Hi All,

JUst a very quick post today, just thought I would put out into cyber space my very basic Top 10 Healthy Eating Tips.  This is a very common question I get asked by my Personal Training clients, so here they are:-

1. Always eat breakfast
2. Get your 5 a day!
3. Snack on fruits and not on processed foods
4. Eat more fish
5. Eliminate bad fats from your diet
6. Avoid processed sugar
7. Eat less salt.
8. Drink water and teas. Avoid all soda.
9. Never skip meals, eat regularly
10. Avoid all fast foods and non foods

TOM

Hi All,

As some of you may be aware, especially some of my personal traoning clients, I have become very interetsed in the work of Reed Davies (sparked by Sean, ofcourse).  Reed has developed a system called Functional DIagnostic Nutrition, a course that i am litterally gagging to do!

I thought I would outline some of the key points of how Functional Diagnostic Nutriton works, what it can do for you and the many health benefits it can offer.

FDN does not however deal with, treating illnesses, treating symptoms and diagnosing diseases.

FDN is all about establishing health from the foundation, normalising bodily systems and strengthening the four pillars of health. This is all done by a practitioner who is experianced in looking at the hormonal, immune, digestive and detoxification systems of the body.  The unique factor about the functional diagnostic nutrition approach is that it uses a great deal of detective work to get to the root causes of a condition.  This is done through the taking of an extensive client history and also the use of laboratory testing.  This is a key element to allow the FDN practitioner to find the underlying causes of a variety of diseases.

FDN can help with a number of conditions but some of the key ones are detailsed below:-

• Weight And Fat Distribution
• Mucosal Surface Integrity (1^st Line Immune Defence)
• Insulin Levels
• Thyroid Function
• Ovarian Hormone Levels
• Memory and Learning
• Neuronal Connectivity
• Quality Of Sleep
• Mood
• Muscle Integrity
• Protein Turnover
• Bone Turnover
• Connective Tissue Turnover
• Cell Energetics
• Glucose Homeostasis
• Inflammatory Status
• Immune Regulation
• Heavy Metal Endo Chelation
• Mixed Function Oxidase Modulation

Part of the FDN system is to look at the bodies stress hormones and how the body reponds andreacts to those, these hormones play a crutial role in some of the conditions listed above.  Overuse can also lead to Adrenal Fatigue SYndrome.  Look out for a blog post on this over the comming weeks!

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition is an amazing system and can help a wide variety of people, to find out more have a look at the site or our interview with founder Reed Davies.

Foresight Persona Training Will be offering a range of FDN services across Manchester, Sockport and Cheshire in the next 12 months so if you would like to go on our already established waiting list please fill in the form below.

TOM

Hi All,

I get asked this question so much by my personal training clients that I thought it might be a useful post to put out to you lot in cyber space.

People are generally getting round to the fact that a no fat diet is not a healthy one, you need some fats in your diet.  But many people are unsure of what constitutes a good fat?  That is where we can help to gove you some guidance.  We are going to look purly at cooking ils in this post and try and identify which oils are good for various cooking situations.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a very popular oil  and is easiy available in the average superarket. It’s a great source of essential fatty acids, and is a source of monounsaturated fat, making it a great choice for maintaining a healthy heart.
A higher intake of olive oil in your diet will also help to increase the level of antioxidants present in your system, helping to fight free radicals that can cause disease.

Best use: Olive oil has a low smoking (burning) point, so it’s best used in dishes that aren’t cooked, like salad dressing or drizzled over vegetables after they’ve been cooked.

Coconut Oil
Although coconut oil contains a high percentage of saturated fat, these fats are in the form of medium chain triglycerides, which are handled by the body differently than regular saturated fats. Your body will use them immediately for energy and they won’t pose the same health threat as typical saturated fats do.

Best use: Good for frying due to its high smoking point or eaten cold because of the unique flavor it offers.

Fish Oil
Fish oil is a relatively healthy oil because it contains the omega-3 fatty acid precursors EPA and DHA, which work to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Best use: Fish oil isn’t extracted and sold for cooking the way other oils on this list are; most people take fish oil supplements in capsule form, but you can also get fish oil when you eat fattier varieties of fish such as salmon or mackerel.

Hemp Oil
This particular oil is an extremely good source of essential fatty acids and has a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids, which is what the body needs for optimal functioning. This oil also helps with the treatment of eczema and is commonly found in facial products.

Best use: This oil is not good for frying, making it best consumed cold or in supplemental form.

Grape Seed Oil
Grape seed oil is a good source of essential fatty acids, with approximately 69% of the fat coming from omega-6 fats and 15% from omega-8 fatty acids. It does contain small amounts of saturated fat, but the benefits from this oil far outweigh the disadvantages. Grape seeds contain polyphenols (which are also found in red wine), which are a form of antioxidant.

Best use: Grape seed oil has among the highest smoking point of any cooking oil, so it’s great for preparing stir-fries and sautés.

Sunflower and Safflower Oil
Sunflower and safflower oils are a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain omega-6 fatty acids. Sunflower oil is also a rich source of vitamin E, so anyone looking to boost their intake will benefit from using this oil.

Best use: These oils have a lighter taste and are great for making stir-fries or salad dressings.

Bad fats

The following oils supply your body with less healthy sources of fat, including saturated and trans fatty acids. Make an effort to reduce or eliminate these oils from your diet whenever possible.

Palm Oil
Primarily used for creating many of the processed foods on the market, palm oil is a reddish color due to its beta-carotene content. It is quite high in saturated fat so it’s best avoided.

Best use: Look for palm oil that maintains its reddish color, since that means it’s less processed and healthier to use (but still not ideal). Use it in the same way as any other cooking oil.

Partially Hydrogenated Canola Oil
Any time you see the words “partially hydrogenated canola oil” on an ingredient’s panel, avoid eating that food or product if you can. While canola oil is a good source of healthy fats, when it goes through the process of hydrogenation, it transforms into trans fats, which increase your risk of coronary heart disease. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is commonly found in commercially prepared snack foods as well as fast foods, fried foods and baked goods.

Best Use: None — these should be always avoided.

Cottonseed Oil
While cotton seed oil is made up of 50% omega-6 fatty acids, it contains virtually no omega-3 fatty acids, so the imbalance between these could lead to health problems if not carefully balanced with other sources of fats rich in omega-3. Furthermore, cottonseed oil also contains 24% saturated fat and is very frequently partially or fully hydrogenated, which is extremely bad for your health.

Best use: If you are going to consume cottonseed oil, you are best off using pure cottonseed oil to make a salad dressing.

Hope that has proved useful,

TOM

Hi All,

We have an exciting development in the new history of the Western A.Price Foundation – Manchester Chapter, I now have a co-leader!  Shortly after setting up the chapter I was contacted by Elizabeth Wells from Naturally Wells, she was interested in setting up a chapter too.  SO what we have decided is that we will do it together, and as the old sayings go two heads are better than one!

Here is a short bit about Elizabeth:-

Elizabeth (DNN, MFNTP) is a fully-qualified and licensed nutritionist and is a member of the Federation for Nutritional Therapy Practitioners. She has specialist interests in auto-immune illnesses such as ME and Candidiasis, and is actively researching the links between these and more obscure modern conditions such as electrosensitivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

‘Much of my research has been informed by a questioning attitude towards conventional wisdom about health, especially the idea that there is a one size fits all ‘healthy’ diet. What we should eat is influenced by multiple factors such as our metabolic type and our ancestry. I tend to look back to what our ancestors ate, to an era before modern industrialised diets laid the foundations for so many of the degenerative diseases we now assume are normal.’

Elizabeth is an experienced writer, and has a PhD in English Literature. She has published articles on health and lifestyle for various publications including Allergy magazine, Your Healthy Living and the NHS.

If you are looking for a good Natural Nutritionist in the Chorlton area do look her up.

On Western A.Price  look our for a new section of the website packed full of Dr Prices teachings, and details of local food resources and chapter information. Or like us on Facebook!

If you would like to know more about the Manchester Chapter of the Western A.Price Foundation please do fill in your details below to join our mailing list.

TOM

Hi All

As many of you know I have been a follower of the work of Western A Price for a number of years now. I have recently established a chapter of the Western A.Price Foundation (WAPF) in Manchester, England. This chapter aims to promote his ideas and teachings in the local area. So I thought a bit of background on the WAPF would not go a miss.

The WAPF is a nonprofit, charity that was founded in 1999. It’s aim is to promote the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples and thier diets and how this related to thier health. Dr. Price’s research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health for many generations when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.

The Western A.Price Foundation is dedicated to restoring these nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutritional information, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and plain English labeling, and nurturing therapies.

Current goals include the establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy in baby foods.

The Foundation seeks to establish a laboratory to test nutrient content of foods, particularly butter produced under various conditions; to conduct research into the “X Factor,” discovered by Dr. Price; and to determine the effects of traditional preparation methods on nutrient content and availability in whole foods.

The Foundation is headed up by the great Sally Fellon (Nourishing Traditions Fame), and has a large number of great people involved. Fingers crossed you will be hearing more from them in our interview series in the coming weeks.

For more info look at the site, or join up as a member and help support this great organisation.

Alternatively for more information on the work of The Western A.Price Foundation in Manchester give us a call on 0161 610 0354.

Have a happy, healthy day!

Tom

Hi All,

Just watched this video by Sean Croxton, like steak? I love it! It will make your mouth water just watching!

Like cooking need healthy ideas? Have a look at Underground Wellness TV!

TOM

Hi All,

Here is another awesome video from Wellness Force, looking at the importance of having an organic diet.

Tom

Here is the second of a series of guest articles by Brandon Krieger, you want to know how to set effective goals you will by the end of this!

How many of us look over the past year and say “I wish I could have done… ” or as the New Year approaches you are thinking, “This year I’m going too…”

I have been in the same situation numerous of times, recapping the years that have past and coming up with “New Year Resolutions” to achieve in the up coming year. I can honestly say that each year I have personally made a laundry list of goals I wanted to accomplish and have been able to fully complete only a few. There are people out there that are able to write out their list of 5, 10, 20…etc goals to achieve in the New Year and are able to complete them. But, like myself there are so many people that can not do it because life seems to throw us challenges.

Three years ago, I learned a way to setup realistic holistic goals that not only was I able to accomplish them, but I was also able to enjoy the journey. The system that I learned is detailed and takes sometime to get it down. I want to give you the overview and a few tips so you can start working on your Holistic New Years Resolutions.

1) Understand and live your Core Values.

2) Know your Legacy and live it daily.

3) Do not set more then 3 Goals at a time.

4) Draw out a mind map on how you are going to accomplish each goal.

5) Figure out how you are going to do 1 action per day to work towards each of your goals.

Here are some tips that are very helpful for setting goals. Think of goals like children; you have to care, feed, play with and love them. If you can only handle taking care of one child then do not set yourself up for caring for 3 children. I use this analogy because it is so true when it comes to goals. If you can not spend the time, feed, nurture, and love your goal(s) how are you going to be able to accomplish them? That is why when I teach people about goal setting I teach them how to properly manage their expectation and how to set realistic goals. This way they can accomplish their goals without getting overwhelmed and quitting.

Once you have this foundation down you can easily set S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic, Timed) Goals and have a successful New Year!

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Love & Chi

Reed is another of the amazing people that I have come into contact through Sean Croxton, Reed is a true pioneer of Nutrition and has an immense amount of knowledge. Well I will let him tell you more about himself, his FDN system and his views on nutrition.

TG:  Hi Reed, and thanks for giving up some of your busy day to talk to us!

TG:  For anyone who has not heard of you, can you tell us a little about your history in the Wellbeing and Nutrition industry?

RD: I was the Case Manager and Health Director at the Better Health & Wellness Centre in Poway California for 8 years.  I worked with a chiropractor as her clinical nutritionist and saw every patient.  I also ran my own bone density testing business and screened over 11,000 people for bone density problems.  Many of those people became clients for the purpose of improving their bone density and other health complaints, especially hormonal problems.  So I was fortunate to have a very high volume practice and the opportunity to do my own research.  I packed a lot of clinical experience into those years and was able to make my own observations about why some people would improve, and others would not improve, depending on what they did to address their complaints. So I developed a process of intake and investigation and protocol that has helped thousands of people, and now I teach that system, called Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, all over the world.

TG:  So what got you started your interest in Nutrition?

RD: 37 years ago I picked up a book called “Healing Ourselves” by an oriental medicine doctor.  It helped me adopt the view that we are responsible for our own health and not to rely on doctors.  I learned there are many signs and symptoms that western docs just don’t consider, so even though I wasn’t in the health and wellness business until years later, I kept my mind open, and searching and doubting (in a good way).  When I finally began researching people’s health, as a corporate human resource director, I fell under the spell of natural health and wellness methods once more.  At first, I was just trying to improve a company’s bottom line by keeping the employees healthy.  But, oddly (as fate would have it), that’s about the time I lost my executive position and decided to change careers.  I completed a nutritional therapy certification program with a doctor-friend of mine and that began the journey to where I am today.

TG:  Can you tell us a little about the FDN (Functional Diagnostic Nutrition) system?

RD: FDN is a system of investigation into specific pillars of health – the hormone, immune, and digestion and detoxification systems.  We order saliva and urine testing to determine what is malfunctioning. By going after the malfunctions, the client/patient rebuilds health from the foundation up.  FDN is a very scientific way to apply the inside-out approach that most holistic and naturopathic providers like to take.

TG:  What lead you to developing the FDN system?

RD: While studying and practicing ordinary clinical nutrition, I kept getting the feeling that I was more or less a supplement salesman.  I was very uncomfortable with that from the start, and it didn’t seem to help people all that much anyway. I found myself helping people to get off drugs and, along with chiropractic treatments, they improved physically. But it seemed they were required to buy a lot of stuff and, down the road,  many people still had their main complaints of fatigue, sleeplessness, lethargy, allergies, inflammation, skin, IBS, depression, poor mental focus and low libido type complaints. And for me, there was too much trial and error in the therapeutic nutrition model that I was using at that time.

One day at a seminar, I learned about some functional lab work we could order.  That opened up a whole new world to me and I started to order every test under the sun on as many people as possible. We ordered cartons full of test kits and I went kit crazy.  I also cleared the shelves of all products and told the staff and patients that from now on we were going to deal only with the underlying causes of disease, instead of focusing on symptoms.

So, eventually, a kind of detective work evolved that had me nailing down those underlying causes with just a few tests and a couple intake forms. I had some miracle cases and some not so good cases.  But many people completely resolved their long term chronic conditions and I finally felt like I was doing some real good in the world.

After I coined the phrase Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, and lectured on it for a few years, I was asked to develop the FDN Certification Course for health professionals.  It’s a very exciting course to take, its relatively simple to learn and presents a turn-key method or clinical model you can use immediately.  Basically, we’ll show you how to use functional lab testing to get to the root cause or malfunctions that need to be restored in order to repair in the body. And we’ll show you how to implement protocols that get the client to take responsibility for their own health results.

TG:  What do you feel clients will get from using a FDN practitioner over any other form of nutritional approach?

RD: As an FDN provider, the first thing you get is tremendous recognition from the client/patient that you are the first provider they met that offered them a way to discover why they are having symptoms.  Clients really appreciate that.  I mean, their eyes really light up when the test results totally match their complaints, and you are explaining functionally, why they have felt so lousy for so long.  We call that match up “clinical correlation” and we’ll teach you to get clients to this level.  The credibility you gain is very helpful.  Especially when a lot of clients have been told by doctors that it’s all in their head!

With FDN you walk your client through the intake and testing process step by step, and educate them on what the test results mean, and work together with them to make the necessary improvements.

So, probably the biggest advantage for an FDN are the tools that we use to identify the malfunctions of the organs and systems, plus the underlying and hidden stressors that caused the dysfunction.  Our detective work zeroes right in on the real problem.  Once you are working on the causal level, your clients will make significant improvements in the way they feel, and more often than not, actually resolve many common health complaints.

TG:  How easy is it for personal trainers to become FDN trained and how will it help their business?

RD: As long as you have a decent computer and internet access it’s really easy to take the course.  You can register online at www.fdnmanager.com and take all the lessons online at your own pace.  Once you get a log-in key, you can access all the lessons, videos, recordings and exams at your own convenience.  You should be familiar with MS Excel and Word and be able to open and save files to a computer.  The actual case files where I recorded the live consultation are incredible learning tools.

You’ll also run a saliva and urine test on yourself! And the course includes a mentorship program for a mock up client that we walk you through, plus your own first two real clients.  So besides the online course time, there is interactive time with a mentor that shows you the ropes.

You can charge whatever you want to dispense test kits and interpret the results and make your recommendations to the client.  Personally, I charge the about $200 per hour for FDN results and recommendations counselling, but I have graduates that charge more.  Many alternative doctors who don’t even offer FDN charge much, much more for their work.  I think that once you become familiar with the clinical model we teach, you’ll see your own way to increase your income using FDN and functional lab testing.

TG:  What does an average day involve for you?

RD: I work at my computer and phone, both day and night helping FDN trainees get through the course, working with my FDN Mentors and my webmaster, and my own researching and writing projects.  I stopped taking new clients a while ago but I refer new people to my FDN graduates and help them along. We have FDNers in 13 countries so far, so that keeps me pretty busy.  I also work one day a week for BioHealth Diagnostics Laboratory, assisting doctors all over the U.S. with test result interpretations and case management.  I spend as much time as possible at seminars or in teleconferences learning functional diagnostics.  And I also like to box and ride my bike when I get the chance.

TG:  Who have been your major influences in the world of health, fitness and nutrition?

RD: Well, there was the book by Naburo Muramoto I mentioned, I read that about a hundred times since I was 19 years old.  No doubt there are countless teachers and lecturers, but mostly I have to thank Dr. LeiLani Vidal, a really good chiropractor that taught me how to run a busy practice and for all the training we attended together over the years.  Dr. William Bailey, D.O., has been my medical director for about 9 years now and a good friend who mentors me on the medical side of things as well as the osteopathic side.  William Wolcott, the world’s leading authority on Metabolic Typing is a mentor and friend and co-researcher who prompted me to start the FDN Certification course. I’m especially glad he wrote the book “The Metabolic Typing Diet” which jumped off the shelf at me years ago and started our journey together. David Vaughan is one of the top clinical nutritionists in the world and developer of Foodpharmacy Software, he has helped me develop FDN. As well as Dr. Alan Weinstein a PhD and DC who has been very helpful.  I also have to thank Dr. David Singer, the most productive chiropractor in the world who taught me how to do lectures and health screenings, but also how to develop and stick to ones purpose in life.

TG:  What has been your most rewarding moment in the Wellbeing industry so far?

RD: I can give you many, many examples of the joy that one feels after helping a fellow being to completely overcome a long-term chronic health condition simply because we found the underlying cause, instead of just treating symptoms.

One woman was really depressed, because she was overweight, which was due to medication she was on for a chronic skin rash and hives. Once we discovered the cause of her skin problem, she got off the meds within nine days, then started losing weight and became her old cheerful self again.  It sounds simple to us now, but her doctor had told her that she had her choice – either take the medicine and accept being fat, or don’t take the medicine and deal with really itchy skin.  When she became depressed, he offered to write another prescription for depression!

Another woman was diagnosed bi-polar, plus overweight, plus severe acne. She was able to get off all meds, lose the weight and clear up her skin within 12 months and, no surprise here, her psychiatrist decided that she wasn’t bi-polar anymore!

I’ve worked with adults and children that overcame asthma attacks, migraines, obesity, sleep issues, CFS, IBD and many, many, very satisfying cases.

TG:  In your opinion how important is the link between nutrition and physical activity?

RD: Very important, critical in fact.  We all would agree that you must exercise to remain healthy and live a long, high quality life. In order to exercise properly, you need good energy production on a cellular level. To restore vitality, to condition the heart, to build your lung power and increase stamina, etc. – you must give the body all the nutrients that it genetically requires.  Just as importantly, we should refrain from eating or ingesting the things that are harmful and that eventually cause malfunction.  The wrong diet for your type, low blood sugar, foods that you are sensitive to, foods with chemicals — they are all very stressful to the body.  Even eating whole foods can be stressful when you have sensitivities to any of them, so part of FDN includes identifying those foods and additives and eliminating them.

TG:  If you could only give someone one piece of advice on how to improve their levels of wellbeing what would it be?

RD: Realize that symptoms are a signal from the body that something is wrong.  If the red light comes on the dash board, most people wait a day or two to see if it goes off, then they take the car in to find out the cause.  But when it comes to our bodies, many of us ignore the symptom, even calling it normal. Or we just take something that makes us feel better for a while.  That is equivalent to unplugging the light instead of fixing the problem.   So if you can’t sleep, or have no energy or no vitality or you are overweight, or skin problems or just about any other problem, make a decision that you will find the root cause and don’t give up until you find it.

TG:  How do you see the FDN system developing in the future?

RD: The FDN system provides a model of health care that can be practiced and coached by well trained and caring people all over the globe.  We help others to restore normal function and return to normal health, and even maintain superior health!  FDN can add life to one’s years, not just add more years to one’s life.  Besides reducing medical costs, I see FDN as a way to improve quality of life in general.  By disseminating FDN knowledge all over the world, we may actually put some power into the hands of the people, and out of the control of those who would take advantage of us.

TG:  What does the future hold for you?

RD: I’m going to be pursuing my mission and purpose, which is to educate as many people as possible about FDN, so that they, in turn, may educate others.

TG:  Reed, thanks for sharing with us! It has been a pleasure.