People often ask whether they can enjoy something sweet without disrupting their metabolic efficiency. Many years ago, I thought fructose might be a solution, but ultimately it disrupts metabolic pathways as well. Then I began studying allulose once it was approved as an FDA-approved food additive. Allulose is a rare sugar that occurs naturally in small amounts in foods such as figs, raisins, and maple syrup, but can now be produced on an industrial scale. Although it has almost the same taste and texture as table sugar, your body metabolizes it very differently. Furthermore, because it is rapidly eliminated, the FDA does not count it as added sugar on a nutrition label. What makes allulose especially interesting is its metabolic consequences. Allulose stimulates the natural release of GLP-1, the hormone produced in the gut that helps reduce appetite. The lack of hunger caused by increased GLP-1 release activates AMPK, the master regulator of your metabolism. However, the key to lifetime hunger control is consistency. Small amounts of allulose, combined with the Zone diet's macronutrient composition, taken throughout the day, stop hunger without the side effects of GLP-1 drugs. That's why I've incorporated allulose into the three Zone Foods below. They fit naturally into your daily routine while supporting increased AMPK activity, which keeps your metabolism working efficiently, including the increased burning of stored body fat. Dr. Barry Sears
Founder, Zone Labs | 
