The Soy Zone (Hardcover)

~ Barry Sears PhD (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The world has grown increasingly curious about the benefits of soy in recent years. Not only is it a dietary staple of the people of Okinawa, who live longer than anyone else, it also seems to help prevent heart disease and breast and prostate cancer.

So author Barry Sears has now modified his popular Zone diet to include soy and made the whole thing just as easy to follow as before. Fill a third of your dinner plate with a dish high in soy protein and the other two-thirds with fruits and vegetables, and you've got the Zone dialed in.

Not surprisingly, Sears is just as down on starchy foods--potatoes, pasta, rice, breads, and cereals--in The Soy Zone as he has been in his past books. He says they trigger too large an insulin surge, which leaves people feeling sluggish a couple of hours after the meal, and sends them chasing after another burst of quick energy in the form of other insulin-generating carbohydrates. That, he says, makes people fat. He also comes down on traditional vegetarian diets for that same reason: "The insidious long-term consequence of a grain-based vegetarian diet is the constant elevation of insulin levels," he writes.

The payoffs of taking this detour into the soy zone are immediate, Sears notes. He promises that people following his diet will think better, feel more energized, look better (he predicts a five-pound weight loss after two weeks on the Zone diet, including about two to three pounds of retained water), and experience fewer sugar cravings. Even better, the addition of 50 daily grams of soy to the diet should reduce total cholesterol levels by about 9 percent, shrinking the risk of heart disease by 20 percent. Add it all up and you get a longer life at a lighter weight--a heck of a promise, but one Sears, as always, is confident the Zone can deliver. --Lou Schuler

Product Description

Enter The Soy Zone...the healthiest diet in the worldSoy is the fastest-growing food product in America today, and for good reason. A nutritional superstar, it has no cholesterol or saturated fat but plenty of protein, vitamins, and fiber and offers an amazing rainbow of health benefits for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Barry Sears reveals his healthiest Zone diet yet and along the way provides stunning new scientific findings on the disease-fighting and anti-aging benefits of soy. Based on the simple idea that food is your best medicine, The Soy Zone shows you how to maintain peak mental alertness, increase your energy, and reduce the likelihood of chronic disease -- all while losing excess body fat -- by eating delicious soy-based Zone meals.In this eye-opening new book, Dr. Sears drops bombshell after bombshell, including:Why soy is a wonder foodWhy the right soy-based diet can prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, and chronic fatigueThe serious problems with the traditional grain-based vegetarian dietThe soy diet secrets of Okinawans, the longest-lived people in the worldWhy a pasta/bread/rice-based diet makes you fatWhy high-protein fad diets will wreck your metabolism and cause weight gainWhy the USDA food pyramid is unhealthyWhy Omega-3 fatty acids must be essential supplements to your dietAs America is finding out, soy is the most complete and versatile protein source in existence. Now Dr. Sears brings the life-enhancing benefits of the Zone to a mouthwatering collection of delicious soy-based Zone meals, featuring:Appetizing new recipes from top chefs, such as Baked Golden Tofu Dumplings, Red Bean Chili, Tempeh Paprikas, Tofu-Eggplant Gumbo, Hong Kong Burger, and Soy Zone-Friendly Vegetarian Pad ThaiSoy Zone-perfect breakfasts, lunches, appetizers, dinners, and snacksThe ultimate healthful food plan, with quick and easy fat-burning alternatives to dangerous highcarb dietsAn exercise and longevity plan for men and womenHelpful recommendations for Soy Zoning your kitchenA scientifically proven plan for achieving perfect hormonal balance while losing weightSo Enter The Soy Zone Today -- it may be your greatest investment for a healthy future.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060393106
• ISBN-13: 978-0060393106
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,131 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

163 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Soy Zone, June 6, 2000

By	Carol S. Palinkas (Fremont, California) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book for vegetarians interested in the Zone, as well as those who simply want to increase their soy intake. The recipes are clear and easy to follow; over half are totally vegan or can be easily modified to be so, and about four or five contain fish. The rest are ovo-lacto vegetarian.

Since soy protein has not been shown to decrease calcium in bone, it is an excellent way to increase protein in the diet. In addition, this is a diet high in fiber, low in calories, and very easy to live with, once you get used to counting "protein blocks."

For an author whose previous books are so heavy in animal protein, this book is a delight for those of us who don't wish to partake in chicken, fish, or beef. He is very careful to steer clear of "hidden" animal products, such as chicken broth and gelatin.

Finally, the author explains his theories very clearly. I highly recommend this book.

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fixing Zone meals doesn't have to be difficult, October 27, 2000

By	Steve D (Renton, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I've been on the Zone diet for four or five years now, have lost 135 lbs. (!), and have never felt better in my life. I've recently begun incorporating more soy protein in my diet as a result of reading this book, and I love it.

I've learned how to prepare Zone meals that are quick, easy, and delicious (I never follow the recipes in the books, as they are too complicated). For breakfast, I have a Zone drink.... Nothing could be easier. They come in chocolate or vanilla, are delicious, and satisfy me for four or five hours. You could also make an omelet with Egg Beaters, soy cheese (delicious!), and vegetables. For snacks, try soy nuts (toasted soy beans) with raisins and almonds, or an ounce of soy cheese with unsweetened apple sauce and almonds. For lunch and/or dinner, I've found that stir-frying is the way to go; say, tofu with black beans and your favorite vegetables (I'm partial to onions, broccoli, and cabbage). Or bake some cod (pour a little lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger over it), then stir-fry some vegetables. Or just open a can of tuna, add olive oil, maybe some balsamic vinegar, and garbanzos (chickpeas).

I suggest you look through the list of "favorable" foods in the Zone books, pick out your favorites, memorize how much of these foods equals one block (not as hard as it sounds), buy some spices (soy sauce is a lifesaver for me, as are ginger, oregano, basil, and garlic powder), and just have fun experimenting with combinations. You'll be making up your own quick and easy recipes in no time. If I can be of further help, feel free to email me.

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Recipes all written for MALE portions, July 18, 2000

By A Customer

I was very much looking forward to a restricted-carb diet for vegetarians, but found this plan difficult to figure out. Unless you are familiar with Zone theory from Sears' previous books, don't buy this the night before you hope to start the diet. There is no "shortcut" chapter that boils everything down for you, so it will take a few hours to puzzle out the plan. You may also need to make a trip to a health food store for some of the more bizarre items ("stevia extract," I'm looking at you).

A big problem with the book, however, is that virtually all of the recipes are designed to create one "4-block" portion-the standard portion for men. If you are a woman on this diet, you will need to convert all recipes to a standard "3-block" portion. Get out your calculators, ladies, because you'll need to figure out things like what 75% of 2-2/3 teaspoons of olive oil is.

On the plus side, the diet seems much more balanced than other restricted-carb plans (no unlimited fatty foods or other common-sense-defying meals) and there are lots of fruits, vegetables, and calcium sources.