Solving the when and what to eat riddle surrounding eating and exercise involves knowing how fast or slow your body processes food. Each biochemical individual digests and processes food at a different rate.
-Fast processors digest their food at a world record pace. They can eat a large meal and be hungry within 1 to 3 hours. These biochemical individuals have difficulty sustaining normal blood sugar levels, similar to individuals with hypoglycemia.
When a fast processor becomes hungry, their personality will rapidly change from Jeckyl to Hyde. It’s important that they eat soon or shakiness, anger, frustration, confusion and severe sugar craving occur.
-Medium processors, can eat a large meal and be ready to eat again within 3 to 4 hours. They don’t undergo such a dramatic personality shift as the fast processors, and eating quickly recharges their energy level and mood.
Fast and medium processors need to eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep their blood sugar levels from dropping. They should avoid exercising on an empty stomach.
It is important that they eat a meal within 3 hours or a snack within 2 hours before exercising. Carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, pasta, potato and fruit do not sustain their blood sugar levels long enough to survive most exercise sessions. Meals or snacks should contain a carbohydrate (fruit, potato, millet quinoa) protein and healthful fat source for sustained energy levels.
-Slow processors are genetically geared to survive for long stretches of time without food. Eating a meal or snack before exercise is not imperative for these individuals. They can follow a low-fat eating plan and feel satisfied most of the time. A slow processor doesn’t require the combination of a carbohydrate with a protein and/or fat.
To prevent slow processors from overeating at night, they need to eat a breakfast, lunch and dinner. This speeds up their metabolism and decreases their need for a large dinner.
By continuing to follow established dietary patterns, an individual or an entire family soon develops long term deficiencies and excesses. Most people repeat basically the same diet over months and years, often extending to generations.
