News: You can't eat what?

Whenever my husband or I have to explain that our middle daughter Edith absolutely cannot handle white flour or sugar the first reaction is usually one of disbelief.

You mean she can't have it ever?

Next come the questions about when we can make exceptions.  Surely we must bend the rules for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays (and Halloween, Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, treats at school...).

That's when my husband gets dramatic.

"Whenever Edith eats a bit of white flour, the next day she brings us bits of her teeth that have flaked off!"

I shake my head and just reply that no, we really can't make exceptions.

If you have any kind of dietary restriction you've surely been down that road.  It's hard to understand how such a common substance like white flour or sugar (or whatever it is you can't have) could actually be harmful to someone else.

The truth is most, if not all, people would benefit from avoiding white flour and sugar altogether, or at least seriously cutting back.  Refined flour and sugar have zero nutritional value and digesting them is very hard on your body.  Don't wait for a health issue to crop up and force the issue.

The health concern that has forced the issue for us is tooth decay, which believe it or not more than 25 percent of American children now suffer from.  Have you noticed there are a lot more pediatric dentists around?  They were rare enough when I was a child that I'd never heard of one.  And I'm not that old.  With so many children suffering from various degrees of tooth decay, pediatric dentistry is growing industry.

There are other health concerns that can also be alleviated (though not cured) by cutting out white flour and sugar from the diet, including diabetes, Candida overgrowth, fibromyalgia, arthritis and hyperactivity to name just a few.  Even if you don't have a particular health complaint, you will most likely feel much better without those substances in your life.

Regardless of the reason for your choice, this world is for you.  Here we will share recipes and support, and talk about the rich nutrient foods we can eat to replace these empty ones.  It's not just about what you don't eat, after all. 

Of all the nutritional recommendations and protocols, I stand by those published by the Weston Price Foundation.