Diet & Fitness 

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The right diet for your metabolism

It's a good question and there isn't an easy answer. In some ways all of us are completely alike and in other ways we are different. Most importantly, each of us is completely unique.

So it is with metabolism. When we speak of ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ metabolic types, we are really referring to the quickness and ease with which our bodies convert food into fuel (energy) and nutrients. Many factors come into play when determining what food plan is best for a given individual: genetics, ethnic background, hormone levels, thyroid, food sensitivities and allergies, enzymatic activity, dieting history, degree of insulin insensitivity, amount of body fat, age, and neurotransmitter levels - and that's before we even begin to talk about psychology, tradition, comfort eating, social eating and even our addiction ‘history’.

So picking the perfect ‘system’ or ‘diet’ can be difficult.There are a dozen different methods that claim to be able to recommend the perfect diet according to ‘type’. Of course, supporters of these methods never seem to agree on exactly what the ‘types’ are or how they should be defined. Some systems of body typing, like Ayurvedic medicine, have been around for thousands of years. Some newer methods are very promising but require blood or hair analysis, which isn't practical for many people. Others, like the blood type diet, are pretty flimsy. Still others, like the ‘body type’ diet, are just plain difficult to apply, since so many people don't fit neatly into any of the categories.

So what should you do? Start with the simplest plan. In the case of weight loss and health, the basics are quite simple: Eat protein from the best sources you can find; vegetables in mostly unlimited amounts; high-fibre, low-sugar fruit in moderation; and good quality, naturally occurring, traditional fats like butter, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds.

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