--- title: Inflammation and the Zone Diet description: The Zone Diet is an anti-inflammatory eating plan that focuses on eating the right combination of carbohydrate, protein, and fat at every meal and snack. image: https://blog.zoneliving.com/hubfs/1219Inflammation-and-the-Zone-Diet-Blog.png --- ##### Shop By Category - [ Best Seller ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/best-sellers) - [ Omega-3s ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/omega-3-fish-oil) - [ Polyphenols ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/polyphenols) - [ Zone Foods ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-foods) - [ Blood Tests ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/blood-tests) - [ Supplements ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/supplements) - [ Books ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/books) - [ Skin Care ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/skin-care-1) - [ Metabolic Engineering ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/metabolic-engineering) - Best Seller [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) ##### Shop By Zone Food - [ Zone Muffins ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/zone-muffins) - [ Zone Pasta ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-pasta) - [ Zone Shakes ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-shakes) - [ Zone Bars ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-nutrition-bars) - [ Olive Oil ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/olive-oil) [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) [![easy-to-make](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hubfs/Global_2023/easy-to-make.webp) ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/blogs/recipes) Easy-to-make recipes just for you. 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D | Creator of the Zone Diet # [Inflammation and the Zone Diet](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/inflammation-and-the-zone-diet) - ** - [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Finflammation-and-the-zone-diet) - [**](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Finflammation-and-the-zone-diet) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/inflammation-and-the-zone-diet) - [**](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Finflammation-and-the-zone-diet) Written by Mary Perry, MS, RD, LDN on December 06, 2019 Inflammation is something all of us have experienced whether big or small. The papercut you got opening the mail, the soreness from your workout, the swelling in your fingers and joints…all inflammation. Classical inflammation is the easiest to spot since it’s usually in the form of redness, heat, swelling or pain. It’s the inflammation we can’t feel that becomes problematic for our health. **The Downside of Inflammation** Inflammation is common and we need some level of it to fight off infection and disease. Every day we are exposed to things in our environment that promote inflammation (e.g. UV rays, chemicals, germs). When our body views something as foreign, it activates our immune system to protect us and triggers an inflammatory response. Most of the time this inflammation is followed by healing, but if healing doesn’t take place, inflammation persists, becoming our greatest enemy. Chronic inflammation has been linked to weight gain, accelerated aging, and chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. **The Biggest Culprit of Inflammation** What many of us don’t realize is that one of the biggest culprits of inflammation is our diet. Every eating decision we make can either heal our bodies through good nutrition or hinder it through promoting inflammation. Think about how many times you eat throughout the day and that can seem a bit daunting! The good news is that Dr. Sears has researched the role of diet and inflammation for decades. As a result of his work he created the [Zone Diet](https://www.zonediet.com/the-zone-diet/). **The Zone Diet and Inflammation** The Zone Diet is an anti-inflammatory eating plan that focuses on eating the right combination of [carbohydrate](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/what-are-carbohydrates), [protein](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/what-is-protein), and [fat ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/fats-explained-cooking-oils-not-sure-which-fats-lifestyle-tips)at every meal and snack. Unlike traditional anti-inflammatory diets that focus on specific foods, the Zone Diet focuses on food choices and macronutrient balance to maximize the diets anti-inflammatory benefits. Calorie-wise the Zone Diet is approximately [40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat.](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/what-does-a-day-in-the-zone-look-like) **The Short-Term Benefits of the Zone Diet** Long-term we know that controlling inflammation helps delay or prevent weight gain, aging, and and the onset of certain diseases, but there are also short-term benefits to be gained. Within the first few days of following the Zone Diet here are some of the benefits you can expect. - Less Hunger - Less Fatigue - Lose of Weight/Body Fat - Decreased Cravings for Carbohydrates - Greater Mental and Physical Energy - Improved Overall Health and Wellness **What Foods Can You Eat on the Zone Diet?** The Zone Diet focuses on food choice and macronutrient balance. Below are some of the main foods you can eat in each of the macronutrient categories. ![ZoneBlockFoods5](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ZoneBlockFoods5.png?width=669&name=ZoneBlockFoods5.png)![ZoneBlockFoods1](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ZoneBlockFoods1.png?width=2353&name=ZoneBlockFoods1.png)![ZoneBlockFoods3](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ZoneBlockFoods3.png?width=2352&name=ZoneBlockFoods3.png)![ZoneBlockFoods2](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ZoneBlockFoods2.png?width=2358&name=ZoneBlockFoods2.png) --- **Get Started Now** If you want to learn more about the Zone Diet and how to get started, download our complete Zone food block guide now.  [![1206-Zone-Food-Blocks-Guide-Blog2-CTA](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1206-Zone-Food-Blocks-Guide-Blog2-CTA.png?width=850&name=1206-Zone-Food-Blocks-Guide-Blog2-CTA.png)](https://www.zonediet.com/resources/food-blocks/) [Zone Diet ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/zone-diet), [Nutrition ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/nutrition) ### Popular stories [Fats Explained-What Is Fat And Why Do We Need It?](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/fats-explained-cooking-oils-not-sure-which-fats-lifestyle-tips) Jul 16, 2018 [What Are Carbohydrates?](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/what-are-carbohydrates) May 22, 2018 [High Protein Vegetables](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/high-protein-vegetables) Mar 14, 2018 ### Posts by Tags - [Zone Diet (72)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-diet) - [Quick Tips (47)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/quick-tips) - [Nutrition (43)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/nutrition) - [Zone Foods (36)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-foods) - [Weight Loss (31)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/weight-loss) - [Polyphenols (24)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/polyphenols) - [Recipes (21)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/recipes) - [Healthy Aging (16)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/healthy-aging) - [Omega-3 Fish Oil (12)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/omega-3-fish-oil) - [Athletic Performance (10)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/athletic-performance) - [Evidence-Based Wellness (9)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/evidence-based-wellness) - [Childhood Nutrition (7)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/childhood-nutrition) - [Holidays (5)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/holidays) - [Food & Nutrition (4)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/food-nutrition) - [Diet Tips (2)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/diet-tips) - [Protein (2)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/protein) - [Cocoa Polyphenols (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/cocoa-polyphenols) - [Heart Health (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/heart-health) - [Inflammation (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/inflammation) - [Metabolism (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/metabolism) - [Zone Living (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-living) - [Zone food (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-food) [See all](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/inflammation-and-the-zone-diet#) ### Let Us Know What You Thought about this Post. 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