Humans are amazing in that each and every one of us is unique. This fact holds true for both our eating habits and how we process food.
What we eat, when we eat, how we eat, our genetics, our stress levels, our ability to get a good night’s sleep, exercise and our gut health all intermingle in a series of complex equations.
In recent times, these processes have been complicated further by the fact we live in a world in which food is available 24/7, and we have access to every flavour combo imaginable.
It’s no surprise that all this over-saturation has a dramatic impact on our genetic expression; we’re actually training ourselves to eat more. But although our environment has changed, our bodies have not. In an underfed state, we have hormonal signals that release stored nutrients.
But when we break the neuroregulation of our appetite – aka the body’s appetite control – by chronically overeating, we actually produce a state in which the brain and liver think we’re starving, despite being awash with energy from excess food.
Thankfully, by recognising the unique interactions at play in our bodies – from our genetics to the health of our microbiome, ie the micro-organisms in our body – we can take steps to ‘rewire’ our metabolism and regain control of our appetite.
How can metabolic typing help?
Understanding the mechanisms at play is something owner of Suna Pilates, Susie Cleland, has specialised in since starting her practice 15 years ago.
Susie uses the concept of metabolic typing – the scientific methodology for customised nutrition. This methodology identifies the best fuel types for a person’s metabolism, to help clients understand the different roles of carbs, fats and proteins.
“It’s about understanding what carbs do best and what carbs do worst, and then choosing to take in sufficient essential nutrients, including protein, fats, vitamins and minerals that support our activity, growth and repair,” says Susie, who is also a holistic life coach and kinesiologist.
Susie says the concept of personalised nutrition is gaining ground as more people begin to realise it’s up to them to take control of their health and their environment.
Whereas many nutritionists and dietitians prescribe meal plans based on generalised percentages of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, metabolic typing looks at how much of each we should be eating based on both our biological heritage, ie the genetic characteristics that have been passed down to us, and what’s happening in our environment.
Often it’s a mismatch between the type of fuel we are consuming, our genetic history and our environment (both external and internal) that causes the breakdown of the body’s appetite control, makes our hormonal signals go haywire and causes us to consume too much of the wrong types of food.
“We used to believe that what your DNA is, is what you’re stuck with. But when it comes to genetics, the biggest indicator of genetic change is environment. It’s not just what we’re eating or how we’re exercising, it’s also our beliefs, our words and our deeds.”
So how can we eat in a way that’s in harmony with our genetics?
“The idea is to eat a diet built around largely whole, unprocessed foods that don’t cause dysfunction of the neuro-regulation of appetite,” says Susie.
So although the details of our diet will depend on our individual metabolic type, Susie says there are some guidelines that apply across the board. These allow us to optimise ourselves (mentally and physically) and our environment to help us retrain our appetites.
This means opting for meals that are simple in texture and flavour, that change with the seasons and where we have to expend some amount of energy before we get the goods.
It’s also about hydrating ourselves well, reducing stress and increasing the amount of time we spend doing things that activate the parasympathetic nervous system, like exercising outside, meditating, or socialising with friends.
The gut factor
The reason we want to reduce stress as much as possible is because research has shown it’s of crucial importance when it comes to establishing and maintaining a healthy microbiome.
Made up of trillions of bacterial cells, our microbiome plays a huge role in influencing our genes and its discovery has totally changed our understanding of health and hygiene. Consuming enough good-quality fat while avoiding excess sugar is crucial to supporting a healthy microbiome.
“Fat actually feeds your muscles,” says Susie. “It’s what lubricates your joints and was the most prized thing our ancestors ever could get their hands on.
“Even our grandparents were living a lot closer to how we should be – making butter, fermenting and preserving – doing all of these things that promote good gut bacteria. Instead, today we’re surrounded by parasites that deplete our immune systems, we have little good bacteria in our gut and people think that’s normal, when it absolutely is not.”
The science of eating
When we consume too much food, we top up our liver and muscle glycogen from excess carbs and protein (which by this stage have converted to glucose). This glycogen is stored in our fat cells and muscles.
Once these locations are at full capacity, our bodies start to look at other ways to handle the additional food.
With nowhere to put these substances, our blood sugar and blood lipid levels increase. Meanwhile, excess fat increases the inflammatory signalling in our body, which accelerates the cascade of problems related to elevated blood glucose. This leads to the development of insulin resistance and
type 2 diabetes.
A study published in the prestigious journal Cell saw researchers screen 800 people for the composition of their gut biome, in addition to looking at basic blood work (cholesterol levels, blood glucose and inflammatory markers).
During the study, they ate daily meals including an equal amount of carbohydrates from either bread, bread plus butter, glucose or fructose. Using a continuous glucose-monitoring device placed beneath their skin, researchers tracked the response participants had to the meals they ate.
The most groundbreaking finding was that a person’s glycemic response (how much their blood glucose increased) was influenced by genetic factors, exercise, body fat levels and, most interesting of all, the gut microbiome.
Susie’s top tips: How to regulate your appetite
• Map foods you respond well to. Develop an eating schedule that maximises your energy and allows you to reach your optimal weight.
• Get the neuroregulation of your appetite back on track. Try to identify the amount and types of carbs that work best for you and choose to eat whole, unprocessed foods. Talking to an expert may help.
• Chew your food well and eat only until you feel full. “Overconsumption of [healthy] food is actually difficult due to the way wholefoods fill you up,” says Susie.
• Drink lots of water. To work out how much you should be drinking, multiply your weight in kilos by 0.033 to give you the number of litres.
• Move your body. Aim to do so for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Be mindful. Notice how your thoughts impact on your physical state.
