Different Body Types according to Gabriel Cousens?

[Judy]

In another thread, someone mentioned the following:


Generally speaking, it is likely you are a fast oxidizer and don't metabolize carbs as well. Fast oxidizers do well eating more raw protein and greens, and less carbs. I am one, and I used to feel HUNGRY within an hour of eating a huge fruit meal. Give me a glass of hemp seed milk though (protein) and I felt totally satisfied. Check out Gabriel Cousens Book "Conscious Eating" to figure out which body types you are, and then proceed from there in designing a great raw diet for you.

I'm very curious about the different body types. Is there anyone who read 'Conscious Eating' and would like to give a short overview of body types, or knows a good site on which I can find some info about this? Since I'm going to move abroad soon for a year, I don't want to order any books right now, since I can't take them all with me. Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

[Veganforlife]

Teresa Tapp (www.t-tapp.com) is an expert on body types, blood types and ethnic types and how this affects what you eat. Many of her seminars she talks exclusively of these topics. Check her out! :D

[ephmeralgrl]

check with your local library, thats where I found a copy. Its a hefty book, I managed only to scan through it. Been on the lookout for a used copy.

~epgrl

[English Tracy]

I have Gabriel Cousens book "Rainbow Green, Live Cuisine", as far as I can recall the body types are those according to Ayurvedic principles.

My sister in law has borrowed the book so I can't quote from it right now. I recall that there are physical characteristics, body shapes and so on but there are more points worthy of note.

I thought it was quite interesting so you should look it up to find out more.

Tracy

[Judy]

Yes, I've heard Cousens did something with Ayurvedic principles. In fact, I am very familiar with Ayurveda. I was just curious about the remark Sunshine made about being a 'fast oxidizer'. Which of the Ayurvedic types would that fall into? I also heard he was doing something with 'Eating Right For Your Blood Type' (something I'm also familiar with). Could it be that a 'fast oxidizer' is someone that could be considered a meat eater in the blood type thing (meaning: reacts very well to proteins)?

[Sunshine9]

Hey Judy,

In "Conscious Eating" Cousens talks about the importance of individualizing the diet, and the dominant systems which are: Oxidative, Autonomic, Ayurvedic, anabolic-cataboic, endocrine, blood type, and acid-base. The most information is provided about the oxidative and aryuvedic constitutions.

In general a fast oxidizer needs more protein, moderate carbs, and moderate fats. A slow oxidizer does best with low protein, high carbohydrates, and low fat. A mixed oxidizer does best with moderate fat/protein/carb ratios accross the board. In an interview I heard with David Wolfe he said that to figure out which type you are, first thing in the morning eat an all fruit breakfast. If you feel totally satisfied for hours into the day, then you are likely a slow oxidizer. If you're hungry again within an hour or two, you're probably a fast oxidizer. He also noted that most people are fast oxidizers. Otherwise there is a detailed list of questions in "Conscious Eating" to help you figure out what type you are.

Ayurvedics is totally separate. And in terms of the "Eating right for your type" he tends to disagree with it, with the exception of a few points.

I found this information to be really helpful for me, because I was uncomfortable feeling continually hungry! Once I saw that perhaps I would fare better with more protein, the continual hunger went away.

All in all just helpful information to take into account as we all see what way raw works best for us.

Hope this helped.

Sunshine :)

[English Tracy]

I'm sure you'd find the Ayurvedic principles by doing a google search.

Tracy

[ARhae]

That is really helpful.
But sometimes, I can be fine with fruit, and others, I can eat the whole rest of my house within 2 hours. Or maybe thats all in my head.....
I'll have to try that tomorrow morning :)

-ARhae

[faith4u]

Teresa Tapp (www.t-tapp.com) is an expert on body types, blood types and ethnic types and how this affects what you eat. Many of her seminars she talks exclusively of these topics. Check her out! :D

I totally agree. She is great and really knows her stuff.

She doesn't push raw though. I have contacted her about it and she was supportive of raw food diets as long as you get enough protein.

[faith4u]

The only thing that I wonder about the fruit test is that your body woud react differently to different amounts of food.

I mean if you eat a couple of pieces than I would think that anyone would be hungry.

If you ate 500 calories of fruit and it didn't hold you then there might be something there.

So I question how accurate is it or how to make it more accurate.

Does David Wolfe go into more details?

[Revvell]

I have contacted her about it and she was supportive of raw food diets as long as you get enough protein.

Have you asked her what her definition of "enough" is? I'd be curious as to her response if you did.

Revvell

[Tirza]

This would be a real challenge to customize a diet for each member of a large family. I wonder how many people would be up for that? You could end up preparing several different types of raw menus to accomodate them, unless you were lucky enough to have people who were only one or two different types. You wouldn't be just picking out good raw recipes at random to make up your meals. I like the idea though.

[swingbolder]

In addition to the fast/slow oxidizer theory, Cousens also subscribes to the Aryuvedic body type philosophy, but adapted to raw food. Any google search will give more info.

[Judy]

Thnx Sunshine, that's very helpful! Years ago, I did the Fit for Life thing, I wasn't raw then or anything. I just ate fruit in the morning, and ended up having to eat lots and lots of it the whole morning because it just made me hungry, it didn't seem to fill me up. I'd also feel crap. So I ate a normal, solid breakfast again and the problems were gone. I've noticed that I just seem to process food quicker in the morning. I seem to be doing crap on fruits alone. However, a fruit smoothie in the morning, with hemp seed, really does me good and now I understand why. The oxidizer story explains a lot, I will keep it in mind while trying to optimize my personal diet. Thanks for the info!

[Judy]

This would be a real challenge to customize a diet for each member of a large family. I wonder how many people would be up for that? You could end up preparing several different types of raw menus to accomodate them, unless you were lucky enough to have people who were only one or two different types. You wouldn't be just picking out good raw recipes at random to make up your meals. I like the idea though.
Years ago, I wondered this myself too and made the following conclusion: I thought (and still think), that ideally, everyone should pick his own food. Also the little kids (perhaps with a little guidance if they aren't up to it yet, but my bet is that, if you'd let them, they'd pick exactly what they need). In a family this could mean that everyone just prepares his own food according to his needs, also there wouldn't be really anything like a dinner time together, because everyone would eat whenever he's hungry. If family members or friends like to share a meal though, buffet style is probably the best. I know that I for one love buffet style, so I can pick whatever I like to eat. And such a buffet can be very simple, different kinds of vegetables, different kinds of fruit, seeds, nuts... It doesn't have to be gourmet. I'd love it if I could eat like that with friends or family. It can be even easier when everyone would go to the fridge, put what they like on their plates and then enjoy it together.

[Judy]

Swingbolder, that was a good tip, googling Ayurveda & Raw Food up. For anyone interested, I found an article here: http://www.rawfoods.com/articles/ayurveda.html
It can be a bit confusing/daunting for people who are not really into Ayurveda, though.

[Smiley24_7]

How would you tell the difference between a slow oxidization or a simply carb-addiction? There is this one test I heard of. You take Niacin on an empty stomach. If you flush immediantly you are fast, if you dont really dont have a reaction you are slow. If you have a moderate reaction you are mid.

[Tirza]

Yes, Judy
That does sound good. I wonder if/when children would be able to discern what they need or if our tastes must be "educated". We sure seem to be easily able to educated to eat junk. (All it takes are a few TV ads.) Then we have to educate ourselves back to appreciate good food. (All that takes are a few bad medical reports or something like that.)

I remember trying to accustom my taste to less salt. At first, BLAH, it was so dead and bland tasting. Then I really did begin to taste the actual delicate nuances in the food and I found other things to "dress" it with, like lemon juice and herbs.

I love the idea about a buffet. That way you could still have the "family mealtime" but with allowing choice like that, no one would be turning that charming time into a battleground by forcing things down the children's throats when they just didn't want it.

Wouldn't that would be a great experiment - to see over a period of days or weeks if a child would really choose things that his body needed?

I think that if the children were aware that we were doing an experiment and that the result would be that they would have way more autonomy in choosing their own foods, they might really cooperate. I can envision mother - or whoever is chef - making the family aware of what the body needs and what foods supply those needs. Then you could tell them about the body "wanting" or craving the things it needs and tell them you want to wait and see if their body does actually "tell" them what it wants out of a wide selection of foods over the course of, say a week.

They would likely think it was the greatest thing ever that they have several choices and they might even strive to prove to you that their body is telling them it wants a good variety of nutritious things. I wonder myself if something inside would actually urge them toward the things containing the nutrients that their body is needing right then.

As for the older ones and the adults, I think it would be interesting to see if they were presented with enough of a tasteful variety, their bodies might "make" them go for a more well-rounded diet too.

Fascinating!

Can you really fathom people preparing their own food though? That would be a lot of work for one chef, especially if the chef wasn't sure just what things would be used. Preparing a lot of fresh things could prove futile and a lot of food go to waste unless the fresh stuff itself was prepared "in situ" just before eating. That might work. So the chef could do things like crackers, pates, dips, soups, patties and other things that needed dehydration and even some deserts. Things that take more time, but particularly things that can be kept like dry things or frozen. Then all the fresh stuff could be all washed and set out in an attractive way with the utensils to prepare them and everyone would take their pick.

[faith4u]

Have you asked her what her definition of "enough" is? I'd be curious as to her response if you did.

Revvell

No, because I am sure that my views are different than a lot of people out there. I believe that it is hard to become protein deficient.

She did say that she worked with Hippocrates for a little bit.

She was a long term vegetarian but wasn't feeling as good until she started adding back in eggs and red meat. I know that when she was eating vegetarian she ate a lot of nuts and nut butters for protein.

I can't remember what percentage of protein she tells you to get.I know it is in her past newsletters.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. You could always email her or call her staff and ask them. They are great about answering questions.

[Revvell]

No, because I am sure that my views are different than a lot of people out there. I believe that it is hard to become protein deficient.

Yeah, I agree. It's amazing what some people eat and still are over proteinized. (is that a word? *shrugs*)


She did say that she worked with Hippocrates for a little bit.

She was a long term vegetarian but wasn't feeling as good until she started adding back in eggs and red meat. I know that when she was eating vegetarian she ate a lot of nuts and nut butters for protein.

I can't remember what percentage of protein she tells you to get.I know it is in her past newsletters.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. You could always email her or call her staff and ask them. They are great about answering questions.

Thanks. Not that important to me. Appreciating your response. Make it a good 'un.

Revvell