Luke Hines is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed nice guy of the healthy eating scene.

Shooting to stardom as a contestant on My Kitchen Rules, he’s gone from Bondi PT to trainer to the stars, guiding the likes of Angela Jolie with a personalised fitness regime.

Most recently he’s paired up with celebrity chef and paleo icon Pete Evans, taking the real food message to the masses on The Paleo Way tour.

Even with a social media following in the tens of thousands and four cookbooks under his belt along with fellow MKR contestant and friend Scott Gooding, Luke Hines is still a down-to-earth, humble, modern day gentleman.

“Being published is one of the biggest highlights,” he explains.

“Going through an airport or Myer or David Jones and seeing our book on the shelf, it never gets old. I still pinch myself when that happens.”

Trainer Luke is funny too, leaving the crowd in stitches during The Paleo Way tour with his on-stage antics. And he’s probably the only personal trainer you’ll ever hear telling people not to work out.

All jokes aside, Luke admits exercise is only part of the equation when it comes to achieving a healthy body, and proper nutrition and adequate rest needs to be given priority.

“Over-training or training a tired body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which can undo all of your hard work,” he says.

“So if it comes down to finishing a shift and deciding between a healthy meal and a good night’s sleep or pushing yourself at the gym, you’re better off going home. You’ll wake up refreshed and in a better position to make smart choices.”

Becoming a personal trainer was written in the stars for Luke, who’s had an interest in fitness and clean eating for as long as he can remember. These days he’s better known for his nutritional advice and simple, paleo recipes in the Clean Living cookbook series, but he admits his food philosophy has changed over the years.

“I always believed I was eating healthy, following advice in fitness blogs and magazines on how to bulk up and get ripped, believing I needed whole grains, low-fat dairy and yoghurt, that kind of thing,” Luke notes.

“But I realised I was tired, I was bloated and I didn’t feel that great, I wasn’t achieving the results I wanted to achieve.”

When Luke eliminated grains, dairy and processed sugar from his diet, he noticed almost immediate results.

“I was scared I was going to waste away and have no energy, but I felt better than ever before.

“Once you have a healthy gut system and you’re absorbing maximum nutrients, you feel so much better. Looking back I’m really glad I made the change, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Luke radiates positive energy and a genuine passion for helping others achieve a healthy, happy lifestyle. His message is simple, and his advice on balancing maximum nutrition with the right amount of work, rest and play is irrefutable. Any negative media surrounding the paleo way of eating is like water off a duck’s back. He’d rather focus his energy on doing good, like working with Scott on their next cookbook.

“The next book is all about celebrations and seasons, so the foods we have at our favourite celebratory times of the year, we’re giving them a clean, gluten-free, paleo spin.”

Luke is also working on a new YouTube channel, providing free watch-and-learn recipe tutorials, while continuing to work alongside Pete Evans on The Paleo Way online program and writing for Men’s Health Magazine.

“Having that opportunity has been really positive because a lot of fitness magazines push supplements and certain styles of training, there’s not a lot of the holistic lifestyle message,” he says.

“It’s great being able to show guys they can look good and feel great eating real food.”

For those looking to incorporate more fresh food into their diet, Luke suggests a one-week challenge of eating nothing from a packet.

“It’s a really good test for people and you don’t need to worry about checking labels for gluten or sugar, if you’re just eating real food you know you’re on the right track,” he says.

“It gets people away from the aisles of the supermarket, focusing instead on fresh vegetables, fruit, poultry, seafood and meat. When people realise it’s achievable, one week turns into two, which turns into four, and you’re on your way.”

In the event of falling off the wagon, Luke urges people to remember no one is perfect, smile and get back on track, taking every opportunity to do the right thing by their body.

“We get a lot of feedback on The Paleo Way program from people who are going well for a week or two, then they have a birthday or work function and have sugar or grains and feel terrible. More often than not, these people tend to punish themselves and set up a vicious cycle. You have to break that cycle to get on the path to success.”

Luke admits meeting hundreds of those success stories in person during The Paleo Way tour brought tears to his eyes.

In the brief moments it took to sign a book, they shared stories of life-changing transformations, reaffirming Luke’s own devotion to this way of life.

“It was incredible seeing the passion in these people’s eyes,” Luke says.

“Whether they lost weight and gained confidence or they’re better able to manage an illness they’ve been dealing with for so long and their quality of life is increasing, simply making better food choices has brought so much happiness to so many lives.”

Luke encourages everyone to find their happy place with food.

“Don’t be silenced by anyone else around you. Whether you’re gluten free or coeliac or paleo, everyone’s an expert and haters are gonna hate, just let them be. Don’t let them deter you from achieving what you want to achieve. Be empowered knowing your choices decide where your future goes.”

www.lukehines.com

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