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Personalized

Nutrition

Rico Caveglia ©2006

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Personalized Nutrition

For maximum energy optimal health and longevity, it is wise to

eat the foods and amounts that are best for your body type,

unique bio-chemistry and lifestyle

Healthy eating begins by deciding what are the best foods to

eat. The many different opinions on this subject make it a

difficult decision. There seems to be a new diet book every

month, with a new theory and new solution to the problems

of obesity, lack of energy, and many other health problems.

They all offer studies and testimonials to prove that their

program is best for almost everyone. The question I ask is,

how can one method be right for everyone, when we now

know that everyone is mentally, physically and bio-

chemically unique? No wonder so much confusion reigns.

There are many good books available on nutrition with

healthy recipes and individual diets. However until now,

none that have put it all together in a workable system that

everyone can use.

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Personalized Programs

As we learn more about the role nutrition plays in creating

good health, new theories may contradict the previous ones.

You can safely conclude that the latest theory or fad diet is

just that, a theory. Only you can test and decide if it is

beneficial for you. Any successful diet program or system

has to be customized to suit the individual. So obtain as

much up -to - date information as you can, and enjoy

learning about the person that’s uniquely you.

Experiencing “The Real Food Zone!”

In order to obtain the maximum benefits from eating real

food, you must learn which foods are best suited for you and

your body type. It is also helpful to determine the optimal

amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates to eat, in

percentage of your total calorie intake.

In his best selling book, “Enter the Zone” Dr. Barry Sears

states that it is the hormonal response to the food that you

eat not the calories that count. He believes it is the high

carbohydrate-low fat mania (that everyone from medical

doctors to the food industry were promoting,) that has

actually kept people over-fat and under nourished.

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It seems that when you eat too many carbohydrates, the

heavy insulin response required to burn the glucose (blood

sugar) blocks the availability of fat to also be burned as

energy. Therefore, on a high carbohydrate diet your body

basically is only using blood sugar and never gets around to

burning stored body fat for energy. To varying degrees,

many people are also carbohydrate sensitive. This means

they either have trouble with fermentation of the sugars

which causes many problems, or their pancreas produces

either too much or too little insulin. This results in either

high or low blood sugar. It is also important to realize that

eating to many carbohydrates will produce an excess of

blood sugar which can be converted to and stored as fat.

Now of course we have gone to the other extreme and

people are afraid to eat carbohydrates. Remember,

vegetables and fruits are carbohydrates and a certain

amount of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and

brown rice are an important part of a healthy balanced diet.

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Balance

Balanced nutrition and proper food choices are the keys to

getting and staying in the Zone of Peak Performance and

excellent health.

This fits in with one of the great natural laws of the

universe: the Principle of Balance. In order to function

optimally, every aspect of our world including our body/mind

thrives on balance. A short-term fast or special diet may be

beneficial if we are ill, but if long term good health is to be

maintained, we must get back to a balanced diet. The

concept of being in the zone of peak performance is really all

about being in balance mentally and physically and

spiritually.

I have found that most people will have the most energy

and function optimally when eating meals that are balanced

in approximately the ratio, by percent of total calories, of

10-30% protein, 10-30% fat and 40-70% carbohydrates.

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Calories

How many calories per day should you eat? According to The

Nutrition Almanac, by Lavon J. Dunne, active women can

consume up to 22 calories per pound of body weight, or of

desired body weight. Active men can consume up to 26

calories per pound of body weight. Unless you are on a

special diet designed by a healthy healthcare practitioner,

you should be eating no less than approximately 1200

calories per day. A healthy healthcare practitioner is one

that practices what he or she preaches. Notice I only gave a

guideline for active women and men; this is because I want

to encourage you to be physically active.

If you want to enjoy eating an abundance of Real Food, with

good digestion and elimination, you must also exercise on a

daily basis.

Exercise

I believe everyone wants to be optimally healthy, fit and

experience life to the fullest. This implies being active,

moving, playing and exercising daily. If you are not currently

leading an active lifestyle, I strongly recommend that you

begin to incorporate appropriate movement and exercise,

such as walking and yoga, into your daily routine.

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You can check out my E-Book Real Fit Real Fast at:

www.AgelessLivingLifestyle.com. It offers my famous full

body workout in 30 minutes, without using any equipment.

Individuality

I again want to stress that everyone is bio-chemically

unique. You have to be aware of what works or doesn’t

work for you and make the necessary adjustments. You will

need to adjust the amount of calories as well as the

percentages of foods you eat, depending on how you feel.

Use knowledge but learn to trust your inner-self and stay

open and flexible. What may seem to be the right answer

today may be disproved or inappropriate tomorrow?

Always strive for balance and you won't be far off.

Determining What's Best for You

Unfortunately a magic formula doesn’t exist, however the

following are some proven methods for zeroing in on what

may work best for you .

Method # 1: Metabolic Profiling

Why is it that sometimes you can do all the "right things";

eat healthy organic foods, take all of the latest

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recommended nutritional supplements, follow the current

guidelines for exercise and healthful living and still not

achieve the desired level of health. It is because of our

genetic biochemical individuality. Each individual is born

with a genetic need for certain types and amounts of

nutrients. Therefore, an effective eating and supplement

plan must be formulated to suit each individual. This is why

one food or supplement may give great results for one and

be actually detrimental to another.

History

Metabolic profiling probably first began in India’s ancient

holistic health care system, called Ayurveda Medicine. They

identified three main body types, Vata, Pita and Kapha, and

discovered ways of balancing each type with certain foods

and herbs. Similar information emerged in the 1950’s.

Western medicine developed the concept of endocrine types,

such as thyroid, adrenal and pituitary and linked those types

to certain foods. Also about this time, researchers noted the

different influences of oxidation in individuals. Individuals

were then classified as either fast or slow oxidizers.

Next, scientist Dr. Roger William’s extensive research

brought forth his genetotrophic theory. It suggests that

every human being has distinct nutritional requirements. He

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believes that each individual is born with a genetic need for

certain types and combinations of foods and initiated the

term “genetic biochemical individuality”.

Then in the 1980’s, Dr. William Kelley developed a

computerized system of metabolic profiling. The system was

based on the genetic interrelationships between the

autonomic nervous system, the oxidative system and the

endocrine system and their influence in the creation,

maintenance and control of energy. An individual’s

physiological, psychological and diet related characteristics

can be categorized according to their relationship to these

three main energy systems.

Most recently in 2000, “The Metabolic Typing Diet” by

Wolcott & Fahey was published. This is a very

comprehensive 400 page book on the subject that breaks it

down to protein types, carbohydrate types and mixed types.

We have taken some basic characteristics from all of these

to give you a quick and easy idea of which body type

classification is suited to you. After identifying your body

type (one, two or three), you can check to see what

percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrate as well as

what particular foods might be best for you.

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General Characteristics of Type One:

• thin light frame

• rarely gain weight

• mentally quick

• very active, move quickly

• sleep lightly

• enthusiastic, imaginative

• impatient, moody

• outgoing

• tire easily

• tendency to worry

• irregular hunger and digestion

• changeable

• emotional

If you have many of these characteristics, try the

following general eating plan.

Percentages of foods :

Proteins (25-40%), Fats (20-30%), Carbs. (30-50%)

The idea here is to basically balance your proteins and

carbohydrates with a good portion of healthy fats. Sweet,

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sour and salty tastes should be emphasized. You will do well

eating warm, heavy, satisfying foods, such as hot cereals,

hearty soups, stews and warm baked bread and butter.

Sweet fruits are best, oils are beneficial, nuts and seeds in

moderation. Lightly cooked vegetables are best, go easy on

raw vegetables and salads.

General Characteristics of Type Two:

• medium build, strength and endurance

• warm blooded

• sharp intellect

• good concentration

• articulate, opinionated argumentative, outspoken

• enterprising and ambitious

• intense, irritable

• cannot skip meals

• good digestion

If you have most of these characteristics, try the

following eating plan.

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Percentages of foods:

Proteins (20-30%), Fats (20-25%), Carbs. (40-60%)

Emphasize bitter, sweet and astringent tastes. You can eat

a balanced variety of foods, particularly those in season,

such as cool raw salads and juicy fruits in summer. Avoid

excessive animal fats, oils, salt, and over- eating.

General Characteristics of Type Three:

• heavy solid frame

• physical strength and endurance

• tendency to gain weight

• relaxed move slowly

• warm friendly personality

• slow to act

• steady energy

• heavy sleep

• slow digestion

• tolerant forgiving happy

• tendency to be possessive, complacent and resist

change

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If you have most of these characteristics, try the

following eating plan.

Percentages of foods:

Protein (20-30%), Fats (10-20%), Carbs. (50-70%)

Type threes should favor light, dry, warm, stimulating foods,

with an emphasis on astringent, pungent and bitter tastes.

Examples are: most all vegetables, apples, pears,

cranberries and most dried fruits, corn, millet, beans,

chicken, turkey and seeds. Minimize fats and oils, red meat,

dairy products, sugar and salt. Several light meals per day

are best.

Visualizing the percentages on your plate

The amounts of each type of food can be estimated visually

on your plate. In most cases the amount of carbohydrates

should be a third larger than the protein, and the fat one

third the size of the protein. Many foods contain hidden fat

so you may not need a visual of fat on your plate. Some

good examples are: fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds,

avocados and the raw butter on your vegetables. A

vegetarian meal should have a variety of grains, beans, nuts

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and seeds, and vegetables for a balanced mixture of protein,

carbohydrates and fats.

Many people are a combination of the basic three types, so a

good compromise is to try and eat a balance of protein, fats

and carbohydrates at each meal in the approximate ratio of

20% protein, 20% fat, & 60% carbohydrates, with the

majority of carbohydrates coming from fruits and vegetable.

Quite often however, what you eat can be more important

that how much you eat.

Method #2: Ancestry

Studies have shown that we are genetically best suited to

the diet that our ancestors ate for thousands of years. It

would be worth while to investigate your heritage and

discover the basic diet of your ancestors. As an example;

European and Scandinavian people have commonly

consumed lots of dairy products, while Asian and Africans

have not. Therefore if you are from European decent, dairy

products might be beneficial for you. If you are of Asian or

African descent you probably will not do well eating dairy

products.

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Evidence of ill health caused by improper diet can be seen in

immigrants all around the world, when they begin to adopt

the local eating habits.

Method #3: Lifestyle

If you are an athlete exercising vigorously, if you are

pregnant, or if you have special health challenges, you need

to adjust your caloric intake and your intake of certain

nutrients. Rather than give general suggestions here, I

highly recommend that you consult with a healthy

healthcare professional for a personalized monitored

program.

Method #4: Geography and Season

Where you live geographically is important when considering

what to eat. The foods that grow locally are naturally suited

to that climate and will give you the nutrition that is needed

for thriving in that particular environment.

We need more warm, heavy, foods in cold weather, and

light, high-water content foods in warm weather. For

instance, high-water content foods, such as juicy fruits and

vegetables, are needed in the tropics and in warm summer

weather, but not so much in winter or in a cold climate.

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Eskimos certainly would not do well on a fruit and vegetable

diet, just as South Sea Islanders would not be healthy

eating a high fat - high protein diet of raw fish.

Today’s modern food processing and shipping procedures

have made mangoes available to Norwegians in the winter

and frozen yogurt to Tahitians in the summer. Avoiding

out- of- season, non-local, processed- devitalized foods will

greatly contribute to your vitality.

Method #5: Testing Procedures

The Pulse Test

Foods that do not agree with you can cause mild allergic

type reactions, such as fatigue, headaches, joint pain,

improper digestion, and excess body fat. They will normally

cause an elevated heart rate shortly after ingesting them.

Take your pulse rate before eating and then again 20 to 30

minutes after eating a suspected food. If your heart rate is

at least 10 beats per minute higher than before you ate, that

food may cause you to experience fatigue, headaches, joint

pain, improper digestion and may contribute to excess body

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fat. Eliminate that food for awhile to see if it will make a

difference.

Muscle Testing

Muscle testing was originally developed as a diagnostic tool

by chiropractors to gather information about structural

misalignments in the body. This technique was later

expanded upon to observe the body’s response to various

substances. Various techniques have been developed that

can give us information as to what foods may be useful or

harmful to a particular person.

Your Body Knows

Muscle testing is based on the straight forward fact that your

body responds to whatever substance you put on your

tongue This response is immediate, definite, and easily

determined. A strong muscle will become weak when a

substance the body rejects is placed on the tongue. A

simple extended arm test shows this response quite well.

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Before we look into it, let’s step back in time for a moment.

Imagine you are a caveman or cavewoman. How do you

know what is good to eat? Very simple, you taste it. If it

tastes bad, you reject it; if it tastes good, you eat it. In

today’s world of processed foods, we have complicated this

natural reaction almost beyond the point of usefulness. All

those foods on the supermarket shelves are designed to

taste good despite what might be in them. Your taste buds

may be outflanked, but your body is not fooled.

The nerve endings on your tongue transmit information to

your brain, causing your body to react in a certain way when

a food touches your tongue, regardless of how it seems to

taste. Our body has an innate intelligence as to whether

something may affect us in a positive or negative manner.

How our muscles respond to a certain food is another way

our body gives us messages. Learning to interpret these

reactions and responding to them can have a very beneficial

effect on our health. Remember, your body knows what’s

good for it.

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The Test

Sitting or standing, simply hold one arm straight out to your

side with your palm facing down. Have a friend place his or

her hand on top of your extended arm near the wrist and

press down firmly yet gently toward the floor. With nothing

in your mouth, your arm will usually be able to resist the

downward pressure. This resistance will be felt by the

person who is testing you as a kind of “locking” of the arm in

place when the pressure is first applied. When this feeling of

“locking” is absent the arm feels weak, and can be pushed

down. Remember, this is a test of your body’s reaction and

not a contest to see who is stronger.

After establishing a strong test with nothing in the mouth,

then place the food in question on the tongue and repeat the

test. If the arm “locks”, the food is probably OK for you. If

the arm is weak your body is rejecting the food and telling

you to avoid it. While our minds may fool us, our body

always tells the truth.

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Method Six: Attention

Our bodies are continuously sending us signals to let us

know if something is good or bad for us at a particular time.

A signal of discomfort lets us know an imbalance exists

somewhere in our body. When we learn to tune into these

signals, we can begin to understand the reasons for our

pain. As a society we give away our personal power by not

taking personal responsibility for our health. We allow

someone else to tell us what is wrong and what we should

do about it. We look for the quick fix; just take a pill and

everything will be OK. This same mind set has gotten us to

accept fast devitalized food. Hungry and in a hurry, we go

for the quick fix, without regards for quality, taste, or

nutrition. Your body knows what is best for it; pay attention

to its signals.

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Slow Down

A direct correlation occurs between the amount of urgency

we feel in our life and the state of our health. If you always

rush and go for the quick fix for everything, your health will

be compromised in the process. It is difficult to listen to

your body and give it the attention it deserves when you are

in a hurry. If you want better health, slow down and pay

attention to what your body is telling you.

Begin to Trust your Inner Knowing

Before you eat a certain food, ask yourself, does my body

really want this? Is this food going to energize me or slow

me down? Pay attention to the first thoughts and feelings

that come up. They are usually the right ones to follow. For

example, if you are considering a cup of coffee the first cup

might seem inviting and you will get a positive response

from your body. However, when you go for the second cup

you may notice a slightly different response, your body may

seem indifferent. If you go for the third cup you might very

well get a recoil response from your stomach.

Think of the reasons you may drink excess coffee. Taste,

warmth, stimulation and habit can be satisfied by healthier

drinks such as herbal teas and coffee substitutes. Of course,

pure filtered water is the ideal drink.

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Tune in

Tune in to the messages your body gives you after eating a

certain food or meal. If you feel bloated, fatigued or

hyperactive, investigate what food may be presently causing

a particular condition. Becoming aware of what your body is

telling you takes practice, but it will pay great dividends.

This is a good reason to eat slowly and experience your meal

without distractions. This method of eating with awareness

is also helpful in resisting overeating, drinking and smoking.

Remembering that direction is more important than speed,

will help you to slow down and be in the present moment.

Being in the present body moment and trusting your inner

knowing (awareness) empowers all aspects of your life.

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An Eating Meditation

A moment of silence and gratitude before you begin eating

is a good way to learn to eat with respectful attention to

your food and your body. Reflect on the source of the food

and recite any simple prayer of gratitude or blessing that

comes naturally. Be still for a few moments and carefully

look at your food. Be aware of your feelings of hunger and

how you feel about putting this particular food in your body

at this time.

When you feel fully present and connected with yourself,

begin to eat slowly. Be aware of lifting the food to your

mouth, of slowly chewing, of tasting, of swallowing. Notice

if you feel hurried. Take your time and taste each bite,

noting the flavors, the textures, the feelings that arise.

Pause and enjoy before the next bite.

Notice when you start to feel full. You may think you want

to eat more even though your stomach says it is full. Stop

eating before you feel completely full. Remember you are

eating for energy, not to feel stuffed and tired. Continue this

same mindful attention throughout your meal. If you have a

challenge with overeating, this will help you to eat less.

Practice this eating meditation regularly. Let yourself be

guided by this attention. It is a wonderful way to tune in to

your inner wisdom.

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Nutritional Supplementation

For Optimal Performance the Body Needs

Approximately 100 Essential Nutrients Everyday

Unless you have considerable nutritional knowledge, an

organic garden and prepare all of your own meals, it is

highly unlikely that you are receiving all the nutrients you

need for optimal health.

Many doctors will tell you that eating a balanced diet will

give you all the nutrients that you need. Be aware, however,

most doctors have little if any nutritional training. Their

opinions are based primarily on the RDA’s, which are the

recommended daily allowances for vitamins and minerals,

set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy

of Sciences. These RDA’s are meant to be obtained solely

from food and were developed for the purpose of avoiding

deficiencies for the average person, not for ensuring optimal

health. But who is the average person, and for that matter

who wants to be? I personally desire to experience optimum

vitality and longevity, not merely survive.

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Nutritional Deficiencies

Most nutritionist and healthcare professionals agree that not

only are the RDA's too low, but it is virtually impossible to

obtain even those low levels of nutrients from today’s foods.

There are several reasons for this. Mineral depleted soils,

chemical fertilizers, food being picked before its ripe,

processing, transportation, storing and cooking all adversely

affect the nutritional value of the food. Environmental

pollutants and stressful, hectic lifestyles further deplete our

already compromised intake of nutrients.

Studies have shown that nearly 99% of Americans are

deficient in at least one vital nutrient, with up to 90% of the

deficiencies in certain vital nutrients, such as chromium.

If we consistently eat unbalanced low nutrient meals for our

unique requirements we are setting ourselves up for ill

health.

Unique Requirements

We are all genetically unique with certain strengths and

weaknesses that specific nutritional support can benefit. At

different periods in our life we have different nutritional

requirements. Our nutrient requirements vary, especially if

we are pregnant, working hard, physically, training for an

athletic event or under an unusual amount of stress.

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Real Health Insurance

By now you may have gathered that I recommend taking

nutritional supplements. You could call it responsible

preventative medicine. I think of it as, “real health

insurance.” What is commonly called “health insurance,” is

really disease insurance. It helps pay for your treatment

when you are sick; it doesn’t help keep you well. I think we

would all be better off putting our attention on real health

insurance instead of disease insurance. Avoiding ill health is

definitely more desirable and is definitely more cost

effective.

Scientific Research Benefits

It strikes me as odd that we live in a society that has such a

high regard for science and technology, yet we are skeptical

about scientific studies showing that a certain nutrient may

prevent or even reverse a particular health problem. Many

people do not hesitate to use the latest potentially toxic

chemical for killing bugs and such, but are hesitant to try a

natural substance.

Scientific research has validated the therapeutic value of

many nutritional supplements. I feel we should take

advantage of the latest research and at least give

supplements a try. It normally takes up to 90 days to

evaluate the effectiveness of a specific supplement.

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Which Supplements are needed?

Once again we all have basic needs and some special needs.

Ideally you should have a qualified, health , healthcare

professional help you to develop a specific supplement

program for you. At my company Lifetime Fitness, we offer a

very comprehensive, computerized symptom survey

program that can pin point specific nutritional deficiencies. It

also offers specific supplement protocols for these

deficiencies and for over 60 different common health

challenges.

You can find out more about this program at

www.AgelessLivingLifestyle.com ../

Most of us can benefit by taking a good whole food

multivitamin and mineral supplement. I recommend taking

an additional antioxidant formula, a trace mineral formula

and a product containing omega 3, essential fatty acids.

Many people can also greatly improve their health by taking

a good digestive enzyme formula with meals and a colon

cleanser with bio-cultures.

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Best Products

What products are best to take? Are they all the same? The

majority of drug or health food store varieties are made

from U.S.P. (United States Pharmaceutical) synthetic

products. These have been shown to have only about a 10-

20% absorption and utilization rate. I recommend natural

whole food formulas, as they have the highest absorption

and utilization rate. Whole food means it is made primarily

or entirely from real foods, not synthesized in the

laboratory. Whole food supplements contain elements we

haven’t yet discovered. This improves the bio-availability

and greatly lessens any potential toxic side effects that are

possible with taking high potency synthetic supplements.

Once again, I highly recommend consulting a nutritionist or

knowledgeable healthcare professional to assist you in

developing your own personal program.

Good health is your most important asset

Good nutrition is the most important ingredient for

good health