The Zone Diet Or The Paleo Diet?
How To Choose The Right Diet For YOU!
By Annie Berryhill
If you follow Crossfit nutrition, then The Zone and Paleo are very familiar to you. Maybe you have are even using one of them to dial in your food and improve your Crossfit workouts and your overall health.
But maybe you still are a little confused about which one is the best one for you. Here are a few key points for each to help you understand what each a little better to make an informed decision. It is pretty powerful to not just read about the programs but to decide on one and take action. Nothing will change until you take action!
| Attritbutes |
The Zone Diet |
The Paleo Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Main Idea | Balanced Meals and Hormone Balance | Lean proteins (ideally) grass fed meat, free range fowl and wild caught fish |
| Measure/Weigh | Yes | No, Eat until full |
| How | Block System | No System, based on hunger and food quality |
| Expense | Moderate | Can be more expensive if ONLY using Grassfed Foods |
| Resources | www.ZoneDiet.com |
|
| Restricted Foods | Inflammatory foods, processed crap food | No Legumes, Dairy, Bread, Grain-based food, Sugar |
| Ease of Use | Moderately Simple once the Block system is mastered | Simple and Easy- Just learn the food that is allowed. |
| Variety | Endless | Endless |
| Why People Get Fat |
The Zone Diet says: "Subtle changes in our diet that have caused inflammation that affects hormonal communication" |
The Paleo Diet says: "The foods that best promote health and optimum functioning are the foods that we evolved to eat. More and more research is showing that we evolved to eat low carb … Humans evolved over 2.5 million years as hunter-gatherers, and it is only very recently that we have been eating grains, dairy, sugar, vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup, and other modern foods." |
| Creator | Dr. Barry Sears |
Dr.Loren Cordain |
There is so much information out there that can help you understand the finer points as well. But figuring which is best for you may be a process that takes a while and is dependent upon lifestyle, commitment, personality, accountability and environment (who around you is using which diet). Ultimately, these factors must be considered to insure the best results. I have known and read about people who have had very good weight loss and body composition success with both programs.
Do you currently use one of these diet programs to help with performance and health? If so, it would be great if you would leave a comment here on the blog and let all of us know what you are doing that is working and why you think it's working. What you share about your experiences just might be the tipping point for someone else's success.
If you are still confused, but you KNOW you need to make some changes, I offer programs that teach you to use either of the programs or a customized program for your body, lifestyle, personality and goals. Please contact me or visit my Nutrition Page for more information.
You are DESIGNED to live
LEAN – STRONG – HEALTHY!
Today is a good day to get started
Anne (Annie) Berryhill is a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, athlete and competitor who owns and operates OC Fitness Revival in Orange County, CA.
Her services include personal and group training, online nutrition classes and counseling, as well as providing incredible health-improving supplements to help people to make the most out of what they've got. For more information, contact her via email anne@anneberryhill.com
2 Comments
I have had good success with both Zone and Paleo, but with different end results. I have gotten very lean on both diets however that is not my ultimate goal. My big goal is performance. I feel pretty good on both diets but I think I feel better on Paleo, especially now that I don't have a thyroid and I feel it is important to keep my blood sugar stable. Also I think it is easier for me to maintain muscle mass and build strength on a Paleo diet. Having said that, when I do multiple workouts in a day or large workouts, I feel that I need some carbs. I have upped my vegetable intake a lot but need to increase fruit sometimes or something really dense like a sweet potato if not a few whole grains. Since going Paleo I really feel the difference when dairy, sugar, or grains enter my diet and it's not a great feeling so I really watch it.
This is a great, easy to understand comparison. I'd love to post the link to it for all my people to read!
[…] He does his best to eat as often as he can (according to time and budget) as close as he can to Paleo. He is so motivated that he does Crossfit on his own in the backyard of the house he rents, by […]