General:
The Zone Diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health.
Types of food allowed:
Low fat protein foods, fish, low fat cottage cheese, skinless chicken breast, fruits, vegetables, and small amounts of olive oil.
Advantages:
Good nutritional value from fruit and low starch vegetables. Restricts refined carbohydrates that have very little nutritional value.
Disadvantages:
This diet is very restrictive in calories (800-1200) so it is very difficult to stay on long term, more so if you exercise. Meals must be planned to have an exact proportion (balance) of protein / fat / carbohydrate, and thus may be difficult to maintain long term.
Health Issues:
Relatively safe at higher calories (1200) but very low in essential nutrients. Must supplement vitamins and minerals.
External Resources
Homepage:
Zone Diet Home Page
Reviews:
WebMD review of the Zone Diet
Overviews:
Overview and resource materials for the Zone Diet provided by zonedietinfo.com