Bio-Individuality is a term you may or may not have heard of but when people will ask me what I think about a certain diet, I will always come back to this concept. Ok, so what is it?In 1956 Roger Williams published Biochemical Individuality, asserting that individuality permeates each part of the human body. This book explained how personal differences in anatomy, metabolism, composition of body fluids and cell structure influence your overall health.
There are several factors that influence bio-individuality. They are: ancestry, blood type and metabolism.
Dependent on where your ancestors are from, it is most likely the case that your body will crave and thrive on a diet based on that culture. For example, if your ancestors were from India, your digestive system will thrive on basmati rice, curry and other spices. If you have ancestors from Scandinavia, your body will be able to tolerate dairy. On the other side, digestive systems may not handle foods well if they were not part of the culture. For example, for Africans, dairy was not part of the diet, therefore those of African descent may not handle dairy in their digestive system very well. I find this to be the case for myself as I notice that when I consume dairy, my digestive system does not like whole milk and I also found that my skin does not like any type of dairy, so I had to eliminate it.
There are four blood types, A, B, AB and O. They have evolved over thousands of years and some researchers feel they offer insight into what foods work best for the body. Each type can be traced back in history with differences that can influence your health. Type O's are known to be able to digest meat well, while Type B's can handle dairy. Some foods cause cells to clump together, while that same food may not have any impact of someone else with a different blood type.
Lastly, metabolism is affected by bio-individuality. Metabolism is the rate by which you convert food to energy. As you digest food, the rate by which you do should dictate the quantity you consume. Some people digest and metabolize food slow, while others are quick. Fast burners or Protein types tend to be frequently hungry and crave fatty, salty foods and do not do well on high carbohydrate or vegetarian-type diets. Their bodies burn through carbohydrates too quickly and a higher protein intake helps slow down their metabolism. Slow Burners or Carbo types generally have relatively weak appetites, a high tolerance for sweets and problems with weight control. They require a higher percentage of carbohydrates to give them energy to speed up their metabolism. Mixed types have average appetites and moderate cravings. For them, the ideal diet is a balance of carbs and protein.
In sum, every person is different based on their ancestry, blood type and metabolism. No one diet or multiple diets can work for the masses. You may read a diet in a book or magazine, try it and not get results, however, you talk to someone at the gym or office and it worked wonders for them. Huh?? You have to find the combination of foods that works for you to be optimal for your health. Remember, one person's food can be another person's poison.
Information sourced from "Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger from Health to Happiness"
