Client Testimonials
" A year ago I weighed 13 stone and 6 pounds and felt miserable, lethargic and unable to lose weight despite cycling 10 miles a day and going to the gym every morning.
Today I weigh 11 stone and 1 pound – I still cycling the same distance and go to the gym every morning.
So what changed?
Allergies run through my family on my dad's side – asthma, eczema and hay fever; for me eczema and hay fever have always been the worst – and I've always suspected that certain foods caused reactions that exacerbated some of my allergies but never really gave it much more thought than that until last year…I had put on so much weight I actually weighed more than when I was 9 months pregnant. I was constantly feeling tired all the time and would fall asleep on the sofa early in the evening but would then struggle to get to sleep when I went to bed and getting up in the morning was a monumental challenge and I could feel my joints literally beginning to creak…as for the 3pm slump and mood swings? The less said about that the better!
I went to my GP and he did blood tests for thyroid, hormones…the usual suspects when women say they 'feel tired all the time'. He even referred me to a dietician to help understand why I was putting on weight despite all the exercise I was doing.
It wasn't until October when I was talking about my sheer frustration with my weight to a friend (I'd already started as a guinea pig on her pilot 'Zest 4 Life' programme and was beginning to see my diet wasn't at all correct for me). She said as a qualified nutritionist she could run a number of checks including a food intolerance test that would check my blood sugar levels – and, as I mentioned before, I've always thought bread (wheat), potatoes and possibly dairy products weren't good for me, so I was very keen to see IF any of these foods were part of the problem.
The test was simple enough - a small pin prick on my finger to collect a blood sample then off in the post to the lab for analysis. The results took two weeks to come through and I was relieved and dismayed when I reviewed them with Fiona…top of the list were cow's milk, eggs (white and yolk) along with brazil (nuts), carrot, grapefruit, kiwi, potato and yeast. Relieved to see bread (yeast) was on the list; dismayed because as some-one who lives to drink tea - builders blend only - I could not imagine life without a decent cup of Yorkshire tea! Cutting out bread and potatoes would be a breeze but not tea and eggs!
However, working with Fiona and continuing with the Zest4Life programme, I was able to put together a food plan that worked for me and the results were astonishing. Cutting out the foods that I know are not good for me has not been easy but as I started to wean myself off these foods I could see that my allergies were lessening at the same time. My eczema has practically disappeared, I've only had one or two really bad bouts of hay fever whereas I'm normally never without a tissue because my nose was always streaming and I can't remember the last time I used my blue asthma inhaler.
My energy has returned in leaps and bounds, I don't creak when I get out of bed in the mornings, the 3pm slump has long disappeared and I now sleep through the night but the best part of all is the weight loss which has been amazing because it seems to have happened without even really trying. Yes, I have been watching what I eat but I still have my treats every day (so long as they only contain foods I can eat) and throughout all of this I've discovered that I prefer to eat the foods that are right for me - when I eat any that aren't, I can tell immediately (nose gets snotty, skin gets more sensitive, my mood changes etc etc) that I know it's just not worth it.
I hate cooking but my other half loves to cook and has seen this as a challenge to cook dishes that are packed with all the right nutrients and contain a good balance of protein and good carbs. He's seen the change in me and has risen to this task admirably and produces many appetising and varied dishes that I don't miss egg and chips with a great big mug of tea at all."
JF, Woking