The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry
by William Linz Wolcott, Trish Fahey

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Book Reviews of The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry

Book Review: I use it in my healing practice
Summary: 5 Stars

The book is well written, not difficult to follow at all, is designed for the lay-reader, and I have also followed up and bought the books by the other researchers whom Dr. Wolcott mentions either inspired his interest, or who started the ball rolling a century ago in this direction. Some of Dr. Wolcott's work is incorporated in Ann Louise Gittleman's nutritional works as well, and she cites him as one of the sources for her advocating increased protein in her "Your Body Knows Best" book. Her Fat Flush Plan also incorporates increased protein, though is not a spin-off of either any of the meal plans here or of any of the higher-protein and fat diets like the Atkins diet. ALG is another well-respected nutritionist in the field.

Current research is continuously showing that people can lose weight and not increase their cholesterol levels or blood pressure when following a higher protein meal plan. This means that for those whose metabolic type thrives on this type of diet, they will do fine following a plan for that. For those whose metabolic type thrives on a higher carbohydrate diet, there is a meal plan for that too, of course. The mixed type can eat from both plans, but there is tons of valuable information about how foods are metabolized, how different nutrients react in different people.

I did not find the research either skimpy or underreported. The change in diet is not so radical for those who typically eat what their cultural group or ancestors typically ate. Many ethnic groups eat what their families ate for generations.

The USA nutritional information on which they based the food groups block of years past, and the food pyramid currently in use, is from studies of an African tribe who did not display cardiac disease. Their diet was about 60-65% carbs, and little fat, small amounts of protein. It was assumed that Americans would thrive on this type of diet, but most Americans at that time hailed from Northern European ancestry, and we began feeding the nation too many carbs, too many flour-foods, (pastas, breads, refined cereals) and of course combined those flour foods with sugar, cakes, cookies etc. What this book shows is that many indigenous groups eating high fat or high protein diets, also have no cardiac disease, or diabetes, or cancer, as long as they are following the diet of their ancestors, within reason. When these indigenous cultures come to America, or begin eating a diet similar to the Western influences of increased carb, sugar, and flour, they too develop diseases similar to the rates of Americans.

We grain feed our livestock, rather than range feed, so that the meat contains far less Omega-3 fatty acids, and it is the Omega-3s that signal the brain that the satiety from a meal has occurred. Consequently in the US we consume far larger portions of meat that still do not provide a sense of fullness. Luckily there are farms now devoted to range-fed livestock, poultry, eggs, and bakeries producing sprouted-grain and whole grain products.

Dr. Wolcott's method is just the tip of the iceberg for getting people onto a healthy nutritious regimen for themselves and their families. The whole food industry needs revamping, and parents and educators need to become involved so that nutritious food can be served to our children at home and at school, as they will be the ones to ensure that the food industry makes progess in the future.

Summary of The Metabolic Typing Diet: Customize Your Diet to Your Own Unique Body Chemistry

Wolcott believes that tailoring your diet to your body's particular quirks--metabolic typing--will improve digestion, circulation, immunity, energy, and mood. To determine your type, he has you take a 65-question test (the questions range from nose moisture to how you feel about potatoes), then place yourself in one of three categories: protein type, carbo type, or mixed type.

The protein type is instructed to eat a diet that's 40 percent protein, 30 percent fat, and 30 percent carbs. The carbo type gets 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 15 percent fat. And the mixed type should consume 50 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fat, although this type has to play with the ratios a little more to find the optimal mix.

Although The Metabolic Typing Diet is based on information from researchers the majority of the public will never have heard of, Wolcott makes a strong case that it's all based on common sense: most of the dietary problems we have come from ignoring the foods that make us feel satisfied and energetic in favor of ones that we feel we're supposed to eat, or foods that we eat in desperation because our last meal left us hungry or lethargic. If we just eat the foods that make us feel right, Wolcott argues, we'll never feel like things have gone horribly wrong. --Lou Schuler

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