The vegetarian zone - high-protein diet for vegetarians - includes recipes and related article on

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1997 by Karen Cope Straus

An influential scientist is big on protein and not so big on carbohydrates. And many believe he's right on target. So what's a vegetarian to do?

How many times have you heard the vegetarian refrain, "Eat enough calories and you'll get enough protein?" In other words, don't sweat the protein, you'll get as much as your body needs as long as you are consuming enough food. Even the federal dietary guidelines tell us not to worry about protein, once considered "the building blocks" of a healthy diet.

But lately I've been hearing challenges to the conventional wisdom that fat is the enemy and carbohydrates are our friends. A bevy of dietary-advice books touting the benefits of protein has hit the bookshelves. Not long ago, Vegetarian Times started getting letters from readers asking for high-protein vegetarian options.

Most of the letters mentioned a phenomenally popular book, The Zone by Barry Sears, Ph.D., (Regan Books, 1995) a biotechnology researcher who believes the diet of many Americans is overloaded with the wrong kinds of carbohydrates, namely pasta, bread, potatoes, popcorn, rice, cold cereals and sweets, causing imbalances in hormone and insulin levels that can result in obesity and disease. Because these foods comprise a substantial portion of what most vegetarians eat, one must ask, "What's a vegetarian to do?" For most of us, the answer is "Nothing." We should just keep eating a high-carbohydrate diet if we are healthy and happy with it.

Others might be interested in making adjustments to their diet. Enter The Zone and its call for balancing the ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. For vegetarians who want to change their diet, this probably means getting more protein and changing the amount and kinds of carbohydrates consumed.

We know what some of you are thinking. Americans eat too much protein, there's plenty of protein in beans, nuts and legumes. And besides, you are healthy and happy on your high-carbohydrate diet. Relax. Many Americans do get too much protein, almost all of it from animal-based sources with their high levels of fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. This article is about vegetarians and protein, and it could be that some do not get enough. When it comes to the human metabolism and the food that fuels it, one size does not fit all. If you're happy with your high-carte, low-protein diet, you don't need to read on.

If you're not so happy with your high-carbohydrate, low-protein, low-fat diet, this article was written to help you understand the protein-versus-carbohydrate debate the public is talking about, the authors are making millions on and scientists are arguing over. But if you decide to make a switch, please consult a professional medical practitioner or nutritionist who is familiar with vegetarian diets.

THE VEGETARIAN ZONE

The theory behind the Zone is that, for some people, diets high in starchy and sugary carbohydrates can lead to a metabolic imbalance called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can occur when the body turns carbohydrates, both simple and complex, into glucose that surges into the blood stream. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, travels to muscle cells, telling them to take glucose from the blood stream and store it in the liver. As insulin levels in the blood increase, glucose levels in the blood decrease. When blood glucose falls below a certain level, the brain, which needs glucose to function, calls out for more by telling you to eat again. If it doesn't get glucose, the result is drowsiness or lack of mental acuity.

This glucose shortage is also known as low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. When hypoglycemia strikes, the liver is unable to replenish blood glucose from its stored supply because eating a carbohydrate-rich meal or drinking a sugary beverage creates an exaggerated insulin response that prevents delivery of the glucose, according to Sears. So insulin remains in the bloodstream, sending messages to store more body fat and preventing the release of already-stored fat, and glucose remains in the liver instead of going to the brain.

People who have this insulin response to meals high in carbohydrates are predisposed to obesity and to other serious health consequences such as atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease. According to Sears, just like diets high in saturated fat, too much starchy, sugary carbohydrate raises fat and cholesterol levels in the blood of people who are insulin resistant.

He estimates that 25 percent of the population is not insulin resistant and can eat unlimited carbohydrates with no weight gain and no adverse health effects. Another 25 percent is resistant, some severely, as in the case of people with diabetes. Fifty percent of the population, he says, falls somewhere between the two extremes. Some scientists disagree with Sears, saying no more than 25 percent of the population is bothered by insulin resistance. Your level of insulin resistance is programmed into you genetically.

Can the benefits of a Zone type diet, including regulating blood sugar and weight loss, be achieved without eating meat, poultry or seafood? Absolutely, says Sears. "Food is a drug, and the body doesn't care what the delivery system is, meat or plant," he says. "The important thing to realize is that optimal health is not achieved by counting fat or calories, it's based on an understanding of complex hormonal reactions to the food you eat."