I don't know if anyone else has heard of it, but the Adam & Eve Diet is the latest diet book on the block in the UK, written by Roderick Lane & Sarah Stacey.

The diet aims to target your individual evolutionary type and work in harmony with the body's specific needs. He believes we each belong to one of five body types - hunter gatherer, pioneer, pathfinder, farmer and dancer - each of which governs our physique and has its own dietary requirements. Treating your body to the best nourishment for its type should reward you with the best health. It outlines how to identify your type, and then advises what, when and where to eat and how to adapt for stress and life changes, with a selection of recipes and menus.



Your Biotype is based on your dominant gland or glands. These glands are the biochemical factories in our bodies that produce hormones, the sophisticated chemicals that regulate the whole of our body chemistry and influence all of our activities. Each gland is associated with a physiological function and this is what gives the five Biotypes their individual physical, mental and emotional characteristics:

Biotype 1: Pathfinder Dominant gland: Pituitary
Biotype 2: Hunter Gatherer Dominant gland: Thyroid
Biotype 3: Pioneer Dominant gland: Adrenal
Biotype 4: Farmer Gardener Dominant gland: Gonads (primary sex glands - the ovaries or testes)
Biotype 5: Dancer Dominant glands: Gonads and Pituitary

Now what I find extremely interesting is the fact that I know that low carbing works for me, and when I took the quiz I came out as a Hunter Gatherer:

Hunter Gatherers thrive on the food they would have had in the wild, gathered as they went on their nomadic way. So you will flourish on a diet that is high in lean, low-fat protein, with lots of vegetables and raw salads, fresh hard fruits and olive oil, and small amounts of whole-grain and wholemeal products. Crucial to Hunter Gatherer’s health is a big breakfast to sustain you through the day.

Although I have done a lot of reading and research on the low carb woe and believe in and understand the science behind it, I do find this new book fascinating in the theories it puts forward, namely: The Biotype theory also explains a conundrum that has been foxing experts - and dieters - for decades. And this is the fact that some diets undoubtedly do work for some people, while they are completely ineffective for others. In my opinion I'm not sure if it fully explains this conundrum to me, but I do know that some diets work for some and not for others - I do know people who haven't been at all successful at low carbing.

Personally, the only thing I've ever needed to do whilst low carbing was to keep an eye on my carbs - I've never counted calories or needed to really tweak my woe in any way. But many people have had to. Perhaps the types that have been identified in the Adam & Eve diet, go some way to explain why they have had to.

I suppose it's very similar to the Blood Type diet - unfortunately, I haven't read it, so cannot comment as to whether this is actually the case.

You can read more about the Adam & Eve Diet here


Pathfinder
Pathfinder Biotypes are dominated by the pituitary gland. The basic philosophy of a Pathfinder diet is to stabilise the pituitary function and check the hormonal swings (caused by too much refined carbohydrate) of the adrenals and thyroid.
Pathfinders function best on the classic ‘low-allergen’ diet: high in lean, low-fat protein (including poultry, fish and some red meat), salad and green vegetables, with some complex carbohydrates.
Pathfinders do not work well on foods that have been altered by man, such as refined carbohydrates (white sugar and white flour); you should avoid gluten, milk and dairy (cow) products, except for butter and yoghurt. Try substituting sheep or goat’s cheese and soya, rice or oat milk instead of cow’s.

Pioneers
Pioneers do well on simple meals that follow the principles of food-combining. As well as being most suitable for your metabolism, food-combining often proves the simplest way for Pioneers to lose weight. The system is based on separating proteins and carbohydrates at main meals, and eating fruit on its own.

Farmer Gardener
Farmer Gardeners tend to be slow metabolisers, so you need light foods that will provide instant energy and take little time to digest. You should avoid spicy food such as curries.
Translate that into a diet and it means that Farmer Gardeners do well on a lacto-vegetarian diet. As well as dairy products, you should eat lots of vegetables, salads and fruits daily, with smaller amounts of wholegrain products. It’s essential that this Biotype eats small amounts of protein (animal, fish or vegetarian) at lunchtime, but you are the only Biotype that can thrive on a vegan diet.

Dancer
Dancers flourish on a demi-vegetarian diet – in keeping with your adaptable nature. This diet is truly eclectic, containing elements of all the food groups. The Dancer can break many of the ‘rules’, such as not eating fruit at the end of a meal and avoid gluten and dairy produce.
Dancers have a slightly faster metabolism than Farmer Gardeners and need ‘slow-burn’ food (such as seeds and nuts). For lunch every day, you must have lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, guinea fowl and fish, or veggie protein, such as tofu, to avoid suffering a mid-afternoon dip.
Dancers should be careful to restrict cow’s milk products, such as ice-cream and cheese, because they have the Pathfinders’ problems with pituitary function and dairy foods, which can lead eventually to arthritic conditions and becoming overweight. Usually, however, they can eat sheep’s and goat’s milk products without problems, and substitute soya, oat or rice milk for cow’s milk.

Hi Demi! Very interesting info there! I was not surprised to find that I am a Hunter Gatherer too - which explains why I feel so much better when I eat mostly whole foods and stay away from processed convenience foods. I had no basis for deciding to eat that way, my body just seemed to run more efficiently when I did. Now I have an idea of why! Thanks!

Hi Demi
Got to here via your post in Little Anne's journal.
Wow this is fascinating, I'm going to read more.
Thanks for taking the time to post all the info.

I'm a Hunter Gatherer also. I found this interesting...

"Hunter Gatherers like to eat outside, so whenever possible have meals looking out on a view, on a balcony or in the garden; plan picnics and other open-air meals. At work, try to get out at lunchtime and go into a park or by a river."

I'm always wanting to go on picnics! When I was working full time, I always ate where I could look outside.

I came up as a Pioneer! I think it is funny because I usually do not eat my vegis and meat together and I rarely eat at the same place. Demi, you may have hit on something good and true here.

Demi,
Thank you that is very interesting I took the test and am a Pioneer. You asked about the Diet Trials yes I am following them we have a fellow from the U.K. on another list I am on and he keeps us up to date. Pat S

Hi Demi,

I think i'm a dancer. I need meat in the afternoon or i have a afternoon low, and i do bad with most dairy. hmm anyone wanna dance!


Jon

Jon - I thought you saved all your dances for the Whoosh Fairy

I came up as a Pioneer. That is funny to me because fifteen years ago I did the food-combining Fit for Life diet and was nowhere as near successful as I have been with Atkins. But, still the Adam & Eve Diet is interesting.

very fun and right on, thanks! but to me it seems a direct copy of abravanel's body type diet from the 80's, also a very good read.

Not making any judgments on the eating plan itself - but does anyone else find the associaton of Adam & Eve and "evolutionary" somewhat odd???

Pathfinder here..........

"Pathfinders do not work well on foods that have been altered by man, such as refined carbohydrates (white sugar and white flour); you should avoid gluten, milk and dairy (cow) products, except for butter and yoghurt. Try substituting sheep or goat’s cheese and soya, rice or oat milk instead of cow’s.
"

At least their diet seems to be accurate for me

I'm a pioneer...that's me like to eat out...LOL
I usually hate to eat JUST one thing like meat and no veggies but before this WOE..I barely ate any meat at all...
Interesting !!

Thanks for the link !!

I'm a pathfinder :-(

As an Atkinite I obviously wanted to be a hunter gatherer, but at least it's better than being a dancer.

Strangely enough I ready do enjoy reading maps, though. Uncanny huh?

Pathfinder.