Enerzona - What is the Zone

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THE NEW DIET

What is the zone

What is Enerzona

The pyramid of Wellness

WHAT IS THE ZONE

The Zone is not merely a diet. It is a new way of thinking of food; it is a lifestyle, but also a mindset. It is a healthy rapport with your body, a winning strategy for slimming, slowing ageing and increasing efficiency, for achieving mental agility and physical strength. But those entering the Zone don’t just experience an infectious joy; the sensation of living the potential of your body and mind to the full. The Zone isn’t an abstract place, but a physiological state in which hormones are controlled through diet and maintained within optimal limits.
Indeed, the Zone philosophy is "control your hormones and you will control your life".

The Zone's essential components are:
- Insulin control
- Caloric limitation
- Modulation of eicosanoids
- Physical activity
- Mental relaxation

Through the above 5 points it is possible to obtain all the benefits of living in the Zone:
- Improved psychophysical efficiency
- Gradual loss of excess body fat without any sensation of hunger
- Achievement of lasting wellbeing

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INSULIN CONTROL

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The main objective of the Zone dietary strategy is controlling insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas following carbohydrate consumption, the principal role of which is the uptake of blood nutrients into cells and also into adipocytes (fat cells), thus leading to weight gain.Maintaining insulin levels within ideal values, (i.e. neither too high nor too low), is mainly achievable through the selection of carbohydrate sources (which should represent 40% of caloric intake) and the presence of protein based foods in each meal (which should represent 30% of caloric intake).

Indeed, carbohydrates result in elevated glycaemia, i.e. the level of glucose in the blood; every time glycaemia is increased, above-normal levels of insulin are released into the blood.

Hence there are some foodstuffs that should be consumed in limited amounts, since they contain large quantities of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, which consequently result in high glycaemia levels, thus causing significant increases in blood insulin levels. Such foodstuffs are the so-called "high glycaemic index" foods, and are particularly composed of sugar-rich drinks (colas, orangeades, chinotto…), sweets, biscuits, potatoes, bread, rice and suchlike.

There are other foodstuffs that also contain carbohydrates, but which contain few of those that are rapidly assimilated; hence, they do not raise glycaemia or blood insulin levels. Belonging to this food category are most vegetables (with the exception of potatoes, squash, beets and carrots) and fruit (except banana, kaki, certain exotic fruits and some types of dried fruit, such as raisins and dried figs). These provide a source of carbohydrates and can be consumed without any problem.

The presence of dietary protein in each meal is fundamentally important as this stimulates glucagon, the hormone that acts antagonistically to insulin. Glucagon is also secreted by the pancreas, but its main role is that of mobilising both the sugar stored in the liver as glycogen and fats stored in adipocytes.

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CALORIC LIMITATION

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Caloric limitation has been shown to be the fundamental element in all populations with the greatest longevity. It has now been demonstrated that the global population is slowly gaining weight due to caloric excess and the ever greater reduction in physical activity; according to the World Health Organisation: "In many European countries, over half the adult population is classified as 'overweight' and approx. 20-30% of adults fall within the obese category; globally in 2002, the number of obese numbered 300 million."

Hence, caloric restriction is fundamental for delaying ageing; and caloric restriction, above all, does not mean de-nutrition. It is a fact that for thin individuals (generally women), the minimum food ration is represented as 11 blocks; even if this were based on calculations derived from individual subjects, it should be a lower number.

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MODULATION OF EICOSANOIDS

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Eicosanoids are members of a hormone family originating from long-chain essential fatty acids; they are considered to be the most powerful hormones in our bodies as they are capable of influencing both the synthesis of all other hormones and numerous other physiological aspects. Eicosanoids are autocrine hormones, i.e. they act on the same cells that produce them, and for this reason they are also called "ghost hormones": they appear and carry out their functions in less than a second.

For simplicity, the eicosanoids have been classified as "good" and "bad" and have opposing physiological effects, for example:

"Good" eicosanoids
- "Good" eicosanoids thin the blood; "bad" ones encourage the formation of clots (embolisms)
- "Good" eicosanoids cause vasodilation of blood vessels; "bad" ones cause vasoconstriction
- "Good" eicosanoids reduce pain; "bad" ones amplify it
- "Good" eicosanoids improve resistance to infection; "bad" ones worsen infections
- "Good" eicosanoids improve brain efficiency; "bad" ones impair it

Eicosanoid regulation is mediated through both omega 3 fatty acids (especially present in Omega 3 Rx fish oil), and the insulin and glucagons hormones.

High insulin levels stimulate the production of arachidonic acid, responsible for the production of "bad" eicosanoids. On the contrary, besides counteracting increased insulin, glucagons acts synergistically with long-chain fatty acids (particularly EPA) to inhibit the production of arachidonic acid, thus stimulating the production of "good" eicosanoids.

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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

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Physical activity is very useful for improving general wellbeing and for reducing the risk of many diseases.

It should be remembered that, whilst it is true that in itself a diet following the criteria suggested by EnerZona results in weight loss (since the resulting hormonal balance – the "insulinemic calm" – allows lipolysis to occur), it is also true that weight loss is faster if associated with physical activity, which stimulates metabolism.

Not all types of activity are equal from that point of view. Significantly more effective are aerobic-type activities, i.e. those that are prolonged and require a constant level of intensity, such as brisk walking, cycling, running, swimming and suchlike. In the gym it may be useful to attempt so-called "cardio-fitness"; in the beginning, if you are not particularly fit, you can follow the cross-training criteria, i.e. trying a few minutes of each type of activity (walking, cycling, step…) in order to change muscle groups and joints and, therefore, avoid localised fatigue. The times should increase with each session. In any case, it is possible to just stick to walking in the open air, an ideal activity for keeping fit and encouraging weight loss; it is a good idea to adopt the speed which you would use if you were on your way to an appointment and realised you were going to be late; however, the pace chosen should never result in "panting". For gym and open-air activities, the ideal would be to exceed half an hour for each session hence accumulating at least three and a half hours per week.

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MENTAL RELAXATION

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The advantages resulting from the habitual use of mental relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, meditation and yoga are widely documented. Thanks to mental relaxation, it is possible to combat the negative effects associated with excess stress; it is particularly capable of reducing blood cortisol levels (the so-called "stress hormone"), which has negative effects on health because, among its many actions, it is capable of increasing insulin levels with all the negative consequences that involves. Therefore, through mental relaxation, it is possible to reduce anxiety and aggressiveness, stimulate the immune system, increase concentration and memory capacity and even reduce free radical production.

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