One of 20 Gene Food diet types

Lean Machine

Butter in your coffee is a bad idea

Otherwise known simply as the “Gerald diet.” Ultra marathon runner Gerald Holbroke switched from a traditional paleo diet to our Lean Machine protocol after getting his Gene Food results.

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These are common patterns, not a diagnosis. Your diet type is assigned from your genetic results. How we do it.

At a glance

Carb style

Flexible carbs

Fat style

Higher fat, mostly unsaturated

Protein style

Low dairy

35%

Fat

50%

Carbohydrate

15%

Protein

Go-to breakfast: Overnight oats with banana and almond butter.

Quick answers

Red meat?No

Nope, not as a staple. Lean Machines want to make sure they get their saturated fats primarily from plant sources that also contain healthy monounsaturated fats.

Keto?Plant-based keto

A plant based ketogenic diet high in monounsaturated fat is a possibility for Lean Machines, but be warned, these are tough diets to follow. Traditional keto is 100% off the table, in fact, it’s in the basement with a “hazardous to health” sticker emblazoned on the packaging.

Carnivore?No

Nope.

Fermented foods?Depends

Other than fermented dairy, which should be avoided, the Lean Machine can benefit from the good guy strains of bacteria in most fermented foods.

Pancakes and refined grains?Occasionally

If you’ve read a few of these profiles, you know that our view is refined grains aren’t a slam dunk for anyone. Having said that, some grain based products are better than others. Lean Machine genotypes should be able to handle a diet that is higher in carbohydrates, so if a piece of homemade sourdough tickles their fancy from time to time, go for it, just don’t become a regular at IHOP.

Biggest challenge

The Lean Machine diet is higher in plant based meals, which tend to include more omega-6 fats. The challenge for Lean Machines is to get enough omega-3 fats, especially pure sources of EPA and DHA. Some days this may mean adding a little cod liver or algal oil to the mix to top off omega-3 levels as compared to omega-6 intake.

Closest relative

Not quite you? The nearest type is Trainer. Both Trainers and Lean Machine diet types have a high tolerance for monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, however, the major difference between the two is that Lean Machine has problems with lactose whereas Trainers should be more mindful of histamine.