Are you an Eskimo or a Bantu?
September 2006 Filed in: Other
therapies
asks
Kieran Iqwe of Diligent
Health.
Have you ever wondered why, despite your best
efforts, you still experience weight gain, low
energy levels, food cravings and an appetite,
which never seems satisfied, no matter what you
eat?
We know that we are all unique, and just like our differences in appearance on the outside, we are all different on the inside too. It therefore makes perfect sense that what food may be good or ‘healthy’ for one person, may not be so for another. For example, shellfish may provide a great source of micronutrients for one person, yet may send another into anaphylactic shock! This is just one example of how diverse our bodies’ response to certain food groups are. One type of food may assist in weight loss for one person, but the very same food may increase weight gain in another. Now you may begin to see how ‘one size fits all’ diets can never work.
What determines our personal requirements?
We have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years (possibly even millions) to do well on certain types of food. When we stray from those foods excess weight, lethargy and degenerative disease is sure to follow. Activity and stress levels also play a major role in the types of food we require at any given time.
In short, those who enjoy robust health and a great physique on a diet of heavier, fattier foods (such as offal, read meat, game etc.) will not do so well on a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. For example, indigenous peoples studied by Western A Price such as the Alaskan Eskimos followed a diet composed of around 70-90% fats, oils and proteins, simply because that’s what was available to them. When these indigenous peoples adopt a more grain-based diet of ‘civilised’ society incidences of weight gain, diabetes and heart disease quickly increase.
At the opposite end of the scale are those such as the Bantu tribe of Africa, studied by Nathan Pridikins. These tribes too enjoyed the same robust health on a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in fruits, vegetables and grains. Again, when these peoples adopt anything other than their ancestral diet health inevitably declines.
Most of us exist somewhere between these two extremes. No one is more right or wrong, we are just genetically different, and therefore require different fuels- are you an Eskimo or a Bantu?
Metabolic typing is a questionnaire based process designed to help establish which types of foods are right for you, and in what proportions you should be eating them for optimal energy, weight management, health and well-being. Most people have never enjoyed truly good health, which means so much more than the absence of degenerative disease. 44% of the UK report chronic degenerative disease, while 80% plus consider their health to be ‘okay’. Do we really have a clue? Ask yourself, would you prefer to be okay, or fantastic?
Kieran specialises in personal exercise, nutrition and lifestyle coaching. To find out more on finding out your metabolic type contact him on 07766 808553 or visit www.diligenthealth.co.uk
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We know that we are all unique, and just like our differences in appearance on the outside, we are all different on the inside too. It therefore makes perfect sense that what food may be good or ‘healthy’ for one person, may not be so for another. For example, shellfish may provide a great source of micronutrients for one person, yet may send another into anaphylactic shock! This is just one example of how diverse our bodies’ response to certain food groups are. One type of food may assist in weight loss for one person, but the very same food may increase weight gain in another. Now you may begin to see how ‘one size fits all’ diets can never work.
What determines our personal requirements?
We have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years (possibly even millions) to do well on certain types of food. When we stray from those foods excess weight, lethargy and degenerative disease is sure to follow. Activity and stress levels also play a major role in the types of food we require at any given time.
In short, those who enjoy robust health and a great physique on a diet of heavier, fattier foods (such as offal, read meat, game etc.) will not do so well on a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. For example, indigenous peoples studied by Western A Price such as the Alaskan Eskimos followed a diet composed of around 70-90% fats, oils and proteins, simply because that’s what was available to them. When these indigenous peoples adopt a more grain-based diet of ‘civilised’ society incidences of weight gain, diabetes and heart disease quickly increase.
At the opposite end of the scale are those such as the Bantu tribe of Africa, studied by Nathan Pridikins. These tribes too enjoyed the same robust health on a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in fruits, vegetables and grains. Again, when these peoples adopt anything other than their ancestral diet health inevitably declines.
Most of us exist somewhere between these two extremes. No one is more right or wrong, we are just genetically different, and therefore require different fuels- are you an Eskimo or a Bantu?
Metabolic typing is a questionnaire based process designed to help establish which types of foods are right for you, and in what proportions you should be eating them for optimal energy, weight management, health and well-being. Most people have never enjoyed truly good health, which means so much more than the absence of degenerative disease. 44% of the UK report chronic degenerative disease, while 80% plus consider their health to be ‘okay’. Do we really have a clue? Ask yourself, would you prefer to be okay, or fantastic?
Kieran specialises in personal exercise, nutrition and lifestyle coaching. To find out more on finding out your metabolic type contact him on 07766 808553 or visit www.diligenthealth.co.uk
Back to index