Diet Rules 101

One of the most impactful books I have read on the topic of food and nourishment is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price.  

Dr. Price traveled the world around the 1940s investigating the connections between diet and physical degeneration.  Not only did he find a clear connection between certain foods and increases in physical disease, but also what diets showed clear protection against disease.

His conclusions make sense based on my evaluation of “truth”…is it “God pure,” does it align with nature and/or is it observed in nature, and most importantly, does its application improve my health and/or happiness.

The conclusions are simple.  The protective diets were different but always whole (as God offers the foods).  None included refined or processed grains or sugars, canned foods, processed oils (hydrogenated fats), or processed dairy (pasteurized).  

Simply…the family members that maintained whole food diets, native to their locale, rarely observed physical degenerative diseases.  Brothers and sisters of the same culture, who were introduced to white flour, sugar, and “fake” fats, showed marked increases in dental decay and jaw narrowing (especially in second generation processed food consumers) and physical degeneration, including heart disease, diabetes, etc. as well as mental and cognitive decline, which we would now call ADD…brain fog and poor concentration. 

At around the same time, Dr. Francis Pottenger observed the exact same consequence in his laboratory of cats fed processed foods.  By fourth generation, these cats lacked coordination and were functionally sterile…unable to reproduce.  

We choose 100% whole grains (bread, pasta, etc.), 100% whole sweeteners (honey, maple syrup) and 100% whole fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil) over 80% of the time (remember the 80/20 rule?)  This is why…it is the difference between a 90% probability of experiencing physical disease using processed foods, compared to a 10% probability maintaining a whole food diet.

Is that enough…for you…a tipping point??…to look 5% harder…for whole grains, sweeteners and fats?  That’s about all the effort required to choose whole foods 80% of the time.  

Add in for the parents out there…a 90% probability of behavior issues, versus a 10% probability.  Are we there yet? 

Non-Violent Communication (NVC) for Boundary Violations

Do you ever feel violated?  Sexual abuse is the violation that is often thought of as one of the most vile and unacceptable.  And, most of us are violated on a daily basis with less offensive boundary crossings. 

 

Our children test our boundaries every day…it’s almost like it’s their job.  

Regardless of the violation…let’s say your child hit you in anger, which happens to us all…it could prove useful to add this resource to your bag of resources.

“You wanted my attention…so you hit me.”  (Firmly) “You may NOT hit me…hitting hurts.”  “If you want my attention, you can say, ‘Daddy, I need your help.’”  

Maybe they didn’t want your attention…  “You wanted to show me how angry you are, so you hit me…You may NOT hit me, hitting hurts…if you want to show me how angry you are, you can hit this pillow (you tell them how you want them to respond).” 

Or…”You wanted space…so you……if you want space, you may go to this safe place.”  

NVC suggests always getting agreement on the boundary…”Can you do that…will you do that?”  If “no,” then engage in problem solving.  “What are your ideas for getting my attention other than hitting?”

Then, when you have a win-win agreement, you never have to say “don’t” again…instead, you remind them of their agreement.  “You agreed to use your words…let’s try that again.”

Now, let’s apply that to the vile example of sexual abuse.  As I understand, most cases are violations by friends, family, or otherwise known people.  In most cases, the boundaries are tested first.  What if demonstrating firm boundaries allows your child to say, at the first subtle boundary violation, “You may not do that…I don’t like that!”

What if you also train your child to respond like this first to their siblings and friends, so they have the words to use when they feel uncomfortable?  

I’d say this is the most responsible resource to reduce and eliminate sexual boundary violations, and every other boundary issue.  I’m not opposed to stronger laws, but I am absolutely in favor of stronger children, stronger parents, and stronger boundaries.