Metabolic Typing: The Science
The central nervous system of the body, the brain and spinal cord, is divided into two parts termed the voluntary nervous system and the involuntary or autonomic nervous system.
The voluntary nervous system is that part of the brain and nerves that are under control of the conscious mind. Activities that you have definite control over, like making decisions, walking, speaking and the like are controlled by the voluntary nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is that part of the brain and nervous system that carries on the functions of the body that we have very little or no conscious control over including our heartbeat, circulation and digestion. It regulates the basic life-sustaining functions of the body such as the turning on and off of glands and organs, maintaining the acid/alkaline balance of the blood, saliva and urine, balancing glandular functions, stimulating or retarding the body and the digestion and metabolism of food.
Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in the body. It starts with the intake of raw materials, food, water and air and ends with the elimination of waste. How the body uses the raw materials to sustain life varies from one person to the next. Knowing which one of the twelve metabolic types you have gives the benefit of eating and supplementing to meet your specific metabolism requirements. Metabolism is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Read on for details...
The Two Divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic Nervous SystemThe sympathetic nervous system is that division of the autonomic nervous system that generally stimulates or speeds up our metabolism our heart rate, breathing, etc. Examples are as in fight or flight (running away from a fight).The sympathetic nervous system is involved in the “adrenalin rush” responsible for strength to lift a car off a child, for example.
The Parasympathetic Nervous SystemThe parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for digestion and assimilation of food and elimination of waste. It generally tends to slow down our metabolism. That is why we feel like a nap after eating a large meal.
The Autonomic Nervous System and the Twelve Metabolic Types
The autonomic nervous system plays a major role in the classification of our metabolisms into the twelve metabolic types. The classification is dependent upon which of the two divisions, sympathetic or parasympathetic, is dominant in the individual. The twelve types are arranged into three groups:
- Group A includes the sympathetic dominant types 1,4,6 and 11.
- Group B includes the parasympathetic dominant types 2,5,7 and 12.
- Group C includes the balanced sympathetic/parasympathetic types 3,8,9 and 10.
