Yates - Optimum Health the Paleo Way

Im a nutritionist, so I guess that must mean that I am blessed with gorgeous skin and a perfect body, I never get stressed and eat only organic, green food ALL the time, right?

That statement couldnt be further from the truth, except the part about me being a nutritionistI have the degree on the wall to prove that one!

Over the years, while practising as a nutritionist, I have learnt many things about myself, but I think one of the most important things has been that every persons nutritional needs are individual. So often we read about how something is good for us or something is not good, or we should be eating X amount of something if we want to be healthy or only a small portion of Y if we want to lose weight. But, you know what? WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL! Goji berries might be the best super food in the world, but it does not mean they are right for everyone. Low-carb eating may have worked for some people, but that doesnt mean it is right for you.

Food is fundamental to our lifewe all need to eat! What you may not know, however, is that how much of what you eat not only affects your weight, but also your health, happiness and outlook on life. But food is just one part of the puzzle; there are many other factors just as important to good health.

Through this book I want to share with you the bigger picture relating to our healthwhat has happened to it, how our food system has changed, and how things like stress play a crucial role in our health. Hormones, gut bugs, inflammation, sleep and nature are all very important parts of the health puzzle, so it is important to get a better understanding of how they all connect to our wellbeing.

Adopting a Paleo template is essentially about eating fewer processed whole foods that do not cause you any ill effects (for example, possibly excluding foods such as some grains, dairy and legumes, as these can upset many). Sounds easy enough, but it can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning. I have included a great 28-day Reset protocol to help you start eating the Paleo wayand I give you guidance and tips on how to stick to the template, while still allowing you to make individualised choices to suit you.

I will help you with food choices, stocking your pantry and deciding what to eat for the first few weeks to get you started. I even have over 100 yummy recipes for you to try! You dont have to worry about restrictive eating; these recipes are easy to make, taste great and are packed full of nutrients.

While you are reading this book, I would like you to take the information given and test things out for yourself, because ultimately, no one knows your body better than you. You may be feeling unwell, lethargic or just out-of-sorts because you simply have forgotten how to listen to your body. We are all guilty of that! To start to feel good again, all you need to do is allow your body time to heal after getting off the junk food you have been eating. Begin treating your body as a whole by evaluating your lifestyle and eating habits and learn to recognise what is right for your body and what is not. Treat your body with love, nourish it with proper real food and it will look after you in return. Turn off the TV, tune in to your loved ones, feel the dirt on your feet, eat wholesome food and start to feel alive. There is no better way of looking after your health and wellbeing than investing time in you. No one else can do that for you and Im sorry, no magic pill will do it either!

Now, there are certain parts of the book I would like to draw your attention to, especially if you are a bit of a closet nerd and like to geek out a bit! Several question-and-answer sections are featured, which provide further in-depth information relating to the chapter topic and particular functional pathology testing that may be considered. These questions are answered by Warren Maginn, a savvy dude when it comes to nutritional medicine but also, technically, a functional clinical nutritionist and educator. He is the National Technical Educator for Research Nutrition, where he supports and educates naturopathic and medical practitioners in the use of functional pathology testing and he also lectures in Nutritional Medicine at the Endeavour College of Natural Medicine. I am very grateful to Warren for giving his time and expertise to this book.

Growing up, I always loved food. I remember always wanting to bake and make different things in the kitchen. I grew up mainly a vegetarian, but I remember eating chicken and fish on the odd occasion. Many of our evening meals were made up of lots of raw vegetables from the garden and, going by typical Western diets, we ate fairly well. What I did eat a lot of, however, was sweets, baked goodies and other high-GI carbohydrates, like hot chips.

I was always a chubby kid and didnt really like participating in sports. Looking back on it now, I think it had to do with my height, or rather, my insecurity about my height. From memory, I think I was at the height I am today (183cm/6ft) when I was around thirteen or fourteen years old, and for a girl, thats tough to get used to. I always felt like everyone was looking at me, and that people wanted me to play what I would term tall people sports, such as netball and basketball. I also felt that people expected me to be a lot older because of my height and therefore treated me that waylike I was an adult.