Hi, I've recently discovered my MT as protein and have been eating as such for 5 weeks now. I'm still struggling with my macronutrient ratio and meal planning and have a few questions.
1. I've broken my meals down to 6 meals a day because I feel starved if I don't have something between traditional meal times. If my ratios should be approx. 40%pro, 30%fat, and 30% carbs, it's difficult getting the 30% of carbs with every meal because that means having 16oz. of green beans. Is it necessary to have that 30% carb ratio for my snacks as well as my meals?
2. I've been relying on green beans almost soley for my carbs due to expenses. Is it okay not to vary my carb option?
3. I still am suffering a lot of fatigue and wonder, when will I feel my health and energy level begin to change? I know that eveyone is different, but wondered when I should start to see signs that I'm doing better.
4. I've had to let go of strict calorie counting and reduction. Therefore, I have gained between 12-15lbs since starting eating for my type. When can I expect my body to get over this change and see a shift back?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :)
Are you adding daily exercise to your program as well?
Hello,
If there is a need for that many meals per day it tells me that the macro-nutrient ratios are off.
Can you reply with your typical breakfast, lunch and dinner with approximate amounts. Base the amounts of volume such as "the size of a deck of cards".
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absolutely :)
weight training intensely 4x's a week
cardio - sprinting 2-3x's a week, plus 1 day of lighter cardio for 30mins.
other activity - walking dogs, playing tennis
Hi Glen,
Thanks for replying so quickly to my pleas for help.
I think I've figured out the biggest mistake in my ratios - Because I've always been a calorie counter, I was determining my pro/fat/carb ratio based on calories instead of what portion of my plate it represented. I overcomplicated it. Right? Below I've listed what I was eating yesterday and what I switched to eating today. I'm feeling incredibly hungry today in between meals still after switching my amounts. Please tell me where else I've gone wrong.
Yesterday
meal 1 - 7am - 3oz beef, 1tsp. Cod Liver OIl, 16oz. Green Beans
meal 2 - 9am - protein shake, 15gr. raw cheese, 1 small green apple
meal 3 - 12pm - 3oz beef, 1tsp. Cod Liver OIl, 16oz. Green Beans
meal 4 - 3pm - 3oz beef, 1tsp. Ground Flax Seed, 16oz. Green Beans
meal 5 - 5pm - protein shake, 15gr. raw cheese, 1 small green apple
meal 6 - 7pm - 3oz beef, 1tsp. Cod Liver OIl, 16oz. Green Beans
Today
meal 1 - 7am - 3oz beef, 1 tsp. Cod Liver Oil, small hand full of green beans
meal 2 - 9am - protein shake, 1 tsp. Cod Liver Oil, small hand full of green beans
Also if you feel tired and fatigued after eatings it' almosst certainly caused by eating to many carbs. Even the reccomended carbs can make you tired if you eat more than your body can currently handle. Long ago it was a struggle for me as well finding why i was tired after eating. What i found out is I can eat as much protein and fat as i feel i needed but when it comes to carbs you need to eat them in accordance to adverse reations after eating. What I did was Eat my protein and fat first then eat 1 green bean per meal with my other foods. Add 1 green bean more each additional mean untill u feel tired. Once u get tired u just lessen the number of beans you eat per meal. When you eat between 1-5 green beans with your meals you will probably notice stable energy, no headacnes or hunger. When you try to eat larger quantities you will get headaches among other bad symtoms. Its best to start out with 1 green bean per meal and slolwly increase untill you feel fatigued. I also noticed that caulflour and spinach due to there purine content are the best veggies for protein type energy production. Avocados also are great for energy production for protein types. Just remember to start out with a VERY small serving of veggies with your meals and slowly increase, thats the only way to find out ur perfect ratio without causing negative symptoms.
I'm afraid I have a similar problem with macronutrients.
Although I don't feel fatigue or so but actually feel much better since I started eating as protein type (prbably because it is a geeat improvement: before I used to eat many more carbs and many foods not listed in the chart), I think I'm eating too much or maybe the wrong ratios.
I'm enjooying all the foods I'm having but, as I have already told your previuously, I eat big amounts of food such as at least 10oz meat at a meal.
For instance today I had:
Breakfast:
- about 6 - 7 oz organic nearly raw steak with 3 - 4 anchovy filets packed in olive oil to add purines
- about the same volume of raw baby spinach salad with 1T olive oil
- half cup berries, mostly cranberries
- small handful of walnuts
Lunch
- about 10 oz meat, again raw, marinated in extra virgin olive oil as you suggested
- a plate of baby spinach (the steak covered the plate and so did the spinach) with 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
- nearly a cup of berries, mostly cranberries and bluberries with grated dried coconut to add fat (coconut seems to contain much more fat than carbs...) and sesame seeds
Dinner
- 2 chicken legs, cooked at low heat, still moisty, not overcooked
- a plate of raw baby spinach with 1T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup berries with sesame seeds on top
I sometimes replace meat with sardines (about 6 oz), as you suggested, and often berries with an apple (green or almost green) and some times I admit with 3 apricots or a peach (they are not listed I know sigh, but in summer they are great here).
iI tried to eat a bit of anchovy or sardines with every meal, as a complement to meat or poultry, but I still need to eat a lot to feel satisfied..
I use good quality poultry and organic meat and don't overcook.
SNACKS
- Furthermore I always need one or 2 snacks during the day (I have some nuts or a soft boiled egg).
I had tried to add fat with cheese but had to cut it as you know because of the baby.
I'm not putting on weight, but not even losing the 10-12 lbs I should lose....
Am I eating too much of carbs? Too little fat? Why am I so hungry unless I eat so much?
Thanks a million for your advice.
Ale
Maeko
Sorry that this took me a few day to get back to you but we moved the office on the same weekend that I was a part of the Health Freedom Expo and I am just getting caught up. No excuses though...
Anyway seeing your intensity of exercise along with your meal choices there are some definite deficiencies. I would start by asking you to drop the calorie counting since this will probably create more challenges than benefits for you at this time. The main reason is that I say this is because it is very apparent to me that you are probably significantly deficient in fat. I would also recommend that you add some part 3 foods to the meals prior to exercise. You may also need a bit more protein but I would try the other two recommendations first.
Keep me posted.
Hi Ale,
I would be willing to bet that most of the challenge is tied into a fat deficiency. Something that is important to know is the when you consume fat your body actually produces a hormone to provide satisfaction and fat also slows the release of glucose from your foods.
Start adding multiple fats to your meals. As an example if I make a spinach salad it would include a small amount of spinach, one mushroom sliced, and for fat I would add half avocado, raw cheese, crushed walnuts, and a generous amount of olive oil.
Does that help?
Thank you for sharing...these individual responses are what so important for all of us to understand.
Your welcome, i enjoy discussing health topics a lot. What I actually discovered was the "ONLY" time I can tolerate more than a very few carbs is lets say for example im working. I work labor so im very active, however at lunch time I can eat as many carbs as I like because I assume since I was already doing labor up untill lunch + after lunch ill be doing more labor.... that kinda lifestyle allows me to tolerate as many carbs as I want. BUT...... When i get home and eat dinner or if its first thing in the morning for breakfast or even right before exercising more than a little carbs cause fatigue and headacne. With that said, if your body works like mine then the ONLY time its safe to consume a decent amount of carbs is after exercise "PLUS" when your gonna continue exersicing. I tryed ot eat a lot of carbs after exercise then just sit down at home and I still get a headacne ect..... My oxidation rate is OUT OF CONTROLL. I thought I could handle more carbs but thats ONLY at lunch time at work because of labor. Any other time more than 1 tablespoon or so of carbs give my problems. One thing i noticed is I burn fat very easily for energy and im starting to build muscle insanely fast as well by just doing the little zone exercises in how to eat move and be healthy. I would like to one day be able to eat more veggies, thats why im looking into ways to balance my oxidation rate. I dont believe this is normal and I dont believe Im a 100% eskimo lol. If the climate i lived in was freezing cold then this diet would make sence, however where I live its really hot right now and I still must eat this way, which means something is wrong. The only carbs I tolerate easily are avacados and nuts. Any other carbs are a problem and that bothers me. It just dosnt make sence wy i can only handle 1 green bean, abviously something is wrong.
After researching I learned that fast oxidation is caused by imbalances the body. I have my stress under controll but I believe my fast oxidation is caused my electrolite imbalance. Im a sympatheic dominant fast oxidaizer so its gonna be very hard to balance my system to tolerate more carbs, eventually I'll figure it out though.
Metabolic typing is a great system but I dont like how they market it as normal for someone to be a certain type. People are certain types due to " imbalances" in the 9 foundamental hemostatic controll systems. The goal shoudl be to achieve balance so the user can enjoy a variety of foods. Long ago it may have been normal to be a eskimo since they lived in the cold areas, however its just not normal for someone living in the hot sun to need to eat all that meat to feel great. I do love eating this way though lol, but I want a more balanced diet and be able to feel good all the time not just in the middle of exercise.
Thanks a lot for the answer.
I'll try to reduce the serving size of proteins and to add more fat using extra virgin olive oil, organic Alps butter and nuts and olives...
I guess I have to consume less fruit too?
Can I ask you few more questions? :-)))
1) I have high total cholesterol (genetic, also my father has the same yet he's 60 and very healthy) : is it still OK to consume butter (the only dairy tolerated by my baby apparently) and fatty red meat assuming they are organic and good quality?
2) If you don't mind and have time, could you please post what you eat in a typical day?
Not because I want to copy, as I know that NT must fit the single person, but to have a general starting point and tips.
Thanks a million for your support
Alessandra
Wallace, I believe I can give you some rare and valuable information that not many people know about, but it helped me with the exact same problem you are having. I am 22 years old, and since I was 12 years old I have had blood sugar problems and high insulin levels. When I was younger I didn't exactly have the best diet and especially not the right one for my protein genetic type. Sugar addiction started at a very young age and daily meals of ramen noodles, white bread with a slice of ham, with bags of dorritoes was not only wrong for my nutritional type, but it provided so little of the valuable vitamins and minerals that a body needs to properly metabolize the fats, protein, and carbohydrates one consumes. I was always hungry and extremely tired and severely underweight, no matter how much I ate. At age 13 my insulin resistance problems started and I develed cysts on my ovaries, had terrible acne, hair thinned out, and lost even more weight. After most meals, just standing up too fast would cause me to get lightheaded and have blackouts. Fortunately, my intuition said that all of this was not natural and I decided to take control of my own health, as Dr. Mercola says, and did massive amounts of reading and researching over the past 4 years. My prayers were answered when I ran across Mercola's website and read about eating for your metabolic type. I knew this was the answer to all of my health problems...or so I thought.
After starting the diet, I immediately felt a difference. I could go longer without meals and finally felt satisfied for the first time in my life...that is until I ate the carb part of my meal. Even eating the protein and fat first and eating a very small amount of carbs like a cup of spinach stimulated my appetite an hour after eating them. I even went down to a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed, which has almost zero carbohydrates and mostly fiber, but I could still feel my blood sugar drop an hour after meals. IF YOU CANNOT EVEN EAT A GRAM OF SUGAR WITH MEALS WITHOUT FEELING A DROP IN BLOOD SUGAR, LET ME ASSURE YOU THIS IS NOT NATURAL AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT A METABOLIC IMBALANCE, BUT A NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCE! I decided to do more research and this time, for sure found the answer. Since I still struggle with polycistic ovary syndrome, I found a website when trying to find ways to manage that, not knowing I would find the answer to my blood sugar problems as well. The website is www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com and they found that there are 2 nutrients that are needed to properly utilize glocose and which are believed to be difficienct in most american's diet. Not only does processing destroy these nutrients, but high insulin levels drains your body of them even more than a bad diet.
Chromium is an element; that is, it is one of the basic building blocks of all things, both living and non-living. And, like certain of the elements such as carbon, nitrogen, iron and calcium (among others), chromium plays an essential role in our life and health.
Chromium's function in our bodies is critical: without it, the hormone insulin would not work.
Most people are familiar with insulin as the shot diabetics give themselves in order to control their high blood sugar. But, what most people don't realize is that insulin is the "master hormone" of our metabolism; it not only controls blood sugar levels and many other aspects of carbohydrate breakdown and storage, but also directs much of the metabolism involving fat, protein and energy (calories).
Because insulin requires chromium to function properly, this trace element has significant biological effects in the body.
http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/crbacker.htm
YEARS OF HIGH INSULIN CAN SERIOUSLY DEPLETE YOUR CELLS OF CHROMIUM AND NO EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF SUGAR CAN BE TOO MUCH TO HANDLE IF YOUR CELLS CANNOT TAKE THE GLUCOSE IN AND FOR THE CELLS TO TAKE IT IN YOU HAVE TO HAVE INSULIN! Chromium has not been measured in many foods but a couple of good sources include whole grains, broccoli, liver, brewers yeast, onions, and romaine lettuce. However, if you are depleted supplementation is recommended. I started taking Solary GTF chromium (200 mcg daily) as this brand is the most natural form of chromium because it comes from yeast. Don't buy the syntethic brand of chromium.
Biotin -is involved in the metabolism of both sugar and fat. In sugar metabolism, biotin helps move sugar from its initial stages of processing on to its conversion into usable chemical energy. For this reason, muscle cramps and pains related to physical exertion, which may be the result of the body's inability to use sugar efficiently as fuel, may signal a biotin deficiency.
As a coenzyme, it assists in the making of fatty acids, in nucleic acid synthesis, and in the oxidation of fatty acids and carbohydrates. Without biotin, the body's fat production is impaired. It also aids in the utilization of protein, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B-12." Nutrition Almanac.
Biotin is also synthesized by the good bacteria in your digestive tract and years of high sugar and insulin levels causes a depletion in this benificial microflora, creating an even greater need for biotin. Good food sources include fermented foods, peanuts, whole grains, raw egg yolks, almonds, and some vegetables.
The brand I starting taking was solgar, 1000 mcg. every other day.
**This is just a breif overview but Just a couple of days after taking these two nutrients I immediately noticed a difference. I could eat a whole apple without having a drop in blood sugar. My skin is no longer oily due to lowering my insulin levels which has helped to balance my hormones. I also no longer have extremely dry skin because my cells are using the fat I am consuming. I have more energy as well since for the first time in many years my cells are able to take in the glucose I am consuming instead of floating around in my body creating damaging free radicals and high insulin levels.. It has only been three weeks since starting this programs and I continue to see results. I am just fascinated to find out that so many health problems can be attributed to one or two vitamin or mineral difficiencies! It shows to how important it is to eat a whole, unprocessed, natural diet the way God prepared it for us. I plan on getting off the supplements as I continue to eat a more rounded diet though.
Another important note... For years I have craved some of the foods that are high in these nutrients even though they are said to not be good for my nutritional type...so be careful how closely to follow the plan. When you limit yourself to only a few vegetables, you also limit yourself to the vast majority of vitamins and minerals your body needs from other food sources. Just eat what feels right for you and don't obbsess about it! I hope I helped!
When your lipid profile is out of balance it is usually imbalanced nutrition, lack of exercise, or chronic stress or for most people a combination of all of the above. I would not be concerned with the cholesterol in your foods. For more info on this search cholesterol on www.mercola.com
I typically have just 2-3 small pieces of herring and about 4-5" stick of celery dipped in nut butter for breakfast, about 3 ounces of raw ground bison seasoned with an avocado for lunch and dinner last night was out so I had some seared ahi tuna with greens, cheese, and I ate some butter. The meal out wasn't perfect but it was my best choice at the time.
Until next time...
Thanx for your compassionate responce mountainkat, really appreciate it. I'm 23 and I noticed that after about 1-3 "minutes" not a hour, after eating carbs I get negative symptoms. I use to have to eat every 3-4 hours or suffer hypoglycemia, but when I began to meditate as well as take probiotics and eat fermented foods it has changed my body chemistry a little allowing me to burn fat for energy. I'm now never hungry and although i still get a headacne after eating carbs, within minutes the headacne goes away as my body switches to fat burning mode. I can also go infinite hours without eating because of fat burning. I believe my problems are also caused by eating a horrible diet growing up as well poor sleep habits and chronic stress. I use to suffer acne but diet has stoped it. I eat a very high fat and protein diet with very few carbs to feel my best. I noticed that a tablespoon of flax seeds, 1/2 avacado or nuts for my carbs sources completely eliminates my blood sugar problems, however vegetables more than a teaspoon is an issue unless exercising. I use to supppliment chromium but i stoped because it didnt seem to make much difference. I've been taking the metabolic typing specific multi vitamin and enzymes. The mulit contains a small amount of chromium as well as biotin. I also get biotin from the kefir I consume. I still suffer the blood sugar utilization issues, so i may try the chromium again.
Based the intensive research I've been doing lately, I believe my problem as well as most others peoples problems all boil down to 1 thing. Sypathetic Overtivity or Dominance. When i first started metabolic typing I didnt fully understand what it was. I thought I was a parasypathic dominant fast oxidiser but the more i research I'm actually the opposite.I have fast oxidation but also a sypatheitic dominance issue. My bodies adrenals as well as thyroid are constantly stimulated. I'm always in fight or flight mode which exhaust the adrenals, pancreas and many other bodily functions. Certain nutrients and foods can make it worst as well. Anything foodwise, lifestyle or supplimentwise that helps the strengthen my parasymptaheic division which is the opposite of sympatehic fight or flight mode will help solve the root of my problem. I know this is the problem because excess sympathic activity "SHUT DOWN or DISABLE" parasympathic activiity which controlls liver function, digestion, sleep, health blood sugar controll, relaxation, elimination, ect... Basically the parasympathic division is the bodies build and repair system and the sympathic is the opposite.
Through years of sympathic overstimulation I have shut down the other branch which has led to my metabolic imbalances. If I meditate after eating carbs I have no problems at all with blood sugar. After reading this energy healing book I learned that we can help controll the 2 branches by breathing slowly and deeply. Slow inhales stimulate the Sypanthic Nervous system or SnS, Slow exhales stimulates the PNS or parasympathich nervous system. THis little lifestyle change in breathing has helped me dramitically overcome stress as well as help move the bowels by breathing. It actually works for real, reason being is it stimulates the PNS which controlls elimination ect... as mentioned above. Forgot to mention that holding the breath balances both branches.
What i'm trying to do right now is focus on foods, lifestyle and suppliments to strengthen my parasympathic division because its been shut down by the SYS. I know my SNS is ehausted because whenever I lift weights, ejaculate or do any activity that is stressful or releases stress horomones I get constipation, acne, insomnia . ect.. ALL of which are "symptoms" of sympathic dominance.