NUTRITION GUIDELINES by Dr. Scott Fuller, DC
Lead by Example for your Children, and Eat More Vegetables
The brain and nervous system need certain nutrients and building blocks for appropriate development, growth, and optimum individual expression. One of the two main reasons that children have more ADD, ADHD, and other behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions is that their food choices are getting worse (the other reason is a reduction in physical activity, replaced by computers, television, and video games-read my other articles about this). Americans are consuming more processed food with sugary carbohydrates, more hydrogenated and trans-fats, more calories, and more chemicals than ever before. Food intake is ruled by speed, convenience, and taste, instead of appropriate selections that help grow and develop our brains and bodies, and maintain nervous system health for a lifetime. In conjunction with neurological rehabilitation, including chiropractic neurological evaluation and treatment, it is essential for parents to feed children healthy foods and supplements as much as possible. I know changing eating habits of your children will be challenging, so be patient and remain committed. Make sure you lead by example. By changing your own food habits, you, as parents, will also enjoy better health, and you will serve as a critical role model for your children.
The recommendations here will be brief. At the end you will find references for more detail, including cookbooks to supply you with helpful hints regarding shopping, speedy and inexpensive meal and snack preparation, and better choices when eating out. These books are written with busy parents in mind.
Please remember as we make recommendations for your children, the same recommendations are healthy and appropriate for adults. Your children’s optimum health and brain development begins with what mom and dad eat even before conception, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If mom and dad are lacking something, it may adversely affect the child. The recommendations will begin with a review of the three macronutrients: fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Your child may need blood tests to determine any food sensitivities he/she may have. To start, eat more vegetables and fruit, and encourage your children to do the same.
About Fat, and Eat More Vegetables
Humans need fat in the diet for optimum health, as the brain is 60% fat. However, most of the fat kids eat nowadays is unhealthy, and has contributed to the rapid rise in brain disorders such as ADD, AD/HD, and all the other learning and behavioral problems. Neurons (nervous system cells) require special types of fats, called essential fatty acids (EFAs), to build and maintain complex cellular machinery. Unfortunately, kids tend to eat a lot of the wrong fats, such as saturated fat, hydrogenated fat, and trans-fats. The worst fat kids eat are hydrogenated and trans-fats in processed, packaged food. One goal is to reduce your children’s intake of processed food (anything in a package) as much as you can. Many children with other illnesses such as frequent colds, allergies, seasonal allergies, asthma, ear infections, skin problems such as eczema, and colic, are sensitive to dairy products. If your child suffers from these symptoms, try a month of complete elimination of dairy products (and low fat dairy products are not a good substitute). Many “veggie” dairy replacement products have casein, a milk protein, so read labels carefully. Dairy products have also been linked to Juvenile Type I diabetes, anemia, other autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and certain cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. You will not need to worry about calcium intake, as there are better sources of calcium. All other mammals except infant cows do not consume dairy and have plenty of calcium. Eat more vegetables, grains, and fruit to children, and reduce their processed food, and they will have plenty of calcium. On the fat front, do your best to avoid foods which are high in omega-6 fats: vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, sesame, corn, soy, cottonseed, vegetable), margarine, shortening, and red meat and poultry. Extra virgin olive oil is the only oil you should use.
Hydrogenated fats are commercially altered fats used to make foodstuffs easier to package. Oils are liquid at room temperature, so hydrogen is added to make them semi-solid at room temperature and easier to package. Read labels carefully, and avoid all foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils, palm oil, and margarine. Hydrogenated and trans-fats are even more damaging to the developing brain than saturated fat. Avoid margarine and all butter substitutes. Use organic butter sparingly, and use olive oil instead. Nuts (read about peanuts below), seeds, and nut butters are good sources of brain fats (be careful of nut allergies). Walnuts, cashews, macadamias, almonds, pistachios, and pumpkin and flax seeds are the best selections. Nut butters made from them are also good in moderation. Consider these nuts instead of peanuts and peanut butter, as peanuts have a higher concentration of saturated fat, are likely to contain traces of aflatoxin (a potent natural carcinogen produced by a mold that commonly grows on peanuts [Dr. Weil]), and many commercial brands of “peanut butter” contain sugars, additives, and brain-damaging hydrogenated fats.
Use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking, sparingly. Experiment with different brands to see which ones taste best in your cooking. Never heat oils to the smoking point, and do not breathe the smoke from oil (including grills). Dr. Andrew Weil does not recommend using Canola oil for cooking. Use olive oil only.
Trans-fats are also very dangerous for the brain. Trans-fats result from heating vegetable oils. Trans-fats may be even more damaging for children’s brains than partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid deep fried foods of any type, especially fast food. We know this will not be easy, but it is so important to enhance brain (and body) health. If you use mayonnaise or salad dressing, read labels carefully, avoiding partially hydrogenated oils and other additives you are unfamiliar with. Buy natural brands made from olive, soy, or canola oils, or make your own.
About Protein, and Eat More Vegetables
Protein is necessary for the growth and repair of body tissues, and for metabolic processes. However, with the typical American diet, we tend to eat too much protein. Protein is not a clean burning fuel as carbohydrates and fat are, so when excess protein is burned in the metabolic furnace, it produces unhealthy and damaging by-products. Free radicals are one result of protein metabolism, and this is irritating to the immune and nervous systems. In many cases foods that tend to be too high in protein are also high in saturated fat, have no fiber, and are low in other nutrients. You are strongly encouraged to significantly reduce red meat, poultry, dairy products and shellfish. Many children are sensitive to dairy, especially milk and cheese, so complete elimination may be necessary to help learning and behavior issues, and allergies and asthma (more information elsewhere on my site). If you eat eggs, you should buy organic, omega-3 fortified eggs (usually with flaxseed meal and algae) from range fed, drug and hormone free chickens. Conventional eggs have contaminants that are health hazards and are deficient in EFAs (essential fatty acids). There is plenty of protein in grains, vegetables, and beans. Do not worry about not getting enough protein for you or your children. Protein deficiency is extremely rare, and getting too much protein is definitely more of a concern for brain and body health. Remember that some of the largest and most powerful animals on earth have huge muscle mass and do not eat meat. Horses, elephants, giraffes and gorillas get all the protein they need from plants.
About Carbohydrates, and Eat More Vegetables
As Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, states, “It is unwise to shun carbohydrates.” Carbohydrates are easy burning and clean fuels for your metabolic furnace. However, there are “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, divided into two types, sugar and starch. These are commonly called “simple,” or sugar, and “complex,” or starch. Try to avoid sugary carbohydrates in favor of starchy, low glycemic index foods. Beans, rice (brown, wild, basmati, jasmine, and long grain rice, not short grain white), winter squash, yams, sweet potatoes, durum wheat and wheat pasta (slightly undercooked “al dente”), and stone ground whole grain dense peasant breads are the best sources of starch. Starchy carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly from the digestive tract and better control blood sugar levels. Sugary high glycemic index carbohydrates (sugar in various forms, processed foods, white and wheat flour, white potatoes, short grain white rice, most snack and packaged foods, and other processed grains) are absorbed quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and an intense insulin response. Insulin will convert some of this sugar (glucose) into fat, helping explain why more and more children in America are obese and have brain dysfunction. Higher insulin production also interferes with nerve transmission. Also, avoid products that contain high fructose corn syrup, found in many soft drinks, sport drinks, juice, salad dressings, ketchup, jams, jellies, ice cream and many other foods. According to Dr. Weil, the body does not handle large amounts of fructose well. It may damage the liver, and elevate triglycerides.
It is misleading to state that eating carbohydrates leads to weight gain without differentiating between healthy, essential low glycemic index carbohydrates (starches) and unhealthy high glycemic index processed sugars and flours. Children nowadays tend to eat more processed and packaged foods, snacks, white bread and rice, and drink more soda than ever, instead of eating good quality starches like beans, rice, winter squash, yams, sweet potatoes, durum wheat pasta, and multi-grain dense peasant breads (and vegetables). Sugary “simple carbohydrate” foods account for the increase in calorie intake, leading to obesity in children and adults, and a major cause of brain disorders, even though many of these foods are thought to be healthier for us as they are called “low fat.” Remember, there are no fat Chinese in China, and their diet focuses on lots of “carbs.” However, they favor healthy starchy carbohydrates and vegetables instead of sugary “simple carbs” like we do in America.
Some children have digestive and immune system issues, and celiac disease, which may require elimination of gluten (wheat) and/or casein (dairy). These children and adults need a stricter diet such as the specific carbohydrate diet. Read more on scdiet.org, healingcrow.com, and breakingtheviciouscycle.info.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Reduce these foods and Eat More Vegetables
Reduce meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, and shellfish. If you are going to eat meat and poultry, buy organic meat and local, if possible. As mentioned, some children (and adults) may need to completely eliminate dairy and/or wheat. Avoid most packaged and processed food, white bread, short grain white rice, and white potatoes. Eliminate soda, and be weary of flavored seltzer water, as many of them contain “natural flavors,” which may include excitotoxins similar to MSG (monosodium glutamate), which are nerve cell toxins (RussellBlaylockMD.com). Stay away from caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and sport drinks with caffeine, with the possible exception of green tea, although you can obtain caffeine free green tea. Fruit juice should be decreased due to its high sugar content, but 100% juice with no added sugar is always a better choice than soda (regular or sugar free) or juices with added sugars and other chemicals. All deep fried foods such as french fries, deep fried fish, deep-fried cheese, and deep fried vegetables should be eliminated due to the hazards to the brain of trans-fats resulting from the heating of oil.
Did I Mention Eat More Vegetables and Fruit?
Good quality low glycemic index starchy carbohydrates should compromise the bulk of food intake (50-70%). These foods are vegetables, beans, yams, sweet potatoes, winter squash, rice (brown, wild, basmati, jasmine, and long grain rice, not short grain white), 100% durum wheat pasta slightly undercooked (al dente), wheat pasta, and dense whole-grain stone ground peasant breads with no additives (as long as you are not gluten sensitive). Higher glycemic index carbohydrates such as sugar, white flour and bread, white potatoes, snack and packaged foods, soda, and most juice with added sugar, are absorbed quickly, which cause a rapid insulin response which converts some of this sugar into fat.
Increasing vegetables and fruits of all kinds is a simple but important way to decrease weight, increase health, and improve the brain. Vegetables lower the glycemic load of meals, are mostly calorie-dilute, have lots of fiber, and have lots of micronutrients that are important for health. Also, vegetables and fruit have lots of antioxidants that improve the immune system and help clear out free radicals.
Fat should be 20-30% of our calorie intake, focusing on omega-3 fats from cold water fish, specifically salmon (NOT farmed salmon; wild Alaskan salmon and clearly specified non-farmed, wild caught salmon is crucial), herring, mackerel, water-packed sardines and anchovies. I do not recommend tuna or albacore tuna, swordfish, shark, or marlin due to higher mercury levels, as these fish are higher up the food chain. If pregnant women should not eat tuna, then I don’t think anyone should. Flaxseeds, flaxseed meal and oil are good, as are avocadoes, olives, and walnuts. Other nuts such as cashews, almonds, and macadamias (but not peanuts) are good fat sources (provided your child does not have a nut allergy, best determined by blood tests). These are good fats important for a healthy nervous system. Remember that eggs need to be organic, omega-3 fortified eggs (usually with flaxseed meal and algae) from range fed, drug and hormone free chickens. Avoid commercially produced eggs. More damaging to the nervous system and body than saturated fat are trans-fatty acids, resulting from the commercial hydrogenation process and heating of vegetable oils under high temperature for periods of time. That means elimination of most snack and packaged foods, and avoidance of deep fried foods, such as french fries (a double whammy with trans-fats and high glycemic index carbohydrates), deep-fried fish, and deep fried veggies.
Protein should be 10-30% of our calorie intake. If one reduces meat, poultry, dairy, and shellfish, good protein sources are cold water fish as mentioned, and beans. Remember, all foods have protein, and with lots of beans, vegetables, and grains, one easily has adequate protein.
The best fluid is water. You can vary the water by adding fresh peeled (organic is preferred) limes, lemons, and oranges. Decaffeinated green tea or herbal tea are good beverages. Limiting fruit juice is recommended, but again, if juice is to be served, make sure it is 100% fruit juice with no added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or “natural flavors.” Limit juice, encourage water, and get away from soda. Try to completely eliminate soda. Be careful of flavored seltzer, often containing excitotoxins.
I may recommend that you and your children take fish oil supplements. Read all about fish oil under the nutrition and supplements section of my website. Fish oil supplements may be exactly what your child’s brain needs to improve cognitive and behavioral issues (and adult problems too!). Vitamin D supplements are important too, and read all about Vitamin D on my site.
Snacks should follow the recommendations here. Fresh fruit is a great snack. Try cut up vegetables with hummus, guacamole, or with 100% natural nut butters (no sugar or hydrogenated oils added). Consult the cookbooks for additional easy snacks and meal ideas. Move away from typical packaged snack foods like chips, crackers, and candy. Read more about the dangers of processed food on RussellBlaylockMD.com.
Cookbooks and reference materials:
“Eating Well for Optimum Health” by Dr. Andrew Weil, MD. Nutrition basics and 85 recipes. Superb book.
“Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life and Spirit” by Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, and Rosie Daley. I recommend avoiding recipes that contain poultry (Rosie uses poultry) and dairy products.
“The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook” by Dr. John McDougall, MD, and Mary McDougall. 300 Low Fat recipes in 15 minutes or less. No animal foods in any of these recipes.
www.drweil.com
www.drmcdougall.com
www.mercola.com
www.thepaleodiet.com
www.paleodiet.com
www.russellblaylockmd.com
Blood testing for food sensitivities:
www.metametrix.com
www.alcat.com
www.immunolabs.com
www.gdx.net
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