Villager
Watch What the Health, then watch it again
Eat like you live on an organic farm.
The Villager diet type is a throwback to an era before McDonalds. This is a diet that focuses almost exclusively on whole plant foods, plus some fish if needed to maintain muscle mass. Think of Villager as a Vegan Plus diet. What gets added to the plant based foundation will vary for each individual Villager.
Villagers needn’t be 100% Vegan, but they should also take their new “powered by plants” lifestyle seriously.
While a diet that includes more whole, unprocessed plant foods is a healthier choice for many people, especially Villagers, going 100% Vegan may not be the right choice either. A diet that is rich with plants and that also keeps a close eye on spikes to blood sugar is the best play for Villagers. They are in the unique position of scoring fairly low on both fat and carbohydrate metabolism, thus establishing healthy habits and working with a doctor to get regular lab tests is a key to achieving optimal health.
Despite their plant forward genetics, Villagers need to be mindful of proper caloric intake and must be careful to get the nutrients they need, especially the B vitamins and omega-3 fats.
Each Villager will find their own balance, but a template of 5-6 Vegan days a week, with some fish, and possibly poultry, mixed in on occasion will be a recipe for success for many in this group. As Villagers may find they have issues with some high histamine foods, food freshness is also important. The longer food sits out, the more histamine accumulates. Some Villagers may be able to handle histamine with no issues, some may find problems pop up seasonally, and others will need to be more strict. The worst offenders, like red wine, aged cheese, leftovers and some fermented foods are the ones to watch out of the gate.
What is the scientific basis for this diet? The Villager diet, with its macronutrient ratios of 15% healthy fats, 65% complex carbohydrates, and 20% protein, largely derived from plant sources, is consistent with the most current United States Dietary Guidelines.
For more on the science of nutrigenomics, see our science page.
Most closely related diet: Wayoan
Primary difference with Wayoan: Histamine vs. dairy. Villagers have to keep an eye on histamine, whereas for Wyoans dairy is the food group to watch.
Biggest challenge: Not being too restrictive. One of the primary goals with every Gene Food diet type is to offer a template of eating that will help customers get their lab tests in a healthy range. Our scoring system estimates that Villagers may have a tougher time keeping markers of heart health looking good eating a lot of meat and fat. Similarly, crappy carbohydrates aren’t any good either. The challenge for Villagers is to figure out how plant based they need to be for optimal health. Being too restrictive won’t work for many Villagers, so finding the right volume for the plant based message will be important for this group. Some will want to stay 95-100% plant based, while 90% and lower on carbohydrate may work better for others.
Red meat friendly? No, not more than once a month.
Keto friendly: No matter which way you slice it, either saturated fat or plant based routes, keto style diets are unlikely to be successful for Villagers.
Carnivore diet friendly? Nope.
Does this diet type handle fermented foods? Based on histamine scoring, there is a chance Villagers could have issues with fermented foods, however, experimenting with nutrient dense fermented foods like natto or some goat and sheep dairy could be a nice way to help meet caloric needs.
What about pancakes and refined grains: Villagers are best suited to whole food sources of fiber. Pancakes and other flour products aren’t a staple on their menu.
Go to breakfast: Overnight oats with almond butter and blueberries and a plant protein smoothie.