Eating in the ‘Zone’

For many SMU students, the warm weather triggers anxiety attacks over swimsuits and tight clothing. The idea of uncovering a once-perfect body, scarred by nine months of late night pizza and weekend drinking binges, is frightening.

For SMU senior Suzi LeBeaux, swimsuit anxiety vanished after she subscribed to Zone Direct – a health food subscription-based meal delivery service.

“Zone Direct delivers meals to my door four mornings a week,” LeBeaux said. “Their food has helped me reshape my body, plus I no longer have to worry about cooking when I get home from school or the gym.”

Zone Direct started delivering food to LeBeaux in March. Four days a week, by 6 a.m., Zone Direct delivers three meals and two snacks to LeBeaux’s doorstep in a personalized cooler. The company bases all meals on Ph.D Barry Sears’ Zone diet. Each Zone meal consists of a proportionate amount of protein, complex carbohydrates and mono-saturated fats.

“This is essentially a sane and balanced diet,” Dr. Adam Drewnowski, the director of nutritional sciences at the University of Washington said. “It’s a very doable diet. It’s a little expensive, but there’s nothing wrong with it, nutritionally.”

“When you get your first day’s worth of meals you don’t think it will be enough to fill you up . . . or question the fact that something healthy may taste good,” LeBeaux said. “But you immediately realize the taste and quality of the food are gourmet and after a day, you adjust to the smaller portions.”

“We provide people a chance to develop a healthy eating lifestyle, while avoiding the painstaking preparation,” Shelly Cotter, founder of Zone Direct said. “In fact, Suzi is our first college student, but I think it fits her lifestyle perfectly.”

Unlike most diets, LeBeaux said that this one doesn’t eliminate alcohol. According to Sears’ book, “A Week in The Zone,” the diet is all about combining carbs, proteins and fats to lower and slow the release of insulin, which will prevent the depositing of fat. Sears’ book said as long as a glass of wine, which is identified as a complex carbohydrate, is matched with a fatty protein, like cheese, a persons body will maintain the hormonal balance.

“It’s very popular, and that’s because it’s reasonable,” dietician Kathleen Mahan said. “I really think the Zone diet and that approach is a good one.” Mahan said that the Zone causes a “lower and slower release of insulin,” which ultimately causes less fat depositing and more fat burning.

Although LeBeaux enjoys the freedom of choice, she admits that the diet’s success still depends on moderation.

“The flexibility, like alcohol with your snack or dinner out with friends, makes the Zone perfect for everyone,” Cotter said. “It is all about balancing your lifestyle instead of depriving yourself. That is why we think it is perfect for college students.”

“The program is a little expensive,” LeBeaux said. “It’s around $30 a day, but when my parents calculated how much I spent eating out with friends or at Central Market, they decided this made a lot of sense.”

Zone Direct gives price rates on a daily basis, but a monthly subscription is necessary to participate in the service. The rates vary on the number of days a suscriber has meals delivered per week.

“I chose to subscribe to the smallest plan so I could still go out with friends on weekends,” LeBeaux said. “Even though I go out with friends and stuff, I still avoid stopping at a fast food restaurant at 2 a.m. because I think it would hinder the results.”

Despite the constraints of sticking with the health food, LeBeaux said the overall convenience is worth the sacrifice and price. All one needs to enjoy an entire day’s worth of balanced meals is a refrigerator and microwave, and there is no clean-up involved. Every meal comes in a disposable, microwave-safe container, making Zone Direct a good option for college students.

“I really like the way it has freed up my life,” LeBeaux said. “I choose when I want the meals delivered and can still eat out with friends. And now I am not afraid to go to the beach.”

Students wanting more information on Zone Directs services should visit their Web site at www.zone-direct.com.