Book review: The Anti Inflammation Zone

The Anti-Inflammation Zone- Review

If you want to know how to get started, this is a great book to use.  Start with the first 11 chapters.  Comments: 

·        Ch 4, p. 38 SIP testing, You can get free blood tests from zonediet.com if you purchase fish oil on auto ship.  This is a self test.  You prick your finger, fill in two spots on the card and mail it back.  You do need to have your doctor sign a test requisition form.  Copy the signed form and keep it for the next time you want to test.  Test 3 weeks after you have been consistently on your initial dosage.  You want your AA/EPA to be between 1.5 and 3.  If you are close, up your dosage by ½ tsp oil or 2 OmegaRx Caps for 3 weeks and retest.  If your AA/EPA is greater than 5, go up 1 tsp or 4 OmegaRx caps for 3 weeks and retest.  It may take you several tries to get your dosage right.  When you are in the 1.5-3 range, then you adjust up or down depending on how you feel.  Here is an Eicosanoids checklist that can help.  Dr. Sears sees no problem above AA/EPA of 1.  If you are taking too much, your body will not heal as quickly.   If you ramp up too fast, you may have loose, oily stools.  You can call Zonelabs, ask a coach to help you.

·        Ch7, p. 79.  The IFOS site is not useful anymore.  Dr. Sears says they have been "bought out" and their standards are not what they used to be.  Dr. Sears uses an electron beam chromatograph to test every batch of fish oil both before it is refined (they reject much of the oil they receive) and each batch that is bottled.  If you order it from zonediet.com, you know it has less than 2 ppb of PCBs (compared to prescription Lavaza which has 5 ppb)*.  * From Dr. Sears slides on the 2012 cruise.

·        Ch 7, p. 83 good tips on taking fish oil.

·        Ch 8. On the last 2 cruises, Dr. Sears hasn't talked much about supplements.  He says it won't hurt for women to take calcium, but always take it with Magnesium 50/50. The cause of most osteoporosis is lack of protein not Calcium. The jury is still out on vitamin D; test first. 

·        Ch 11, 7 Days on the diet. Other resources: zone-classic

·        Ch 9, Exercise. On the 2012 Cruise, Dr. Sears said the best time to exercise is in the morning.  Have a zone snack within 1 hr of waking, exercise, then eat a zone snack or meal within an hour after exercise.  If you can't do it in the morning, just do it whenever, but eat a zoned snack or meal before and after.

To be continued..