My Philosophy

I have been working in the nutrition field for 20+ years and have grown a lot over the years of continuing my education and working with thousands of clients.  The biggest problem I have encountered that seems to get people in trouble, confused, and unhealthy, is believing in a certain “diet” program and trying to follow it no matter what.

I really dislike the fact that whenever a new book or program comes out and someone has success with it, everyone believes it will do the same for them.  Even when someone feels worse, they continue following it, believing it will work and that they just have to tough it out.  Food is supposed to make you feel good.  If you eat right for you body type, I believe (and this is based on all the years consulting with individual clients) you will lose fat, feel great, and significantly reduce your risk of disease and illness.

How do you know what your body type is? There are metabolic or nutritional typing quizzes that can be very helpful, however the easiest way is to not change anything, and start journaling what you eat and how you feel.  Pay attention to cravings, bloating, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, energy levels, fatigue, headaches, weight gain or weight loss; all of these factors need to be recorded.  Doing this for a week will give you a lot of information.  If a client does this for me for 1 week, I will know exactly what body type they have.

I also use blood work to help me figure things out, which is very helpful.  If someone doesn’t have the right blood work, I send them to their doctor with a list of things I want to see. Every individual is different and may require different nutritional advice.  For example, I can’t recommend a vegan or vegetarian diet if someone is pre-diabetic.  For some a raw diet is perfect, however for others it will make them feel lousy.  A higher protein diet for some clients is ideal, while it may make others feel bloated and have low energy.  Some need to eat pretty much grain-free or only certain types of grains.  Others do very well on grains.

I enjoy working with each individual client and helping them figure out what diet or nutrition program is right for them. Helping someone get away from “dieting”, buying every nutrition or diet book on the market, yo-yo-ing in weight, and facing a risk of other illnesses and disease, is my greatest passion.

Supplements are another huge expense for many people, and most don’t know if what they are taking is working or right for them.  They only have the media, magazines and books to help them decide what to buy.  Many products do not absorb well and are causing problems.

I spend a lot of time researching certain products before I recommend anything.  I make sure the products have followed all the regulations and are truly putting in what the label says.  I also research where the company gets their ingredients and how they produce the product.  I have moved towards a lot of liquids and powders since I find tablets have fillers added that aren’t always food.  Capsules are certainly a good option but what my clients like about liquid or powder is the increased ability to digest and absorb, and they don’t have to take as much to get the dose required.

How you take supplements and when you take them is also an important factor. The study that came out awhile ago stating that supplements really didn’t make a difference was flawed.  They did not disclose what product line they used, the form  (tablet, capsule, liquid, or powder) and how the participants took the products.  I agree there are many supplements that don’t make any difference, but if you take what is right for you in the right form, dose and time, many benefits can be achieved.

To get started on your own food journal, click here.  To submit a specific question you may have about nutrition, send an email to asktheexpert@simplyslimliving.com.