Many of us have spent our summer holidays indulging a little more than we should have, perhaps it was an extra piece of cake, or just our routine was out of whack! We catch up with the Functional Nutritionist, Lulwa Alarmali, to learn about a completely unique approach to health and wellness, and of course, she shares some great tips!

Lulwa Alarmali is changing the way people think about health, wellness, nutrition, exercise, and even the circadian rhythm. Regardless of the goals, Lulwa starts with an inside out approach to total health as opposed to just a quick fix to reach targets.

Inspired by her mother, Lulwa always knew she wanted to be in the medical field. She started off studying dentistry at Boston University but quickly realized it wasn’t for her and changed majors to study nutrition at New York State University. This is also when she discovered she wasn’t a city girl! After completing her studies, she came back to Kuwait and worked for several years as a clinical dietician both in the private and public sector, and started training crossfit at a semi-competitive level.

This is when she realized the huge gap in the industry for sports nutrition! Athletes and high performing fitness professionals were consistently eating incorrectly for their body’s needs. So, what did she do? She packed her bags, moved to Dubai for what she thought would be a six-month stint to complete a course on sports nutrition, and ended up spending close to five years there. This is where she gained much of her knowledge in functional medicine and nutrition.

In the five years she worked there, Lulwa became interested in body fat analysis and composition, this is where the body fat distributions can determine the hormone levels and so forth in your body.

Now she is back in Kuwait (well from a few years ago now) and she tells us how her approach is unique in that she starts looking at the root cause of dysfunction and disease and the goals of the client. It all starts with a chat to understand the core issues and find out more information about their sleep and energy patterns, as well as about their gut health. Usually before giving a nutrition plan that is supposed to help you feel better overall, she also tends to do comprehensive blood testing to understand how the body is functioning. This is how she does a deep dive into understanding your body’s unique makeup and where your body may need some extra support.

On the basis of the results of the tests, the chat, and just an overall assessment, which may include a body fat analysis if weight loss is a goal, she builds a nutritional plan, with a supplement protocol, and may even recommend the elimination of gluten and dairy if she thinks it may be beneficial for your gut health.

To help you get back on track after this summer break, if you were lucky enough to go on one, we asked Lulwa was some tips to get us all feeling a little bit better.

If you have been struggling with gut health issues, try eliminating gluten and dairy for two weeks and see how the body does. A lot of the time people have sensitivity to gluten and dairy and it can continue to aggravate the gut, taking a break from these two foods usually helps the gut to heal.

Align your body to its natural circadian rhythm by making sure you get outside first thing in the morning (not through the window – it doesn’t count) and start dimming your lights 2-3 hours before bedtime, this acts as a signal for your body to start winding down.

Eat good quality animal proteins at every meal, such as eggs, meat, seafood, etc. This is key for building lean muscle and muscle is the building block of longevity. This can include protein powder, ideally a good quality whey protein powder if there is no dairy sensitivity.

Although Lulwa recommends eating animal proteins at every meal, she still works with vegans and vegetarians. She tells us that although it makes her job a little harder because all of the protein sources are combined with carbohydrates, she loves a good challenge, and most importantly – she loves helping people! She also works with pregnant, postpartum and lactating women.

Lulwa is a dietitian and nutritionist but she does occasionally like to indulge in some treats. Her favorite guilty pleasures are a fried chicken sandwich and a Snickers bar, and when she feels overwhelmed she enjoys binge watching Netflix! We are definitely on board with occasional indulgences, sometimes a little more!

In the little free time she has, Lulwa loves to dance, workout, travel, and most importantly read. Her favorite book of all time is ‘Everything is Illuminated’ by Jonathan Safran Foer, which she recommends for everyone to read. We are going to be adding it to our reading list.

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE
How would your mother describe you in one word?
Perseverant
How would you describe your mother in one word?
Strong
What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked?
“Do you think this is all water weight?” – Asked by a female who weighed over 100kg at the time
What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Booked a last minute flight with my brother to Europe for a few days
What is your theme song?
Don’t stop me now
What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented?
Literally
Where would you like to live?
Italy
What is your dream retirement location?
Italy? Lol
What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind?
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light – Aristotle
Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life?
I really don’t know enough about animal characteristics to answer this question properly haha
Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it?
Yes, I miss that we were more present as kids and weren’t constantly inundated with information, and that we were more connected to nature/ the outdoors than we are now (which is connected more to our phones and technology).
If you could change your name, to what would you change it?
I always liked the name Nadia – it’s similar to my mom’s name too!
How would you describe your handshake, in one word?
Firm
What is the toughest part of your character?
If I want something I go after it even if there are tons of obstacles in my way
Who is your favorite historical figure?
Martin Luther King Jr.
What in the world do you least desire?
Losing my family
What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place?
Compassion for self and others Why do you think most people who do, like you?I think I give off good energy and I try to be positive most of the time
Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…” Gratitude and inner peace and health

If you want to learn more about functional nutrition, and get lots of great tips and information from Lulwa, follow her Instagram account @thefunctionalnutritionist, and you can book an appointment with her by whatsapping 99903725.