The Zone

“The Zone Diet” was created by Dr. Barry Sears. This diet is based around controlling the insulin in your body which in turn controls the inflammation of the fat cells in the body. One of the methods Dr. Sears uses to control the insulin in the body is Omega - 3 fatty acids. Fatty acids help keep the fat cells from inflammation. This method of Dr. Sears is the 40, 30, 30 ratio. This ratio consists of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein, which is supposed to control the body’s insulin. The reason behind the insulin is this is what controls your hunger. For this reason this diet is perfect for people with heart disease and Type II diabetes. An additional ratio to keep in mind is calorie consumption. Dr. Sears suggests that you should have a meal that does not exceed 500 calories and a snack that does not exceed 100 calories. Dr. Sears wants you to think of this as a lifestyle not a diet.

The South Beach Diet

“The South Beach Diet” invented by Dr. Agatston is a diet which concentrates on the good and bad foods. The first bad food that he discusses is carbohydrates. Bad carbs consist of anything that is not whole gain. Good carbs are made up of whole gains that are not highly processed. This is another positive point about this diet, processed food. Dr. Agatston said that processed foods loose too many vitamins, minerals and fiber during there processing and therefore become unhealthy for you. The next point of this diet is good fats and bad fats. Bad fats consist of trans-fats and saturated fats. These fats have been associated with bad cholesterol, heart attacks, and strokes. To prevent these Dr. Agatston said that we need to be eating foods with good fats which include unsaturated and non-trans fats. The final part of this diet is the phased levels of carb and fat restrictions . There are three phases, going from a very strict diet to a more lenient diet. By the third phase it is up to you to maintain the newly acquired healthy life style.

6-Day Body Makeover

“6-Day Body Makeover” by Michael Thurmond is a diet which allows you to loose weight quickly and keep it off. In Thurmond’s book there are a few short steps to follow then you’re on your way to loosing some extra pounds. The first step is to choice the body type that best describes you. The next step is to learn about your body type, what is not good for you and what works for you. Then you take a look at the recipes for your body type and follow the eating schedule for the next six days. Add a little exercise in the mix and the pounds will start to shed. Thurmond’s idea for exercise is to stay at a lower heart rate where more fat is burned. Now you can choice a bike, treadmill, elliptical or whatever gets you going as long as you do this for 45-60 minutes. Thurmond also has a 6-Week Body Makeover which is on his website.

Body for Life

Bill Philips created a diet where you eat your pounds off. The diet is called Body for Life. Bill published a book just on the diet and then another book with healthy recipes to use on the diet. The recipe book is called “Eating for Life.” In this book there are just a few short chapters to read on the basics of the diet. This will help you to start eating and exercising your way to a healthier life. The “Body for Life” diet designed for you to eat six small meals a day. Then you are suggested to exercise a minimum of 20 minutes daily. In the “Eating for Life” book you will find excellent recipes for every meal on the diet. Another great benefit of this diet is that you get a free day. So all that chocolate and junk can wait and be eaten up on your free day. This key element makes this diet more successful since you do not have the urge to cheat, making it easier to achieve a healthier life style.