How many times has a diet worked for someone else but not for you?
The culprit may not be your willpower but your metabolic type: fat protein efficient, carbohydrate efficient, or mixed.
“But what is a metabolic type? And why should I know?”
This article answers your burning questions about the metabolic type and provides you with guidelines to start your own metabolic diet.
What Is a Metabolic Type?
We all have a diet. The closer an organism is to its diet, the healthier it is.
— Eric Edmeades, trainer of Mindvalley’s WILDFITQuest
The Roman poet Titus Lucretius Carus (96 – 55 BCE) wrote: “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”.
Weston Price, led an expedition in 1936 to study the diets of primitive races to prevent illnesses and deterioration of the body. From the Eskimos in Alaska to the tribes in Africa to the aborigines of Australia, he found out that each race has its own diet to prevent degenerative processes.
His most significant discovery was that there wasn’t a single diet for everyone due to location, climate, genetics, culture, and other environmental conditions.
This discovery opened the floodgates of metabolic typing. Metabolic typing is based on the assumption that a person’s metabolism (the process by which the body uses to convert food into energy) is different for everyone. It suggests that people burn calories in their own unique ways at different rates.
Modern-day researchers advanced Dr. Price’s work and evolved metabolic typing to what it is today. At the core of it, a metabolic typing diet categorizes people into 3 different metabolic types and each should eat according to their category.
What are the different metabolic types?
We may have different production capacities, but every human being has the same nutritional requirements.
— Eric Edmeades, trainer of Mindvalley’s WILDFITQuest
William Wolcott, a leading authority on metabolic typing, wrote a book called, The Metabolic Typing Diet. In this book, he wrote there are three general metabolic types:
- Fast oxidizer (fat protein efficient)
- Slow oxidizer (carbohydrates efficient)
- Mixed oxidizer
Fast oxidizers, also known as fat protein efficient, digest protein and fats faster than carbohydrates, making them best suited to a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
Slow oxidizers, also known as carbohydrate efficient, is the exact opposite. They digest carbohydrates faster than protein and fat, so they need a high-carbohydrate, low-protein, low-fat diet.
Mixed oxidizers, as the name implies, is a mix of fast and slow oxidizer. They can digest protein, carbohydrates, and fats at the same rate, so an equal amount for each is the ideal diet.
Although each metabolic type is determined by the rate of digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fats in each individual, we all need the same nutrition.
Why do I need to know my metabolic type?
There’s a reason why your friends can chow down a mountain of pasta and not get fat, while the scale rises as soon as you eat an extra spoonful of mac n’ cheese.
A generic diet isn’t the answer. In fact, Eric Edmeades says diets are recipes for disaster — even for the most motivated people.
So, instead of taking on a diet that will never work, why not get the right diet that is unique to your metabolism and body type?
What Is My Metabolic Type?
Ideally, set an appointment with a nutritionist in your area and do a metabolic type test. This will yield the most accurate result, and you’ll get specific diets and exercise regimes unique to you.
Search for “metabolic type test” in Google, and most likely you’ll get a few results in your area.
However, if you can’t access any nutritionists nearby, you can take this quiz to find out your metabolic type.
So, now you know what your metabolic type is, the next thing you’ll need is to find out which metabolic diet is right for you — and get the right amount of macronutrients specific to your metabolic type.
What Should I Eat On a Fat Proficient Body?
This group of people digests and converts energy best from high protein and high-fat foods. They don’t digest carbohydrates well.
What does it mean to be protein efficient?
Fast oxidizers tend to be frequently hungry, crave salty and fatty foods, and usually feel fatigued, stressed, and anxious.
What should you eat?
The fat protein efficient diet is as follows:
- 45% – 50% protein
- 30% – 35% whole carbohydrates
- 20% oils or natural fats
While we’re at it, let’s break a myth here.
It turns out that each metabolic typing diet requires the same sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, according to a study by researchers at Waikato Institute of Technology, New Zealand.
For each metabolic type:
- Protein means meat, seafood, or poultry.
- Carbohydrate means fruits, vegetables, and grains.
- Oils and natural fats mean butter, oils, fatty foods — excluding nuts, seeds, and other fatty foods.
These examples are limited, and you can search for a list of healthy foods high in protein, carbohydrates, oils, and natural fats.
Important note: These ratios are guidelines. If you consider trying the metabolic typing diet, consult your doctor first to discuss potential benefits and risks. It is always best to get diets personalized to you and your body by a professional.
What Do I Do If I’m Struggling With My Metabolic Type-Specific Diet?
If your daily foods consist of refined carbs, processed sugar, and empty calories, switching to your metabolic diet by relying on your willpower will be difficult.
Here’s the thing.
The metabolic diet won’t work if you don’t have a healthy relationship with food.
Now, what do we mean by “a healthy relationship with food”?
A person with a healthy relationship with food has total food freedom. They are conscious of the food choices they make, and they can choose what to eat and what not to eat at any time of the day.
When you have a healthy relationship with food, you’ll choose foods that provide the most nutrients that your body needs — even if they’re placed beside your favorite comfort foods.
