There are a lot of personal trainers and nutritionist out there that have never struggled with the very obstacles that they attempt to help their clients to overcome. Anita Nall Richesson has not only gone through similar obstacles as you but she has overcome possibly an even bigger one. After being forced to quit swimming competitively (in which she was an Olympic Medalist) due to a “mystery illness” Anita not only overcame the illness but is here to teach others what she learned from it. She is a certified Holistic Nutrition Specialist, Life Coach and accomplished motivational speaker who coaches people on how to get “back to basics” with whole foods. Anita is an Olympic gold, silver and bronze medalist, owner of PhenomeNALL Nutrition and Nutritional Consultant for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Luckily I had the chance to interview her this week and pick her brain a bit about nutrition, with a focus in food sensitivities. Here it is:

JF: Anita can you please give us a little background of yourself and why you got into nutrition? (I figured you can tell about your food allergies and how they effected you)

AN: At the young age of 16 I won gold, silver and bronze medals in 1992 Olympics for swimming.  One short year after being a world record holder and triple Olympic Medalist, I could barely get out of bed.  I began what I call a decade of ‘mystery illnesses’ that seemed unending.  I was always sick.  Between sinus infections, viruses and body aches and pains, it never seemed to end.

Modern Allopathic medicine’s approach was full of antibiotics and by the age of 19, anti-depressants.  It was very frustrating that nothing and no one could explain to me why I was constantly sick and tired.  I tried to continue swimming, but I was never able to train again, and therefore achieve the level of success I once had.

I finally began my own search for answers in alternative medicine as the healing power of food always intrigued me.  I began trying every food plan on the market, high carb, low carb, no fat, high protein, vegan, vegetarian…You name it, I tried it.  I read every book and article that I could find about food.   It wasn’t until after the birth of my son that I learned about the ELISA food sensitivity test.  Finally, in 2003, removing my sensitive foods began, yet again, another journey with food for me.

As many of my health issues began to dissipate with the removal of my offending foods, my career path in nutrition became very obvious to me.  I became so interested in food and how it affects the body, I enrolled in school to pursue holistic nutrition education and life coaching which complement each other.

JF: Do you think that most people have food sensitivities and don’t know it?

Yes, I definitely think that most people have foods that affect their health in a negative manner.  Unfortunately, we are not taught to look at food as medicine in our culture.  Food often gets looked at as the last potential problematic component in a person’s life when faced with health issues.    

I want to make it clear that food sensitivities are not the cause for every health issue, however, removing sensitive foods reduce many symptoms and can give the body a better chance to heal potential underlying imbalances.

JF: How can food sensitivities affect someone’s life?

AN: I have so many stories about clients and family members whose lives have been changed simply by eliminating their sensitive foods. Many people live with annoying symptoms that have become the norm for daily living.  Chronic headaches with daily doses of ADVIL, prescription medications and high caffeine intake for energy have all become normal in our current culture.  Many of these things can be avoided by simply changing how we eat.    

JF: What are some common symptoms of food sensitivities?

AN: Chronic headaches, eczema, bloating, clearing your throat a lot, canker sores, acne, frequent illness, migraines, etc…  In fact, if you experience irritating symptoms that your doctor and lab results cant quite explain, chances are, the very foods that you consume on a daily basis are irritating your system.

I had a client who urinated frequently throughout the night.  Modern medicine typically would have remedied that with prescription medication.  One week after eliminating sensitive foods from his diet, my client was no longer waking up 3-4 times a night to urinate.

Another client had struggled with a skin condition that boggled the minds of her doctors.  It was treated, with no success, with topical steroid creams for years.  The condition persisted until her food sensitivity blood work showed us what I had suspected all along, that she had an extreme gluten sensitivity that showed itself in an autoimmune skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis.  Removal of gluten (the protein component to many grains) from her diet changed her life forever, giving her control over her health.  

JF: What are the most common food sensitivities and allergies?

AN: The biggest offenders are gluten (a protein found in common cereal grains like wheat), milk, eggs, & sugar.

JF: How do you find out if and what sensitivities you may have?

AN: There are many labs utilizing the ELISA food sensitivity testing now.  The test can be pricey, but well worth it if you are suffering from chronic irritations like eczema & migraines or it can simply serve as a general wellness enhancer.

If you do not have the money for the test, try a simple food elimination diet.  Eat a very clean, simple diet of lean proteins, rice, fruit & vegetables for 30-60 days (as long as you can take it J), then SLOWLY introduce the eliminated foods one at a time back into your meal plan and monitor how you feel.  You will need about a week in between re-entry of different foods to effectively monitor the effects of a particular food.

JF: What are your favorite foods?
AN: I love green leafy vegetables.  Slightly cooked kale & collard greens have become a hug part of my daily eating. I loved sweets as a kid and would lie if I said that all of my adult healthy eating habits have completely taken away my sweet tooth.  Now, I’m just a lot smarter about my sweet food choices.  Instead of the artificially colored, full of sugar Fruity Pebbles of my youth, I stick with more natural sweets.  Sometimes I make cookies that are sweetened with dates or indulge in my favorite dessert, coconut milk ice cream. 

JF: What is an ideal “diet” for someone in your mind? (more fats, or carbs, can talk a bit about whole foods and what you recommend)

AN: I recommend a balanced whole foods diet for all my clients.  Whole foods are foods in their most natural state, least processed as possible. We live in a world where almost everything we eat is processed in some way, but eliminating unnatural, chemical laden foods is a great start to wellness.

The key to a whole foods lifestyle is reading food ingredients.  Most people are pros at reading labels (how much protein, carbohydrate, and fat a food contains), but clueless on reading the actual ingredients in the food they eat. Ingredient reading is an essential skill for whole foods success.  Most people find that the more natural foods they eat, the less you need to count calories.

Whole Foods examples= chicken, meat, eggs, fresh fruit, potatoes, rice, lentils, vegetables, oatmeal, nuts & seeds.

It’s important to eat frequently and balanced.

Frequently= Most of my clients feel great eating what I call “The Perfect Plate” every 4 hours.  My athletes need to eat a little more frequently, about every 3 hours.    
Balanced= The Perfect Plate= Depending on your level of activity, each meal or mini-meal in your day should include some amount of carbohydrate, protein, and healthy fat.

Here is a sample chart on what your meals should look like for a week:

You can find out more about Anita here: PhenomeNALL Nutrition

If you wish to contact her to receive more information click here: Contact Anita