There’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to the ideal diet. Everyone is different. Some people fare best on a meat-based diet, others on a plant-based diet. The only way to truly tell which approach is best for you is to try them both out for a period of time and see how you feel. If you want to speed up the process, however, below are two tests from the book Metabolic Man: Ten Thousand Years from Eden by Charles Wharton.

A) Swallow 50mg of niacin on an empty stomach, wait 30 minutes, and look for the following signs:

• If your skin turns red and feels very hot and itchy = meat-eating metabolism

• If you only feel warmer and have a little facial colour = balanced diet

• If nothing happens = vegetarian

B) Take 8g of ascorbic acid for 3 days in a row, and look for the following signs:

• If depressed, lethargic, exhausted and irritable = carnivore

• If nothing happens = balanced diet

• If you feel better = vegetarian

These tests can help you determine which dietary approach is best for you at this time. You should retest periodically as things may change down the road.