If
I keep the four basic food groups in mind when I'm fixing meals,
I won't have to worry about my children's nutritional needs being
met. Right? I
wish it were that simple. The truth is that the four basic food
groups we all grew up with - dairy, meat, vegetables and fruit
- are not the best foods for us. Actually, they were the brain
child of special interest groups, including the dairy and beef
farmers. These businessmen wanted to ensure a market for their
products! Today our food group list should look quite different.
Let's see why.
To begin with,
in my opinion, the dairy group could better be called the junk
food group. Studies have proven that humans don't benefit as much
as was once thought from eating dairy products. Dr. Benjamin Spock,
for 50 years the most beloved pediatrician in America, has stated
that infants should not be fed cow's milk. The American Academy
of Pediatrics announced that during the first year of life, children
should have human milk for as many months as possible. And the
late, great, former editor of Yearbook of Pediatrics and the former
Director of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Frank Oski, asserted over and over
again that cow's milk is for cows and not for people.
Granted, milk and
cheese do provide calcium and protein, but these benefits are
far-outweighed by the dangers of eating a high-fat, high-chemical,
allergenic diet. In 1992, researchers at Boston University Medical
school reported that dairies were adding excess amounts of vitamin
D to their milk, causing customers to become ill. In follow-up
studies of dairies in five states on the east coast, 10% of the
milk was found to have too much vitamin D and 61% had too little.
Vitamin D regulates the body's absorption of calcium. If too little
is added, you won't retain calcium. Too much Vitamin D can cause
calcium to accumulate in the blood and may lead to kidney failure.
Synthetic growth
hormones are now showing up in milk from some dairies. The dangers
of consuming this powerful hormone are unknown.
Researchers also
found that there may be health risks from animal diseases that
can be transmitted to humans through consumption of dairy products.
Other studies in Canada and France had indicated that diabetes
may be traced back to an immune reaction to the protein's in cow's
milk. And then there are all the veterinary medicines and fee
lot pesticides that are routinely found in cow's milk. I see no
reason to subject my child to these dangers.
If you're worried
about calcium, don't be. Have you ever seen a cow drink a glass
of milk? Of course not. They get calcium from the grains they
eat, and so can you. One and a half ounces of tofu will provide
the same amount of calcium as a glass of skim milk. Look for calcium
on the label. Some labels list it; some do not. Ounce for ounce,
there is as much calcium in fresh-cooked broccoli as there is
in milk.
Meat is another
food group that you could eliminate from your child's diet. The
protein provided by meats, fish, and poultry doesn't begin to
offset the disastrous effects of fat and pollutants.
The new food groups
that are being recommended for the nineties and into the new century
are: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes (dried peas and beans).
From the fruits and vegetables, you get vitamins, minerals, nutrients,
and fiber. From the grains and legumes, you get protein and more
fiber. Feed your children from these food groups and you'll be
teaching them to eat from the very best food sources available
to us. They will be lean, muscular, and energetic because they
won't be filling up on fats. They will have the natural energy
that comes from carbohydrates and fruit sugars instead of the
frantic hyperactivity that can be triggered by processed sugar.
As a doctor, I
can tell you that we're a nation of people who have a very high
incidence of obesity and chronic illness. Our children would rather
sit and play video games than run around outdoors. They consider
fast food a treat and a gourmet dining experience. Some parents
even "reward" their children with a trip to the local
fast food restaurant.
We have enough
new nutritional books, and medical journals to fill a warehouse,
yet we continue to feed our children based on the small thimbleful
of myths and misinformation that was out of date decades ago.
I encourage you
to break free from the old misconceptions. Tear up the old food
groups poster. It's just paid advertising for special interest
groups. In its place, put up the new food groups. You'll be giving
your family a gift for a lifetime. |