wellness tips

The “one-size-fits-all” concept does not apply to eating healthy. We each need to personally figure out what ratio of carbs, proteins and fats works best for our own metabolism – the ratio which sustains us without hunger for at least 3 hours, gives us energy, mental clarity and the ability to focus, and a sense of emotional wellbeing. Our food is the drug we take 3 times a day, so getting this right can bring one back to vibrant health.

Have you ever wondered why the bookstore shelves are filled with completely different types of eating plans ranging from the high protein and fat Atkins diet to the low fat high carb Pritiken diet, to the Zone, which advocates an eating plan somewhere between the two? Is one type of book completely right and the others completely wrong? No! They are all correct.

It depends on the chemistry and metabolism of the person as to which diet will support and sustain that individual. Don’t you think that if there were only one way for us to eat for optimal health we would have figured it out by now?

As Roger Williams explains in his book Biochemical Individuality we are as different on the inside as we are on the outside, and to think that we would all require exactly the same nutrition seems almost silly.

If you would rather watch a video than read about this, here it is!

If you are interested in learning more about how your nutrition can be customized to you, sign up here. I can help via phone and email, or if you are in the Vancouver area and you prefer, we can meet up face to face.

The Inuit of northern Canada, who traditionally ate a high protein high fat diet and had very little or no access to any vegetation for much of the year due to snow cover, were extremely healthy, did not suffer from constipation as one might assume considering the extreme lack of fibre in their diet, and did not suffer from heart disease or cancer.

However in today’s modern world, they are consuming much more carbohydrate, and are consequently developing symptoms and disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

On the flip side of that, because of the lack of large game, most tribes in South America traditionally did best on an almost vegetarian diet supplementing with the meat of small animals. They become ill when they eat too much meat and/or fat.

Just like a diesel truck does not function well on high octane fuel, and a sports car does not function on diesel, the kind of fuel needed depends on the nature of the cells of the individual.

If you happen to have the metabolism of an Inuit and you eat a diet suited to a South American tribe, your cells would be starving for proteins and fats and swimming in carbs (all vegetables and fruit are carbohydrates), and therefore they would be unable to function adequately, and over time this poor cell function may lead to health problems. All the excess carbs that cannot be used would then be stored as fat.

And if you are eating a paleo diet and are eating inadequate carbs for your metabolism, you will probably feel lethargic, and lacking in energy. This lack of cellular energy will slow your metabolism also resulting in weight gain.

A diet with the wrong ratios may in time create a disease, but the cause of that disease in one person may be a diet too high in carbs, whereas in another person the cause of the same disease may be a diet too high in proteins and fats.

So, how do you learn what kinds of foods are best for YOU and in what ratio your cells require those foods? You can play with your ratios while keeping a log in order to figure it out.

Doing the metabolic typing test is the easiest way to determine how YOUR body metabolizes your food, and therefore the type of diet that will regulate your weight, give you sustained energy, reduce your cravings, and reduce your mood swings.

You would learn what foods are optimal for you, what foods are not good for you, as one man's food is another man's poison. It is never about the food, but how a particular food interacts with your own personal biochemistry. You would also learn your own personal optimal ratios of proteins, fats and carbs.

If you are interested in potentially doing the metabolic typing test, sign up here to learn more. If you decide to do the test, I am happy to be your advisor via phone and email, or if you are in the Vancouver area and you prefer, we can meet up face to face.

I would suggest that unless you have already eliminated all processed foods from your diet, that you begin your nutrition journey by doing the online nutrition course "Why the food guides are wrong", first.  Once you have integrated that information into your diet, you will find it easier to stick to and gain the benefits from your personalized nutrition plan, as the dietary changes needed won't be as dramatic.

Feel free to pass on this tip or any of the others to your relatives, friends or colleagues, and suggest that they sign up for their weekly tip at the website below.