One of my favorite books on nutrition is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston Price. I encourage all of my clients to read it, but due to the length and oftentimes dry nature of the book it often goes unread. So, I thought I would do a little book review on it in hopes that it may inspire you to take a serious look at the link between the foods we eat and the current health situation in our country.

About the author

 Dr. Weston price was a dentist by trade, after losing a child to illness he made it his life’s work to study health from one end of the world to the other.  He studied Irish fishermen, tribal Africans, Pacific Islanders, Eskimos, North and South American Indians, Australian Aborigines and among others. Indeed, he studied people with a wide variety of genetic make up and environmental conditions.

What he found

Dr. Price discovered two major things. First, he discovered that vastly different ratios of nutrients all produced healthy bodies.  For instance, the South American Indians ate mostly vegetables with small amounts of lean protein. Conversely, the Eskimos ate upwards of 90% saturated fat. Despite the diet differences, both cultures showed robust health with no cavities, tuberculosis (TB) nor genetic deformities in the future generations. Therefore, this information proves there is no one universal diet that works for everyone.

Second, Dr. Price discovered when members of these various tribes moved to the ports and cities where processed foods were available had much worse dental and overall health. He discovered that the more sugar, white flour, and processed grains people consumed the less robust they became. They were rife with cavities, TB, and sadly, disease for the following generations. Many of the cultures were sterile after three generations of eating processed foods!

Conclusion

Living in the melting pot that is America, foods from cultures around the world are readily available. Unfortunately many of theses foods are not right for your metabolic individuality and sadly most them are heavily processed.  If you are looking for more energy and less body fat take a serious look at what you are consuming 3-5 times per day.

If what you eat is not right for your metabolic type you will continue to be malnourished and have trouble losing fat. Small changes that stay true to your heritage can make a big difference. Moreover, to the degree a food is processed is equal to how much it leaches minerals from your body in order to feed itself leading to……overfed and starving!

We live in the paradox of plenty. Plenty of calories with minimal nutrients means a society troubled by obesity and dependence on medical drugs. Eat unprocessed organic foods that work with your metabolic type, and you are well on your way to improving your health and vitality. We each have our own Metabolic Type based on our heritage and environment. If you are interested in learning your Metabolic Type let me know.

As always, questions and comments are encouraged.

Train Intelligently!

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science, CHEK 2, MTA