Do you eat the correct “fuel” for your body? According to the metabolic typing diet, no one diet is right for all of us. Our metabolisms differ and so should our diets.
The metabolic typing diet offers an explanation of why high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may be right for some people, while high-carbohydrate diets are suitable for others.
Learn about the history of the metabolic typing diet, what foods to eat on the diet, strengths of the diet, and precautions to take.
What Is Metabolic Typing
Metabolic typing represents the work of many doctors, researchers and biochemists over the last 70 years. The basic concept is that everyone is metabolically unique and “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.”
Metabolic Typing is a method for determining the correct mix on nutrients, (diet) that is specific or unique to a person.
No two people are the same in the nutritional needs for their cells to operate in a healthy at a core functional level.
Cells need to be supplied with the correct mix/spread of Fuel, (nutrients) so they can perform their specific functions with the best possible health and fuel.
At a cellular level, if they are not getting the right nutrients then the cells are not able to function properly.
The impact of this poor function then flows through the body and can end up manifesting into forms of chronic degenerative diseases and illnesses, depression, fatigue, allergies and much more.
In so many cases in western countries we see a wide range of chronic degenerative diseases that in reality are caused from an incorrect mix of protein, carbohydrates, fats and oils.
This incorrect mix does not allow our cells to have the correct fuel that they need to function.
In the western, media educated world where people so freely adopt viewpoints, it is said that a diet high in fat, too much red meat, salt, dairy and many other things is bad for us. This foundation concept is incorrect.
What we have to be aware of is that what might be a good diet, say high protein diet for one person can be poison for another person. Its like the fuel that you put on your car, one car likes one type while another car like a different type.
If you put the wrong fuel in a car it will perform poorly or not at all. It’s the same with our bodies, if we do not have the right fuel, we will perform poorly.
An incorrect mix of nutrition for anyone will cause poor function and health at a cellular level.
The foundation of knowing your correct Metabolic Typing is that you will then be able to provide your body with the right mix of foods, (nutrients) that allows your body to function, be healthy and operate as it is designed for.
Health & Wellness Through Metabolic Typing
Modern medicine looks at the condition and seeks to treat it.
Metabolic typing looks at the person and seeks to treat them.
Good health is a holistic and over all wellness that is made by many lifestyle choices. Metabolic Typing is one choice that can greatly assist people achieve a high level of health. When the person is treated correctly, many health problems resolve on their own.
This is an important distinction to make. When your metabolic type is correctly assessed and your diet and supplements adjusted accordingly, optimal health, with prevention and reversing of disease, can be achieved.
Metabolic typing is much more effective than ‘one size fits all’ generalised nutritional approaches.
In this day and age we are trained through marketing and advertising that if we are not well we need this drug or that drug. The use of medicines has developed to a point where people have a pain so they take a pill.
Doctors generally are treating the symptoms of an illness rather than the foundation causes of a persons illness or condition.
In the book The Metabolic Typing Diet, researcher William Wolcott details in depth examples where people have had chronic illnesses for years, spent thousands of dollars with this specialist and that to no end.
They still have not found the “Cure” they are looking for. He also details results that when people understand what is the right Fuel Mix for their metabolic type, cells get the fuel they need.
Cells can then start to function at an optimal level and the flow on effect throughout the body is huge.
People start to feel better than they have for years, illnesses seem to go away, allergies dissipate and disappear, people have more energy. In fact, people feel healthier than they ever have in their life.
This is because there is a healing of cellular function at a core level. Each cell can do it specific function well and the body, mind and spirit all function better.
The History Of Metabolic Typing
In the 1930’s, dentist Weston Price began expeditions around the world and uncovered the link between modern eating habits and chronic degenerative diseases. He studied the differences in diet composition in different indigenous communities.
He wanted to find out why these indigenous cultures and the specific composition of their nutritional intake, (diet), often made up of either high carbohydrate or high protein content and the fact that their specific diet created such healthy individuals with the low rates if any of chronic degenerative diseases and illness.
In many of these cultures cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses were generally unheard of.
He also discovered that there was no one diet that would be healthy for all people — there was too much variation in climate, local produce, environmental conditions, heredity, genetics, culture.
In later years, George Watson, Roger Williams, William Kelley, and others continued research in this area. They all realised that all people were different in the nutritional needs for each individual.
They also found that for a cell to function at optimal health and operation it needed to be fed the correct balance of nutrients that are right for the persons Metabolic Typing.
How Can I Find Out My Metabolic Type?
In the book The Metabolic Typing Diet, researcher William Wolcott offers a simple home self-test for identifying your metabolic type.
For an accurate diagnosis, a trained health practitioner can provide a thorough assessment that may include urine and blood tests. Wolcott provides three general metabolic types:
Protein Types — Protein types are fast oxidizers or parasympathetic dominant. They tend to be frequently hungry, crave fatty, salty foods, fail with low-calorie diets, and tend towards fatigue, anxiety, and nervousness.
They are often lethargic or feel “wired”, “on edge”, with superficial energy while being tired underneath.
Carbo Types — Carbo types are slow oxidizers or sympathetic dominant. They generally have relatively weak appetites, a high tolerance for sweets, problems with weight management, “type A” personalities, and are often dependent on caffeine.
Mixed Types — Mixed types are neither fast or slow oxidizers, and are neither parasympathetic or sympathetic dominant.
They generally have average appetites, cravings for sweets and starchy foods, relatively little trouble with weight control, and tend towards fatigue, anxiety, and nervousness.
What Are The guidelines For The Diet?
According to the metabolic typing diet, the three metabolic types should eat the following foods:
Protein Types should eat diets that are rich in protein, fats and oils, and high-purine proteins such as organ meats, pate, beef liver, chicken liver, and beef. Carbohydrate intake should be low.
Carbo Types should eat diets that are high in carbohydrates and low in protein, fats, and oils. They should eat light, low-purine proteins.
Mixed Types should eat a mixture of high-fat, high-purine proteins and low-fat, low-purine proteins such as cheese, eggs, yogurt, tofu, nuts. This type requires relatively equal ratios of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
What Are The Strengths Of This Diet?
Unlike other diets that recommend the same plan for everyone, the metabolic typing diet recognizes that we are individual.
Our metabolisms differ, so our diets should as well.
The metabolic typing theory may help to explain why some people do better on a high protein, low carb diet, while others do better on a high carb diet. Wolcott explains that the effects of different diets on the metabolic types:
High Carb, Low Fat Diet — This diet is suitable for carbo types.
However, in protein types and mixed types, a high carb, low fat diet can increase fat storage by increasing insulin, and lower metabolic rate by breaking down muscle tissue due to insufficient protein intake, and may disrupt adrenal and thyroid function.
High Protein, High Fat Diet (e.g. Atkins Diet) — This diet is suitable for protein types.
However, in carbo types and mixed types, a high protein, high fat diet can increase fat storage by disturbing cellular oxidation, and lower metabolic rate by creating a shortage of glucose caused by low carb intake. It may also disturb adrenal and thyroid function.
40-30-30 Diet (e.g. Zone diet) — This diet is suitable for mixed types. However, a 40-30-30 diet can increase fat storage by disturbing oxidation.
It can lower metabolic rate by creating a shortage of glucose in carbo types and a shortage of protein in protein types, both resulting in muscle breakdown.
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Reference
Wolcott W, Fahey T. The Metabolic Typing Diet. Broadway Books, New York. 2000.
