Nutritionist reveals the top 14 foods every Australian should be eating for a better lifestyle

A professional dietitian who uses clients’ blood types to determine what they should eat has revealed the top 14 foods everyone should add to their diet.

Claudia Calisto, from Sydney’s Claudiability and Total Health & Wellbeing, told Daily Mail Australia she started studying nutrition 20 years ago after suffering from sepsis.

Now she’s recommended 14 foods to help you live a longer, healthier, happier life.

Her list included protein foods, salmon, eggs and grass-fed beef.

Healthy fats were also present, including Greek yogurt, olive oil and ghee.

“Using good fats and proteins gives the body energy,” Ms. Calisto said.

‘For example, grass-fed beef is very good for my blood type, it increases the energy in my body.

‘When I was sick, I made casseroles with beef, peppers, onions and a little bit of carrot. Really healthy food.’

Also high on Ms. Calisto’s list were legumes, natural walnuts, berries, broccoli, pumpkin and dark chocolate.

However, one key ingredient she believes most working Australians are missing from their diets is enough water.

“Our bodies are 75 percent water,” Calisto said.

“People in business, even regular people, don’t drink enough water. Many do not like the taste of water.

‘They ask: “What does it do to the body?” It’s like you’re showering internally. We have 7.5 million intestines that need water to flush out toxins.”

The last ingredient on Mrs. Calisto’s list was red wine. She encourages her patients to drink a glass of red wine because it is “good for the heart.”

‘It also keeps it fun: no one likes ‘diets’. It’s about finding a good lifestyle that suits you,” Ms. Calisto said.

When Ms. Calisto sees a new patient, she spends hours analyzing blood test results and understanding their health concerns.

Based on this, she can estimate what the ‘building blocks’ of their lifestyle should be.

“It all starts in the gut,” she said.

‘If the intestines are working optimally with the right nutrients, water and oils, then the body will work because it has all the building blocks.’

Ms. Calisto began studying nutrition almost twenty years ago.

Given just three months to live after being diagnosed with a horrific case of sepsis, she turned to some of Sydney’s top naturopaths.

Unfortunately, she was left disappointed and feeling like her struggle was not heard.

“I was so heartbroken because I was so sick and I just hoped that someone would listen to me,” she said.

With nowhere else to turn, Ms. Calisto enrolled in a nutrition course but was told she would not have the strength for intensive study.

“I went to the Australasian College of Natural Therapies clinic and saw the naturopath who owned the clinic at the time,” Ms Calisto said.

‘My weight dropped to 37kg at my lowest weight. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink.

‘She looked at my blood type and within four weeks I started gaining weight. It took me eight months to get completely healthy and strong.”

Once she was well enough, Ms Calisto returned to university to complete her qualifications.

“Now I work with people’s blood types because that’s how she healed me,” she said.

With chronic diseases becoming more common, Ms. Calisto believes the best medicine in the world is already in your refrigerator.

“There is a lot of chemical and scientific evidence about the use of food as medicine, but most people just don’t know about it,” she said.

‘Carbohydrates, proteins, complex fats, water and salt: these are the building blocks of the body.

‘You don’t have to buy horseradish or really expensive things, things like onions and carrots can help.

‘We need to listen to our body, discover what it needs and create a lifestyle that suits it.’

Ms. Calisto also revealed the warning signs that a person’s body is out of balance and needs better nutrition.

“For example, feeling tired all the time, not being able to sleep, having palpitations, getting headaches, feeling foggy, constipation in the brain, diarrhea,” she said.

‘When the body is in balance, you get up in the morning and your energy is 100 percent.

‘Your attention and physical health are good – you have no pain in the body.’

Ms Calisto encouraged all Australians to try to better understand the nutrients their bodies need.

“It’s about giving people knowledge so they get something back,” she said,

“It’s a strength and an advantage for them.”