Day: July 23, 2010

As someone who has battled weight issues nearly my entire life, it was truly exciting for me to get the opportunity to host a roundtable discussion with one of the most successful weight loss and nutrition experts in the world, Dr. Barry Sears, founder of the Zone, who joined nearly a dozen writers for a two hour chat and luncheon that introduced the latest line of foods in his program that are designed to help you lose weight.
When I first met Dr. Sears, the first thing he informed me was that if I’ve battled weight gain for decades, it may not be my fault after all. Depending upon the foods you eat as well as the number of meals you consume per day, your fat cells could actually be creating a trap that won’t allow you to digest what you’ve eaten properly. So no matter how much you try to shed weight, if you continue eating three meals a day while consuming processed foods designed to make you fat, you will never win your battle against the bulge.
More importantly, Dr. Sears shared details behind the cause of diseases ranging from obesity, to diabetes, heart disease, ADHD and alzheimer’s – silent inflammation. While you may not feel sick at the moment, the more you consume Omega 6 fats and foods that get trapped in your body and cause your fat cells to grow – much like a cancerous tumor. While any form of cancer can be a frightening prospect, since being fat isn’t fatal, we typically ignore the problem until we are diagnosed with something far more serious.
While we were finding out important ways to protect ourselves and our children from silent inflammation, we were also introduced to Dr. Sears’ new line of foods that the entire family will love. While Dr. Sears’ says we’d be best served eating the foods that existed 10,000 years ago (fruits, vegetables, fish oil and grains), he completely understands that we are a nation who has become hooked on processed food. He adds, “Processed food got us into this situation and processed food can get us out.”
Dr. Sears’ newest products include pizzas, pastas and pastries that have all been chemically engineered so that while you may be savoring a cinnamon bun, the breakfast treat actually is the equivalent of a four egg omelet and will curb your hunger for at least four hours! We also got the chance to sample asiago cheese pizza, which will be available on the Zone Diet website beginning this September; pasta salad, and a dessert which contained granola, blueberries and yogurt.
We were also sent home with a copy of Dr. Sears’ book, Toxic Fat as well as a few more goodies – including chocolate chip cookies – which are delicious (no hint of a diet aftertaste whatsoever!)
The latest food plan will cost $8 per day and can be shipped to your home. But you should be aware – the pizzas, pasta and pastries should serve as the basis for your meals. You should supplement them with vegetables, fruits and fish oil that contains Omega 3 fats and avoid Omega 6 fats at all costs!
Some more great tips from Dr. Sears:
* Shop the perimeter of the supermarket because that’s where the freshest foods are located.
*Avoid Omega 6 fats at all costs!
*Take your grandmother’s advice – eat small meals and take fish oil every day!
*If you eat beef, make sure you select meat from animals that were grain fed.
*Always eat protein with carbs. Great tip – hard boiled egg, scoop out the yolk and replace it with hummus!
*Dessert tip: Zone diet granola, yogurt and blueberries.
If you’d like to listen in on our audio interviews with Dr. Sears, then click on part I and part II of our one on one interview and if you’d like to order the latest foods the Zone, visit their website today!
INTERVIEW WITH DR. BARRY SEARS, PART I
INTERVIEW WITH DR. BARRY SEARS, PART II