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The truth is that we still suck when it comes to nutritional science. Mostly because it's hard to do proper science when your subject lives as long as you do.

why all the fuss over cholesterol? it isn't even a very good gauge of future heart disease.

half of all people admitted to the hospital with a heart attack have normal cholesterol.

what medicine has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease? aspirin, which has *zero* impact on cholesterol.

if you want a better gauge as to future heart disease risk, as well as other chronic disease risk, check your fasting insulin level or you tg/hdl ratio. iirc, your fasting insulin should be around 5 and your tg (triglycerides) / hdl (hdl cholesterol) should be around 1 or less. if either value is significantly higher, you run a high risk of future problems.

an even easier way to estimate your insulin output is to look at the size of your belly. is it big? if so, you likely over produce insulin and are at risk - even if your cholesterol is "normal" or "perfect". that big belly may alsoi indicate a 270% greater chance of developing dementia as you age.

why is cholesterol touted the most as an indicator of heart disease risk? first, it can be controlled easily by patentable drugs. second, they make $10 billion a year doing so.

can drugs control insulin or your tg/hdl ratio? not easily or effectively.

can diet?

absolutely.

go t the following link and click on the anti-inflammation medicine monograph to learn more (it is a pdf, so you can right click and save as):

http://www.drsears.com/ZoneResources/tabid/384/Default.aspx

if you apply the zone diet and supplement with fish oil, you will upgrade your life dramatically.

cholesterol has some limited importance, but it has been blown way out of proportion by the billion dollar drug companies.

a bit more exercise would help a world more than changing you diet.
Exercise? The cure sounds worse than the disease!

health levels are based on about 80% diet and 20% exercise. the problem is, very few people know what a healthy diet is. the folks over at Harvard medical School's joslin diabetes center have studied the latest research on diet and came up with these guidelines:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/502699

for folks who know their diets, they will recognize this as the zone diet, first put forth by dr. sears (PhD, lipid researcher, not medical) over 15 years prior to joslin jumping on the zone diet bandwagon.

the results of this diet are staggering. a few of the highlights include:

1. Stanford swimmers brought home 8 gold medals in the 1992 Olympics.
2. Stanford swimmers brought home 8 gold medals in the 1996 Olympics.
3. the top two medal winners in the history of the modern day olympics are both zoners - jenny thompson and dara torres.
4. the top gold medal winner in the history of the modern day olympics is a zoner - jenny thompson.
5. The oldest swimmer to make the Olympic team has been a Zoner ever since Dr. Sears introduced his diet. That's 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. Oh, and it was 4 different swimmers each time, so you can exclude a single freak athlete as the root cause.
6. dara torres set the american 50m free record as a 40 year old while competing at the 2007 nationals. she also won the 100m free event. she looks to make the 2008 olympic team as a41 year old - the oldest person ever to make the team and the 5th straight olympics that a zoner will be the oldest olympian on the team.
7. manuel uribe has lost over 400 lbs on the zone diet, as well as his depression and hunger. he still weighs over 800 lbs and consumes only 2,000 calories a day. his lipid profile is one of the better lipid profiles in mexico! http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=2799700&page=1 . you can read dr. sears' response to the show and see the lipid profile of the then 800 lb man (he weighs less now) here: http://www.drsears.com/tabid/399/itemid/10218/Its-good-medicine-not-a-medical-mystery.aspx

my results have been incredible, too. i *love* my diet - i feel great, i'm much less hungry, i love what i eat, my energy has sky rocketed, i've dropped from 20% body fat to 11% body fat and I've gone from a 36" waist to a 32" waist in less than 9 months. my abs look better in my 40s than they did at any prior point in my life because i *never* had visible abs before. my body fat drips away and my muscles grow at twice the rate of when I was in my late teens, early twenties. oh, and my allergies are 95% diminished and i went a full year without calling in sick for the first time in my life. all this on less than 1800 calories per day (you need fewer calories on the zone diet because you can generate more atp from a calorie of fat than a calorie of carbohydrate (glucose)). my friend ended a 5.5 year constant back pain nightmare within one day of going on the zone + fish oil. she resisted changing her diet until she dropped $10k, out of pocket, on an mri to help identify her problem. Now she doesn't have a back problem - and her nsaid induced ulcer problem is now gone, too.

go the following page and download the pdf on the Anti-Inflammatory Medicine Monograph link (upper right hand corner).

http://drsears.com/ZoneResources/tabid/384/Default.aspx

not mentioned here is the correlation found between waist size and dementia - and I guarantee that this correlation is lot more serious than not drinking coffee. drinking coffee to reduce the risk of dementia and alzheimers (up to 270% greater risk co

a bit more exercise would help a world more than changing you diet.
Exercise? The cure sounds worse than the disease!

health levels are based on about 80% diet and 20% exercise. the problem is, very few people know what a healthy diet is. the folks over at Harvard medical School's joslin diabetes center have studied the latest research on diet and came up with these guidelines:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/502699

for folks who know their diets, they will recognize this as the zone diet, first put forth by dr. sears (PhD, lipid researcher, not medical) over 15 years prior to joslin jumping on the zone diet bandwagon.

the results of this diet are staggering. a few of the highlights include:

1. Stanford swimmers brought home 8 gold medals in the 1992 Olympics.
2. Stanford swimmers brought home 8 gold medals in the 1996 Olympics.
3. the top two medal winners in the history of the modern day olympics are both zoners - jenny thompson and dara torres.
4. the top gold medal winner in the history of the modern day olympics is a zoner - jenny thompson.
5. The oldest swimmer to make the Olympic team has been a Zoner ever since Dr. Sears introduced his diet. That's 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. Oh, and it was 4 different swimmers each time, so you can exclude a single freak athlete as the root cause.
6. dara torres set the american 50m free record as a 40 year old while competing at the 2007 nationals. she also won the 100m free event. she looks to make the 2008 olympic team as a41 year old - the oldest person ever to make the team and the 5th straight olympics that a zoner will be the oldest olympian on the team.
7. manuel uribe has lost over 400 lbs on the zone diet, as well as his depression and hunger. he still weighs over 800 lbs and consumes only 2,000 calories a day. his lipid profile is one of the better lipid profiles in mexico! http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=2799700&page=1 . you can read dr. sears' response to the show and see the lipid profile of the then 800 lb man (he weighs less now) here: http://www.drsears.com/tabid/399/itemid/10218/Its-good-medicine-not-a-medical-mystery.aspx

my results have been incredible, too. i *love* my diet - i feel great, i'm much less hungry, i love what i eat, my energy has sky rocketed, i've dropped from 20% body fat to 11% body fat and I've gone from a 36" waist to a 32" waist in less than 9 months. my abs look better in my 40s than they did at any prior point in my life because i *never* had visible abs before. my body fat drips away and my muscles grow at twice the rate of when I was in my late teens, early twenties. oh, and my allergies are 95% diminished and i went a full year without calling in sick for the first time in my life. all this on less than 1800 calories per day (you need fewer calories on the zone diet because you can generate more atp from a calorie of fat than a calorie of carbohydrate (glucose)). my friend ended a 5.5 year constant back pain nightmare within one day of going on the zone + fish oil. she resisted changing her diet until she dropped $10k, out of pocket, on an mri to help identify her problem. Now she doesn't have a back problem - and her nsaid induced ulcer problem is now gone, too.

go the following page and download the pdf on the Anti-Inflammatory Medicine Monograph link (upper right hand corner).

http://drsears.com/ZoneResources/tabid/384/Default.aspx

not mentioned here is the correlation found between waist size and dementia - and I guarantee that this correlation is lot more serious than not drinking coffee. drinking coffee to reduce the risk of dementia and alzheimers (up to 270% greater risk co

following a hormonally balanced diet can also help with menopausal symptoms. as a nice aside, your triglycerides drop, your hdl goes up (tg/hdl is one of the best indicators of chronic disease risk - less than 1 is great, 2 means time to start lowering your number, 3 means chronic disease is knocking at the door and 4+ pretty much means you already have a chronic disease that is impacting your life), you gain muscle faster, you lose excess fat, your energy increases and you feel great every day. There are a lot more good things, but that's a good enough list.

yes, i have experienced all of the above over the last 9 months:

1. dropped 20 total lbs (5'11", weigh 160 lbs, leanest i've ever been in my adult life).
2. progressed from 10 lb flies to benching 200 lbs (muscle gain is about 6 lbs, so i've actually lost over 25 lbs of excess fat).
3. currently progressing 5 lbs every 3 weeks on my bench press.
4. 95% of my allergies disappeared.
5. haven't called in sick in over a year - a first in my life.
6. energy is better than ever before.
7. i feel better in my 40s than i did in my late teens and 20s.

Here's a couple menopause related testimonials:

http://www.drsears.com/tabid/399/itemid/10858/Fish-oil-eases-her-menopause-symptoms.aspx
http://www.drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9854/Default.aspx

oh, and the two women with the most amount of olympic medals both incorporated the Zone Diet into their lifestyle. they are jenny thompson (12) and dara torres (9). jenny also holds the record for most gold medals by a female with 8. dara will be back competing in the 2008 olympics as a 41 year old - the diet is that good, people.

following a hormonally balanced diet can also help with menopausal symptoms. as a nice aside, your triglycerides drop, your hdl goes up (tg/hdl is one of the best indicators of chronic disease risk - less than 1 is great, 2 means time to start lowering your number, 3 means chronic disease is knocking at the door and 4+ pretty much means you already have a chronic disease that is impacting your life), you gain muscle faster, you lose excess fat, your energy increases and you feel great every day. There are a lot more good things, but that's a good enough list.

yes, i have experienced all of the above over the last 9 months:

1. dropped 20 total lbs (5'11", weigh 160 lbs, leanest i've ever been in my adult life).
2. progressed from 10 lb flies to benching 200 lbs (muscle gain is about 6 lbs, so i've actually lost over 25 lbs of excess fat).
3. currently progressing 5 lbs every 3 weeks on my bench press.
4. 95% of my allergies disappeared.
5. haven't called in sick in over a year - a first in my life.
6. energy is better than ever before.
7. i feel better in my 40s than i did in my late teens and 20s.

Here's a couple menopause related testimonials:

http://www.drsears.com/tabid/399/itemid/10858/Fish-oil-eases-her-menopause-symptoms.aspx
http://www.drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9854/Default.aspx

oh, and the two women with the most amount of olympic medals both incorporated the Zone Diet into their lifestyle. they are jenny thompson (12) and dara torres (9). jenny also holds the record for most gold medals by a female with 8. dara will be back competing in the 2008 olympics as a 41 year old - the diet is that good, people.

what almost everyone fails to realize is that food is a drug in the respect that what you eat determines many hormonal responses, some of which impact your mental and physical function.

insulin is a storage hormone and is stimulated by carbohydrate. if you eat too many carbs, which almost everyone in america does, you will tend to get excess insulin production (unless your genetics dictate otherwise, which is true for a minority of the population). excess insulin will drive down blood glucose, which is important because your brain runs on blood glucose. just like a 6 cylinder car runs like crap on only 3 cylinders, a brain runs - and feels - like crap on low blood glucose levels. The resulting malaise, carb cravings, tiredness and bad moods leave people feeling bad. the root cause is an excessive carbohydrate diet, not the absence of some drug that comes in pill form. the pill is actually dangerous because it masks the real problem, which allows the real problem to persist - and it often ends up debilitating and killing people much early than would occur on a hormonally balanced diet.

in addition, excess insulin provides an enzyme that tilts your eicosanoid (aspirin works on eicosanoids) level in the pro inflammatory direction. this, a lack of omega 3 fatty acids (from fish) and an over abundance of omega 6 fatty acids (veggie oil) have tilted the average person's eicosanoid balance so far in the direction of inflammation that eventual chronic disease is now an expectation.

the greenland eskimos and the japanese have the lowest levels of depression in the world and they have one thing in common - they both eat a lot of omega 3 fatty acids via their fish intake. in addition, their levels of heart disease and diabetes are very low, too. the greenland eskimos eat to much fish so their eicosanoid balance is tilted too much in the anti-inflammatory direction - so they tend to die from infectious diseases.

the long and the short of it is that a hormonally balanced diet can play a key role in minimizing or reducing depression and increasing your daily performance and longevity (lifespan - disability).

the only hormonally balanced diet is the zone diet, a diet created by a phd biotech researcher who, at one time, worked for MIT

Zone, Fish Oil and Depression:

The Depression Epidemic

The depression epidemic By: Dr. Barry Sears Filed: 4/14/97 Has there been a sudden genetic change in humankind that has given us a new generation of Prozac-deficient adults? I think not, even though depression is constantly increasing in our society. Even when corrected through better and earlier diagnosis, it is clear that depression is reaching epidemic proportions. Is it possible that this rise in depression may be linked to something as fundamental as the diet, a diet which has also undergone dramatic changes in the last generation? The answer appears to be yes. New research indicates a striking difference in the amount of bad eicosanoids in the spinal fluid in normal versus depressed patients. The higher the levels of bad eicosanoids (i.e. PGE2), the greater the extent of depression. More important, recent studies have shown that simply increasing the amount of fish oil in the diet can dramatically reduce the extent of existing depression. Since high levels of fish oil supplementation can reduce the production of bad eicosanoids, this new data is compatible with viewing depression as an eicosanoid imbalance disease. How best to rectify an imbalance of eicosanoids? Simply treat the food you eat with the same respect that you would a drug. In other words, every time you open refrigerator door, believe that you are pulling out a bottle of Prozac. Food is that powerful.

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/10231/Default.aspx

Carbohydrate intake & depression

Q: Dear Dr. Sears,

I recently read that people who are prone to depression should avoid any diet that re

look into the zone diet.

http://drsears.com/ZoneandChronicDisorders/Diabetes/tabid/389/Default.aspx

listen to Dr. Sears' video and then click on the Testimonials link toward the bottom side of the page.

i don't have diabetes and the zone has changed my life - lost 25 lbs of fat, gained 5 lbs of muscle at the same time (6.5 months), lost my lifelong allergy problem, feel fantastic and eat very well.

while my results sound good, they are nothing compared to Manuel Uribe - 1230 lbs to 780 lbs and he lost his hunger and depression.

Dara Torres, a long time Zoner and the holder of more olympic medals than any other american woman save one, recently set the American record in the 50m free swimming event - at the age of 40. it was the 2nd fastest time in the world this year. if you know *anything* about swimming, your jaw just dropped to your basement floor... you know you are in the basement... ha ha.

you'll see Dara compete int he 2008 olympics at the age of 41 - and competing against teenagers and early twenty-somethings. i bet nobody else is even in their 30s.

seriously, invest a little time and learn the ropes. you will be amazed at what a moderate protein, moderate carb, moderate fat diet will do to your level of wellness.

you are exactly right.

an MIT lipid researcher found this out well over a decade ago and the ZONE diet was born.

the zone is a moderate carb, moderate protein, moderate fat diet that is designed to optimize one's hormonal response to what they eat.

the calorie in, calorie out folks don't realize that the body acts upon what it is fed and that this can make a big difference in how the body repsonds.

for example, take two twins and have them exercise the same and eat the same. they should turn out similar, no? my guess is they would. until you introduce anabolic steroids (muscle building portion of testosterone). now, both eat the same calories and exercise the same and what happens? will the anabolic steroid user gain more weight on the same amount of calories? i think it is patently obvious that he would, otherwise, anabolic steroids would be USELESS as one would just have to eat calories to get the same effect. you can't do that, so anabolic steroid sales is big business.

the zone is the unifying dietary theory.

here is a diet comparison:

http://www.zoneliving.com/ZoneLiving/Zoneversusotherdiets/tabid/62/Default.aspx

read through these testimonials:

http://drsears.com/Testimonials/tabid/473/Default.aspx

here are some more:

http://www.zoneliving.com/Default.aspx?tabid=93

and more:

http://www.epinions.com/well-Nutrition-Diets-All-The_Zone_Diet/sec_~opinion_list/display_~reviews/pp_~1/pa_~1#list

manuel uribe lost 400 lbs on the zone. more importantly, he lost his hunger and depression - and you *know* a 1230 lb guy has to have sopme serious hunger!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6612719.stm

pbs scientific frontiers did a study on diets and robin was the zone participant. she lost 45 lbs in 6 months and her favorite part of the diet was that it made her feel GREAT!

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1401/features/robin.htm

dara torres, one of the original zone diet test subjects, recently set the 100m free swim american record with the second fastest time clocked this year.

AT 41 YEARS OF AGE (a 22 and 19 year old placed second and third)!

with just 16 months of training (after a 6 year retirement).

just 16 months after giving birth.

she does whatever makes sense to get that extra advantage - and she is a full throttle zoner.

the lady who recommended this diet to me was able to stop taking 12+ aspirin per day due to her repetitive strain injury. whe lost a ton of excess fat and had a ton of energy to do martial arts. her pain mostly disappeared.

a friend of mine who i turned onto the zone only had to wait one day for his multi-year acid reflux condition to completely vanish.

my testimonial is as follows:

1. i've lost 21 lbs since june (i'm about 5'10" and i dropped from 178.5 to 157.5).
2. after 20 years of ZERO weight training, i've gone from doing 10 lb flies to benching 175 lbs once on a day where i didn't feel so well (didn't eat a zone meal the night prior). i was doing 135 lbs 4 times in early september, i can do 145 lbs 8 times now. iow, i'v gained significant muscle mass while losing that net 21 lbs.
3. i've lost 3-4 inches off my waist. my chest, shoulders and arms have increased in size.
4. my lifelong allergy problem disappeared when i started supplementing epa and dha with ultra-refined fish oil.
5. at the ripe old age of 41, i'm closer to a six pack than i have ever been in my life. i wil

if you want to lose excess body fat, diet is close to 80% of the solution. six pack abs are made primarily in the kitchen...

http://www.rippedabs.org/zone-diet-plan.html

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/2007/02/getting_off_the_crack_by_nicol.html

for more zone information, visit the source: http://drsears.com/

there are people in my gym who've worked out for years on end and don't have the slim waist and abs that i have after zoning and exercising for just 5 months. i lost 23 lbs, gained 4 lbs of muscle, lost 4" off my pant size and i'm ~160 lbs at over 5'10" tall. I could have a decent 6 pack within 2 months, but I'm eating a bit more because adding muscle is more important to me than ripping the abs. ripping the abs is easy compared to adding muscle.

however, at all other times in your life, being any kind of overweight begins the inevitable accumulation of damage due to extra fats in the system, extra sugars, extra inflammatory agents, etc.

Crohn's Cure:

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9865/Default.aspx

"The most miraculous aspect of the Zone for me has been the disappearance of my Crohn's disease. By 1998, I was able to stop all my medications for Crohn's disease. By 1999, I was no longer in daily pain. By 2000, every medical test determined that my intestines were in great health."

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9849/Default.aspx

What made the most sense to me is The Zone Diet is balanced. I had nothing to lose so I thought I would give it a go. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not only has the Zone Diet been instrumental in getting my Crohn's Disease under control but it has benefited me in other ways as follows: 1 .I've lost 7" around my stomach and 10 kgs in weight. 2. My complexion has improved (no more flaky skin). 3. My sleep pattern has improved. I sleep the whole night through now. 4. I have increased energy and mental focus. I hope this testimonial encourages anybody who reads it.

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9266/Default.aspx

Q: Dear Dr. Sears,

I have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's) and must take 2400 mg of Asacol (melamine) a day to maintain remission. It's an anti-inflammatory that works in the colon. Are you aware of any actions of this medication that would affect my hormonal balance, Zone-wise? If so, do you have any suggestions for adjusting my Zone diet to compensate? (Note that inflammatory bowel disease is an organic disorder--thought to be an autoimmune condition--unlike its functional cousin, irritable bowel syndrome, with which it's sometimes confused.)

Thanks,
Lectoria

A: Dear Lectoria:

It has been demonstrated that Crohn's disease can be highly modified by high-dose fish oil. This is also true of other autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and lupus. I would suggest increasing your intake of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil to about 5 grams per day of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, and you should be able to reduce the amount of Asacol to keep the condition under control.

-------------------

Read through the testimonials on drsears.com and zoneliving.com.

my own testimonial is pretty amazing, too. Lost 23 lbs of fat while simultaneously gaining about 4 lbs of muscle (all in 5 months time). i've lost 4 lbs off my waist. my energy level is through the roof, i feel much better, my resting pulse rate has dropped 17 beats per minute. i'm 41 and i'm looking at what is very nearly a six pack - something i could not get in my youth despite trying very hard to get it. i'm 5'10" and my low daily weight is less than 160 lbs - not bad for a 40 something.

my lifelong allergy problem has disappeared since i started taking fish oil.

the zone + ultra refined fish oil is an anti-inflammation diet. allergies are the result of inflammation. my allergies are gone, gone, gone. crohn's is also an inflammatory condition. i believe the zone + fish oil will calm, if not eliminate, the problem.

a friend got on the zone and his 2 year battle with acid reflux 100% disappeared over night.

give it a shot. once you learn how to implement this balanced, rational diet, it is pretty easy to follow. you can always cheat, but you likely won't want to given the excellent results of staying on the diet.

not many will listen, but not many 40 somethings end their life long allergies and see what is very nearly a six pack in the mirror. it will be a ripped six pack in a few more months, too.

i'd wish you good luck, but luck isn't needed. you need to take stand and make the right choice. i hope you do.

Crohn's Cure:

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9865/Default.aspx

"The most miraculous aspect of the Zone for me has been the disappearance of my Crohn's disease. By 1998, I was able to stop all my medications for Crohn's disease. By 1999, I was no longer in daily pain. By 2000, every medical test determined that my intestines were in great health."

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9849/Default.aspx

What made the most sense to me is The Zone Diet is balanced. I had nothing to lose so I thought I would give it a go. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not only has the Zone Diet been instrumental in getting my Crohn's Disease under control but it has benefited me in other ways as follows: 1 .I've lost 7" around my stomach and 10 kgs in weight. 2. My complexion has improved (no more flaky skin). 3. My sleep pattern has improved. I sleep the whole night through now. 4. I have increased energy and mental focus. I hope this testimonial encourages anybody who reads it.

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9266/Default.aspx

Q: Dear Dr. Sears,

I have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's) and must take 2400 mg of Asacol (melamine) a day to maintain remission. It's an anti-inflammatory that works in the colon. Are you aware of any actions of this medication that would affect my hormonal balance, Zone-wise? If so, do you have any suggestions for adjusting my Zone diet to compensate? (Note that inflammatory bowel disease is an organic disorder--thought to be an autoimmune condition--unlike its functional cousin, irritable bowel syndrome, with which it's sometimes confused.)

Thanks,
Lectoria

A: Dear Lectoria:

It has been demonstrated that Crohn's disease can be highly modified by high-dose fish oil. This is also true of other autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and lupus. I would suggest increasing your intake of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil to about 5 grams per day of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, and you should be able to reduce the amount of Asacol to keep the condition under control.

-------------------

Read through the testimonials on drsears.com and zoneliving.com.

my own testimonial is pretty amazing, too. Lost 23 lbs of fat while simultaneously gaining about 4 lbs of muscle (all in 5 months time). i've lost 4 lbs off my waist. my energy level is through the roof, i feel much better, my resting pulse rate has dropped 17 beats per minute. i'm 41 and i'm looking at what is very nearly a six pack - something i could not get in my youth despite trying very hard to get it. i'm 5'10" and my low daily weight is less than 160 lbs - not bad for a 40 something.

my lifelong allergy problem has disappeared since i started taking fish oil.

the zone + ultra refined fish oil is an anti-inflammation diet. allergies are the result of inflammation. my allergies are gone, gone, gone. crohn's is also an inflammatory condition. i believe the zone + fish oil will calm, if not eliminate, the problem.

a friend got on the zone and his 2 year battle with acid reflux 100% disappeared over night.

give it a shot. once you learn how to implement this balanced, rational diet, it is pretty easy to follow. you can always cheat, but you likely won't want to given the excellent results of staying on the diet.

not many will listen, but not many 40 somethings end their life long allergies and see what is very nearly a six pack in the mirror. it will be a ripped six pack in a few more months, too.

i'd wish you good luck, but luck isn't needed. you need to take stand and make the right choice. i hope you do.

Crohn's Cure:

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9865/Default.aspx

"The most miraculous aspect of the Zone for me has been the disappearance of my Crohn's disease. By 1998, I was able to stop all my medications for Crohn's disease. By 1999, I was no longer in daily pain. By 2000, every medical test determined that my intestines were in great health."

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9849/Default.aspx

What made the most sense to me is The Zone Diet is balanced. I had nothing to lose so I thought I would give it a go. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Not only has the Zone Diet been instrumental in getting my Crohn's Disease under control but it has benefited me in other ways as follows: 1 .I've lost 7" around my stomach and 10 kgs in weight. 2. My complexion has improved (no more flaky skin). 3. My sleep pattern has improved. I sleep the whole night through now. 4. I have increased energy and mental focus. I hope this testimonial encourages anybody who reads it.

http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/tabid/399/itemid/9266/Default.aspx

Q: Dear Dr. Sears,

I have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's) and must take 2400 mg of Asacol (melamine) a day to maintain remission. It's an anti-inflammatory that works in the colon. Are you aware of any actions of this medication that would affect my hormonal balance, Zone-wise? If so, do you have any suggestions for adjusting my Zone diet to compensate? (Note that inflammatory bowel disease is an organic disorder--thought to be an autoimmune condition--unlike its functional cousin, irritable bowel syndrome, with which it's sometimes confused.)

Thanks,
Lectoria

A: Dear Lectoria:

It has been demonstrated that Crohn's disease can be highly modified by high-dose fish oil. This is also true of other autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and lupus. I would suggest increasing your intake of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil to about 5 grams per day of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, and you should be able to reduce the amount of Asacol to keep the condition under control.

-------------------

Read through the testimonials on drsears.com and zoneliving.com.

my own testimonial is pretty amazing, too. Lost 23 lbs of fat while simultaneously gaining about 4 lbs of muscle (all in 5 months time). i've lost 4 lbs off my waist. my energy level is through the roof, i feel much better, my resting pulse rate has dropped 17 beats per minute. i'm 41 and i'm looking at what is very nearly a six pack - something i could not get in my youth despite trying very hard to get it. i'm 5'10" and my low daily weight is less than 160 lbs - not bad for a 40 something.

my lifelong allergy problem has disappeared since i started taking fish oil.

the zone + ultra refined fish oil is an anti-inflammation diet. allergies are the result of inflammation. my allergies are gone, gone, gone. crohn's is also an inflammatory condition. i believe the zone + fish oil will calm, if not eliminate, the problem.

a friend got on the zone and his 2 year battle with acid reflux 100% disappeared over night.

give it a shot. once you learn how to implement this balanced, rational diet, it is pretty easy to follow. you can always cheat, but you likely won't want to given the excellent results of staying on the diet.

not many will listen, but not many 40 somethings end their life long allergies and see what is very nearly a six pack in the mirror. it will be a ripped six pack in a few more months, too.

i'd wish you good luck, but luck isn't needed. you need to take stand and make the right choice. i hope you do.

There are several studies that show type 2 diabetes actually resets the satiation levels of the brain so that people with it get hungrier and have longer before they register fullness when their blood sugar levels are off (The disease thus impairs your judgment of one of means to fight it). There are others that show how a normal person will have extreme soreness the first few exercise sessions but if they push through it will stop feeling nearly that sore and how the average Type 2 Diabetic can expect that to continue for months or even more.

regarding the lactic acid based soreness - this is typical of high carbohydrate diets. when i was on one, i would get that nasty soreness. however, when i'm on the zone diet (designed to prevent diseases like heart disease and type ii diabetics), i don't get that soreness. due to a nerve injury, i didn't lift weights at all for 20 YEARS. i finally decided to workout and did so to exhaustion. my body didn't over produce the lactic acid and i didn't get that nasty soreness.

diet plays a HUGE role in the soreness you talk about.

(It was about 6 months in my case - six months of near constant fatigue and extreme muscle soreness - six months when I did 8 reps with a weight, then 2 days later did the same 8 reps, then 2 days later did the same 8 reps, only to gain a rep every 2-3 weeks, before the process started getting up to normal sorts of gains - six months of worrying I would injure a foot with all the running and they would do what frequently happens to diabetics - amputation!).

i've carried my own burden (nerve damage) for almost the entirety of my adult life. i can't understand your situation, but i *highly* recommend the zone diet. it is the single biggest contributor to my quality of life. it is *HUGE*.

here is a study that shows the kinds of results the zone offers type ii diabetics:

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=1

they are pretty amazing. sign up for http://drsears.com/welcome.page , go to lifestyles, testimonials, archives... here's a sample of the testimonial titles:

The Zone saved me from injections
The Zone helped him avoid statins
She's diabetes free
It's a miracle! (pre-diabetic avoids diabetes)
End of the road for diabetes
Zone keeps diabetic off medication
Zone nips Type 2 diabetes in the bud
Diabetic now free of insulin injections
Threat of Diabetes guides her to the Zone

these is just the diabetic testimonial headlines. there are tons of other issues resolved by the zone, too.

Comments like yours are every bit as untrue and abusive as telling a rape victim they deserved it because they were dressed wrong. You should be heartily ashamed. It's not the researchers who 'just don't get it' here, it's people like you.

fortunately, this isn't true. it is not about "deserving," it is about what is. 2 doesn't deserve to be 1 + 1. it just is.

if you eat a high carb diet and stress your body under a high glycemic load over decades, the probability of you getting type ii diabetes goes up DRAMATICALLY.

it. just. is.

i'm 5'11" and 162 lbs (and dropping - i have about 5 lbs to go before my 6 pack is ripped). my tg/hdl is significantly less than 1. my resting heartbeat is 50 (i've only been exercising for 4 months after taking 2.5 years off). i'm in my 40s.

my risk of getting type ii diabetes is extremely small compared to my 5'8" 210 lb friend. it doesn't matter that he's incredibly athletic with unreal quickness and very good strength. he consistently applies a MASSIVE glycemic load on his body day after day - and it takes its toll on him.

does he deserve diabetes? no. but he might still get it and the difference between dying from diabetes and not even getting

There are several studies that show type 2 diabetes actually resets the satiation levels of the brain so that people with it get hungrier and have longer before they register fullness when their blood sugar levels are off (The disease thus impairs your judgment of one of means to fight it). There are others that show how a normal person will have extreme soreness the first few exercise sessions but if they push through it will stop feeling nearly that sore and how the average Type 2 Diabetic can expect that to continue for months or even more.

regarding the lactic acid based soreness - this is typical of high carbohydrate diets. when i was on one, i would get that nasty soreness. however, when i'm on the zone diet (designed to prevent diseases like heart disease and type ii diabetics), i don't get that soreness. due to a nerve injury, i didn't lift weights at all for 20 YEARS. i finally decided to workout and did so to exhaustion. my body didn't over produce the lactic acid and i didn't get that nasty soreness.

diet plays a HUGE role in the soreness you talk about.

(It was about 6 months in my case - six months of near constant fatigue and extreme muscle soreness - six months when I did 8 reps with a weight, then 2 days later did the same 8 reps, then 2 days later did the same 8 reps, only to gain a rep every 2-3 weeks, before the process started getting up to normal sorts of gains - six months of worrying I would injure a foot with all the running and they would do what frequently happens to diabetics - amputation!).

i've carried my own burden (nerve damage) for almost the entirety of my adult life. i can't understand your situation, but i *highly* recommend the zone diet. it is the single biggest contributor to my quality of life. it is *HUGE*.

here is a study that shows the kinds of results the zone offers type ii diabetics:

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=1

they are pretty amazing. sign up for http://drsears.com/welcome.page , go to lifestyles, testimonials, archives... here's a sample of the testimonial titles:

The Zone saved me from injections
The Zone helped him avoid statins
She's diabetes free
It's a miracle! (pre-diabetic avoids diabetes)
End of the road for diabetes
Zone keeps diabetic off medication
Zone nips Type 2 diabetes in the bud
Diabetic now free of insulin injections
Threat of Diabetes guides her to the Zone

these is just the diabetic testimonial headlines. there are tons of other issues resolved by the zone, too.

Comments like yours are every bit as untrue and abusive as telling a rape victim they deserved it because they were dressed wrong. You should be heartily ashamed. It's not the researchers who 'just don't get it' here, it's people like you.

fortunately, this isn't true. it is not about "deserving," it is about what is. 2 doesn't deserve to be 1 + 1. it just is.

if you eat a high carb diet and stress your body under a high glycemic load over decades, the probability of you getting type ii diabetes goes up DRAMATICALLY.

it. just. is.

i'm 5'11" and 162 lbs (and dropping - i have about 5 lbs to go before my 6 pack is ripped). my tg/hdl is significantly less than 1. my resting heartbeat is 50 (i've only been exercising for 4 months after taking 2.5 years off). i'm in my 40s.

my risk of getting type ii diabetes is extremely small compared to my 5'8" 210 lb friend. it doesn't matter that he's incredibly athletic with unreal quickness and very good strength. he consistently applies a MASSIVE glycemic load on his body day after day - and it takes its toll on him.

does he deserve diabetes? no. but he might still get it and the difference between dying from diabetes and not even getting

the best treatment for diabetes is to eat so that you won't get it or, at the very least, minimize the chance that your diet, combined with your genetics, will create type ii diabetes.

i keep harping on this and folks will keep ignoring it, but the zone diet attacks about every predictor of type ii diabetes...

type ii diabetes is associated with being overweight - i weigh 162 lbs at 5'11" and over 40 years old (i've lost over 16 lbs on the zone since june. the reason why i only weighed 178.5 lbs is because i have semi used the zone to control my weight for the last decade.

my tg/hdl is well below 1 (the american average is 3.3). my resting heartbeat has dropped from a steady steady 68 to the low 50s since june (due to both diet and exercise as my diet maximizes my energy, enabling lots of good workouts, and then my diet allows my body to efficiently handle the effects my workouts).

the first thing you notice while working out on the zone is you don't get that nasty lactic acid soreness in your muscles. i lifted weights to exhaustion for the first time in 20 years - and i could've done it again the next morning because i wasn't sore b/c my body didn't over produce lactic acid.

more information can be found here...

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

San Antonio Type II Diabetic Study

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=1

Note: notice the TG/HDL ratio for the diabetics... they average 3.7 to 4.7. being on the zone has kept me well below 1. my risk of getting a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease is dramatically reduced due to my balanced and moderate diet.

Study Shows Zone Diet Trounces AHA Diet

Note: in his comments dr sears says the 40/30/30 dieters lost 260% more fat than the AHA dieters, but his math is wrong. they actually lost 160% more fat. it is 2.6 times the amount of fat lost, but dr sears used the word "greater" and that isn't right.

the diet close to the zone again trounced a high carbohydrate diet.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=5

i love my diet - i eat lots of fruits and veggies and i can eat anything at all as long as i eat smaller portions of dense carbs. i eat lean protein at every meal and snack and i've grown to absolutely love the monounsaturated fat that i eat at every meal (peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hummis, olive oil, salad dressing, etc...

diet typically plays a huge roll in the formation of type II diabetes and many people have avoided taking or been able to stop taking medication due to improved blood work readings.

oh, and my cardio capability has literally exploded and i've added at least 3 new pounds of lean body mass since started the zone.

yes this diet is too good to be true. moderation, balance, reasoned... all producing exceptional results. it is too good to be true.

but it is true - my six pack* at 41 years of age - just 4 months since ending my drought of zero exercise for 2 years - is proof of that.

*my six pack is already showing, although it can imporve a bit as the muscle get bigger (thanks, zone!) and the fat melts off (thanks, zone!). i will be ripped after i lose about 30% of what i've already lost in the last 4 months. i tried and failed to reach my current state of the six pack over 20 years ago and crashed and burned due to the typical crappy high carb diet.

moderate carb, moderate protein and moderate fats is the only way to go. it should be more obvious.

the best treatment for diabetes is to eat so that you won't get it or, at the very least, minimize the chance that your diet, combined with your genetics, will create type ii diabetes.

i keep harping on this and folks will keep ignoring it, but the zone diet attacks about every predictor of type ii diabetes...

type ii diabetes is associated with being overweight - i weigh 162 lbs at 5'11" and over 40 years old (i've lost over 16 lbs on the zone since june. the reason why i only weighed 178.5 lbs is because i have semi used the zone to control my weight for the last decade.

my tg/hdl is well below 1 (the american average is 3.3). my resting heartbeat has dropped from a steady steady 68 to the low 50s since june (due to both diet and exercise as my diet maximizes my energy, enabling lots of good workouts, and then my diet allows my body to efficiently handle the effects my workouts).

the first thing you notice while working out on the zone is you don't get that nasty lactic acid soreness in your muscles. i lifted weights to exhaustion for the first time in 20 years - and i could've done it again the next morning because i wasn't sore b/c my body didn't over produce lactic acid.

more information can be found here...

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

San Antonio Type II Diabetic Study

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=1

Note: notice the TG/HDL ratio for the diabetics... they average 3.7 to 4.7. being on the zone has kept me well below 1. my risk of getting a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease is dramatically reduced due to my balanced and moderate diet.

Study Shows Zone Diet Trounces AHA Diet

Note: in his comments dr sears says the 40/30/30 dieters lost 260% more fat than the AHA dieters, but his math is wrong. they actually lost 160% more fat. it is 2.6 times the amount of fat lost, but dr sears used the word "greater" and that isn't right.

the diet close to the zone again trounced a high carbohydrate diet.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=5

i love my diet - i eat lots of fruits and veggies and i can eat anything at all as long as i eat smaller portions of dense carbs. i eat lean protein at every meal and snack and i've grown to absolutely love the monounsaturated fat that i eat at every meal (peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hummis, olive oil, salad dressing, etc...

diet typically plays a huge roll in the formation of type II diabetes and many people have avoided taking or been able to stop taking medication due to improved blood work readings.

oh, and my cardio capability has literally exploded and i've added at least 3 new pounds of lean body mass since started the zone.

yes this diet is too good to be true. moderation, balance, reasoned... all producing exceptional results. it is too good to be true.

but it is true - my six pack* at 41 years of age - just 4 months since ending my drought of zero exercise for 2 years - is proof of that.

*my six pack is already showing, although it can imporve a bit as the muscle get bigger (thanks, zone!) and the fat melts off (thanks, zone!). i will be ripped after i lose about 30% of what i've already lost in the last 4 months. i tried and failed to reach my current state of the six pack over 20 years ago and crashed and burned due to the typical crappy high carb diet.

moderate carb, moderate protein and moderate fats is the only way to go. it should be more obvious.

the best treatment for diabetes is to eat so that you won't get it or, at the very least, minimize the chance that your diet, combined with your genetics, will create type ii diabetes.

i keep harping on this and folks will keep ignoring it, but the zone diet attacks about every predictor of type ii diabetes...

type ii diabetes is associated with being overweight - i weigh 162 lbs at 5'11" and over 40 years old (i've lost over 16 lbs on the zone since june. the reason why i only weighed 178.5 lbs is because i have semi used the zone to control my weight for the last decade.

my tg/hdl is well below 1 (the american average is 3.3). my resting heartbeat has dropped from a steady steady 68 to the low 50s since june (due to both diet and exercise as my diet maximizes my energy, enabling lots of good workouts, and then my diet allows my body to efficiently handle the effects my workouts).

the first thing you notice while working out on the zone is you don't get that nasty lactic acid soreness in your muscles. i lifted weights to exhaustion for the first time in 20 years - and i could've done it again the next morning because i wasn't sore b/c my body didn't over produce lactic acid.

more information can be found here...

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

San Antonio Type II Diabetic Study

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=1

Note: notice the TG/HDL ratio for the diabetics... they average 3.7 to 4.7. being on the zone has kept me well below 1. my risk of getting a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease is dramatically reduced due to my balanced and moderate diet.

Study Shows Zone Diet Trounces AHA Diet

Note: in his comments dr sears says the 40/30/30 dieters lost 260% more fat than the AHA dieters, but his math is wrong. they actually lost 160% more fat. it is 2.6 times the amount of fat lost, but dr sears used the word "greater" and that isn't right.

the diet close to the zone again trounced a high carbohydrate diet.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearchdetailopen.page?zoneResearchID=5

i love my diet - i eat lots of fruits and veggies and i can eat anything at all as long as i eat smaller portions of dense carbs. i eat lean protein at every meal and snack and i've grown to absolutely love the monounsaturated fat that i eat at every meal (peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hummis, olive oil, salad dressing, etc...

diet typically plays a huge roll in the formation of type II diabetes and many people have avoided taking or been able to stop taking medication due to improved blood work readings.

oh, and my cardio capability has literally exploded and i've added at least 3 new pounds of lean body mass since started the zone.

yes this diet is too good to be true. moderation, balance, reasoned... all producing exceptional results. it is too good to be true.

but it is true - my six pack* at 41 years of age - just 4 months since ending my drought of zero exercise for 2 years - is proof of that.

*my six pack is already showing, although it can imporve a bit as the muscle get bigger (thanks, zone!) and the fat melts off (thanks, zone!). i will be ripped after i lose about 30% of what i've already lost in the last 4 months. i tried and failed to reach my current state of the six pack over 20 years ago and crashed and burned due to the typical crappy high carb diet.

moderate carb, moderate protein and moderate fats is the only way to go. it should be more obvious.

Whatever you do, don't get Alzheimer's disease. It sucks. ...
But she especially likes bananas and squash and sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. I know this because I'm there sometimes to remind her to take another bite. She says "This is good, thank you!"

it may well be that those bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies played a large role in alzheimer's becoming an issue in the first place.

diabetes is about insulin gone awry. this article indicates that alzheimer's is about insulin gone awry.

insulin tends to go awry because of genetics and/or a diet high in carbohydrates (eg, bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies). usually, but not always, diet can resolve the issue - but the diet must have moderate carbs with a moderate glycemic load to prevent spikes in insulin.

what diet does this? the zone diet. i have mentioned this diet before when someone said they wanted to lose weight, but couldn't and it wasn't their fault because they didn't know how. last i checked, my post received ZERO responses.

we need to learn a bit about the problems with the current dietary recommendation and recognize that they aren't science based.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/taubes.html

insulin is a hormonal response to protect the brain from excess glucose... when levels rise too high, insulin levels rise and store the glucose, primarily as fat, and locks in the fat stores already in place. glucose is good - it is the main source of brain food. too much is bad and too little is bad. the insulin response is why kids get the "sugar high, sugar crash". adults even get this when they overeat and eat too many carbs (thanksgiving, anyone?). they get massive amounts of carbs causing massive spikes in insulin, causing a reduction in blood glucose and then a crash as the brain no longer gets sufficient glucose to function properly. a starving brain signals hunger and the vicious cycle repeats until one eventually gets over weight.

http://drsears.com/understandingcarbs.page

the zone also works on the eicosanoid level to balance out silent inflammation within the body. aspirin mode is to work on eicosanoids. the zone is like getting all the benefits of aspirin without any of the down sides.

http://drsears.com/understandingeicosanoids.page

science backs up the zone philosophy, too.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

the anecdotal evidence is nothing short of staggering.

let's start with me. i've lost ~1 lb of pure fat per week since early june. i starting low weight (measured in morning) was 178.5 lbs and my recent low weight was 162 lbs. i've lost 2+ inches of my waist (belly button high). i went from 10 minutes of cardio to exhaustion to 50 minutes without being too winded (legs get tired before wind goes). i've never had this wind in my life - even when i ran cross country in high school. i literally look for ways to burn up my energy.

i've gained lean muscle mass and my strength is up pretty dramatically. my resting heart rate, which was steady at 68, is now 56... and dropping. that's 17,200 fewer beats every day, over 6.3 million fewer beats per year. my tg/hdl ratio is significantly less than 1 (average american is 3.3). i'm about 5-7 lbs away from ripped, abs, the fat has just melted away at about 2 oz. per day. my stomach is already flat and you can see my 4 pack with decent definition already. this is something i could never achieve in my youth (i'm now in my 40s) - and i tried VERY hard. remember, i just lost about 19 lbs of fat in the last 4 months, so 7 more is a layup. my goal was a wahboard stomach before january 1st and i ought to beat that goal handily.

my energy is way up, i

Whatever you do, don't get Alzheimer's disease. It sucks. ...
But she especially likes bananas and squash and sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. I know this because I'm there sometimes to remind her to take another bite. She says "This is good, thank you!"

it may well be that those bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies played a large role in alzheimer's becoming an issue in the first place.

diabetes is about insulin gone awry. this article indicates that alzheimer's is about insulin gone awry.

insulin tends to go awry because of genetics and/or a diet high in carbohydrates (eg, bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies). usually, but not always, diet can resolve the issue - but the diet must have moderate carbs with a moderate glycemic load to prevent spikes in insulin.

what diet does this? the zone diet. i have mentioned this diet before when someone said they wanted to lose weight, but couldn't and it wasn't their fault because they didn't know how. last i checked, my post received ZERO responses.

we need to learn a bit about the problems with the current dietary recommendation and recognize that they aren't science based.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/taubes.html

insulin is a hormonal response to protect the brain from excess glucose... when levels rise too high, insulin levels rise and store the glucose, primarily as fat, and locks in the fat stores already in place. glucose is good - it is the main source of brain food. too much is bad and too little is bad. the insulin response is why kids get the "sugar high, sugar crash". adults even get this when they overeat and eat too many carbs (thanksgiving, anyone?). they get massive amounts of carbs causing massive spikes in insulin, causing a reduction in blood glucose and then a crash as the brain no longer gets sufficient glucose to function properly. a starving brain signals hunger and the vicious cycle repeats until one eventually gets over weight.

http://drsears.com/understandingcarbs.page

the zone also works on the eicosanoid level to balance out silent inflammation within the body. aspirin mode is to work on eicosanoids. the zone is like getting all the benefits of aspirin without any of the down sides.

http://drsears.com/understandingeicosanoids.page

science backs up the zone philosophy, too.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

the anecdotal evidence is nothing short of staggering.

let's start with me. i've lost ~1 lb of pure fat per week since early june. i starting low weight (measured in morning) was 178.5 lbs and my recent low weight was 162 lbs. i've lost 2+ inches of my waist (belly button high). i went from 10 minutes of cardio to exhaustion to 50 minutes without being too winded (legs get tired before wind goes). i've never had this wind in my life - even when i ran cross country in high school. i literally look for ways to burn up my energy.

i've gained lean muscle mass and my strength is up pretty dramatically. my resting heart rate, which was steady at 68, is now 56... and dropping. that's 17,200 fewer beats every day, over 6.3 million fewer beats per year. my tg/hdl ratio is significantly less than 1 (average american is 3.3). i'm about 5-7 lbs away from ripped, abs, the fat has just melted away at about 2 oz. per day. my stomach is already flat and you can see my 4 pack with decent definition already. this is something i could never achieve in my youth (i'm now in my 40s) - and i tried VERY hard. remember, i just lost about 19 lbs of fat in the last 4 months, so 7 more is a layup. my goal was a wahboard stomach before january 1st and i ought to beat that goal handily.

my energy is way up, i

Whatever you do, don't get Alzheimer's disease. It sucks. ...
But she especially likes bananas and squash and sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. I know this because I'm there sometimes to remind her to take another bite. She says "This is good, thank you!"

it may well be that those bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies played a large role in alzheimer's becoming an issue in the first place.

diabetes is about insulin gone awry. this article indicates that alzheimer's is about insulin gone awry.

insulin tends to go awry because of genetics and/or a diet high in carbohydrates (eg, bananas, sweet potatoes and chocolate chip cookies). usually, but not always, diet can resolve the issue - but the diet must have moderate carbs with a moderate glycemic load to prevent spikes in insulin.

what diet does this? the zone diet. i have mentioned this diet before when someone said they wanted to lose weight, but couldn't and it wasn't their fault because they didn't know how. last i checked, my post received ZERO responses.

we need to learn a bit about the problems with the current dietary recommendation and recognize that they aren't science based.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/taubes.html

insulin is a hormonal response to protect the brain from excess glucose... when levels rise too high, insulin levels rise and store the glucose, primarily as fat, and locks in the fat stores already in place. glucose is good - it is the main source of brain food. too much is bad and too little is bad. the insulin response is why kids get the "sugar high, sugar crash". adults even get this when they overeat and eat too many carbs (thanksgiving, anyone?). they get massive amounts of carbs causing massive spikes in insulin, causing a reduction in blood glucose and then a crash as the brain no longer gets sufficient glucose to function properly. a starving brain signals hunger and the vicious cycle repeats until one eventually gets over weight.

http://drsears.com/understandingcarbs.page

the zone also works on the eicosanoid level to balance out silent inflammation within the body. aspirin mode is to work on eicosanoids. the zone is like getting all the benefits of aspirin without any of the down sides.

http://drsears.com/understandingeicosanoids.page

science backs up the zone philosophy, too.

http://drsears.com/zoneresearch.page

the anecdotal evidence is nothing short of staggering.

let's start with me. i've lost ~1 lb of pure fat per week since early june. i starting low weight (measured in morning) was 178.5 lbs and my recent low weight was 162 lbs. i've lost 2+ inches of my waist (belly button high). i went from 10 minutes of cardio to exhaustion to 50 minutes without being too winded (legs get tired before wind goes). i've never had this wind in my life - even when i ran cross country in high school. i literally look for ways to burn up my energy.

i've gained lean muscle mass and my strength is up pretty dramatically. my resting heart rate, which was steady at 68, is now 56... and dropping. that's 17,200 fewer beats every day, over 6.3 million fewer beats per year. my tg/hdl ratio is significantly less than 1 (average american is 3.3). i'm about 5-7 lbs away from ripped, abs, the fat has just melted away at about 2 oz. per day. my stomach is already flat and you can see my 4 pack with decent definition already. this is something i could never achieve in my youth (i'm now in my 40s) - and i tried VERY hard. remember, i just lost about 19 lbs of fat in the last 4 months, so 7 more is a layup. my goal was a wahboard stomach before january 1st and i ought to beat that goal handily.

my energy is way up, i

How many "lazy, overeating fat people" have personally told you that they set out to be fat? How many of them would not choose to be lean if given the choice? Why do you assume that fatness is a reflection of their lack of character? Have you ever been fat?

my experience is that diet is like religion and politics - it is hard to have a meaningful discussion and nobody wants to admit they are wrong.

you want to lose weight - try the zone diet.

http://drsears.com/welcome.page

for those significantly over weight, ~50 lbs weight loss in 6 months isn't atypical. this is unlike any other diet out there - except those diets that copied it without understanding the underlying science behind it.

the former heaviest man in the world lost 430 lbs in ~ 1 year.

Robin lost 45 lbs (247 to 202) in 6 months during PBS Scientific Frontiers weight loss show.

I've lost about 1 lb per week (178.5 to 167.0 in 12 weeks - i'm just under 5' 11"). Some of that is water weight, but I've also gained significant muscle during this time frame, too. I'm sure that has offset the water weight and some extra fat loss.

i've told countless people about this diet. very few seem interested - even though an older, skiny guy *raves* about his diet and tells everyone how great it makes one feel.

my new worst days are better than my old best days.

anyway, less than 10% of the folks i tell about how great this diet is will make an effort to try it. one held out for about a year before trying it. he tried it and his ongoing acid reflux (the whole time i knew him - for 2 plus years) disappeared over night.

another lady tried it and lost 2 lbs in two weeks and was "disappointed" even though she agreed she wasn't hungry and she had more energy. i ended up leaving that company, so i'm not sure if she stayed on it or not.

another guy "kinda sorta" tries it, but isn't into it too much and has had minimal results.

in my case, i've had ongoing nerve damage for 20+ years. i stayed out of the gym for fear of flaring up my left ulnar nerve (my right was surgically repaired). after hitting 40 and realizing sleeping had become a "contact sport," i decided it was time to focus on the zone diet and start lifting weights, consequences being as they may.

as i've said, i've effortlessly lost over 11 lbs of pure fat while, at the same time, gaining significant lean muscle mass. my cardio has skyrocketed from exhaustion after 10 minutes of elyptical training to no shortness of breath after 50 minutes of elyptical training.

i'm 6 to 8 lbs of pure fat (3-4 more months?) away from a ripped six pack stomach at 40. during that time, i will pack on even more lean muscle mass.

as a kid i could get the muscle, but i couldn't rip the stomach - and i tried. as it turns out, my diet was all wrong.

i changed my diet. you claim you will.

my anecdotal evidence says theres a 90% chance you will CHOOSE to keep doing the same old fat inducing things you've been doing up until now. if so, yeah, your obesity is your fault.

you'll see my 40 plus year old ripped abs and claim it to be "good genetics."

it isn't, but the truth doesn't matter too much to those over weight because, if it did, they would take action to change their unhealthy lifestyle.

many of my good friends seem to get upset when i talk about zone diet successes. so much so, it is basically off topic because all my over weight friends are unwilling to do what i do every day (and i love doing it!) because they don't want to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for what goes into their mouth and when. they see my results, realize it is 100% their fault and they create distance between me and them.

my anecdotal evidence indicates that, not only will most over weight folks not take action to change their state of being, they will be hostile to those who actually do change their lives and try and lend a han

You need to worry about triglycerides too. I'm predisposed to very high levels...as high as 1200+ in the past....down to 540 these days....started on meds again and working out to try to get them under 200.

You need to worry about triglycerides too. I'm predisposed to very high levels...as high as 1200+ in the past....down to 540 these days....started on meds again and working out to try to get them under 200.

Although I think something dietary is most likely the solution

Time to cut out the crap food, the too-big portions, the second helpings, and start starving yourself, because nothing else will work.

this is absolutely, unequivocally wrong in the majority of cases. i'm on a moderate diet where i feel great (my worst day on the diet is better than my best day on the average american carbohydrate fest), i have excess energy to play basketball twice a week, do cardio twice a week (or more) and lift weights three times a week (a nice side effect of my diet is i don't over produce lactic acid so when i picked up weights for the first time in 20 years, i didn't get sore like i did 20 years earlier in the high carbo diet - it is funny to see my muscular friends get all sore after a workout and me, the skinny guy, doesn't get sore). I'm losing about a lb of fat per week (8 lbs in 8 weeks, some water loss, some muscle gain to offset some fat loss). i'm just shy of 5'11", i weighed in at 170.5 lbs this morning - not bad for 40+ year old. i can tell i have about more lbs of fat to go until i have gotten 100% rid of the fat around my waist and behind. yes, that's an 8 pack at 40 plus. ny time frame is jan 1, 2008 - so i have plenty of time to lose the excess fat and offset some of the fat weight loss with muscle mass gains.

i've never felt better and...

i. don't. starve. i'm rarely hungry.

the diet is the ultimate moderate diet, too. it is called the zone diet. there is a plethora of information on the web about it. the former heaviest man in the world chose the zone diet over surgery and he lost 400 lbs in the first year.

http://www.drsears.com/zonemondaysfeatureopen.page ?zoneMondayID=284
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257620,00.html

PBS scientific american did a study on diets and the Zone fared very well...

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1401/features/robin.htm

A 47 year old woman went from 247 to 2002 lbs in 6 months and, when asked what she liked best about the diet, Robin responded, "What I really like is how good you feel when you are "in the Zone". You are rarely hungry, and you just feel really, really good - it has a tremendous impact on your mood - unlike other diets I've been on"

notice, she didn't mention the 45 lbs gone, rather, she mentioned how she felt great on the diet and how this diet didn't leave her feeling hungry. this mirrors my personal experience. my worst day on the zone is better than my best day on the average american diet (on a physical, well being level, all else being equal).

>blockquote>
And no, you don't have a glandular problem - you got that way one bite at a time, just like everyone else.


i don't believe all people are created equal in how their bodies process food. for example, i'd bet my wife has eaten more food than i have and i know she exercises less, yet she weighs 130 and change and i weigh 170 and small change. if our bodies handled food equally, she should weigh more than i do.

we all know people who can eat pop tarts all day and not gain a pound and we know others who seemingly just look at food and add a pound.

everyone's body is genetically UNIQUE. the variation might be small or might be huge, it just depends. surely there are nurture issues to go along with the nature issues - it isn't a simple issue. my experience is that the zone diet tends to equalize the playing field - at least as far as excess fat loss, creating energy and a general feeling of well being.

the press erroneously refers to the zone as a "high protein" or "low carb" diet. both these descriptions are wrong. it is a protein moderate, carb moderate, monounsaturated fat moderate diet.

lean meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts are the zone staples (duh, it just make

Obesity and weight gain in general is closely linked to the control of blood sugar. When blood sugar levels crash after people eat the wrong foods, they get hungry again. It's the body's way of trying to stabilize blood sugar levels.

The drug companies research on diabetes is closely linked to their research on obesity. So, the next headline you read may be "Drug cures obesity". http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?ne wsid=46718

One of the best explanations of blood sugar vs. weight can be found in Barry Sears book "The Zone". http://www.drsears.com/booksbydrsears.page He actually started his research to try to extend his life. His male ancestors tended to die of heart disease in their fifties. He's already lived longer, so that's one indicator that his findings are effective. On of his key findings was the role that blood sugar levels have on athletic performance and weight gain.

The tone of your post is pretty judgemental. The weight gain epidemic in America has way more to do with the choices people are given and not so much to do with the fact that people are a bunch of fat lazy slobs. Someone who's glued to their desk for nine or ten hours a day and then has to spend another three hours commuting, isn't going to get the exercise they need, nor do they have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal when they get home.

BTW. If I had to sum up what Dr. Sears says: Eat way less red meat and way more vegitables. It worked for me.

I've been following the Zone diet for several years and it works great. The theory is that carbs and protein increase your insulin levels which can cause a blood sugar crash. The Zone diet attempts to control food intake to avoid problems with low blood sugar. Important factors are the ratios of carbohydrates, protein and fat, the form of the food (unprocessed solids are best), the amount and the timing (three meals plus 2-3 snacks per day).

You can learn more about the diet via google search or at http://www.drsears.com./ Dr. Sears invented the diet and also has written a few books on it.

A few notes: depending on your metabolism, etc., you may need 10-30% more carbs than they recommend, esp. immediately before and after exercise. Also, caffeine can have a large affect on blood sugar: while it gives you a nice up, it also causes you to burn all your sugars, eventually causing a crash.

Good luck!

Enter the Zone

I originally read the book written by Dr. Sears and was convinced to give it a try. Through biochemical analysis, he determined that the ratio of energy from carbohydrates to protein to fat should be around 40:30:30. Compare to the typical North American diet of 60:30:10.

He draws a similarity between food and drug intake, calling food a drug that regulates hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which in turn affect a class of meta-hormones known as eicosanoids. It was a very interesting read. He describes some of his studies both in the book and on his site.

The ratio has translated to roughly mean "cut out bad carbohydrates and eat more fruits and vegetables". On his site and in the book he lists good and bad carbohydrates and quantities that amount to serving sizes.

In November, I started following the plan with some level of discipline (we'll say 70%) as well as worked out (mostly cardio) for about 45 minutes per session, 3 times a week. I've lost about two inches off my waist and decreased by mass by about 5 kg. I've probably lost 10 kg of fat but gained 5 kg of muscle.

But, more importantly, when I eat in the proper proportions and at the right frequency, as well as work out, I feel good, and my brain seems to spin much faster, allowing me to work more efficiently and get stuff done before my boss starts nagging me about it.