We all come in different shapes and sizes. We have different physical features, nutritional, exercise and emotional needs. There are things that I care about that you might not care about at all. We are not the same person. I have my own thoughts and ideas that may not fit into your idea of who I should be. In other words, we are unique.
Currently there are over 2,000 diet books on the market and yet obesity has become a world wide epidemic. Why? Because, what works for me, may not work for you and make another person sick.
Many of us have been searching for the elusive diet that will make us leaner, look younger and give us more energy. The thing is that you already have the tools it takes to get you to that place of optimal health and wellness.
The key to permanent weight loss, looking younger and having more energy is to learn to listen to your body. By learning to listen to these signals, you can identify the foods that are right for you. The best diet is the one that is designed specifically for you, your bio-chemistry and genetic make up. The challenge is to figure out what foods work for you.
This is not a new approach to optimal health. These principles can be found in Chinese, Egyptian and Indian medicine. It is called Metabolic Typing.
Your Body will fall into one of these basic groups;
Protein Types- You operate best on low carbohydrate, high protein and relatively high-fat (healthy fat)diet. As a protein type you "love to eat". Protein types burn carbohydrates quickly and require larege amounts of protein and fat to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.
Carb Types normally feel best when most of their food is carbohydrate. Yet there are major differences between classes of carbs such as vegetables and grains. Carb people "eat to live". They don't require large amounts of protein and fat, but must include them in every snack and meal.
Mixed Types require food combinations somewhere between carb and protein type groups.This type requires a bit of fine tuning and listening to your body, making it the most challenging of the Metabolic types. Mixed types need to be familiar with the food requirements of both the protein and carb types. It is crucial that you master the ability to listen to your body's signals.
Identifying your Metabolic Type is simple. Start by including a carb, fat and protein in every meal. Keeping a food journal is important to your success. Write in your journal what you ate (not how much) and then jot down the good and bad reactions to your meals. In as little as a few minutes up to 2 hours following a meal, you'll begin to get signals from your body. Obviously the goal of a well proportioned meal is to leave you feeling great and satisfied for at least 4 hours.
Reactions to eating too many carbs;
- Not satisfied
- Headachy
- Jittery or nervous
- Get hungy quickly
To bring your body back in balance
- Eat fat and protein
- Drink water
- Exercise
Reactions to eating not enough carbohydrates;
- Feel mentally sluggish
- Sleepy
- Depressed
- Crave sweets
To bring your body back in balance;
- Eat fruits, vegetables or grains
- Drink Coffee or tea
- Use Digestive Enzymes
Once you have learned to listen to your body, you'll wonder why you listened to anybody else. You held the key to optimal weight loss and health all along!
References;
Chek, Paul "Eat, Move and Be Healthy" San Deigo, CA, CHEK Institute Publication, 2004
Wolcott, William, Fahey, Trish, The Metabolic Typing Diet: Doubleday 2000
