NUTRITION

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Your metabolism is a complex suite of chemical reactions within your digestion and elimination systems, but it also occurs on a cellular level. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories; Catabolism (yang) breaks down organic matter into its subsequent parts, and Anabolism (yin) uses energy to construct and maintain components of cells out of those building blocks such as proteins and fats. Your metabolism converts the raw materials of food into energy but it also requires a great deal of energy to continue to fuel those metabolic fires, in fact, it can take approximately 50% of the total calories in the food we consume just to digest, assimilate and eliminate it from the body. Your metabolic rate is a measure of the speed of digestion which influences how much food you will require daily, and how easily assimilated it will be by your body. You are not only what you eat but what you can assimilate. Determining the right eating plan for you, not what’s right for someone else is the best long-term strategy. Instead of getting caught up in the hampster wheel of restrictive diets and reflexive binge eating, develop an actual relationship with your body and the food you choose to consume. The simplest truth in the world of nutrition is that if people could simply develop a healthy relationship with their bodies, they would have access to powerful innate biological intelligence inherent in their cells.

One of the most effective remedies to so many of our modern ailments is simply to eat according to our nature, or according to your "Metabolic Type", as nutrition expert William Wolcott puts it. Metabolic Typing is a term used to describe a diet that is tailored to an individual’s unique metabolism. As a result, this concept asserts that foods which are appropriate for one person could be inappropriate for a second and potentially detrimental for a third. In 1956 the biochemist named Roger Williams contributed to this conversation when he published a book called, "Biochemical Individuality" which compliments Wolcott's work. In this seminal book, he establishes the basic assertion that we all have a unique metabolic blueprint which is ultimately why no diet framework will ever be able to work for all people. Even within a family unit, there can be tremendous variation is the size, location, and function of all internal organs. The ability to say, one brother’s capacity to process alcohol or caffeine compared to another, can vary by orders of magnitude.

The C.H.E.K approach towards diet and nutrition combines all of these concepts and more into what is called "Primal Pattern" eating. By becoming aware of the body’s internal communication and allowing it to guide you from meal to meal, you won't need to follow diets or prescriptions, rather you honor your body’s requirements as they change. It might seem too simple at first glance but it is highly effective because it is tailored to your specific body and individuality.

Self-awareness combined with flexibility and food variety is the essential basis of Primal Pattern eating. Once you understand how internal stressors (such as mental or emotional stress) and external stressors (such as weather or exercise) influence your body’s needs for macro-nutrients, you will be able to understand what your body needs and how to meet those needs in a dynamic way. The basic ratio of macronutrients we need to eat is based primarily on our genetic heritage and the epigenetic exposure of our ancestors. For example, the Inuit live where the ground freezes over in the winter and very little plant life grows for most of the year. As a result, an Inuit diet is about 90% animal foods and only about 10% plant foods. That’s definitely not a diet that a nutritionist would recommend, yet the Inuit that eats according to their traditional diets have remained very healthy and relatively disease free to this day. The inverse expression can be found in people that live closer to the equator or in warmer climates such as central Australia. The Aborigines in inland Australia eat about 90% plant foods and only about 10% animal foods.