Eating For Your Nutrition Type – Dr. Mercola
We are all unique individuals, so it makes sense that not everybody requires the same fuel to thrive. There are so many alternative and comparative diets available to us. Therefore, it’s important to explore our options and see which one is the best fit.
One of the resources that may be of interest to you is Dr. Mercola’s Nutritional Type profiling system that may give you insight on where you should start.
Dr. Mercola suggests that there are 3 different Nutrition Types:
- Carb Type – People who function best on a diet primarily made up of carbohydrates.
- Protein Type – People who function best on a diet high in proteins and fats.
- Mixed Type – People who require a balance between the carbohydrate and protein types.
When hearing the word “Carb Type” the brain might jump to dreams of endless baguettes and stuffed puff pastries as though you’ve won the Nutrition Type lottery. Unfortunately, like most things if it sounds too good to be true it is. We need to break down the difference between the carbohydrates we are consuming: vegetables, grains, and starches. People who fit into this category will require a diet consisting of 60% carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 15% fat. These ratios are not set in stone and should be adjusted, as your body requires. Many people who fall under this category excel on vegan or heavily plant based diets unlike their “Protein Type” counterparts. The focus should be on eating nutrient dense vegetables and whole grains. Like every healthy diet guideline you still want to avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates that offer little to no nutritional value.
Those who fall into the category of “Protein Type” will feel best on a diet high in protein and fats. This runs against the grain of today’s “veggie” trend with all the hype of green smoothies and trendy vegan restaurants. It’s easy to assume that this diet rich in vegetables will be best for everyone. Furthermore, from a young age we are told to “eat our veggies.” The more the better – right? Wrong! A “Protein Type” may be left feeling sluggish and bloated following a meal high in carbohydrates. This can be confusing to many because they have a hard time accepting the fact that they need to consume more meats and fats than vegetables and grains. A typical ratio for this type is 40% protein and 30% of both fats and carbohydrates. Again, these ratios are just a guideline and should be adjusted as your body feels necessary.
The third category people fall under is “Mixed Type.” Eating for this type is a less black and white than the previous two and requires careful attention and tweaking for optimum results. A mixture of the above two outlines will be the biggest challenge for this type. You may find it helpful to experiment with different foods to find the proper balance for your body. It may also be helpful for you to keep a food journal to track your bodies response subsequent to meals. Dr. Mercola states, “You will need to rely quite heavily on developing your own feed back.”
This Nutritional Typing plan is just one suggestion of how to approach changing your diet. The analogy Dr. Mercola gives to describe the theory behind this is:
“It would seem reasonable to believe that your car is going to thrive on that high-quality gas once you put it in your tank. But what if you were driving a diesel-powered vehicle? If that were the case, in a few minutes your car would stop running, and you would have a very expensive repair job ahead of you.
The fact that the car stopped running does not imply that the gas wasn’t any good or that your car was defective. It was simply the wrong type of fuel for your car.”
The test to find your type is available for free on Dr. Mercola’s website along with a week long meal plan to get you set up. Find the link below if this diet concept piques your interest.
Please share with us any past or future experiences and comments using the Nutritional Type plan. We would love to hear from you!
Nutrition Type Test:
