I touched in an earlier blog post about the importance of diet and nutrition as a foundation for health and fitness, with mention specifically of The Metabolic Typing Diet. In this Blog entry, I will delve more into the background and practical application of this approach to diet and nutrition, which I believe goes far beyond the normal “fads” of diet trends.

The Metabolic Typing Diet

Proper diet and nutrition is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, we are bombarded constantly with advice on what to eat and what not to eat, often conflicting advice or changing advice as “experts” jostle back and forth.

Even worse, diet fads seem to drive decision-making and it appears we have lost sight of the simple principles to live by- traditional, healthy foods tend to work best for most people, and avoiding heavily processed modern foods tend to help us ward off illness and disease.

I adopt the approach pioneered by the work of Dr. Weston Price in his ground-breaking book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration where he studied the effect and relationship between health and diet among native peoples of many different and diverse cultures. Dr. Price concluded that traditional diets for individual cultures led to optimal health. In many cases, it was the introduction of processed foods that led to degeneration and illness.

These studies formed the basis of further research by nutritional experts and developed into The Metabolic Typing Diet which is an excellent book written by William Wolcott that emphasises the importance of eating balanced meals according to your individual metabolic type.

In a nutshell, we should consume proteins, fats and carbohydrates in different degrees and varieties depending on our own individual make-up.

Which Type Are You?

I will start any health assessment of my personal clients with a detailed nutrition and lifestyle questionnaire of their dietary and living habits.

From this questionnaire, I will establish whether you are a predominantly “Protein” Type, a “Carbs” Type, or a “Mixed” Type.

Every individual is different in their genetic make up, and their optimal diet reflects this individuality. Genetics, traditional cultures and backgrounds, and environment all play a part in influencing our “metabolic type” and hence the ideal mix and balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates.

Paul Chek, whose work I greatly admire and draw inspiration from, devotes a large part of his book How To Eat, Move and Be Healthy! to assessing each person’s individual metabolic type based on the work of Dr. Weston Price and William Wolcott.

As a certified CHEK Practitioner, I subscribe to this approach and firmly believe it will help people improve their overall lifestyle and wellness. Through experience, I have seen many of my clients derive benefits when they “eat according to their type”.

Once I have determined your metabolic type, I will provide you with a detailed eating plan and guidance on which foods you will benefit from, and which you should avoid.

Diets are diverse just as cultures are in the world. We should celebrate our individuality while acknowledging our ancestral heritage.

You are what you eat!