Interview with

Dr. Gregory Tefft

by Tyler Hass

Dr. Gregory Tefft is the author of the new book For Your Body Only. He is a Board Certified Naturopathic Physician and Doctor of Chiropractic. He has been a drugless physician, personal trainer and nutritional consultant for seventeen years, focusing on personalized nutrition programs for optimal health. As an athlete, Greg was an Olympic alternate in swimming and competed in the Jr. Olympics in track and field. In addition to this, he was a three-time Natural Mr. America and is a Master's Class powerlifter. He was kind enough to share with us some of his ideas on nutrition, health and fitness.

Greg, thanks for doing the interview. To start off, how did the idea of personalized nutrition come about?

Ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Ayurvedic, and Greek health practitioners were confronted with the problem that "no two people are exactly alike - each person is unique", and they found that a one-size-fits-all approach to good health did not work well. Even in very similar genetic pools characteristic of these ancient times, practitioners still observed many differences in their patients which needed to be remedially addressed via a clearer understanding of constitutional variations in order to better match nutritional remedies to actual needs. Resultantly, the Egyptians divided people into 7 organ types, the Chinese - 14 constitutional types, Ayurvedic practitioners - 7 energy types, Hypocrites (and his Greek followers) - 4 humors and one bodytype adjunct. Each of these types required very specific nutritive protocols (aka Personalized Nutrition) for successful disease prevention and eradication. The modern continuance of clearly comprehending one's core genetic related uniqueness and correcting for them using proven personalized nutrition techniques as begun by the ancients, is now referred to as metabolic typing and profiling. Over 37 metabolic types have now been cataloged and thanks to advanced nutrition and toxic testing the ultra precise science of profiling pinpoints every nutrient, toxin, enzyme block, allergen, genetic weakness, and hormone level in the body. Furthermore, we now possess medically proven personalized nutrition protocols to repair any and all inconsistencies found. One-size-fits-all nutrition pales by comparison and has simply been passed over by the scientific community as an unhealthful fallacy in today's completely mixed up gene pools, new sedentary lifestyles, genetically altered foods, widespread drug dependence poisonous food additives, mass production, and polluted environments. The nutrition marketplace is about to finally be taken over by easy access, low cost, simple-to-use, highly individualizing nutrition, typing and profiling technologies which have cast us into the final frontier of wellness we refer to as Personalized Nutrition. Within this final frontier, genetic and metabolic needs are precisely understood and subsequently can direct one's pursuit of nutrition quantum leap beyond the ineffectivity of one-size-fits-all, theoretical jabberwocky, or the outright guesswork which constitute the dominant market themes at this moment. It is our own U.S. Department of Agriculture which after a 21 year long study on human nutrition finished in 1971, concluded that "the solution to illness can be found in nutrition, all diseases are diet-related and the true potential from improved nutrition is preventative in that it can defer or modify the development of disease states. It also recommended nutritional tests already used on the farm and to construct food labels be used on humans to determine nutritional levels and needs. Resultantly, our scientific community lead by a group of medical labs has developed the most awesome array of nutrition tests and Personalized Nutrition remedies ever seen before in history. A new wellness bonanza is at hand and Personalized Nutrition is the theme.

Was it through observation, practice or science that you realized the potential value researching customized diet protocols?

My own personal sports nutrition and health challenge issues in combination with my participation in special university driven research projects and one-size-doesn't-fit-all generic observations throughout my life, and finally an extensive clinical practice of Personalized Nutrition over the last 17 years all of which has indubitably confirmed my belief in and commitment to this wellness approach.

I'm curious about metabolic typing. Could you explain to me the different metabolic types and how they digest food differently?

Metabolic types are classified by a multitude of physical, physiological, chemical, and personality variables delineating a hierarchy of dominant and recessive human features. Height, weight, blood type, pulse rates, blood pressure levels, hair and skin characteristics, bone and muscle size, shape and appearance, body, head and face shapes, childhood dream states, personality patterns, body fat distribution, intelligence types, movement patterns, energy levels and characteristics, exercise likes and dislikes ethnicity, digestive traits, and other miscellaneous features and traits are organized into a system of identifiable endocrine gland and related hormone dominance and weakness. These "gentrophic" insights help us to further delineate basic blood type food family classifications as postulated by Dr. D'Adamo into greater specificities right down to the most and least gene compatible essential nutrient groupings on the most quantifiable and qualifiable terms within 6 macro and micro nutrient zones each with their own set of special intra and inter proportions. (Profiling tests reveal up to the moment nutrient/toxin composition within the body to further discern biochemical individuality which allows us to further refine nutrition into the razor sharp precision necessary for eternal wellness). There are 8 primal metabolic types with approximately 37 different constitutional variations of these primal types. The primal types are: Adrenal Type B, Balanced Type AB, Thyroid Type A, Pineal Type A, Thymus Type A-B-O, Pituitary Type O, Pancreas Type O, Gonadal Type O. Digestive, absorptive, utilization, and excretory capacities differ throughout these types and in relation to any pertinent up to the moment nutrition/toxin imbalances as revealed by profiling tests. Some digestive generalizations can be made in regards to Thyroid Type A's who generally suffer low stomach acid and resultant poor digestion in general, or Adrenal Type B's who digest proteins exceedingly well with abundant stomach acid and proteolytic pancreatic enzymes, or Pancreatic Type O's who digest carbohydrates very well with overly abundant carbohydrate splitting enzymes.

How many different metabolic types are there and to what degree is each person unique?

Each person is unique to a multitudinous degree of external, internal, and psychological characteristics right on down to the level of the atom. This is one reason the process of metabolic typing and profiling has of late been deemed the science of molecular medicine by the scientific community. Within our uniqueness lies the exact order of all life promoting biochemicals in terms of our body's retention and needs. The body possesses a very specific genetically determined atomic particle requirement for each mineral, vitamin (aka vitalminerals), para-vitamin, amino acid, fatty acid, phytonutrient, and immunoglobulin needed to operate optimally and remain disease free for as long as possible without degeneration. The body's ability to process every conceivable toxin is also highly specific to one's biochemical individuality with large variations from person to person much the same as the ability to process essential nutrients. Nutritionally straying from one's genetic specificities shortens both the quality and quantity of life by creating weaknesses which allow more degeneration and disease infiltration. Too much and/or not enough of the right nutrition in combination with toxic exposure doom's one to less than their true genetic potential.

What type of health benefits should a person expect to see when they start eating according to For Your Body Only?

Benefits typically include: increased energy, less body fat, greater mental clarity, more strength and endurance, fewer colds, less symptoms of any kind, a reduction of 223 or so disease tendencies, slower aging, better digestion, improved regularity, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and much, much more.

Could you describe your educational background?

Triple majors and 2 Bachelor of Science degrees with teaching certification in Physical Education, Health Science and Biology. I began an accelerated Ph.D program in Exercise Physiology surpassing the Masters Degree level and is soon to be completed with a specialty in Holistic Clinical Nutrition. I also completed a DC (doctorate of chiropractics) and a ND (I'm a board certified naturopathic physician).

It sounds like you have studied the human body from every possible angle. What other experiences shaped your expertise in this area?

My own participation in sports and certain research studies focused upon athletes revealed many issues that discounted one-size-fits-all approaches to performance maximization. I was an assistant in a research study by Dr. Bob Haslam in the early 70's which involved testing hundreds of athletes for protein- nitrogen and B vitamin retention. This study clearly demonstrated extreme variations from person to person and suggested using nutrition tests as guidelines to strategize an athlete's protein and B vitamin (and all nutrients for that matter) intake in order to optimize metabolic efficiency and thereby improve performance levels. My own sudden onset and multiple asthma attack induced hospitalizations confirmed to me the uselessness of conventional medicine in detecting the cause of this problem and correcting it naturally. My doctors' deluged me in useless RAST tests and symptom-relief habit forming drugs they promised that I would need to take forever. It was only through blind luck that I came upon special non-conventional nutrition and toxic tests (profiling) which allowed me to sort out the true causes of my asthma and correct this problem in less than 1 ½ years after employing Personalized Nutrition techniques. After nearly 18 years of clinical nutrition applied to thousands of patients - there is simply no other way than to employ typing/profiling and Personalized Nutrition/detox protocols to correct physical problems, maximize and promote quality life.

Why are there different metabolic types? Is there an evolutionary purpose for them?

Metabolic types are derived from primal genetic designs or (genotypes) modified through many generations of environmentally induced adaptations which are put in place to promote survival. In other words, our genes have been shaped by our ancestor's environments over the years which has created a hierarchy of nutritional and lifestyle needs in us at the moment to promote maximum wellness for survival's sake. Feed the genes as they desire and a maximum lifespan is insured. Stray too far from genetic ideals- disease proliferates - and genes can actually be damaged for now and future generations.

I'm interested in the personalized testing kits that you sell. What are the tests and what does a person find out from the results of the tests?

Your Body's Nutrition Testing Kits ($150.00) contains:
a.) The pH kit (urine and saliva) which tells you the acid and alkalinity levels and calcium ratios present.
b.) Trace Mineral Analysis (hair test) which tells you about the tissue mineral density for 37 minerals including the nutritional and toxic minerals. This will classify you chemically what your metabolic rate is, calibrate mineral ratios and certain vitamin activity, and a provide a statistically correlated balascopic overview of disease tendencies. This test tells you which foods are best and worst for your metabolism and how to put a personalized diet together as well as customized supplementation. When you receive this report you call us and set up a time to go over tests results. A 20 minute consultation is included.
c.) Physical Data Sheets - helps you to type yourself further with our help.
Your Body's Blood Type Kit ($19.95) - this home test if for those who don't know their blood type.
NOTE - There are other home test kits for evaluating nutrition, hormones, and toxins that we can recommend if the "Your Body's Nutrition Testing Kit" protocols don't clear all nutritional problems quickly enough.

There are some books on the market that seem to look at your blood type as the defining factor, but you have many other tests that you perform, what additional information affects the resultant diet?

Blood type diets are only slightly improved one-size-fits-all theory which, unfortunately, have turned out to be exceedingly imprecise as compared to typing and profiling. Typing refines all gene theory light years beyond blood type and profiling detects up to 640 nutrient chemicals and 400 toxins in the body right up to the moment. Some new profiling tests can even measure genetic variations and flaws directly (incredible but true!). All the other books on the market have become obsolete now - there really is no further need to theorize and/or guess about nutrition now that real science is at hand. Certain medical labs use hair, saliva, urine, stool, and blood spots to confirm nutrient/toxin presence and the detriments of their presence. After studying millions of people Personalized Nutrition protocols have been put into place so that the perfect diet and supplemental combinations are finally a reality.

I can't let you go without having you share your views on training. What types of training do you do? Do you have any thoughts on Kettlebell training?

Cross Training with special emphasis on high intensity bodybuilding routines. I think Kettlebells are great for improving fundamental strength levels, maximizing body awareness and coordination, and to even burn a few calories.

Do you make any differentiation between training for bodybuilding, athletics and just general health?

Bodybuilding and athletics require very specialized training procedures applied in a systematic fashion for best results. General health, on the other hand, should be maintained from a beneficial and well-balanced lifestyle at large with all things considered (sleep, proper diet, recreation, stress management etc.) including a reasonable amount of time exercising moderately by cross-training in all categories of strength, endurance, agility, and weight control so that physical weaknesses don't develop.

Greg, your book sounds like it could be the new paradigm of nutritional health and I really like your ideas on training. Thanks for the interview.