The SOY ZONE - diet that helps balance the body

do you want to live a longer and healthier life? No doubt you've heard that "you are what you eat" and that a nutritious diet is the key to good health.

In this day and age, we are faced with a plethora of conflicting dietary advice and an overwhelming number of food choices. If you avoid all fat, do you still need to worry about calories? Is a high-carb diet the way to go? Or are the high-protein diets the best choice?

You're probably more confused than ever about what to eat. Most Americans don't know which way to turn and, partly as a result of heeding bad nutritional advice, we're in the midst of a growing obesity epidemic--with more than 50 percent of us overweight.

Let's cut through all the nutribabble and focus on one thing: If you balance the foods you eat, you achieve balance in your body, which will lead to a longer and healthier life. And that's exactly what the Soy Zone does: balance carbohydrates, protein and fat. I believe this is the healthiest diet in the world. It creates balance in your hormonal systems and keeps your body running at peak efficiency. You'll feel healthier and will have a lower risk of developing such life-threatening illnesses as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. At the same time, you'll experience more energy and a mental sharpness that will carry you through the day. If you're overweight, the Soy Zone is a perfect way to shed excess fat and keep it off for life.

The Soy Zone is the most advanced of all the previous versions of the Zone, which included meat. The "zone" I refer to is the balance of hormonal systems that occurs every time you eat. The Zone diet is a protein-adequate diet in which you consume about 40 percent of your calories from carbs, 30 percent from protein and 30 percent from (good) fats. For protein, I rely on soy, a natural form of plant protein.

If you're a vegetarian who hasn't experienced the promised benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle--if you keep weight on or are constantly fatigued--this diet's for you. You just have to make some simple adjustments, such as adding soy protein to your diet and reducing your intake of grains. The problem with traditional vegetarian diets is that they rely heavily on grains and starches, with relatively little protein. These diets are hormonally unbalanced because they contain huge amounts of carbs and little else.

Eating a diet based almost solely on carbs causes insulin levels to soar, which in turn causes blood sugar levels to drop quickly. As a result, may vegetarians find themselves feeling sluggish and always searching for more food (primarily more carbs to temporarily restore blood sugar levels). In this vicious cycle, they may find themselves gaining weight and never feeling fully energized.

Within two weeks on the Soy Zone, here are some of the positive side effects you can expect. You'll ...

1. THINK BETTER. By keeping your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, you'll find you have a better ability to concentrate and won't have that mental haziness that can occur two to three hours after eating a high-carbohydrate meal.

2. HAVE INCREASED ENERGY. Eating more (but not excessive) protein will increase your levels of the hormone glucagon, which enables your body to maintain constant blood sugar levels for mental energy. You'll feel more refreshed in the morning and more energized throughout the day. Afternoon mental slumps will be a thing of the past.

3. LOOK BETTER. You'll probably lose 1 to 2 pounds of fat and about 2 to 3 pounds of retained water--up to 5 pounds--in the first two weeks. The retained water is due to excess insulin levels, which are lowered as you switch to fewer carbs and more protein.

4. FEEL A GREATER SENSE OF WELL-BEING. You'll feel less cranky and moody between meals because you won't experience those sugar lows that make you tired, hungry and irritable. Overall, you'll feel like your life is on an even keel, a sign that your hormones are, too.

5. HAVE FEWER CARB CRAVINGS. On the Soy Zone Diet, you'll be eating fewer calories than you're used to but won't feel as hungry. Resetting your hormonal balance will regulate your blood sugar levels, so you won't be craving carbs for short-term energy.

6. FINE-TUNE YOUR INSULIN LEVELS. Several recent research findings suggest that following the Zone Diet can result in an almost immediate reduction of elevated insulin levels, which is the underlying cause of diabetes and heart disease. You'll think better throughout the day because you will maintain constant blood sugar levels, which the brain needs to sustain mental acuity.

You'll perform better because you'll be able to gain access to your stored body fat and burn it off as a virtually unlimited source of energy. You'll look better because you will lose excess body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

Because soybeans are the only vegetables that contain more protein than carbs, they're the perfect way to get an adequate amount of protein through a vegetarian meal. Soybeans are virtually a complete protein, providing most of the essential amino acids, which you need to get through your diet to stay healthy. Besides being rich in protein, soy has unique properties that help your body maintain steady insulin levels even better than animal proteins do.

Soy is rich in an amino acid that causes your body to release the hormone glucagon--the anti-insulin hormone--that mobilizes stored carbs from the liver to keep your body supplied with energy, thereby eliminating hunger. It also contains much less of "bad-guy" amino acids, which trigger the release of insulin.

Soy has another plus: It contains isoflavones, which are disease-fighting substances found only in plants. These isoflavones mimic the female hormone estrogen. Research suggests that these isoflavones may ward off a variety of diseases and conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer to osteoporosis to menopausal symptoms.

Reaching "the zone" depends on balance and moderation. I've come up with six basic "rules" to help you achieve them.

1. ALWAYS KEEP A BALANCE OF PROTEIN AND CARBS EVERY TIME YOU EAT. The trick is to divide your plate (mentally or physically) into thirds and fill each with protein, carbs and fat.

2. GO FOR LOW-DENSITY, RATHER THAN HIGH-DENSITY, CARBS. This means all kinds of fruits and vegetables, rather than pasta, bread, bagels and rice.

3. EAT MODERATE PORTIONS. A typical "zone" meal is approximately 300 calories for women and 400 for men. What's amazing is that on the zone you can consume fewer calories without feeling deprived, hungry or fatigued. This is because you will gain control over your blood sugar levels and ensure that your brain gets a steady supply of glucose as a fuel source.

4. ADJUST THE ZONE TO YOUR OWN PREFERENCES. For example, ovo-lacto vegetarians may wish to get up to half of their protein in the form of dairy or eggs.

5. YOU'RE ONLY AS HORMONALLY GOOD AS YOUR LAST MEAL. In other words, it won't work to "load" all your protein into one meal and have all carbs at the others. Every meal must be a balance.

6. DON'T GO TOO LONG WITHOUT EATING. That may sound impossible in light of the low-calorie meals, but with the zone, you may not feel hungry for long stretches. Still, it's important to eat before you feel hungry; that's how you stay in the zone.

This, of course, is just a synopsis of the plan, and the book goes into greater detail (and gives scores of recipes and detailed instructions). But if you do want to live a longer and healthier life, then I strongly believe you need to enter the zone--and vegetarians are lucky because the soy zone is the healthiest version of them all.

Excerpted with permission from The Soy Zone (Regan Books, 2000).

Stir-Fry Tofu with Peppers and Peanuts

30 min.

1 SERVING EGG- & DAIRY-FREE

6 peanuts
1 tsp. peanut oil
8 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 turnip tops (greens), well rinsed and
   coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. rice vinegar or sherry
   vinegar
1 Tbs. tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. arrowroot dissolved in 2 tsp. water
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. chili sauce or hot pepper sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 each small green and red bell pepper
12 mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, sliced

1. Roast peanuts in toaster oven or under broiler, stirring once or twice, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. In large skillet or wok, heat peanut oil over high heat. Add tofu and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add half of garlic and half of ginger and stir-fry 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Place turnip tops in steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water, or in small amount of water. Cover and cook until tender, 10 minutes. Set aside, lid ajar.

4. In small bowl, mix together vinegar, tamari, arrowroot mixture, maple syrup and chili sauce; set sauce aside.

5. In same skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, remaining garlic and remaining ginger, 5 minutes. Add water if needed.

6. Stir up sauce and add to vegetables in skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add tofu and heat through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot over bed of warm turnip tops, sprinkled with scallions and roasted peanuts.

PER SERVING: 391 CAL.; 20G PROT.; 17G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 42G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 961MG SOD.; 11G FIBER

a sample weekly menu

With menus like these, you'll never feel deprived. In fact, you'll probably wish you'd been eating like this all along!

Monday

Breakfast: Banana-Berry Sundae
Lunch: Tofu Enchiladas
Snack 1: Zone Strawberry Ice Cream
Dinner: Baked Golden Dumplings with
 Saucy Dip
Snack 2: Cinnamon Peaches with Ricotta

Tuesday

Breakfast: Spinach and Tofu Quicherole
Lunch: Tofu Vegetable Kebabs
Snack 1: Zoned Muffins
Dinner: Chunky Miso Soup
Snack 2: Very Berry Smoothie

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cheese and Veggie Melt
Lunch: Tureen of Curried Tempeh, Tofu and
 Vegetables
Snack 1: Zone Cocoa-Banana Freeze
Dinner: Stir-Fry Tofu with Peppers and
  Peanuts (recipe at left)
Snack 2: Apple Kanten with Maple Tofu

Thursday

Breakfast: Asparagus Frittata
Lunch: Tomato Fennel Soup with Tofu Basil
 Pistou
Snack 1: Blueberry Muffin
Dinner: Easy Bar-B-Q Tempeh and
 Vegetables
Snack 2: Nectarine Freeze

Friday

Breakfast: Cheddar-Apple "Galette"
Lunch: Three-Bean Salad with Smoked Tofu
 and Mustard
Snack 1: Peaches-n-Cream Yogurt
 Smoothie
Dinner: Tempeh Taco Salad
Snack 2: Chocolate Yogurt with Fruit

Saturday

Breakfast: Mediterranean Gratin
Lunch: Cold Tempeh Salad
Snack 1: Zoned Muffins
Dinner: Individual Baked Tofu Souffles with
 Gravy and Roasted Vegetables
Snack 2: Lemon Meringue

Sunday

Breakfast: Sicilian Cauliflower-Egg Frittata
 with "Sausage" and Peppers
Lunch: Vietnamese Spring Lettuce Rolls
 with Peanut Dressing
Snack 1: Classic Antipasto
Dinner: Barley Mushroom Soup
Snack 2: Peaches and Cream Yogurt
 Smoothie

RELATED ARTICLE: zoning your kitchen

Let's face it: Most of us aren't going to make any dietary changes unless it's easy. Our busy lives don't leave us a lot of time to spend hours in the kitchen preparing complicated dishes for every meal. But here's an overview of what you should take OUT of your kitchen, and what you should replace those foods with to make the most out of the soy zone.

Get rid of:

white and brown rice
pasta
breakfast cereals, cereal-based
  nutrition bars
instant mashed potatoes
polenta, couscous, bulgur and
  grains other than barley
  and steel-cut oatmeal
bread (even whole-grain),
  breadsticks, tortillas
ice cream, sorbet, nondairy
  frozen desserts
potato chips, corn chips,
  pretzels, crackers
cake, cookies, other sweets
white and whole-wheat flour
cornstarch
sugar
juice
sugary sodas
sweetened yogurt
honey

Stock up on:

soy-based meat substitutes (dried,
  canned, refrigerated, frozen): such
  as soy burgers, crumbles, soy
  "sausages," deli "meats"
soy flour
soy grits
soy protein powders
tempeh
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
tofu
boiled green soy beans (edamame)
soy cheese and yogurt
soy health bars
soy milk
soy nuts

soy sauce, miso, shoyu, tamari
soy sprouts
vegetables
fruit
beans and legumes
olive oil
oatmeal and barley
nuts and nut butters

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