The ZONE & Blood Sugar

As sure as the first Spring shower, a new fad diet comes along on schedule just about once a year.

Most intelligent folks have given up beating their bodies with the latest wacky diet craze. The truth is out. In the best of cases, whatever weight one is lucky enough to take off, comes right back on . . . leaving them feeling as though they've been whacked once again.

At least this is how is has been until now. Enter Barry Sears, Ph.D. and his now-famous Zone Diet. His books are STUCK on the Best Seller's List, having sold over 3 million copies to date. And, the cash registers aren't cooling down as yet.

The Nobel Prize

Barry is not your ordinary research scientist. He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and holds many important biochemical patents. Dr. Sears became engrossed in the study of a group of substances called eicosanoids. The 1982 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine was awarded for breakthrough knowledge about eicosanoids. They are hormones that function as master switches in the body.

What's So Different?

Dr. Sears claims that his Zone Diet is the only hormonally balanced diet in the world. He may be right.

Most Americans are locked into riding a wave of hyperinsulinism. In English, this means that the way we eat tends to causes our insulin to be too high. Pasta, breads, cookies, caffeine, and sugar all cause our pancreas to react by producing more insulin.

As with all chemical processes in our bodies, nothing happens without effect . . . and consequence. A dietarily-induced Insulin Storm whips the endocrine system in a manner similar to Air Raid Sirens going off, taking the emotions out of control.

Blood Sugar Blues

Another name for hyperinsulinism is HYPOGLYCEMIA, in that there is an automatic reaction lowering of blood sugar when insulin goes up. Low blood sugar, or Hypoglycemia, was sweeping America 30 years ago. When I first began practice in 1974, I predicted that this wave of hypoglycemics would evolve into an epidemic of diabetics, which it has. (Just check the stats.)

Nothing is MORE important than blood sugar. The only fuel used by the human brain is blood sugar. The brain is the CPU (central processing unit) in our BioComputer. Never has the phrase "Garbage In, Garbage Out" been truer. Hey, how far would your car go if you put corn syrup in the gas tank?

Toxic Overload

Speaking of garbage, this ties into another problem we have. When our blood sugar gets low, it will often cause our IlioCecal Valve (ICV) to malfunction. The ICV is a muscular sphincter valve that separates the Small Intestine from the Large Intestine. When the ICV malfunctions, it will often allow material from the Garbage Area of the Large Intestine to back flush back, up into the Kitchen Area of the Small Intestine. This is THE biggest and most important cause of autotoxemia (toxic or dirty blood).

The ICV is right next to our appendix. Ask any surgical nurse how many times the surgeon has gone in to remove a bad appendix, only to end up removing a perfectly fine, rosy pink appendix. This is called pseudoappendicitis (caused by an undiagnosed ICV). Prior to Ultrasound diagnostics this happened too frequently.

Why Do We Do That?

Even dummies know that one must put the proper fuel into a machine to get it to perform.

So, why do we humans continue to stuff our frequently over- weight bodies with the wrong fuel, with a sure guarantee of further weight gain and even more sickness, fatigue, and disease?

The answer is two-fold. First, when we were born no one gave us an Operator's Manual for our human body. And, there's not been much better information communicated to us since then. Second, most of us get so little pleasure out of life that we have a very hard time getting past the need for the oral gratification we get from the food we eat.

What Is "The Zone"?

Being "In The Zone" is being in that special place where the totality of the body chemistry is relatively balanced. This includes blood sugar, hormones, minerals, acid/base mechanic, and the enzyme system.

Being "In The Zone" is a concrete, subjective experience. Our patients report that when they are "In The Zone" they feel solid, stable, balanced, energetic, and NOT HUNGRY.

It's amazing how many folks walk around feeling hungry, even shortly after they've eaten. This is due to the fact that most of us eat in such a way that we stimulate the over production of insulin, which in turn drives our blood sugar lower, which tells our body we had darn well better eat something . . . and quickly. Are we feeling overfed and undernourished?

Fatty-Fatty-Two-By-Four

Obesity, as a disease, is also becoming an epidemic. Right now, more Americans are just plain fat than at any prior time in history.

The number one cause of weight gain, in this writer's opinion, is the Starvation Syndrome. In this event, for one reason or another, our body gets signals, which indicate that it is starving. ONE of the key signaling mechanisms that gives this input to our nervous system is the occurrence of repeated low blood sugar events.

Signaling Lag Time

Things in our bodies run in patterns. They get habituated. Our BioComputer continuously looks for ways to automate the various things we do in our daily lives.

When we want to change a habit, it frequently takes a little time for us to do an interrupt - to break the old pattern, so we can begin to build a new one. This is just how our nervous systems work.

Starting To Be "In The Zone"

Because one's body isn't used to being "In The Zone," we need to reset it's less than desirable chemical habits. It usually takes about three days to accomplish this - for some more, some less. The Good News is that there is an easy way to accomplish this.

The Zone Experiment

We suggest that interested individuals try a three-day trial. For most folks, over this short period of time, the experience of being "In The Zone" becomes very clear . . . concrete, as it were.

For three days, we eat nothing but Zone Food until the evening meal. For our last meal of the day, we eat a large amount of veggies. And, it's a good idea to toss a breast of chicken or a piece of fish on top, too.

Barry's Zone Food

Dr. Sears has a keen eye for what patients need. He seems to deeply understand human nature. WOW! Understanding human nature, AND biochemistry, too? What A Deal!

There are bars and drinks. Yep. Just like those nasty old candy bars you used to sneak - only these are really good for you. And, the drinks are like milk shakes in a can.

These bars and shakes are Pure Magic, unlike anything this writer has ever seen. Not only are they biochemically balanced, but they thrust you gently . . . right into The Zone. It's rather blissful.

On the other hand, the Good Old American Candy Bars jack us up, and then slam us viscously onto the ground in a hypoglycemic crash. Ouch! That hurts.

Back To Our Experiment

So, for three days we do the following. Just try it on, see if it fits!

When we first wake up in the morning, grab a Zone Bar and munch it on down. Yummy! Be sure to drink water with it. Zone Bars are thirsty creatures. Stop! That's it. You're done eating for now. And, a reminder here: This is not an optional meal. EAT THE ZONE BAR, first thing!!!!!

Now, if a person is anywhere near healthy in the blood sugar department, that one Zone Bar will hold ya' for just about four hours. (Many of us have more of a problem in this area of our physiology than we ever suspected.)

Next, we eat another Zone Bar as soon as we find we are hungry. (That's hungry in the tummy - not in the mouth.) One of the best ways we can tell when we are "In The Zone" is that we will be able to go about four hours without getting hungry. Regardless, if we get hungry at two hours, we eat another Zone Bar. Oh yes, even if the four-hour mark comes and we find we are not hungry, eat another Zone Bar.

We do this all through the day, until it's time for our last meal of the day. Then, "as stated above", eat lots. Also, it's a great idea to eat a half a Zone Bar just before bed . . . in your sleep The Zone Will Be With You.

For those who get bored easily, it is okay to alternate Bars and Shakes. That would be: wake up and do a Bar, then a Shake, then a Bar, etc.

The Side Effects

The side effects of being "In The Zone" are numerous. And, they are all positive.

Patients report higher levels of spendable energy, and better stamina. They speak of being calmer, clearer, and more emotionally stable when they are "In The Zone." Getting to and staying "In The Zone" allows for weight loss and stabilization (as reasonable and appropriate). Sleep gets better. And yes, the Big One, some report that their sex lives improve.

The Doctors Are Happy

Every physician wants to be a hero, preferably many times each day. Patients don't know this about us, but when we come into the Clinic each morning, we have this special closet we step into for a brief moment. It looks like any old closet from the outside. But, on the inside, it looks a lot like a phone booth. Here, we put on a special garment. You can't see the red "S" in the middle of the chest, but it's there. Get The idea?

Bottom Line: Once we stabilize the blood sugar mechanism in the patient, we've set the stage for a wonderful healing to take place. Conversely, if we cannot get to a point of having stable blood sugar, no patient is going to get well . . . let alone free from adverse symptoms.

Doctors love The Zone because it helps them look like Big Time Heroes.

The Authority

. . . on The Zone is Dr. Barry Sears. We tell our patients, try this three-day experiment. If you like it, if you get excited about it, go buy all his books. The Zone is a bit complex, but really not so hard to do, once one gets wrapped around it. And, it seems to be potentially very worthwhile.

In this writer's opinion, there is a lot of merit here, at least in terms of blood sugar first aid at a minimum.

Then comes the question; is this the Be-All-End-All Diet we've all been waiting for? The answer for now is: we are not sure, yet. This is a recent phenomenon. We've only been working with it for a short time. Clearly, it has tons of promise.

However, in plainspoken English, don't sign up at The Zone Church as yet. The final verdict is not yet in.