Beyond the standard dietary recommendations lies a vast array of information and research based on the work of Dr. Weston A. Price that has led me to rethink the concept of healthy nutrition for both children and adults. In his quest to discover reasons for tooth decay, Price, an American dentist from the 1930s travelled the world and studied groups of isolated communities who enjoyed excellent dental health.
Although the non-industrialized peoples he studied came from different geographical regions, they had the following in common: long, healthy lives; no chronic illness, obesity, infertility or birth defects; and strong bones and straight, healthy teeth. Focusing on nutrition, Price found that these peoples all shared common eating habits. They consumed nutrient dense foods high in vitamins and minerals such as cream, butter, eggs, organ meats, fish, fish oils and shell fish.
Such a high-fat (and thus high-cholesterol) diet runs counter to the standard American recommendation. But as consumers have been encouraged to consume low-fat diets, the rate of chronic disease in children and adults has only risen. The important distinction here is that the diets of the indigenous peoples were high in healthy, natural fats, whereas the typical American diet now tends to be high in trans fats and other unnatural chemicals.