Do you know your metabolic type? While you more than likely know what your metabolism is and how it works and have a general idea of how fast or slow your overall metabolic rate moves, your metabolic type is a bit different.
Several diets are designed for people with one of three different metabolic types. Although determining which type you are can be tricky, but it can be done, leading to a potentially successful diet filled with healthy foods and more.
If you’re ready to learn more about metabolic typing, keep reading because our experts will break it down here.
The History of Metabolic Typing
In 2001, William Wolcott and Trisha Fahey published The Metabolic Typing Diet. Their theory was that by determining your metabolic type and eating a diet of foods designed for it, you could lose weight, get healthy, gain muscle, and end up with the body that you really wanted.
Although expert opinions on the book are still mixed, others have found plenty of success following the diet. Plus, since each diet plan consists of healthy foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, there’s no harm in trying it out.
Determining Your Metabolic Type
To follow the metabolic typing diet, you must first know your metabolic type. There are three options, each centered on a certain category of macronutrients, such as protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
The options are as follows:
Carbohydrate Type
People who fall into the carbohydrate type category have a fairly slow metabolism. It takes their bodies a while to digest and process their food, running the risk of ending up overweight since they tend to bank calories and turn them into fat stores.
Since you have a slow metabolism, you need to eat foods that digest fairly quickly, which emphasizes carbohydrates. As carbs are easier to digest, your body will process them faster than other meal options.
On top of having a slower metabolism, other signs that you’re a carbohydrate type include the fact that you crave sweet snacks, making you reach for snack cakes or candy bars over everything else. You also drink many caffeinated beverages to clear your mind so that you can function.
In addition, you tend to eat small, light meals and aren’t extremely hungry very often.
Protein Type
The opposite of the carbohydrate type, the protein type consists of people who have a fast metabolism. People who fall into this category are also called fat-protein efficient because their diet should consist mainly of foods with a lot of fats and protein.
A quicker metabolism means that your body turns food into energy fast, so you’ll need to eat foods that take longer to digest, like the aforementioned proteins. The idea behind this diet is to balance out your metabolism with meals that can provide you with energy but not leave you feeling hungry all of the time.
Like the carbohydrate type, there are a few signs to look for besides your fast metabolism. Those with a protein-type metabolism like snacks that are salty and fatty, such as French fries and potato chips. They’re also quite hungry all of the time and eat large meals, even though they end up wanting to eat again a few hours later.
Mixed Type
Finally, there’s the mixed type. As you probably expected, it falls somewhere in the middle of both the protein and carbohydrate types, consisting of some traits that fall into both categories. Those who consider themselves to be mixed types have a metabolism that’s simply average. It’s neither fast nor slow.
Since their metabolisms are run-of-the-mill average, they must eat a combination of foods. Some are slower to digest, while others are a bit faster. In the end, the combination gets the job done, providing you with enough energy to function from the mix of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates included in the diet.
How can you tell whether or not you fit into this group? If you crave salty and sweet snacks, individually or combined, like chocolate-covered pretzels, you might be in the mixed type category. Other signs include having an appetite that can best be described as average and not becoming extremely hungry too often.
Metabolic Diet Plans
Now that you understand the various metabolic types, it’s time to cover their diets. In addition to a breakdown of the various macronutrients that people in each category need to focus on, there are also several suggested meal plans to get you started.
According to metabolic typing experts, following these meal plans can help you lose weight, gain energy, and more. Finding the right combination for you may take a bit of time, but there’s nothing wrong with giving each of these plans a chance. After all, they consist of healthy foods.
Option One: The Carbohydrate Type
Do you fall within the carbohydrate type? If so, you’ll need meals that have a ratio of 70% carbs, 10% fats, and 20% protein. This ratio will consist of meals that are easy to digest, working with, not against, your slow metabolism.
Looking for meal suggestions? For breakfast, consider a bowl of oatmeal topped with berries and cream, a few pieces of toast made with whole grain bread and topped with tasty jam, or some scrambled eggs complete with spinach or another leafy green on the side.
Lunches include turkey sandwiches on whole grain bread, salads with croutons and plenty of other toppings (including chicken or turkey), or a container of hummus and some of your favorite crackers.
Finally, there are plenty of dinner options, such as a baked chicken breast with stuffing, pork roasting alongside some veggies and served with whole grain rice (basmati is a good option), or broiled fish with broccoli and rice pilaf.
Option Two: The Protein Type
Meals that are low in carbohydrates and high in fats and protein are what you should put together if you fit into this category. A typical meal ratio consists of around 30% carbohydrates, 50% protein, and 20% fats.
Breakfast options for the protein type include omelets with cheese and a side of bacon, scrambled eggs with ham, and even a cup of yogurt complete with some berries.
For lunch, reach for a salad that’s been topped off with some grilled chicken and low-carb dressing (no croutons, of course), a tuna melt minus the bread, or a handful of chicken wings and celery sticks.
Looking for dinner? Consider having a steak with a baked potato, a bunless hamburger with plenty of toppings, and even a piece of grilled salmon with some green veggies, like asparagus and broccoli, on the side.
Option Three: The Mixed Type
As expected, those in the mixed-type category should stick to a ratio of 50% carbs, 10% fat, and 40% protein. This balance is designed to give you the best of both worlds since your metabolic type fits into both categories.
Breakfast options for the mixed type include toast made from whole-grain bread and topped with peanut butter and a sliced banana, hard-boiled eggs and fruit, or cereal made from whole grains and topped with plenty of milk.
For lunch, you can choose tuna salad with whole grain crackers and fruit on the side, a piece of whole grain pita bread stuffed full of grilled chicken and veggies, or a salad with chickpeas and bits of salmon on top.
Dinner is equally balanced, with options like a steak that’s been marinated and grilled served with mashed sweet potatoes, pork chops with rice pilaf and a green veggie, or baked chicken served with a salad and some corn on the cob.
Metabolic Typing
Of course, everyone is different, so a meal plan that works for you may not for others. If you’re unsure which metabolic type diet to follow or simply want a healthy diet plan but aren’t sure how to get started, come into our store.
We have several nutritional consultants (also known as NCs) on staff who are ready and waiting to help you. Have questions? You can contact us here.
Sources:
What Is the Metabolic Typing Diet? | Very Well Fit
Metabolic Typing Diet Approach: How To Eat Right For Your Type | Fitness Volt
About Author: Mario Mendias
