Metabolic Typing
An Introduction and Why I use it.
What is Metabolic Typing?
Metabolic Typing is a balanced approach to nutrition and diet, designed around the fact that everybody has different nutritional needs based upon their genetic heritage.
Metabolic Typing balances the amounts of Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat to suit your genetic heritage, giving your body the optimum blend it needs to fuel every cell in your body.
Macronutrients?
Macronutrients is the term applied to the three major groups or nutrional building blocks that make up a person's diet: Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat.
The approach of Metabolic Typing is to balance the amounts of the three different Macronutrients to suit your genetic makeup.
For example Protein types require more Protein and Fat in their diet, whereas a Carbo type will require more Carbohydrates and less Protein and Fat.
The Three Major MT Types
Although Metabolic Typing is about individual and unique nutritional needs, people can be grouped roughly into three major types: Protein type, Carbo type and Mixed type.
The Protein type will find that a diet high in healthy sources of Protein and Fat, combined with a reduced amount of Carbs will provide the optimum fuel blend for their body. Of the total calorie intake per meal a Protein type requires 40% Protein, 30% Carbs and 30% Fat.
The Carbo type is at the opposite end of the spectrum to the Protein type; they require more carbs and less Protein and Fat. Per meal a Carbo type will require 25% calories from Protein, 60% from Carbs and 15% from Fat.
In the middle sits the Mixed Metabolic Type, requiring a more even balance between Protein, Fat and Carbs. The Mixed type requires 30% calories per meal from Protein, 50% from Carbs and 20% from Fat.
Fat? Isn't That Bad For You?
Depends on the type of Fat that it is. The type of Fats you need to get from your diet are known collectivley as the Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's); which are Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids.
Why are they called Essential? Because they are fundamental to cell function, but your body has no way of producing them; They must be sourced from the foods you eat.
The Fats referred to in Metabolic Typing are sources of EFA's, these include oily fish, nuts, seeds and oils.
Why I use Metabolic Typing
I have always believed that a balanced diet was the long-term approach to nutrition; I have never agreed with the extreme measures of dietry programs such as the Atkins or Pritikin diet, which exclude whole Macronutirent groups.
I think Metabolic Typing is built upon the sound principle of a balanced diet, it just so happens that one person's balance might be slighty different to another person's balance.
I also think that Metabolic Typing goes a long way in explaining the very hit and miss nature of the extreme dietry approaches.
But most most of all I recommend the MT approach because it has helped me. I still use it to help plan my nutrition and it is continuing to help me to build the body I want.
How I Use it With My Clients
When you come for your first introduction session, I will sit down with you to discuss nutrition and make an assessment as to which Metabolic Type you will be.
I will use your weight and your metabolic profile to produce a nutritional plan for you, based upon the amount of calories you need to be eating per meal and the Macronutirient splits required.
Further Reading and Information
If you are interested in finding out more about the MT appproach to nutrition, I recommend the book "The Metabolic Typing Diet" by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey.
Alternatively you can find more information at the website:
www.metabolictypingdiet.com