Zone Diet History

• The Zone Diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears as a simple way to manage food intake. After noting that individuals had a difficult time managing their portions of various macronutrients, Dr. Sears developed an approach that would take the decision out of their hands, instructing dieters on the easiest way to ensure that their bodies are optimally fed.
  
  

Zone Theory

• Practicing the Zone Diet is fairly simple. At any given meal you are told to divide your plate into thirds. Two thirds of the plate should be covered with a variety of fruits and vegetables, while the remaining third should consist of a lean protein source, such as low fat beef, chicken, turkey, seafood or egg whites. Finally, each meal should have a dash of unsaturated fat coming from sources like avocados, almonds, or olive oil.
  
  

Zone Diet and Pregnancy

• Dr. Sears, the creator of the diet, recommends his plan for expectant mothers so long as they comply with two simple conditions. First of all, all pregnant women should increase their overall food intake by roughly 1,200 calories per day to comply with the increased demands of pregnancy. Second, mothers who are breast feeding should again increase their daily intake of calories even further (by another 1,000 or so).
  
  

Meeting the Meal Requirements

• While adding that many extra calories to your daily intake might seem a formidable challenge, it is easier to accomplish than you might think. Just add one extra "zone block," or serving, of protein, carbs, and fat at every meal. So whereas on the regular diet you might have only one piece of chicken for dinner, if you are currently pregnant you would consume two.
  
  

Considerations

• So long as you adequately bolster your intake of all macronutrients, the Zone Diet should be a safe one to follow during pregnancy. However, if you are using weight loss drugs or other medications in conjunction with the Zone Diet you should consult your physician to see whether these will have a potentially adverse effect on your child. Additionally, proponents of the Zone Diet recommend that you might want to reduce your consumption of any foods that tend to give you gas, or that you find difficult to digest, during pregnancy.