BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY + LOVING MY CLIENTS

Nutrition has got to be one of the most confusing sciences out there. For every so-called positive there is the exact same negative. For every 100 people saying butter is healthy there's another 100 people saying butter is unhealthy - and both parties hold just as much evidence to prove their point. I thought studying Nutrition would straighten out a few things I (thought I) knew, but to be honest, sometimes it can only make it all the more confusing.

I touch on Biochemical Individuality in my ebook, Breakfast of Champions ~ What Nutritionists Eat for Brekkie, but I want to hone in on it a bit more, and explain why I follow the principles of it so much.

Biochemical individuality

With individualising your diet, there is a lot more than the standard "food pyramid" or type of eating (eg. paleo or vegan) that needs to be taken into consideration. For example, everyone needs iron. However the amount each of us needs is totally different. And what if it's iron absorption issues not the amount being/not being ingested?

EAT REAL FOOD

This sounds all good as a basic way to know what to eat and what not to eat, but for most of us, we have our own symptoms trying to alert us to something else we need to address, but have no idea how, what it is, or why we are having these symptoms.

What if I was to say Eat Real Food but avoid the nightshade vegetables, fruits high in salicylates, casein-containing dairy products and goitrogens. Then what? All of a sudden the whole "eat real food" picture just got a whole lot more complicated.

Nightshades are a class of plants that use toxins called alkaloids to defend themselves. If you’re sensitive to these alkaloids, you’ll experience a range of issues from skin breakouts to joint pain. That rules out real foods like potatoes, tomatoes, and some peppers.

Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in many plants – they're a kind of natural pesticide – to protect the plants against insects and diseases. Research shows that about 20% of adults with asthma, 60% with of people with food-induced itchy rashes, headaches or migraines, 70% of people with irritable bowel symptoms and 75% of children with behaviour problems may be sensitive to salicylates. Most people with salicylate intolerance have no idea what could be affecting them.

Casein is a protein in dairy that can cause upset tummies, allergies, and digestive issues for those who are sensitive to it, or who can't break it down.

Goitrogens can cause problems for anyone with low thyroid function as these are substances that suppress the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake.

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So you can see how "Eat Real Food" can be an oversimplification. It is still a good base to roll with, but you need to tailor this to your body, your system and your tastes.

This is when I find working with clients one-on-one to be super valuable and rewarding for both them and myself, and I can help them navigate their way through this.

So if you feel like individualised sessions is something that you're needing right now, jump over here to find out more and get in touch!

Sources used:

http://rebootedbody.com/final-answer/

http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/additive-and-natural-chemical-factsheets/salicylates#what