If low-calorie diets leave you hungry and your weight loss efforts never seem to work, the Metabolic Code Diet is aimed at you. The Metabolic Code Diet addresses differences in body chemistry and, through a supervised program, promotes an individually tailored nutritional program. Based on sample recipes, you can expect to eat a lot of protein and few carbohydrates on the Metabolic Code Diet.
Supervised Diet
The Metabolic Code Diet aims to reboot your calorie-burning power by assessing your body chemistry, your sleep patterns, stress levels and other life experience that can affect the way your body burns calories. Jim LaValle, the diet's creator, wrote a book, "Cracking the Metatobolic Code," that explains the philosophy behind his diet and the LaValle Metabolic Institute. But you're not expected to follow the diet on your own. You're supposed to undergo an evaluation and follow up with educational programs.
Ongoing Education
The educational program costs $595 and includes 12 weekly appointments with a dietician, individual and group lectures, online and phone support, a recipe workbook, a visualization workshop and a copy of LaValle's book. Articles on the Metabolic Institute's website include titles such as "Getting Over the Fear of Fat" and discuss the "shocking" revelations that mainstream doctors don't universally support diets that include large amounts of protein and fat. Laura LaValle, director of dietetics nutrition at the Metabolic Institute, writes researched articles that support her philosophy.
Metabolism Myth
Metabolism plays a smaller role in weight loss than most people think, according to Dr. Jim Levine, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic. He says people rarely become obese because of a faulty metabolism. In fact, he says, metabolism increases with size, so overweight people generally enjoy faster metabolism than people of average weight. He agrees with LaValle that non-dietary factors such as stress and sleep habits can affect your weight. The Mayo Clinic does not, however, advocate a high-protein diet .
Balanced Approach to Dieting
The Mayo Clinic diet follows a pyramid, similar to the one devised by the U.S.Department of Agriculture. You can eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want and a liberal amount of carbohydrates, although complex carbohydrates---legumes, whole grains---should take priority over refined carbohydrates---sugar, white bread---because complex carbohydrates level out your blood sugar levels and improve digestion, a factor in metabolism. You will find plenty of vegetables on the Metabolic Code diet, but they often contain ingredients that would be restricted on the Mayo Clinic diet. A "Summer Broccoli Salad," for instance, includes ½ cup of mayonnaise and 4 slices of bacon as well as broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds and raisins.
Considerations
The assessment part of the Metabolic Code Diet may give you some important insights into your body's chemistry and factors both within and beyond your control that affect your metabolism. The program's ongoing evaluation and education may also prove helpful. The diet could deprive you of important nutrition and its high fat content may not be advisable for everyone. The program provides advice from registered dietitians, but you may wish to seek advice from your doctor before embarking on the plan.
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