Before deciding to go with a particular diet so that you can get optimum health benefits and returns it is important that you identify which Nutritional Type are you. Otherwise there is no point in taking such an effort. What you eat should blend with your metabolism and you should feel energetic, healthy and fit.
Suppose you took a friend’s advice and simply decided to follow an Atkins Diet you may notice improvement in the beginning but gradually your system would give up because it is not getting nutrition as per your nutritional type.You may belong to one of three types: Protein, Carb, and Mixed. These are the three nutritional types.
The Protein types of people do better with a diet that is low on carbohydrate, and high in protein and fat. An ideal ratio could be 40% protein and 30% of fats and 30% carbohydrates. Depending on individual genetic requirements this calculation can vary from individual to individual.
For Carb type of people to feel fit and healthy, most of their food comprises carbohydrate. If you are a Carb Nutritional Type an ideal combination is 60% carbs, 25% protein and 15% fat. Again this percentage may vary according to individual’s metabolism.
Once a person attains a normal weight and does not struggle with other insulin related disorders, it is actually possible to consume some grains and remain perfectly healthy. Carb types actually can do quite well with grains, but remember this is likely to only be about 15 percent of the population at best.
Coming to the last type, if your Nutritional Type is mixed, your requirements are a combination of carb and protein. This type of nutritional type is the most challenging type to have as ultimately one will have to depend on developing one’s own feedback by answering the questions after every meal to know if the diet is right or wrong. You cannot afford to take it lightly and then suffer ill health in the long run.
Your activity and stress levels, quantity of food, etc should also be considered while trying to fix a routine based on your nutritional type. Your systems go through various phases throughout the day.
These rhythms involve your hormonal output, your acid/alkaline shifts, your waking/sleeping times and many other time-based variables. Considering all the above the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates etc that you need to feel at your best may increase or decrease.
An ideal way to work out a diet plan is to have a meal and then observe its short and long term effects on your energy level. Have several such meals and keep a record. Depending upon the results add or delete portions of carb and proteins for maximum health benefits.