The Zone Diet was created by biotech researcher Barry Sears, PhD. He recommends a diet which consists of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates. The focus on the diet is on improving metabolism, especially for enhanced athletic performance. But is it for you? Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Pros:
• energy levels are usually pretty good for people on this plan—athletes tend to do well on it
• emphasis on maintaining level blood sugar is crucial for weight loss—his suggestion that one not allow more than 5 hours to go by without eating is especially helpful in this regard
• I like the acceptance of mistakes in this plan—each meal is seen as a chance to get it right; if you make a mistake, just focus on the next meal and move on with your life without guilt

Cons:
• care must be taken to get balanced essential fatty acids (Omega 3-6-9), of which most Americans are deficient
• the diet does not distinguish between carbohydrates, so eat a carrot, eat a candy bar, so long as you balance protein and fats (also not distinguished properly), it makes no difference—this approach could really fail us when it comes to weight management
• figuring out the 40-30-30 thing is a pain at best—few of us will get it right, and fewer of us will continue to want to calculate this for every meal and snack over the long term
• Kraft foods now has a Zone seal of approval on a line of packaged foods, giving the illusion of health, but we know packaged and processed foods are never our most healthful options.

Next up: Weight Watchers