Frequently Asked Diet Questions

What's the number one dietary myth?
The biggest dietary fallacy is the notion of a "healthy, balanced diet." There is no such thing. The only "healthy" diet for you is one that is compatible with your metabolic type.

Why do diets fail? In other words, why do so many people find it impossible to lose weight and keep it off?
Most weight loss approaches only address the symptoms of obesity, not the underlying cause of obesity. The underlying cause of obesity is metabolic imbalance caused by peoples' failure to meet their individualized, genetically-based nutritional requirements.

Why is obesity a runaway epidemic in the United States? Why are people in Europe and other regions of the world far more fit and trim?
The robust health and fitness often seen in people in other cultures has a great deal to do with the fact that they adhere to "native" or "ancestral" diets, i.e., they eat specific foods and food combinations that their systems are genetically designed to handle.

What's wrong with high protein diets? Or high carbohydrate diets? I know people who have succeeded with both these approaches.
There's nothing wrong with these dietary approaches. They can and do work for some people. The problem is, standardized or "one-size-fits-all" diets only work by chance -- for those people who happen to have metabolisms well suited to these approaches.

I tried a high protein diet and it worked great for a while; I lost weight and felt energized. But now it's not working anymore. I feel fatigued and the weight is coming back.
Peoples' dietary needs are not only infinitely variable; they can also shift, for any number of reasons. Metabolic typing is revolutionary because it allows people to tailor a diet to their own highly specific needs, and to modify their diets if their metabolism shifts.

Why do I feel tired all the time, even though I eat a very healthy, balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep?
You can be eating all the highest quality foods and taking good care of yourself, but if you're not eating according to your metabolic type, you won't be able to efficiently convert food into energy; you will store it as fat instead.

Why have Americans gotten so much fatter in recent years, even though we're consuming much less fat?
Contrary to popular wisdom, fat is not what makes people fat. What makes people fat is their inability to eat the right proteins, carbohydrates and fat in a ratio that is appropriate to their metabolic type.

The high protein, high fat diets are all the rage now, but they seem dangerous to me.
In some places in the world, there are people who have thrived for centuries on diets very high in proteins and fat. Their metabolisms have evolved in accordance with their habitats. For instance, in traditional Eskimo cultures, there is virtually no heart disease or cancer, even though these people consume extraordinarily large amounts of meat and fat.

Don't I have to be very careful about how much cholesterol I consume?
No. Unlike what you've been taught to believe, the build-up of unhealthy cholesterol is not a function of how much cholesterol-rich food you consume. Rather, it's the result of disordered cholesterol metabolism, which is caused by eating a diet inappropriate for your metabolic type.

Is it true that "one man's meat is another's poison?"
Yes, it's literally true. The very same diet that can cause chronic illness in some people can actually prevent and reverse the identical health disorders in other people. For example, people who come from cold, harsh, northern climates tend to need high-protein, high-fat diets in order to sustain themselves. On the other hand, people from tropical or equatorial regions tend to thrive on much lighter foods, i.e., diets much lower in protein and fat, and higher in carbohydrates.

Why is there so much variation in peoples' dietary needs?
People have different metabolic and dietary needs as a result of evolution and adaptation. Over a period of many years, our ancestors developed specific dietary needs in response to specific aspects of their environment -- climate, vegetation, food supply, etc.

Why do we need metabolic typing to identify what our needs are?
One reason is that our society has become a "genetic melting pot." Before the modern age of mass transportation, when societies were far more isolated and homogenous, people just automatically followed their "ancestral diets." The food they had available was the very food that was healthiest for them. But today, due to industrialization, our food choices are endless. And due to so much intermarriage and intermingling of people from so many different cultures, many of us have genetic influences from many directions, and no clear cut or readily identifiable "ancestral diet."

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Cleansing Herbs and Their Effects

DANDELION ROOT
Dandelion root is a well-known LIVER herb that stimulates the production of bile in the liver and the secretion of bile from the gallbladder, and is also a diuretic. It can act as a DIURETIC, helping to eliminate excess fluids from the body

It can purify the bloodstream and liver, and it can stimulate the manufacture of bile. It contains the active ingredients: Lactupicrine, a bitter principle, tannin, inulin, polysaccharides and carotene.

MILK THISTLE Milk thistle seed is a LIVER herb that exerts powerful anti-oxidant effects on the liver and prevents the recirculation of toxins in the liver. Milk thistle seed contains the active ingredient Silymarin.

BURDOCK ROOT Burdock has been traditionally used as a BLOOD PURIFIER to clear the bloodstream of toxins. Burdock's active ingredients are arcigen, calcium, chlorogenic acid, essential oil, flavonoids, iron, inulin, lactone, mucilage, polyacetylenes, potassium, resin, tannin, and taraxosterol.

RED CLOVER Red clover can stimulate the IMMUNE SYSTEM, and help clear the LUNGS of congestion. It is also a BLOOD PURIFIER and a GENERAL TONIC. The following isoflavones are present in red clover: biochanin A, formononetine, genistein and daidzein.

TURMERIC ROOT Turmeric is a powerful ANTI-INFLAMMATORY and has ANTI-
HEPATOTOXIC effects, meaning that it protects the liver against harmful toxins such as heavy metals and xenobiotics. Turmeric has strong ANTIOXIDANT properties, quenching the free radical activity caused by heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.

HYDRANGEA ROOT Hydrangea root has a greater ANTIOXIDANT power on liver tissue, than milk thistle and turmeric combined. It is also an excellent KIDNEY herb that helps to clear the kidneys.

UVA URSI LEAF Uva Ursi leaf, also called Bearberry leaf, is a natural ANTI-BACTERIAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY and helps to clear mucous and catarrh from the bladder and KIDNEYS. Arbutin is one of the therapeutic phytonutrients that it contains.

Acne - What Helps and What to Avoid

As most people know, hormones play a significant role in acne. Acne is NOT caused by uncleanliness but rather by overactive oil glands caused by hormonal fluctuations. Many people will use harsh chemicals treatments, wash the face excessively, which can be extremely irritating and lead to redness and infection of the blemishes. Excess yeast in the system can be another underlying cause of acne so using antibiotics can further aggravate the problem by causing an imbalance of bacteria in the intestines leading to a yeast overgrowth.

A natural treatment plan for acne emphasizes dietary changes. The second biggest contributor to acne is poor nutrition. Fat, sugar and processed foods accelerate skin inflammation and acne. Other considerations are stress reduction, detoxification, natural hormone balancing and identifying potential allergies.

What Helps:

DARK GREEN & ORANGE VEGETABLES: These are full of beta-carotene which helps maintain and repair the skin. It is best to eat them raw or lightly cooked.

FLAXSEEDS: Consuming ½ cup per day will provide plenty of fiber for proper elimination as well as useful essential fatty acids. Take with 8 ounces of water.

NUTS & SEEDS: Almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds are good choices for skin-healthy vitamin E and essential fatty acids.

GOOD QUALITY PROTEIN: Beans, lentils, peas, eggs and fresh cold-water fish such as mackerel, sardines, herring and salmon.

PLAIN YOGURT: The good bacteria in yogurt can help combat yeast overgrowth in the intestines.

ZINC: This is one of the best minerals for the treatment of acne as it promotes skin healing. Take 50mg 2 times per day.

SAW PALMETTO: Blocks excessive DHT of the sebaceous glands and is effective for both men and women. Take 160mg/day

DANDELION ROOT: Supports the liver, which may be overtaxed with toxins. It also acts as a gentle laxative and can help with waste removal. Take 300-500mg/day

MILK THISTLE: Also supports liver detoxification. Take 200-250mg/day

OIL OF OREGANO: Destroys yeast overgrowths associated with acne formation. Take 500mg twice a day or use the liquid form under the tongue (it tastes horrible but works)

COLLOIDAL SILVER: This solution should be in every medicine cabinet. It is has amazing anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. Dab it onto pimples twice daily (also use on any cuts or abrasions and they will heal very quickly and likely not get infected)

TEA TREE OIL: Apply a solution of 5% tea tree diluted in water by dabbing on blemishes. Test a small area of your skin first for irritation.

GREEN FOODS: Chlorella, spirulina and other seaweeds and grasses support skin healing and detoxification.

What to Avoid:

JUNK & PROCESSED FOODS: Of course, this recommendation applies to everyone, but the toxins in these foods will lead to more acne.

SUGAR: Sugar encourages oil production and is a food source for bacteria and yeast. Artificial sweeteners.

POTENTIAL ALLERGINS: Wheat, dairy, sugar, chocolate and corn are common allergins that can trigger acne. Try an elimination diet to see if symptoms improve.

CAFFEINE: Tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks may aggravate skin conditions.