The Metabolic Typing Diet
Summary: The Metabolic Typing
Diet recommends finding the optimal carbohydrate, protein,
and fat intake for one's "metabolic type" based on
a detailed survey and empirical results of the
diet.
The Metabolic
Typing Diet is explained in the book of the same name,
and Dr. Mercola is a major proponent. The
book contains a detailed survey which supposedly helps
to determine one's type based on questions like "How do
you feel about potatoes?" and "Do you have a
lot of energy after eating meat?" I have not
talked to anyone whose "metabolic type" based on
the survey was other than "Mixed Type" so don't
find the survey very helpful.
 The Metabolic diet is primarily concerned with keeping
blood sugar levels low, just as in Atkin's and The
Zone. It is helpful in that, unlike these
one-size-fits-all diets, one is instructed to find the
percent of carbs, proteins, and fats that allows one's blood
sugar to stay low. This can be higher than allowed on
the Zone's strict 40-30-30 (carb/protein/fat) regimen and
especially Atkin's. It might be 60/25/15 for a pure
"carbo type" or 50/30/20 for a "mixed
type." This makes the diet easier to follow
and perhaps more effective for people whose blood sugar is
already well regulated and does not spike that high from
eating carbs or by those who have less a protein or fat requirement.
After the metabolic type is determined based on the
survey, one is instructed to follow a diet with limited
carbs, then start raising the carb intake until the ideal
ratio is determined as evidenced by the best energy levels,
digestion, and well-being. If the diet is seemingly
not producing benefit it then instructs one to follow Eat
Right 4 Your Type - it even includes an abbreviated version
of the ER4YT food lists.
All in all, I find this diet not very helpful and The
Zone and ER4YT more important. I think it is better to
follow the Zone, while taking ER4YT into consideration, for
two to four weeks. If at this point the benefit is not
apparent, raise carb and lower fat and protein intake
gradually until the best ratio is found.
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