Incentive

Protein Types typically crave rich, fatty foods such as pizza, sausages, and salty

roasted nuts. If you are a Protein Type, chances are that you love food. You may not

feel satiated after a snack and may often feel hungry, even after eating a large meal.

When you have eaten too many carbohydrates, you tend to crave sugar. And once you

start eating sugary foods, you want more and more and may find it difficult to stop.

Sugar often causes you to feel jittery and will quickly make your energy levels drop.

Protein Types may have tried to lose weight by using extreme calorie-cutting

methods, only to be unsuccessful—and feel miserable in the process. Protein Types

cannot successfully lose weight by drastically decreasing calorie intake.

When Protein Types eat the wrong kind of food, they may notice energy

problems—extreme fatigue or a wired “on edge” feeling. Eating often makes them

feel better when they feel anxious, nervous, or shaky, but then they feel worse soon

afterward. These cycles of energy ups and downs are definite signs of a mismatch

between metabolism type and food consumption.

Protein Types need a diet high in proteins and fats and low in carbohydrates. But

think balance—not the Atkins Diet! Protein Types can eat various carbohydrates in

the form of some grains, fruits, and vegetables, as long as they are adequately

balanced with proteins and fats.

Because Protein Types metabolize food more quickly than other metabolism

types (which is why they feel hungry all the time), heavier protein choices such as

whole eggs, dark-meat poultry, beef, and dairy are essential for ideal meal planning.

These foods have long been considered “unhealthy” because of their high fat content,

refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and hydrogenated oils are. Protein Types who

do not eat heavy proteins with a high fat content will be hungry all day and struggle

with their weight. Even worse, they will almost always feel fatigued and anxious.

at a meal causes your blood sugar to spike and then drop quickly, which will

leave a Protein Type feeling hungry, fatigued, and anxious as well as cause

cravings for more carbohydrates shortly afterward. Eating protein—especially

animal protein—at every meal and for snacks will help to control your blood

sugar levels and leave you feeling satiated and steady throughout the day.

Again, remember to listen to your body; pay attention to which meals and

snacks leave you hungry or craving more.

Types need to eat often; otherwise, they’ll suffer from extremely low blood

sugar levels. Going too long between meals (or snacks) also will create

ravenous hunger, which in turn will cause overeating at the next meal—only

to lead to lethargy and an uncomfortable feeling afterward.

especially those made from wheat—can be extremely disruptive for Protein

Types. Wheat breaks down into sugar faster than any other grain and causes

the rapid release of large quantities of insulin. That is why sprouted whole

grain bread products are the only allowable sources of bread on the Diet

Protein Types need to be extra careful with their fruit selections. Some fruits

are quickly converted to sugar in the bloodstream and cause extreme blood

sugar fluctuations. The best fruit choices for Protein Types are apples and

avocadoes (high in fiber and low in sugar). Some people may be able to eat

more of these fruits than others.

A Carb Type tends to have a weak appetite. If you are a Carb Type, chances are that

you’re happy with a minimal amount of food each day. You can get by on small

amounts of food and don’t give food much thought until you feel hungry.

Carb Types tend to eat less often because they “have no time to eat.” These

goal-oriented workaholics will skip meals to do what they need to do each day. They

may go for extended periods without eating, sending the metabolism into starvation

mode. Decreasing the metabolic rate in this fashion can lead to weight management

problems and obesity. Carb Types also are more dependent on caffeinated beverages

to get them through the day than other metabolism types are. This dependency often

weakens their appetites even more, compounding their nutritional problems.

A Carb Type needs a diet composed of more carbohydrates than proteins or fats. But

that doesn’t mean that Carb Types don’t need protein throughout the day. Lighter,

low-fat proteins such as white-meat poultry and whitefish (e.g., tilapia, sea bass) are

good choices. Carb Types can choose from a wide variety of carbohydrates and can

eat them in larger quantities than any other type.

Although Carb Types convert carbohydrates into energy slowly (unlike

Protein Types), it does not mean that they can go on carbohydrate binges. An elevated

insulin response is still a concern, especially if weight loss is the goal. Insulin is a fatstoring

hormone, so large quantities in the bloodstream will make losing weight quite

difficult. Remember, excess of any particular food can lead to weight gain and

disease, and always maintain the food portions and ratios recommended for your type

(according to the Ideal Food Ratios For Each Metabolism Type Chart).

Carb Types lose weight and feel well on a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet—

the opposite of what a Protein Type needs.

poultry or whitefish into each meal. Avoid (or eat only occasionally) high-fat

proteins, which may cause lethargy, depression, or fatigue.

poorly. The best way to learn whether dairy is a wise choice for you is to

carefully monitor your reaction after you have consumed it with a meal. If you

feel lethargic or fatigued shortly after, limit your dairy consumption.

like broccoli and salad greens, and limit consumption of high-starch foods

such as bread, pasta, and grains. If you feel sluggish, sleepy, or hungry soon

after a meal containing a low-fat protein, a vegetable, and a grain, you may

have eaten too much grain. Try increasing the protein amount and decreasing

the grain amount the next time you have this same meal.

digest the type of protein that most legumes contain. Therefore, eat legumes

infrequently. As with all other foods, monitor your response carefully, and pay

attention to your ability to combine them with certain foods. I have some

clients who can eat chicken, beans, and vegetables and feel great but feel tired

and sluggish if they eat beans, rice, and vegetables.

and seeds add too much fat to a meal. Nuts and nut butters are great protein

choices for snacks, but lean animal meats are better protein choices for meals.

A Mixed Type requires an equal balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats,

and including variety in the everyday meal plan is essential. Of the three metabolism

types, this one is actually easiest to manage, because the food choices are greater.

Some meals may resemble those for Protein Types, and some may resemble those for

Carb Types; some may have features of both.

The appetite of a Mixed Type tends to vary greatly throughout the day—

hungry at meals but not in between; ravenous at times and no appetite at others. Of

course, these responses depend on what foods have been eaten that day. Mixed Types

generally don’t suffer from cravings. However, like the other types, Mixed Types

who eat too much sugar or carbohydrates may develop strong sugar cravings.

Mixed Types must incorporate high-fat and low-fat proteins as well as highstarch

and low-starch carbohydrates into their meal plans. If you are a Mixed Type,

familiarize yourself with the requirements of both types to find your perfect balance.

A Mixed Type may be more of a Protein Mixed Type or a Carb Mixed Type—in

other words, have more qualities of one type than the other. The only way to truly

figure this out is by trial and error: by paying close attention to responses to each

meal and then determining which foods make you feel good and energized and which

foods leave you feeling hungry, fatigued, cranky, or craving more. Finding the right

balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats is the key to losing weight, feeling great,

and achieving optimal health.