Dear In Light Times,

I would like to comment on the recent series of articles about becoming a vegetarian and concerning raw foods. I am not a vegetarian myself - I eat a wholesome diet of everything but junk food. I always wondered why people go to extremes in dieting whether it is the Atkins diet with high volume of protein and fat consumption or vegetarians denouncing meat and even eggs - the most nutritionally balanced food. 

I recently stumbled upon the answer that eludes diet gurus and promoters of extreme eating. The answer came from an obscure 1993 newsletter by Sam Biser. He set the matter straight by getting to the subject of metabolism. The truth is people with different types of metabolism require different diets. Someone with a vegetarian type of metabolism discovers vegetarianism, their health improves and they believe this is the answer for the whole mankind. But it is not so because other people may not share a metabolism type with this person and change to vegetarianism or raw food eating won't make them feel better. A hamburger joint owner swears by the quality of his meat but it is not suitable for a vegetarian metabolism person.

There are three main types of metabolism outlined in this interview with a panel of experts - vegetarian metabolism, meat eating metabolism and balanced metabolism. Vegetarians have a slow metabolism because of sympathetic nervous system dominance. They are very satisfied with an apple for a snack because their sugar metabolism is slow. It is too slow to digest protein. High protein meals puts them to sleep and constipates them. These people thrive on a diet of easily digestible fruit and vegetables and need more carbohydrates.

People with parasympathetic nervous system dominance metabolize sugar very quickly and an apple for a snack won't satisfy them. A vegetarian meal will leave them hungry, if not feeling sick. They need more protein, less carbs. These are the consumers of beef jerkey and cheese sticks. Their stomachs produce more digestive fluids and stomach acid. Their intestines are active and they don't get easily get constipated. These folks don't thrive on broccoli and salad. I have family members who are like that - thriving on meat, snacking on hamburger patties - and doing just fine health wise. I have also seen a few people with this type of metabolism go vegetarian and develop cold hands and weakness and a variety of other problems including overweight. Intuitively I knew they needed a more protein complete diet but logically I was able to understand this only through metabolic types.

There is also the third general metabolism category - people with balanced sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. They need 50% raw foods and a variety of all other foods. They thrive on variety that keeps them in balance. They should be careful not to fall into high protein or vegetarian trap.

Some people's metabolism is based not on the nervous system but on the activity of endocrine system - they are either slow or fast oxidizers and the rules for them are reversed. Fast oxidizers need a lot of protein and slow oxidizers need a lot of fruit, vegetables and carbs. The challenge is to determine who you are. One way to do it is to see which foods in what combinations make you feel the best. It may be more difficult for some because their metabolism may change from day to night. I did a metabolic type self quiz of 40 questions to determine your basic type. The quiz is available at Microwater Market. I identified myself as having balanced metabolism. The third way is to find a health care practitioner specializing in metabolic typing. They will determine your specific metabolc pattern and recommend foods and supplements for your unique body.

Diana Drexler

Las Vegas, Nevada