Nutritionist Ben Warren will host a seminar in Hamilton next month and with an interactive segment dedicated to diagnosing audience members' symptoms by sight this will be a great opportunity to watch the controversial health expert in action.
Warren (pictured), who founded Be Pure dietary supplements and has previously given TED talks on nutrition, said he hoped attendees would gain inspiration, tricks and tips for a healthy New Year.
Topics will include how to eat clean and the principles of detoxing.
The first hour and a half is a simple talk, with the last hour dedicated to an interactive session.
"I will ask if anyone wants to participate, from there we will pick people from the audience and start discussing what's going on in their bodies just from physical cues, just from looking at them.
"You can see zinc deficiencies in people, you can see fatigues, thyroid issues, hormonal imbalance, you can see food intolerance. It can be fun and it's something that really helps people get engaged."
He said even those not on stage will be also benefit by identifying similar things going on in their own bodies.
"From there we talk about what blood tests you might want to get done and how you go about reversing things."
He said the first thing to look at is the eyes, looking for yellowing which could indicate liver issues, or dark circles, which indicated food intolerance and adrenal fatigue.
Next comes the skin, which can give clues of detox, with how the person stores body fat also an excellent indicator of internal function.
"On the belly - that's liver load. If it's on the hips, that's oestrogen dominance," he said.
From these observations Warren said he is often able to guess how a person feels on a day-to-day basis.
The individual analysis is an important part of the show, because a key part of Mr Warren's theory is that there is no one-size-fits-all for dietary requirements, and that each person is a victim of their genetic makeup.
"The Inuits and the Native American Indians had a very high fat, high protein diet and they were very healthy on their native diet."
He compared this to African tribesman, who relied on carbohydrates for 80 per cent of their calories.
"But they weren't eating any sugar or any processed grains that act on your body faster than sugar; they were eating the whole grain. It's safe to say in the western world we are eating too many carbohydrates for our genetics."
He said there was a general rule - eat the foods that make you feel the fullest for longest. For Warren himself he said this means eating a steak and salad for breakfast.
To portray this principle he has one simple question: how long after you eat an apple do you feel hungry again? He says those who feel hungry quickly need more protein and fat, for those who are sustained for a good period are better suited to vegetables and fruit.
Ben Warren's seminar is on February 4 from 7-9.30pm at the Hamilton Central Baptist Church, 33 Charlemont St, Hamilton. Tickets can be purchased from www.bepure.co.nz.
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