshown that moderate alcohol consumption can actually have somepositive effects on your health, particularly your heart. If youare currently drinking alcohol as part of a program to protectyour cardiovascular health, you shouldn't stop withoutdiscussing it with a health professional first. However, theZone Diet doesn't require that you totally eliminate all alcoholfrom your routine, just that you limit it to occasional use.There's no reason that you can't continue to enjoy an alcoholicbeverage from time to time. Just keep in mind that the morebeverages that you replace with water, the more good you aredoing for your body and the faster you are likely to see weightloss success.
About the author:Martin Beans shows you how the Zone Diet works at http://www.enterthezonediet.com - a complete guide on the Zonediet where you'll learn how to calculate your daily intakeof protein, fat and carbs and you'll find allowed food lists,Zone diet menus and tips that will ensure your success with theprogram.
