Metabolic Type – Protein

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Welcome To The Protein Type World

Welcome to the world of eating right for your metabolic type.  There are few things in life as liberating as discovering your metabolic type and finally coming to understand exactly what foods and food combinations will enable you to enjoy life thoroughly and live it to the fullest.

Most of us have been slaves to our food, however, now the tables have turned.  Once you recognize your metabolic individuality, you are now in control.  Your results indicate that you are a protein type.

Characteristics Of A Protein Type

Many Protein Types share similar characteristics however, this does not mean that you are like everyone else in your category.  Nonetheless, here are some typical tendencies you may have in common with other Protein types.

• Protein types tend to have strong appetites to the point of being ravenously hungry a great deal of the time.  You may feel the need to eat frequently, though you are also like to have a hard time feeling satisfied.  In addition you probably have a tendency to over eat, sometimes even stuffing yourself to bursting point, only to find you are still hungry.

• Protein types typically gravitate towards rich, fatty, salty foods.  However, if you stray to far from these heavier foods and consume too many carbohydrates you may quickly find yourself craving for sugar.  In fact the more carbs you eat, the stronger your cravings and as a result your energy levels fall and you may become nervous or jittery.

• Your many attempts at low calorie diets have failed dismally and your weight subsequently ballooned.

• Most commonly among protein types are energy problems of one type or another.  You are often flat, or feel apathetic, depressed, listless or sleepy.  If any of these are familiar to you, then chances are you are pumping the wrong kind of body fuel into you.

Dietary Emphasis For Protein Types

As a protein type, what you need is a diet comprised of relatively high amounts of protein and fat, compared to carbohydrates.  But not all proteins are created equal.  Below is a link to your Protein Type Allowable Foods Chart which sets out the types of proteins carbs and fats that best suit your metabolic type.

Purine containing proteins are oxidized (converted to energy) at the proper rate for your metabolic type.  At the other end of the spectrum are carbs.  You need to minimize the consumption of carbs since they are converted to energy too rapidly for your metabolic type.

Important Tips

1. Eat protein at every meal

2. Emphasise high density, high purine type protein sources

3. Snack as needed.  Be sure it contains a protein from your allowable food chart.  Dairy and nuts may be sufficient for a snack, but not for a meal as they don’t contain enough protein.

4. Be cautious with carbs.  Not all carbs are created equal.  A simplistic view would be to classify them into Starchy & Non Starchy.  You need to avoid starchy carbs (breads, cereals, grains & starchy veges) and stick predominantly to those Non Starchy carbs like leafy colourful veges.

5. Beware of Bread.  Ditto above.  Try sprouted grain breads like Ezekiel or Manna brands.  When you eat bread, always use butter to minimise any potential adverse sugar fluctuations.

6. Go easy with grains.  Use only whole-grain products.  Avoid refined grains

7. Closely monitor your fruits.  You’ll do well on avocadoes & olives but avoid apples, pears, bananas that are fully ripe.  You are likely to run into problems if you try and eat fruit all by themselves.

8. Use juices judiciously.Vegetable juices are ok, so long as they are fresh are acceptable in moderation, but no more than 1 glass 3-4 times a week.

9. Freely use Fats and oils.

Fats have received bad press for years, having been claimed to have caused all sorts of 21^st century diseases.

Yet as our consumption of saturated fat over the past 70 years has plummet through the floor, our obesity rates have sky rocketed, in direct correlation to the dramatic increase in our rates of sugar consumption.  Fats & oils in the natural form are not bad for you and eating them will not produce high cholesterol or heart disease any more than any other natural food.

They contain fatty acids that are essential for a  number of life giving functions such as efficient immune function, normal hormone production, cellular respiration just to name a few.  Never consume margarine, hydrogenated oils or fat substitutes.  Only use real butter (organic if possible)

Foods To Avoid

1. Alcohol.  Alcohol is a poison full stop.  However, for protein types, it’s akin to pouring petrol on a fire.  A massive energy rush followed by a massive crash.  It will also promote fat storage through rapid insulin levels.

2. Caffeine.  Caffeine is counterproductive to your type.  It worsens the imbalances in the cellular oxidative processes.  Like flogging a tired horse, if you have weaker adrenals, which most protein types do, then caffeine will only heighten the strain on your adrenals.  If you are going to drink coffee, find an organic brand only and no more than 1 -2 weak cups per day.

3. Fruit Juices/Citrus Fruits.  For similar reasons as already disclosed, these raise insulin production, causing fat to be stored.

4. Sugar.  Ditto above.

5. Foods high in Oxalic acids.  A natural occurring acid, it inhibits the absorption of calcium which is important for protein types. Foods high in oxalic acid include: Black tea, blackberry, beets, beet greens, chard, chocolate, cocoa, cranberries, red currants, gooseberries, grapes, green peppers, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, & tomatoes.

6. High GI Foods.  Ditto no.4

7. Foods high in Phytates.  Ancient civilisations used to soak or ferment grains before consuming.  Modern science discovered that this process broke down phytic acid, found in the bran portion of grains and the skins of legumes.  When consumed phytic acid binds with calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, and prevents these minerals from being absorbed in the intestinal tract.  As already pointed out, protein types need more calcium than normal.  A simple and easy way around this is to either soak any grains (oat, millet, rye, barley or quinoa) overnight before cooking or avoid them all together.

Your Macronutrient Ratio This dietary plan is easy.  You only need to remember 2 things, eat the right foods for your type and avoid the wrong foods and 2, stick to your ratio.  Think of your food as petrol and the ratio of carbs, fats and proteins as the petrol mix. Your mix is as follows:

• Protein 45%
• Carbohydrates: 35%
• Oils/Fats: 20%

To see a schedule of your allowable foods and a sample meal plan, please click here