Diet, in layman’s terms, is the food and drink regularly consumed by an individual. Many consider health, culture, morality, religion, environmental impact, and other factors in picking the food they eat.
Over the years, a number of dietary trends have surfaced, each promoting certain advantages and health benefits. There are people who have gone vegetarian or vegan. Some have stuck with a low-carbohydrate diet while others limit their fat intake instead.
But for Dr. Joseph Mercola, there is no one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to diet. Mercola is an osteopathic physician and natural health expert. He is also the author of Take Control of Your Health, a comprehensive guide towards achieving optimal health.
Mercola believes that in order to determine the diet that is most for you, you must first learn about your nutritional type. In Mercola’s Nutritional Typing program, a person belongs to either one of three general nutrition types: protein, veggie and mixed.
According to Mercola, the human body needs to consume a certain blend of the right food types in the same way that a car was designed to run on certain types of fuel. Protein types thrive on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein and high-fat diets while veggie types need the majority of their food to be vegetables. On the other hand, a person with a mixed type needs dietary requirements between the veggie and protein types.
So how do you determine your nutritional type?
For starters, you can eat the usual servings of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that you normally consume. You then analyze your reactions to the meal and find out how well you divided the amounts of the three food groups. You generally have to feel better an hour after the meal. If not, change the ratios between the three food groups the next time you eat that meal and again analyze your reactions.
If you are still having food cravings after eating the meal or if you still lack energy, these are indicators that you are most likely not satisfying the requirements of your nutritional type.
One you have determined the appropriate food ratios, you can begin experiencing the benefits of nutritional typing, including increased energy and better weight management.
You can learn more about Nutritional Typing by getting a copy of Take Control of Your Health or by logging on to Mercola.com.