In the Zone: 6 Weight Loss Tips from Dr. Barry Sears
Friday, January 13, 2012
Ready to kick those holiday calories to the curb? My thighs and I are so with you. But since, as you know, I’m basically obsessed with food, I’m pretty picky when it comes to taking dietary advice. So when I find nutritional perspectives I can get behind, I just have to share. One philosophy I wholeheartedly support: “Losing weight involves being smart about what you eat.” Ah, Dr. Barry Sears, aka creator of the Zone Diet, thank you for putting it so well.
This Zone Diet sando looks delish. Hmm, is it lunchtime yet?
We’ve had a few chats over the years on my radio show, and trust me, the man knows what he’s talking about when it comes to taking control of weight issues. So while our New Years resolutions are still front of mind, I’m pleased to share his insights into America’s weight issues and six simple tips on how to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way.
For starters, don’t blame yourself. “The obesity crisis sweeping America is due to hormones being out of balance, not a lack of willpower,” says Dr. Sears.
“The true driving force behind our obesity crisis is the rapid increase in diet-induced inflammation that turns on the genes to make us fat and keep us fat. This inflammation comes from the combination of the over-consumption of refined carbohydrates that raise the hormone insulin coupled with increased dietary intakes of cheap vegetable oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids.” In other words, it’s not you, it’s our food culture.
What can you do? Start your healthy love affair with food, of course!
Here are six tips from Dr. Sears on getting and staying healthy and happy:
1. Never Use Vegetable Oils: Use olive oil, not vegetable oils that are high in omega 6 fatty acids, as your primary fat choice. In fact, butter is a better choice than vegetable oils because it is far lower in omega-6 fatty acids.
2. Eat Your Vegetables: Mediterranean vegetables are especially good to reduce excess insulin production that can make you fat and keep you fat.
3. Cut Back on Refined Carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates are rapidly broken down into glucose, just like table sugar. Both rapidly raise the levels of insulin. In lab tests using rats, it has been demonstrated that table sugar was shown to be more addictive than a drug such as cocaine. There is no reason to think that is not true for humans whether it comes from table sugar or pasta, bread, and potatoes.
4. Balance Your Plate: To control your hormones, you have to balance your plate at every meal. On one-third of the plate, put some low-fat protein no bigger or thicker than the palm of your hand. This is about 3 ounces for women and 4 ounces for men. Fill the other two-thirds with colorful carbohydrates being non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Then, add a dash (that’s a small amount) of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil or even guacamole.
5. Drink Plenty of Water: The body is 65-70 percent water. Cells need hydration to work effectively to convert dietary calories into chemical energy for the body. Without enough water the process becomes inefficient and more dietary calories get stored as fat. Drink ounces of water about equal to half the number of the pounds you weigh. If you weigh 150 pounds of body weight means drinking 75 ounces of water per day.
6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Inadequate sleep leads to increased insulin that makes you fat and keeps you fat, especially if you are eating a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids.
Want more where that came from? Check out Dr. Sears’ The Zone Diet for info, food, and advice.
Book Tour Watch 2012: Tonight I’m cooking it up at the Kenmore Live Studio for my virtual book launch party. Join us online at 7 p.m. CST!
Related posts:
Focusing on Weight Loss: A Few Laughs About My Own Experience With Diets
The Gluten-ous Maximus: Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s G-Free Diet
Club Med: 5 Reasons This Diet Is Not a 4-Letter Word
