Part 1: Discovering Your Proper Fuel Source

No doubt you have encountered numerous magazines, books and television advertisements about what foods to eat to lose weight, what foods to eat to build muscle, and the like. With this information overload (especially on the internet), it is not a great surprise that many of you are still far from reaching your personal fitness goals. Even though lifting weights to promote muscle growth and working on your cardiovascular health are both important aspects in leading a healthier lifestyle, nutrition is a topic that is often read up on but misunderstood. Not to say that this particular suggestion is the answer, but it is definitely one to consider.

Metabolic typing is a system that identifies an individual's genetically-based nutrition and diet requirements. There is no "one diet" that is right for everyone. How does a magazine know what you need as an individual? It doesn't. Therefore, to achieve optimal health, you must determine what is right for YOU.

The concept was first introduced in the 1960's by a dentist, Dr. William Donald Kelly, but since has been developed further by the likes of William Wolcott and strongly advocated by holistic health practitioner Paul Chek. It suggests that foods that are beneficial for one group of people, may actually be detrimental to others. Therefore, by answering a series of questions, you may be able to direct yourself to a diet plan suitable for your body's functional needs.

Questionnaires found online or in a variety of typing books are available and designed to help you determine the optimal macronutrient (protein, fats, carbohydrates) ratio to begin fine tuning your body's feedback mechanisms. To put it simply, Paul Chek explains, "If the food comes from something that has a set of eyes, it is going to be higher in fats and proteins; fats and proteins most often come together in nature. For example, cows, sheep, birds and all fish have eyes and all provide higher protein/fat foods. Foods like vegetables, fruits and cereals do not come from a source that had a set of eyes and are generally much higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat and protein. There are a few exceptions to this rule such as nuts, seeds and avocados, which have no eyes, yet are high fat foods."

There are a number of factors that influence your optimal macronutrient ratio at any given time. The best part of these questionnaires is that you can answer freely without judgement. By that I mean, you should answer the questions by what best describes the way you feel, not the way you think you should eat!

For further reading on these factors, you may want to refer to Wolcott's book, The Metabolic Typing Diet. For a more in depth look at metabolic typing, feel free to approach or email me to learn more about this subject. You may also choose to click here for a free online questionnaire to help you identify your type.

You wouldn't put diesel fuel in your car if it didn't call for it. Why would you do the same to the most complex piece of machinery you own: your body?