For years experts have been telling Americans what to eat & what not to eat. Fat, they told us, was the enemy. Then it was salt, then sugar, then cholesterol... & on it goes. Americans listened & they lost -- but not their excess fat. What they lost was their health & waistlines. Americans are the fattest people on earth... & why? Mainly because of the food they eat. In this scientific & revolutionary book, based on Nobel Prize-winning research, medical visionary & former Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Dr. Barry Sears makes peak physical & mental performance, as well as permanent fat loss, simple for you to understand & achieve. With lists of good & bad carbohydrates, easy-to-follow food blocks & delicious recipes, The Zone provides all you need to begin your journey toward permanent fat loss, great health & all-round peak performance. In balance, your body will not only burn fat, but you'll fight heart disease, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue, depression & cancer, as well as alleviate the painful symptoms of diseases such as multiple sclerosis & HIV. This Zone state of exceptional health is well-known to champion athletes. Your own journey toward it can begin with your next meal. You will no longer think of food as merely an item of pleasure or a means to appease hunger. Food is your medicine & your ticket to that state of ultimate body balance, strength & great health: the Zone.