If the "Standard American Diet" (fittingly abbreviated as SAD) is so great, why is obesity so widespread ? Why do so many kids need braces (jaw not forming correctly), or glasses ? Why is osteoporosis an issue ?
Ideally, good nutrition should start with the parents before they conceive their child. It is probably too late for that now, but we can try to do damage control. Young bodies are resilient, and can often catch up missed growth if they finally get what they need.
A more detailed breakdown of the Lötschental diet can be found in the book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. Mineral-rich water is my assumption.
For pre-conception nutrition and the topic of epigenetics, please see The Better Baby Book and Deep Nutrition (Dr. Cate Shanahan).
Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Ehrlich. This book describes how nose breathing, proper oral posture, breast feeding and intensive chewing are important for proper development of the jaw. They think that it was the chewing, and not the micronutrients that made the difference in the cases that Dr. Price reported.
Origins of dental crowding and malocclusions: an anthropological perspective (PDF)
I think it is a combination of factors. For example, the traditional people in Lötschental / Switzerland ate sourdough rye bread that was stored for months. This is seriously hard bread (think oversize hockey puck). Combine vigorous chewing with plenty of minerals from dairy and mineral-rich mountain water, vitamin D and K2 from dairy and sunshine, and their jaws and teeth should grow just nicely.
You can read on the study by Dr. Davis in the article Self-selected nutrition by infants .
Keep in mind that bodyfat percentages need to be taken with a rather large bag of salt. Bodyfat scales are good for entertainment only. A finger pinch is enough for me to determine that I still carry enough fluff, even if the Tanita scale at the gym once said that I'm at a shredded 6.4%. Even the gold standard "DXA scan" is not completely reliable.
My recommendation to track the weight each morning is based on the fact that there can be LARGE daily fluctuations based on your bowel contents, hydration, glycogen loading, salt etc. Adjustments should be made based on the weekly average, not individual weight samples subject to these large fluctuations (that would be a good route to eating disorders).
Processed meat - nitrates and other additives are widely considered a cancer risk (often bunched together with unprocessed meat, giving red meat a bad reputation).
Pork - many religions prohibit its consumption. Back then, the risk of trichinosis was a public health issue. Today, pork is raised in ways that are a far cry from the way these clever animals were meant to live. Free-range pork is hard to find today, even if it was a major food source for the long-lived people on Okinawa before WW2. Your choice.
While soy has a good amino acid balance, it is also a source of isoflavones and
phytoestrogens that could mess with hormones. It could be ok or even beneficial
for females, but I am concerned for males.
Soy could advance pubarche (first appearance of pubic hair)
For girls, it could delay puberty
Influence on sperm count ?
No, it's quite alright
(if you take in a generous 5 to 10 g of soy protein per day - which won't get
you very far). Please note that this study was sponsored by soy industry -
surely they would have demonstrated safety for a higher intake if they could have ?
Protein bars, ready-to-drink protein drinks: Just read the friendly labels, in particular what protein they actually use.
Protein with breakfast is a good idea
Protein before sleep is good, too
Types of protein supplements: basic nutritional knowledge.
My list of good carbs is based on foods with a lower glycemic index, and a reasonable carb "density". In other words, if the body gets a reasonable portion of carbs spread out over some time, they are fine. Oatmeal contains a lot of phytic acid, but is a good opportunity to get some serious munching in.
My avoid list ? The perils of sugar should be well known. Grains such as wheat
are controversial - some say they are ok, others are worried about e.g. Gluten
and Wheat Agglutinin. I don't need them. Carbs combined with fat - people who
can only eat one piece are also known as liars. Also see this article on the
health impact of ultra-processed foods
if any doubts remain.
What is the most fattening food ?
Potatoes combined with fat, i.e. potato chips or French fries.
Younger kids can metabolize more fat during exercise than Big'uns
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids:
Good fats: Fish as a source of omega-3 fats should not be controversial.
Saturated fat from meat, eggs or dairy may be less popular. But as part of a healthy
diet, it
should not be a problem
.
Olive oil is part of the mediterranean
diet, generally considered healthy. Avocado and coconut should be ok within reason.
I would not recommend overconsuming nuts or seeds given the omega 3 / omega 6 balance.
Fats that I avoid: Hydrogenated fats / trans fats should be well recognized as
++ungood by now. Vegetable / seed oils are not on the public hit list yet, but maybe
they should be. Fried / processed foods are usually made with these fats, so they
end up on my bad list by extension.
Fats
Some basic nutritional facts.
Omega 3 and athletics
Evolutionary aspects of diet: the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and the brain
Importance of the omega 3 / omega 6 ratio
Omega-6 vegetable oils as a driver of coronary heart disease:
the oxidized linoleic acid hypothesis
More references about seed oils
Fiber
This should not be too controversial.
Antinutrients
About phytic acid, please read the extensive article
Living with Phytic Acid
by Ramiel Nagel. His soaking method
for brown rice is more practical than some of the other methods proposed. Brown rice
requires more chewing, good thing in my opinion.
Ascorbic acid can counteract the effect of phytates
/
older article on this
.
Lentils and beans: The need for soaking should be well known.
Mineral contents: See bottle labels or supplier websites.
Fingernails and nutritional status: I don't have a solid base for this statement. But - Nutrition and nail disease - "Virtually every nutritional deficiency can affect the growth of the nail in some manner."
Vitamin D: Depending on whom you ask, it will be either the most important
micronutrient, or not a concern (until they get their blood levels tested
and find that they are severely deficient). I don't get out in the sun much,
so I consider myself "underexposed" and supplement 4000 IU per day. If you
run a blood test, you can use the
Grassrootshealth.net vitamin D calculator
to calculate an appropriate intake depending on your target level.
Rhonda Patrick on Diet-Gene Interactions, Epigenetics,
the Vitamin D-Serotonin Link and DNA Damage
(long and a bit technical, but gives some ideas on what can go wrong when you are
Vitamin D deficient, or don't get enough EPA / DHA essential fatty acids)
Osgood-Schlatter (knee pain) may be influenced by Vitamin D deficiency:
Pathophysiology of Osgood-Schlatter Disease: Does Vitamin D have a Role?
I guess this helps explain my wonky knees.
US dietary reference intake vitamins minerals DRI
What animals will do to get at salt . I once had a close encounter with a cow in a narrow place. Safe passage, a few licks of my sweaty arm later...
Carrageenan: Evidence is somewhat thin on the ground. I err on the side of precaution.
Real food doesn't need thickeners.
Advance on safety evaluation of carrageenan
My question: Do you feel lucky ?
Vegetarians and vegans would do well to consider supplementing Creatine Monohydrate.
Found in small quantities in meat, Creatine Monohydrate is a precursor substance
for Phosphocreatine used in high intensity exercise.
The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive
functioning of vegetarians and omnivores
Creatine Supplementation in Children and Adolescents
(as usual, more research is needed, but it should be safe)
It takes Guts -
cookbook by Ashleigh VanHouten.
Nourishing Traditions -
cookbook by Sally Fallon.
Thankfully, some authors have picked apart vegan health claims in great detail, so I won't have to. The movie "The Game Changers" is about vegan athletes. Arnold Schwarzenegger was most likely not vegan when he built his prize-winning physique.
Debunking the Game Changers -
detailed article by Chris Kresser
Healthline fact checking "The Game Changers"
Watch for iron intake !
Vegan Diet in Young Children
-
how to make it work.