Do you know your metabolic type? Take our quiz to feel more energised now

When people come to see functional nutritionist and metabolic balance coach Pippa Campbell, they are often at their wits’ end. Most are focused on their weight: they’ve tried endless diets and nothing has worked. Pippa’s approach is to shift the conversation from what you weigh to how you feel.

“80 per cent of new clients have told me that their number one goal is to lose weight, so they are often surprised when in our first consultation, we don’t talk much about food or calories,” she says.

She asks how you’re sleeping, whether you have cravings, how your energy levels are, whether you have bloating, constipation, PMS, brain fog and so on. In her experience, people who find it hard to shift pounds - if that's what they desire - always report other symptoms too, and it's not a coincidence. "People are amazed when I tell them there's a link between their symptoms and not being able to lose weight, but I see this every day in clinic."

That’s the disconnect she aims to fix, in her new book Eat Right Lose Weight: 7 Metabolic Types, Which One Are You?

Once your body’s systems are operating as they should, weight loss will happen,” she says and encourages everyone to shift from a “weight loss mindset to a 'well-you' mindset.”

Her mission is to make everyone – whether weight loss is a concern or not – feel “well, energetic and vibrant” by finding a way of eating that suits their metabolic type. Her training in nutrigenomics, the science of how our genes interact with what we eat, has taught her that nutrition is much more nuanced and bespoke than a calories-in-calories-out approach. “We each need to work with our personal genetic makeup in order to optimise our metabolism.”

While you can take a genetic test with Pippa to discover highly personalised information, her years of working with thousands of women have led her to devise a questionnaire so you can find out which one of seven main metabolic types you are. In her book, there is a 21-day eating plan with recipes for each type to kickstart simple habits for life. “By addressing the underlying body system that’s imbalanced in your Metabolic Type, you will lose weight,“ she says.

For us, Pippa has given us some exclusive top-line tips for each type, below.

It’s quiz time! Over to you, Pippa.

How to find your Metabolic Type

“This is the exciting part where you turn detective to find out more about how your body is functioning,“ says Pippa. “When I am looking for each client’s ‘why?’ with regards to their weight, my first tool is always their symptoms. Diagnosis is the most critical part of the Pippa Campbell Method (PCM).

"DNA tests and functional tests are good to have, but what some clients have called my ‘endless’ questioning is at the heart of it all. Our bodies are very often trying to tell us what is going wrong with them in a multitude of ways. We just have to learn to speak their language.

“I’ve recreated the approach I use in clinic, as much as I can without sitting in front of you. You’ll see that I’ve divided the questions into seven sections or Metabolic Types, one for each of the body systems that I’ve found are most likely to be going wrong in someone who can’t lose weight or keeps putting it on. In each section, I’ve included a list of ten signs and symptoms that, according to my training and experience, are most likely to show up in the people I treat with an imbalance in that body system.

“To find your Metabolic Type, simply tick all the signs and symptoms that you have. The section where you have the most ticks, is your type.”

Once you’ve done this, read on for Pippa’s suggestions for your type, describing what to eat and how to change your lifestyle to suit your body and needs.

Which signs and symptoms do you have?

Metabolic type: Digestion

Bloating
Belching or gas
Heartburn or acid reflux
Food intolerances
Stomach cramps and/or pain
Anaemia unresponsive to iron
Constipation or diarrhoea, or less than one bowel movement a day, or all three
Anus itching or thrush
Sinus congestion, eczema or asthma
Brain fog

Metabolic type: Insulin

Fatigue after meals
General fatigue
Constant hunger
Cravings for sweet foods or any carbs that is not relieved by eating them
Must have something sweet after meals
Waist girth is equal or larger than hip girth
Frequent urination
Increased appetite and thirsty
Difficulty losing weight
Migrating aches and pains

Metabolic type: Cortisol

Weight gain that’s especially around the stomach
Fatigue
‘Tired but wired’
Anxiety
Poor sleep
Shaky if meals are missed
Cravings for starchy foods or sugars
Irritability or ‘short fuse’
Unable to deal with stress
High blood pressure

Metabolic type: Detox

Weight goes up and down/inability to lose weight/ unexplained weight gain
Headaches
Night sweats
Skin problems such as rashes, itchy skin, dermatitis and psoriasis
Poor cognition, brain fog, memory problems
Fatigue and lethargy
Low mood, irritability, anxiety
Strong body odour
Bloating or constipation
Adverse reactions to food and drink (especially additives or processed foods), chemicals, pollution and sensitive to smells

Metabolic type: Thyroid

Feeling tired or sluggish
Feeling cold – hands, feet, all over
Require excessive amounts of sleep to function well
Gaining weight easily and/or weight gain despite dieting
Constipation
Low mood and lack of motivation
Morning headaches
Loss of outer third of eyebrow
Thinning hair or excessive hair loss
Mentally sluggish

Metabolic type: oestrogen

PMS or PMDD
Irregular periods, heavy bleeding
Irritability or rage
Bloating or poor digestion
Anxiety, panic attacks, low mood, mood swings
Insomnia or restlessness but feeling tired
Fertility issues
Endometriosis, fibroids or cysts
Headaches more likely to be around ovulation and/or in the run up to your period
Breast tenderness, fibrocystic lumps in breasts

Metabolic type: serotonin

Low mood or depression
Feeling ‘flat’ and lack of joy from life’s pleasures
Feelings of inner rage or anger
Less resilient to stress
SAD (seasonal affective disorder – feeling down in winter), carb cravings
Increased appetite
Constipation
Increased sensitivity to pain
Poor sleep or unable to fall into a deep restful sleep

What to do if you have an equal score in the quiz?

“If you have two sections with the same number of ticks, go with the one where the symptoms are bothering you the most. All body systems that the 21-day plan tackles are interlinked, so changing one will likely affect your other symptoms too, a kind of domino effect. After 21 days, your body will have changed and you can go back and take the quiz again, to see which Metabolic Type is now the most relevant. The plan is about making your whole body healthy, so you won’t be doing any harm by concentrating on one area over another.”

What to eat, according to your metabolic type

If your metabolic type is… Digestion Type

If the Digestion Type isn’t your main type, it will come a close second. Women who are this metabolic type can expect to experience symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, gas, burping and reflux.

There can also be other symptoms which on the face of things, seem less connected. Poor sleep, emotional lows, brain fog and poor immunity are common.

Bad digestion can hinder weight loss, cause toxins to be recirculated in the body and not eliminated efficiently, hinder absorption of nutrients and inhibit gut bacteria diversity.

Luckily, there’s lots we can do to improve things:

Chew your food well (this starts the production of digestive enzymes which helps our body to digest food properly)
Take 5 minutes to breathe before you eat
Eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Eat 1 tablespoon of either of these DAILY!
Eating plenty of vegetables each day helps increase fibre intake which is essential for good digestion
Eat raw foods - onion and garlic are brilliant prebiotics
Eat bitter foods to support bile production; radishes, artichokes, turmeric. Bile helps us to break down fats
Eat zinc-rich foods to help the production of stomach acid; broccoli, seafood, mushrooms

If your metabolic type is… The Insulin Type

Women who are the Insulin Type tell me that all they think about is food. Cravings are hellish and most women are drawn to sweet sugary snacks.

The Insulin Type struggles to feel satisfied after food and experiences regular slumps during the day.

Symptoms can include fatigue after meals, constant hunger, waist girth equal or more than hip girth, frequent urination, and difficulty losing weight.

So how can food help?

Balancing leptin and ghrelin, the hunger hormones, is key.

Consume 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar each day
Focus on low GI foods e.g. proteins, healthy fats, non-starchy veg like cauliflower, broccoli, and spinach
Start the day with a breakfast which doesn’t spike your blood sugar e.g. eggs and spinach
Eat foods rich in chromium which helps insulin sensitivity; eggs, beans, tomato, beef, turkey

If your metabolic type is… The Cortisol Type

Women who are the Cortisol Type will suffer symptoms such as difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, feel ‘tired but wired’ and stressed much of the time.

We should experience raised cortisol levels when we are ‘in danger’ but then levels will drop. For the Cortisol Type, levels don’t recede as they should once out of danger.

Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can affect other hormones such as insulin, thyroid, oestrogen and progesterone. It can also promote visceral fat and cause carb cravings.

How can we manage cortisol levels?

Eat a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds on one day and walnuts the next - alternate these daily
Eat adequate protein and vitamin B foods; meat, poultry, fish
Eat regularly. Try to have breakfast within an hour of waking.
Don’t fast for too long (maximum 12-13 hours overnight)
Eat antioxidant rich foods; colourful fruit and veg, green tea, olive oil, oily fish, dried herbs and spices, berries

If your metabolic type is… The Detox Type

If you’re the Detox Type, you’ll be familiar with symptoms such as weight that goes up and down, night sweats, headaches, skin problems, fatigue, bloating, and brain fog.

Our body, primarily our liver, has to detox everything we eat, smell, breathe, and touch. It even has to detox our own used hormones such as oestrogen.

If this process is not running smoothly, your whole body is affected. Good gut health is also important as this helps keep toxins out of the blood stream.

We can support our body with the detoxification process by:

Eat 2 cups of leafy greens daily
Cutting down on saturated fat
Eating more cruciferous veg like broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts, red cabbage, watercress, rocket
Eating sulphur-rich foods such as garlic, onion, shallots, asparagus
Eating antioxidant rich foods such as colourful fruit and vegetables

If your metabolic type is… The Thyroid Type

This woman feels like she only has to look at a piece of cake to put on weight! Other diets seem to work for people and not her. Weight loss just seems impossible even though she’s eating well and exercising.

The most common thyroid problem is hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and it not only causes weight issues, but causes symptoms such as low mood, lack of motivation, morning headaches, and cold hands and feet.

Improvements in diet and lifestyle can make a real difference:

Eat a tablespoon of seaweed each day
Selenium and iodine are both important for a healthy thyroid function. Sources include fish, seafood, seaweed, egg, mushrooms
Organic liver is brilliant if you eat meat
Vitamin D and Zinc are important for healthy thyroid function and can be found in mushrooms, eggs and pumpkin seeds
Limit phone usage (thyroid hormones can be affected by waves emitted from phone)
Filter your water
Reduce stress levels

If your metabolic type is… The Oestrogen Type

If you have too much oestrogen floating around your body, you could be the Oestrogen Type. Although we need oestrogen for lots of things, too much of it will cause problems.

Symptoms include PMS, irritability, bloating, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, fibroids, and low mood/anxiety.

The Oestrogen Type is ‘oestrogen dominant’ and this can cause issues losing weight, impact the thyroid and affect the body’s response to insulin.

How can we balance things? One of the easiest ways is to switch to a diet that supports the body’s detoxification process. This will help us to get rid of any used oestrogen we are hanging on to.

Eat cruciferous vegetables which are super oestrogen balancers; broccoli, cabbage, watercress, sauerkraut, mustard greens, kale and rocket
Eat 2 tablespoons of broccoli sprouts every day!
Eat sulphur-rich foods such as beetroot, shallots and garlic
Phytoestrogen foods occur naturally in foods and mimic your own body’s oestrogen but in a helpful way. Flaxseeds are a great source as they are full of soluble fibre

If your metabolic type is… The Serotonin Type

If you’re this type, you’re low in serotonin and will experience symptoms such as low mood, feeling ‘flat’, inner feelings of rage or anger, less resilient to stress, carb cravings, increased appetite, poor sleep, and SAD.

Many women who are the Serotonin Type, just want to curl up in bed. Serotonin helps us feel emotionally stable, less anxious and more relaxed. It’s also a natural appetite suppressant.

So can we boost our serotonin levels through our diet? Absolutely. Certain foods can help tryptophan, an amino acid, cross into the brain where we need it to make serotonin.

Eat high tryptophan foods e.g. turkey and chicken are the best sources. Aim for 110g - 150g of chicken or turkey daily. Eggs and tofu are also good.
Eat good carbs with your evening meal e.g. sweet potato, squash, beetroot
Eat cruciferous veg e.g. broccoli to help tryptophan balance
Eat gut-loving foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut. Around 80% of serotonin is produced in the gut so we need it be healthy

Edited extract from: Eat Right, Lose Weight by Pippa Campbell, £7.49 out now.

Pippa’s suggestions are not a substitute for medical advice. “Ask your GP before making any radical changes to your eating. If you have a cancer diagnosis or an eating disorder, please take medical advice before following any of the plans,” says Pippa.