Metabolic Balance Coaching

Overview of “What is a Meta-Type”

Drawing on both Western and Eastern Medicine, metabolic balance coaching expert Dr. Dane has coined the term “Meta-Type” to describe six basic patterns of energy that she has found in people. Your Meta-Type is more than just your metabolism — more than just how fast or slow your system runs — it describes your whole person — body, mind, emotions, heart, and spirit. In more than 30 years of private practice, Dr. Dane discovered that people fall into six basic patterns of energy and personality. 

She originated the term “Meta-Type” to describe and differentiate these patterns. Her Metabolic Balance Coaching Program is a comprehensive guide that shows you how to become the most vibrant, vital, and healthy being that you can be when you live in balance according to your Meta-Type.

East Meets West

East Meets West symbolBoth Eastern medicine and Western science teach us that energy is the driving force of the universe.

Western science, concerned with the parts of man, teaches us how the body functions, while Eastern medicine, which sees man (and all of life) as a whole, teaches us why our energy balance affects our whole selves.

Aspects of Eastern Medicine

We’ll begin in the East.          

Eastern philosophy teaches that the universe and the human body are composed of both male and female energy, united as one.  Male energy, as you may know, is referred to as Yang, and female energy as Yin. Yin and Yang are opposing forces, but they cannot exist without each other.  Both forms of energy co-exist within us.

According to this principle, Eastern philosophy regards every individual as operating according to his or her unique Yin/Yang balance – and that balance controls a large part of the workings of each person’s metabolism. We each have our own specific nutritional requirements that guide the ways we break down our food – for tissue repair, cell regeneration, and energy.

Some people have stronger Yin-based energy and their metabolism is dominated by the need to rejuvenate or facilitate cell regeneration. My metabolic balance coaching program refers to these people as Synthesizers, and they represent one end of this spectrum of metabolic types.

Others carry primarily Yang-based energy, with a metabolism dominated by the need to produce and utilize energy very quickly. In my metabolic balance coaching, I call these people Accelerators, and they are the complete opposite of Synthesizers.

Aspects of Western Science

Now, let’s see what we can learn from the West.

Western medical science long ago revealed that our metabolism is also driven by the nervous system. According to Western science, the physical activity of our metabolism is based on, and regulated by, our body’s nervous system, driven by our energy and our brain.

And, much like the forces of Yin and Yang, the nervous system is divided into two parts – the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.  The central nervous system is controlled by our “thinking processes” (I have a thought to pick up a pencil, and my hand reaches for that pencil), while the autonomic nervous system controls our body’s automatic processes, including our metabolic activity. The autonomic nervous is itself divided into two parts–the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

  • The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for keeping our bodies running smoothly. It’s the source of the rhythm behind our breathing, the regularity of our heartbeat, the efficiency of our digestion and many other everyday miracles.  This part provides balance and stability. It helps us slow down, cool out, rest and rejuvenate.
  • The sympathetic nervous system keeps us poised for action; it prepares the body for the activities of life. It gives us the ability to expend energy in situations that call for strenuous physical activity, enduring emotional stress, or emergencies that call for the body’s “fight or flight” response. It speeds us up, moves us forward, and makes sure we get things done.

Much like the forces of Yin and Yang, these two, interdependent parts of the nervous system are synchronized to work together. Impulses from one set of nerve fibers activate, while impulses from the other set inhibit; they act in tandem to keep the body functioning optimally and ready for life’s demands.

Everything in life is composed of these dual energies.

Within the human body, the Yin and the Yang energies affect your metabolism in two opposite, yet complementary, ways:

The Yin aspect governs the parasympathetic nervous system. It is the process of synthesizing, assimilating, and building up your powers to regenerate. This phase sets the stage for the periods of rest that the body uses to repair itself.

The Yang aspect governs the sympathetic nervous system, including all the processes that produce and expend energy and break down substances such as food, air, or water into the simplest components of pure, usable energy.

Each system relies on the other for strength and sustenance to meet the demands of life placed on your body. As we integrate the philosophies of the Eastern and Western world’s regarding how the body works, you can see how everyone is – to some degree – dominated by either by Parasympathetic/ Yin activity or Sympathetic/Yang activity.

The Parasympathetic/Yin metabolic profile is known as the Synthesizer, and it is driven by the body’s need to rest and regenerate. The Sympathetic/ Yang metabolic profile is known as the Accelerator and is driven by the body’s need to energize.

The Origin of the “Meta-Type”

Dr. Dane’s metabolic balance coaching reveals a revolutionary parallel between the two energy regulators of Western science and the two energy aspects of Eastern philosophy has resulted in a system of understanding how our bodies and our personalities function energetically.

All the metabolic types in the human spectrum, or “Meta-Types”, are based on these two master Meta-Types — the Accelerator and the Synthesizer.

The Meta-Types are determined by the strongest dominant action of either the parasympathetic (Yin energy) or the sympathetic nervous system (Yang energy) within a person’s body.

These aligned forces drive how a person’s body functions and define his or her personality. They influence every aspect of your life, right down to what your body truly needs in terms of diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

Accelerators and Synthesizers

Accelerators are energetic in body and personality. They have the fastest metabolism on the Meta-Type scale and are strong type-A personalities, dominated by their intellect and the action-oriented sympathetic nervous system (the body’s parallel to Yang energy). Their reaction to stress is anxiety, and they need to learn to release their emotions and calm down! Their metabolic profile is driven by the body’s need to energize. In Eastern philosophy, Yang energy is associated with more acidic environments and qualities. When considering nutrition, from Western science and Eastern medicine perspectives, the Accelerators – with faster metabolisms – function best relying on the faster burning, more calming carbohydrates.

At the opposite end of the metabolic spectrum are the Synthesizers. They have slow metabolisms and type-B personalities. They are dominated by their emotions and the more regenerative parasympathetic nervous system (which is the body’s parallel with Yin energy). Thus, their profile is driven by the body’s need to rest, repair, and rejuvenate. Their reaction to stress is depression, and they need to direct their overflowing emotions into rational thinking and learn to speed up! In Eastern philosophy, Yin energy is associated with more alkaline environments and qualities, and that translates to the human body as well. Nutritional analysis, based on Western science and Eastern medicine, determines that the Synthesizer’s metabolism needs the slower-burning yet more stimulating, proteins and thus requires a more carnivore diet.

The basic personality characteristics and metabolic tendencies of the SIX META-TYPES are also distinguished by which their body’s endocrine glands are stronger and which are weaker or less effective.

For example, the pure Accelerator’s master (strongest) gland is the adrenals, which allows the Accelerator to run almost completely on adrenaline energy and stress (sympathetic nervous system activity).

By contrast, the pure Synthesizer’s least effective (weakest) gland is the thyroid gland, which means that under stress they’ll have a tough time producing enough thyroid hormones to liberate adequate sources of energy for their daily needs. The six most common Meta-Types are:

These Meta-Types are all addressed in Dr. Dane’s Metabolic Balance Program.

So, What’s YOUR Meta-Type?

Are you one of the fast moving, action-oriented Accelerators or the slower moving, creative and empathetic Synthesizers?   Just complete the free, easy-to-use online Meta-Type Profile questionnaire for instant results on this website!

Once you’ve discovered your Meta-Type, you can learn everything you need to make your personality and your body type work for you, not against you!  Your Meta-Type describes your whole persona – you’ll learn that all your issues deal not only with your body but with your mind, emotions, heart, and spirit. Just go to your Meta-Type page on the pull-down menu or click one of the links below.

Learn how to make your body’s unique energy patterns serve your unique personality so you can live the life you want – every day, in all areas of your life – work, love, family! Learn things from my holistic care plans like: the best energy times for you, how your personality affects your reaction to stress/how to handle stress, and lots more when you discover YOUR Meta-Type!

Take Your Free Meta-Type Test Here!