Protein type.... Foods to Avoid
Certain foods really aggravate your metabolic imbalances ans should be avoided. You may have strong adverse reactions to these foods, or if your metabolism is less sensitive, the reactions may be slight or even non-existent. Or your reaction to these problem foods could vary from time to time. All these possibilities are common and reflect yet another facet of metabolic individuality.
Keep in mind that the effects of nutrition are cumulative. The more you ingest a food, the stronger the effect becomes. So even if you don't display any noticeable adverse reactions, it still best to minimize your intake of the following foods whenever possible. In short stick to your allowable foods. But, if you simply must eat something not on that list, be aware that the following foods are particularly undesirable for you metabolism.
Alcohol
In any form (beer, wine, liquor) alcohol is a form of poison to your body. When you consume it, your body must detoxify it and neutralize its adverse effects. From this standpoint, it really isn't good for anyone. But as a simple sugar, alcohol is also the worst kind of fuel for all types. Its a simple sugar so it can wreak havoc with your metabolism. It triggers excessive insulin secretion, which leads to blood sugar imbalances, increased fat storage, and the development of chronic degenerative processes throughout the body. Thus, moderation with alcohol is strongly recommended.
Allergenic or Reactive Foods
Your allowable Foods chart provides recommendations for foods that will specifically support your metabolic type. This mean that they contain the right balance of nutrients for your type. Whether or not you are currently reactive or allergic to to any of these foods is a completely different issue. If you have known reactions to any recommended foods, leave them out of your diet temporarily, but try them from time to time. As your chemistry changes, so too may your food reactivities. This is the experience of many individuals who have properly customized their diets to match their metabolism.
Caffeine
Avoid caffeine products as much as possible, including coffee, black teas, caffeine containing herbs, and soft rinks. If yo do insist on drinking coffee, make sure its organic and limit it to no more than one to two cups per day. Also, when drinking caffeinated beverages, make sure to eat some protein, as protein will, to a degree help combat caffeine adverse effect. Bottom line: Caffeine is counter productive for your metabolism, whether you are a fast oxidizer or a parasympathetic dominant. In fast oxidizers, coffee directly worsens the imbalances in their cellular oxidative processes, increasing their oxidation rate even further. In parasympathetics, the caffeine stimulation to the adrenals is akin to whipping a tired horse, as most parasympathetics have weaker adrenal function to begin with. Short term, this stimulation is pleasurable, but long term it only worsens the problem by further exhausting the adrenals.
Fruit Juices / Citrus Fruits
Fruit Juices in general, and citrus fruits specifically, are best avoided. Fruit juices are too high in sugar for protein types. Devoid of fiber, the concentrated juice has a particularly powerful negative impact on your type. The flooding of sugar into your bloodstream causes a strong insulin surge that rapidly lowers blood sugar and increases fat storage. And next to alcohol, citrus fruit is probably the poorest choice of any food for you. Whether your a sympathetic dominant or a fast oxidizer. Because citrus fruit is high in potassium, sugar, and citric acid, it directly accelerates fast oxidative processes, worsening the imbalances of fast oxidizers. In parasympathetics, citrus has the most powerful alkalizing effect of any food and thus dramatically worsens their already too alkaline body chemistry leading to increased lethargy, depression, and fatigue.
Sugar
In significant quantities sugar is not good for anyone. However, sugar is particularly bad for your metabolic type, so avoid or minimize it as much as you can. Be especially watchful for hidden sugars present in processed package foods. Sugar is added to a great many commercial foods, and it can really add up if your not careful, secretly sabotaging your best intentions to follow your dietary recommendations. By the way, by “sugar” I mean all forms of sugar-processed and natural-including beet sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey,fructose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup,maple syrup, etc...
Foods high in Oxalic Acids
Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring acid in some foods that interferes with the absorption of calcium. Because calcium is particularly important for your metabolic type, you should avoid or minimize foods high in oxalic acid. These include black tea, blackberry, beets, beet greens, chard, chocolate, cocoa, cranberries, currants(red), endive, gooseberries, grapes, green peppers, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes. Apples asparagus and spinach are exceptions. The good news is that cooking destroys the oxalic acid, so items such as beets, beet greens, chard, cranberries, green peppers, rhubarb, asparagus, and spinach are all best eaten when cooked.
High Glycemic Foods
All carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains) are converted to glucose in the bod y. Carbohydrates are categorized according to the rate or speed at which they hit the blood stream as glucose and are ranked according in what is known as the glycemic index. High glycemic foods such as grains and starchy vegetables hit your bloodstream much more rapidly than low glycemic foods like proteins and fats. That's why you need to carefully regulate high glycemic foods and place much more emphasis on those foods that are lower on the GI. Your metabolic type simply cant handle large amounts of foods that convert rapidly to glucose in your blood stream. Whenever you do eat high glycemic foods, be sure to eat plenty of protein and fat at the same time to help slow down the rate at which high glycemic foods are converted to sugar.
Foods High in Phytates
In every traditional culture in the world for thousands of years, whole grains have been prepared by soaking or fermenting them prior to cooking. Modern science has revealed the wisdom behind these traditions by discovering that all grains and legumes contain substances called phytates. Phytic acid is a chemical found in the bran portion of grains, and the skins of legumes. It bonds with calcium (and iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and zinc) in the intestinal tract, thereby preventing absorption of these minerals. When consumed excessively, phytates can cause serious mineral deficiencies, allergies, intestinal distress, and bone loss. Since your a protein type, with an increased need for calcium phytate products are particularly problematic for you. All grains contain phytates, but wheat, oats, soy, and soy milk have the highest concentration. What to do? Simply soak any grains (such as oat, millet, rye, barley, quinoa) overnight before you cook them. You can also liberally use miso, soy sauce, and tempeh, since these are fermented products and fermentation destroys phytates. However, tofu, soy milk, and soy protein powders are not fermented and do contain phytates, so you should limit consumption of these food items. Sprouted grain breads, and sourdough with its long fermentation process are also entirely free of phytates. All other breads are full of phytates and should be avoided.
Foods high in gluten and enzyme inhibitors
Grains contain hard to digest proteins like gluten. Insufficient digestion of such proteins has been linked to problems such as allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, indigestion, and yeast over growth. But here again, soaking and fermentation renders such proteins more digestible and their nutrients more readily available. So sourdough and sprouted grain breads are preferable to other varieties. Soy beans also contain potent enzyme inhibitors that need to be neutralized through fermentation or soaking.
Certain foods really aggravate your metabolic imbalances ans should be avoided. You may have strong adverse reactions to these foods, or if your metabolism is less sensitive, the reactions may be slight or even non-existent. Or your reaction to these problem foods could vary from time to time. All these possibilities are common and reflect yet another facet of metabolic individuality.
Keep in mind that the effects of nutrition are cumulative. The more you ingest a food, the stronger the effect becomes. So even if you don't display any noticeable adverse reactions, it still best to minimize your intake of the following foods whenever possible. In short stick to your allowable foods. But, if you simply must eat something not on that list, be aware that the following foods are particularly undesirable for you metabolism.
Alcohol
In any form (beer, wine, liquor) alcohol is a form of poison to your body. When you consume it, your body must detoxify it and neutralize its adverse effects. From this standpoint, it really isn't good for anyone. But as a simple sugar, alcohol is also the worst kind of fuel for all types. Its a simple sugar so it can wreak havoc with your metabolism. It triggers excessive insulin secretion, which leads to blood sugar imbalances, increased fat storage, and the development of chronic degenerative processes throughout the body. Thus, moderation with alcohol is strongly recommended.
Allergenic or Reactive Foods
Your allowable Foods chart provides recommendations for foods that will specifically support your metabolic type. This mean that they contain the right balance of nutrients for your type. Whether or not you are currently reactive or allergic to to any of these foods is a completely different issue. If you have known reactions to any recommended foods, leave them out of your diet temporarily, but try them from time to time. As your chemistry changes, so too may your food reactivities. This is the experience of many individuals who have properly customized their diets to match their metabolism.
Caffeine
Avoid caffeine products as much as possible, including coffee, black teas, caffeine containing herbs, and soft rinks. If yo do insist on drinking coffee, make sure its organic and limit it to no more than one to two cups per day. Also, when drinking caffeinated beverages, make sure to eat some protein, as protein will, to a degree help combat caffeine adverse effect. Bottom line: Caffeine is counter productive for your metabolism, whether you are a fast oxidizer or a parasympathetic dominant. In fast oxidizers, coffee directly worsens the imbalances in their cellular oxidative processes, increasing their oxidation rate even further. In parasympathetics, the caffeine stimulation to the adrenals is akin to whipping a tired horse, as most parasympathetics have weaker adrenal function to begin with. Short term, this stimulation is pleasurable, but long term it only worsens the problem by further exhausting the adrenals.
Fruit Juices / Citrus Fruits
Fruit Juices in general, and citrus fruits specifically, are best avoided. Fruit juices are too high in sugar for protein types. Devoid of fiber, the concentrated juice has a particularly powerful negative impact on your type. The flooding of sugar into your bloodstream causes a strong insulin surge that rapidly lowers blood sugar and increases fat storage. And next to alcohol, citrus fruit is probably the poorest choice of any food for you. Whether your a sympathetic dominant or a fast oxidizer. Because citrus fruit is high in potassium, sugar, and citric acid, it directly accelerates fast oxidative processes, worsening the imbalances of fast oxidizers. In parasympathetics, citrus has the most powerful alkalizing effect of any food and thus dramatically worsens their already too alkaline body chemistry leading to increased lethargy, depression, and fatigue.
Sugar
In significant quantities sugar is not good for anyone. However, sugar is particularly bad for your metabolic type, so avoid or minimize it as much as you can. Be especially watchful for hidden sugars present in processed package foods. Sugar is added to a great many commercial foods, and it can really add up if your not careful, secretly sabotaging your best intentions to follow your dietary recommendations. By the way, by “sugar” I mean all forms of sugar-processed and natural-including beet sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey,fructose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup,maple syrup, etc...
Foods high in Oxalic Acids
Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring acid in some foods that interferes with the absorption of calcium. Because calcium is particularly important for your metabolic type, you should avoid or minimize foods high in oxalic acid. These include black tea, blackberry, beets, beet greens, chard, chocolate, cocoa, cranberries, currants(red), endive, gooseberries, grapes, green peppers, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes. Apples asparagus and spinach are exceptions. The good news is that cooking destroys the oxalic acid, so items such as beets, beet greens, chard, cranberries, green peppers, rhubarb, asparagus, and spinach are all best eaten when cooked.
High Glycemic Foods
All carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains) are converted to glucose in the bod y. Carbohydrates are categorized according to the rate or speed at which they hit the blood stream as glucose and are ranked according in what is known as the glycemic index. High glycemic foods such as grains and starchy vegetables hit your bloodstream much more rapidly than low glycemic foods like proteins and fats. That's why you need to carefully regulate high glycemic foods and place much more emphasis on those foods that are lower on the GI. Your metabolic type simply cant handle large amounts of foods that convert rapidly to glucose in your blood stream. Whenever you do eat high glycemic foods, be sure to eat plenty of protein and fat at the same time to help slow down the rate at which high glycemic foods are converted to sugar.
Foods High in Phytates
In every traditional culture in the world for thousands of years, whole grains have been prepared by soaking or fermenting them prior to cooking. Modern science has revealed the wisdom behind these traditions by discovering that all grains and legumes contain substances called phytates. Phytic acid is a chemical found in the bran portion of grains, and the skins of legumes. It bonds with calcium (and iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and zinc) in the intestinal tract, thereby preventing absorption of these minerals. When consumed excessively, phytates can cause serious mineral deficiencies, allergies, intestinal distress, and bone loss. Since your a protein type, with an increased need for calcium phytate products are particularly problematic for you. All grains contain phytates, but wheat, oats, soy, and soy milk have the highest concentration. What to do? Simply soak any grains (such as oat, millet, rye, barley, quinoa) overnight before you cook them. You can also liberally use miso, soy sauce, and tempeh, since these are fermented products and fermentation destroys phytates. However, tofu, soy milk, and soy protein powders are not fermented and do contain phytates, so you should limit consumption of these food items. Sprouted grain breads, and sourdough with its long fermentation process are also entirely free of phytates. All other breads are full of phytates and should be avoided.
Foods high in gluten and enzyme inhibitors
Grains contain hard to digest proteins like gluten. Insufficient digestion of such proteins has been linked to problems such as allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, indigestion, and yeast over growth. But here again, soaking and fermentation renders such proteins more digestible and their nutrients more readily available. So sourdough and sprouted grain breads are preferable to other varieties. Soy beans also contain potent enzyme inhibitors that need to be neutralized through fermentation or soaking.