Unfortunately the idea of dieting tends to become popular, and during diet fads all and sundry are suddenly downing vitamin pills like vodka (not recommended) with no real understanding of their own bodies!

Remember that old pair of jeans you used to perfectly fit into?

Well, just like jeans a few sizes too small don’t fit (no matter how hard you pull), some diets just don’t fit your body type, and because you only get one body each lifetime, treat it like your temple.

So what is your body type? In general there are four different body types.

The Adrenal Body Type struggles with stress because it produces an abundance of the hormone cortisol. Be wary, because hormone imbalances can be dangerous and produce more than just mood swings!

Cortisol naturally occurs to help you survive and handle stress, but the Adrenal Body Type stores cortisol as belly fat because it mistakes it for ‘potential energy’. This process continues in a cycle: The more stress, the more cortisol, and subsequently more body fat.

This is one of the more challenging body types because this imbalance can leave you feeling overwhelmed.

The Liver Body Type is more common in men, but also affects women. This body type is more fondly referred to as the ‘pot belly’, and it comes about through toxins accumulating in the liver. The potbelly may appear to be fat, but it is actually toxic swelling that hardens from pressure. People with this body type often have food cravings that drive their diet, and can suffer from irregular sleeping patterns and mood swings.

The Ovary Body Type is characterised as having ‘hip and belly’ fat. Starting with a fat bulge below the belly button, this body type then distributes fat to the thighs and results in cellulite. The upper body remains mostly unaffected, and typically this body type has cravings for dairy products.

The Thyroid Body Type experiences an even spread of weight gain. This is due to a slow and stubborn metabolism that allows fat to accumulate around the body. With this body type you need to get on top of things fast, because chronic fatigue and cravings go hand in hand with a slow metabolism.

Each of these body types has specific tendencies in response to dieting, so it’s best to consult your doctor or dietician about what food and exercise suits you. The most important thing is that now you have realised your body type, you can start losing weight naturally, and enjoy finding the right pair of jeans for you!

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Lately, more people are starting to realise that their blood type actually gives clues as to what food types they should consume. Naturopath Peter J. D‘Adamo is one of the leaders of this debate, and his book Eat Right 4 Your Type has been selling off the shelves.

After extensive research into medical history, genetics, and anthropology, D’Adamo began to suspect blood type was much more important than originally thought. This is because each of the four basic blood types – O, A, B, and AB – evolved as early humans developed and the environment around them changed.

By knowing the history of our blood type, we gain understanding as to why our body will respond better to some diets than others.

• Type O: The first known blood type and the most common, it is traceable as far back as the CroMagnons. Type O’s have a strong digestive system, because historically raw meat was the primary food source.
• Type A: This blood type began to appear between 25,000 and 15,000 BC in response to diseases that were striking down many Type O’s. Those with Type A blood had a stronger immune system, and cultivated plants and grains.
• Type B: Appearing between 15,000 and 10,000 BC, Type B blood developed as humans started to travel and explore, eating whatever they could along the way.
• Type AB: Still extremely rare, blood type AB emerged only ten to fifteen centuries ago, and it’s still not completely clear why. It combines many elements of both Type A and Type B.

We can see how blood types developed partly in response to the food available to early humans, and it makes sense to continue applying that logic today.

Generally, people with Type O blood should eat only organic meats and avoid eating grains. They also need vigorous exercise. People with Type A blood on the other hand respond best to a vegetarian diet, and only need to do light exercise or meditation.

Those with Type B blood can enjoy a varied diet including lots of meat and dairy products. Moderate exercise throughout the week is needed.

And the rare ones out there with Type AB blood should keep their meat portions small, and eat some dairy too. Moderate exercise such as yoga is ideal for you.

If you don’t yet know your blood type, ask your doctor and start researching what foods work best for you. Your blood is an extremely important part of your food consumption – don’t see red, start the blood type diet today without bleeding your life away!

Just as the taste of food is improved by seasoning, if you choose your foods by season your health will improve as well! Don’t think salt, pepper, and chilli; but rather summer, autumn, winter, and spring.

A diet that follows the seasons makes sense, because not only does the body react differently to the climatic changes, but the earth also produces food by the seasons. Following Mother Nature’s health secrets has to be better than living and dying by the ‘must-have diets’ marketed by people that in reality have very little science behind them.

You don’t really need to buy into the ‘eight glasses of water a day’ mantra: it’s an old wives’ tale! Instead of fearing constant dehydration, people only need to drink when they feel thirsty. On the other hand, the reasoning behind eating local and seasonal food is sound because:

1. It reduces the energy we use up transporting and growing the food
2. You pay less for the food because it has not travelled as far, and you are supporting the local economy
3. It’s a great way to reconnect with nature’s cycles
4. Most importantly: seasonal food is fresher and has more nutritional value

Of course, we are all tempted by the ease of travelling to the supermarket and expecting the same items to be on offer. But the global marketplace does not always make sense with your diet during the changing seasons. Our metabolism and nutrient demands change with the seasons, and consuming locally produced foods will help you to loose weight and have more energy.

If you are thinking about implementing a viable and worthwhile health habit, this is certainly one to consider. There are many groups around the world who offer practical advice on how to eat with the seasons – and connecting with others will bring even more far-reaching social health benefits!

By ‘getting with the seasons’ you will be able to maintain a healthy weight throughout the year, even when the ‘comfort food’ holiday season arrives!

As the weather cools down, most of us tend to find ourselves drawn to anything that’s going to warm up our insides. Understandably, a refreshing, tall glass of water doesn’t quite make the list in terms of what we think is going to help us withstand the cold however drinking water is just as important in Winter as it is in Summer! Here’s why

With the lower temperature outside, there’s no doubt most of us can be found inside under a heater, rugged up in 2-3 layers of clothing. Whilst we may not be perspiring in 35 degree heat, this warm environment can still be very dehydrating for our bodies and skin. By drinking 8 glasses of water a day, it helps to ensure our bodies are well hydrated and also works to more naturally keep skin soft and supple.

Maintaining our body temperature and keeping us cool isn’t the only purpose of drinking water. Our bodies are 60 – 80% water and we use water every time we move, eat, breath, have a bowel movement etc. Keeping up your water intake in winter is just as beneficial (and necessary) for your health and comfort as it is in the warmer months.

Light, fresh salads and juices tend to be back of mind once winter arrives as the cooler months make a lot of us crave richer foods – creamy curries, cheesy pastas and decadent chocolate treats sound familiar? With an increase of these more complex foods in our system, our bodies need water to assist with digestion. To avoid digestion problems and to truly enjoy your wintery treat, your body needs more water than what these foods can provide alone.

By not drinking enough water, your body interprets this as there being limited water available in the environment you’re in. It therefore takes action and begins to limit its abilities in order to survive. As a result, you may find it difficult to concentrate or generally perform at your usual standard. When your body is getting enough water however, you will find yourself operating at your best!

Whilst it may not be as inviting to reach for a cool glass of water when it’s cold outside, don’t think you need it any less. Water is a key ingredient that supports our bodily functions that also keeps us looking a feeling good ALL year round!

So you’ve heard about this new super food Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) but are not sure why it’s so good for you?

• Quinoa is a key ingredient of our NEW WBC Porridge, so we’d love to share a few of its benefits with you.

• Quinoa is technically a seed and not a grain as commonly thought. Whilst it’s a relatively new addition to our diets, it has been a staple of South American diets for thousands of years with the Incas first recognizing its benefits and calling it the ‘mother grain

• Quinoa’s protein content is about 16 per cent higher than that of any other grain and itself has a relatively high protein content at about 14 per cent

• Importantly Quinoa is abundant in a specific protein that most other grains are lacking in – the amino acid lysine.

• Quinoa a complete protein – these are rare in the plant world. This makes quinoa an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans or anyone looking for a healthy protein source

• Quinoa contains more iron than most other grains and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate and many B vitaminsQuinoa is naturally gluten free, making it an excellent choice for people with Coeliac disease and those who chose to eat gluten free

WBC’s Porridge combines Quinoa (26%) with other gluten free ingredients – Rolled Brown Rice, Rapadura Sugar, Cinnamon and Vanilla. It’s a super nutritious, natural and unprocessed start to the day!

Join naturopath, chiropractor and health and wellness expert, Dr Damian Kristof, for 2 hours of power that will:

• Fill your brain with current up to date high quality information about food

• Open your mind to the realities and myths about food and the current food guidelines

• Optimise your health with the simplest approach to food and eating you’ll ever hear

• Discover health and wellness through the power of food

Date: Monday April 18th

Start time: 7.30pm Start

Venue: Vitality 282 Richardson St, Middle Park VIC

Seats are limited – Bookings are essential for this seminar.

To Book Please Call (03) 9682 8866

To find out more about Dr Kristof, go to www.damiankristof.com

Join naturopath and chiropractor, Dr Damian Kristof, health and wellness expert, for 2 hours of power that will:

• Fill your brain with current up to date high quality information about food

• Open your mind to the realities and myths about food and the current food guidelines

• Optimise your health with the simplest approach to food and eating you’ll ever hear

• Discover health and wellness through the power of food

Date: Wednesday March 9th

Start time: 7.00pm Start

Venue: Souths Junior Rugby League Club, 558A Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW

Seats are limited – Bookings are essential for this seminar.

To Book Please Call (02) 9344 4233

To find out more about Dr Kristof, go to www.damiankristof.com