Auckland East & Bays Courier
7 December 2001

For years, registered nurse Julianne Taylor never questioned the validity of the food pyramid advocated throughout New Zealand as the model for healthy eating.

It wasn't until Julianne read "Enter the Zone" by American biochemist Dr Barry Sears that she changed her eating habits and she became convinced the pyramid was inaccurate.

"Once I embarked on the Zone diet which changed the ratio of foods I ate, I lost weight easily, said goodbye to regular pre-menstrual tension and regained my energy levels."

Three years ago, Julianne became a Zone Instructor. She has guided hundreds of clients through the Zone diet by helping them adapt to their own lifestyles and food preferences. The Zone's dietary strategy is to maximize fat loss, improve mental and physical performance, reduce PMT, lower cholesterol levels and improve energy.

The diet is based on the discovery that food has a powerful effect on the body's hormonal system. Dr Sears found there is an ideal hormonal state, which he calls the Zone, where physical and mental performance is optimal and fat burning is maximized.

"The key is to control the hormones that are produced in response to the food groups in a meal, especially insulin which is fat storing," Julianne says. "Excess insulin is triggered by over-eating carbohydrates. Once we reduce the carbohydrates and balance a meal with protein, insulin decreases and easy fat loss is possible while at the same time, energy levels are increased."