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Excerpt from Nikki Young's interview with Antonio Valladares, author of Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook
When did you first begin believing in the benefits of following a paleo diet with organic
produce and what experiences and health benefits you have achieved?
I started eating organic food as young kid growing up in Miami in the 1980’s. I had actually been sick a lot as a child and saw all sorts of doctors, specialists and was in the hospital several times with severe gastrointestinal problems for more than 20 years and no one had an answer for me.
I was a vegetarian for 15 years and ate a whole foods diet. However, once I found out I was gluten and dairy intolerant, everything changed. Around 2002, I gave up dairy (except butter) and all grains and saw radical improvements in my health.
I stopped grains and dairy and started eating grass fed meat, wild fish and pastured poultry and eggs and felt better than ever. I had much more energy, greater focus, mental clarity, I got leaner, stronger and most importantly, I resolved my digestive issues.
A poor diet can significantly disturb the balance and function of the human body. What are some of the greatest improvements in health and well-being you have seen in your clients after improving the nutritional quality?
Living in NYC, I get a lot of clients who have damaged their metabolism from years of dieting, or from food/drug/alcohol/sugar addiction. Many people are addicted to caffeine and it wreaks havoc on the hormonal system and tweaks brain chemistry. I help women get off SSRI’s (antidepressants) and restore normal brain & body chemistry. You need clean animal fats and coconut oil to do this the right way.
I help clients recover from adrenal fatigue (hormonal imbalance) and correct serious digestive issues.
Many of my clients come to me after seeing previous trainers, therapists or doctors. These so called ‘experts’ couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them and certainly didn’t teach them how to get healthy. You would be amazed at some of the things I hear from clients who had seen famous nutritionists and the ‘best’ trainers or NY doctors.
Many young women feel lousy due to a faulty diet and because the majority of people around them live the same way, they assume it’s normal to go through life like this. Their doctors are quick to put them on drugs instead of teaching them how to heal, get healthy and resolve their issues. As soon as people start eating real food and eating more often, results come rather quickly.
The one consistent solution I have found that delivers the most impressive results is increasing saturated fat and protein in their diet. I have found animal fats from grass fed, organic sources are the single most important food for someone to see radical improvements in overall health, wellness, energy levels and restoring hormonal balance.
Are there any common health issues you have seen overcome in clients once they start following the paleo diet with organic produce>
Recovering from adrenal fatigue and restoring normal menstrual cycles require more saturated fat and protein.
I have found every one with a digestive issue (bloating, IBS, gas, cramps) who gives up gluten gets excellent results. Many digestive issues and some psychological dysfunctions are long term gluten issues.
The simplest and most effective solution I have found is eliminating gluten and eating more fat and protein, particularly from grass fed animals and eggs.
Skin issues usually clear up when they give up grains. Sometimes you have to do more work to clean up the liver and the gut, but many skin issues and seasonal allergies clear up when people start eating this way.
There is some work involved in restoring balance and healing the metabolism, but as far as food is concerned, real food is the most important part and delivers the quickest results.
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