their parents but look more like their unrelated peers. Comparing photographs of youngsters in the 1930s with contemporary children, we can observe a general narrowing of the face and jaws( with attendant orthodontic problems), most pronounced in boys. Many children and teenagers today look weak and are in fact often sick. The general vitality of the population is diminishing at an alarming rate. The partial, fragmented, unwholesome, chemically-tampered-with foods that the S. A. D. consists of cannot, in the long run, adequately support healthy life processes, and this is becoming more and more obvious. Even when followed only in moderation, the S. A. D. appears to cause a great deal of sickness, both physical and nonphysical. The physical problems are largely problems of accumulation and excess, for the S. A. D. is based on buildup foods. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension— all related to specific eating habits—“ are epidemic in our population.” 3 The nonphysical health problems that plague us— delinquency, criminal behavior, hyperactivity, schizophrenia, depression— may be connected, in part at least, to the fragmented foodstuffs of the S. A. D., especially sugar and chemical additives. Imbalanced foods, whose natural, original energy fields have been disrupted, cannot properly sustain our own system in a stable balance. General character traits may relate to diet as the chicken relates to the egg: They are either caused by it or the diet is chosen to support them. But perhaps the S. A. D. supports the general traits of this society: Aggressiveness, disregard for nature and a desire to dominate it, alienation, one-sided materialistic values, a disregard for the transcendental, and the perception of the physical as the only valid reality. On the other side of the coin, there is also efficiency, creativity, reliability, rugged individualism, entrepreneurship, and a constant desire to improve. There is always much that we can learn when we are trying to overcome our difficulties and our mistakes. America has long been the land of growth and opportunity, where one can materialize one’ s dreams if one works hard enough— and not only materialistic dreams, but all kinds. One of my own dreams is that we eventually come up with an American dietary system that will bring a maximum of positive results and a minimum of unwanted disease. THE RECOMMENDED AMERICAN DIET I make this a distinct category, because the U. S. government, as well as the medical and nutritional scientific community, have fairly well-defined guidelines regarding what is healthful to eat. The Recommended American Diet( R. A. D.) is different from the S. A. D. and from traditional ethnic diets in that it is not a spontaneously evolved way of eating, but one based on intellectual, rational guidelines. This is a distinction it shares with vegetarianism, macrobiotics, high-protein diets, supplementation programs, and the rest of the theoretical approaches to food. They all distinguish between a wrong and a right way of eating, thereby creating the notion of nutritional sin, as well as salvation. The R. A. D. has two aspects: a quantitative and a qualitative one. It recommends certain quantities of nutrient elements and also certain qualities of foods, or“ food groups.” IT CONSISTS OF:
• Lean meats, fish, chicken, turkey
• Skim milk, yogurt, low-fat cheeses, polyunsaturated oils
• Pasta, bread, cereals, either enriched or whole grain; unsweetened or low-sugar breakfast cereals
• All vegetables, raw, steamed, baked; fresh, canned, or frozen
• Sugar in modest amounts; artificial sweeteners are not discouraged
• All fruits, fresh, canned, or frozen; heavy syrups are discouraged
• Diet foods with artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners are not discouraged
• Coffee, tea, juices; little alcohol IT RECOMMENDS:
• Reduced fat intake
• Reduced salt intake
• Reduced sugar intake
• Increased intake of whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits
• Skim or low-fat milk products instead of whole or full-fat ones IT FORBIDS: Nothing. It does disapprove of high fat, high salt, and highly processed foods. IT IGNORES: Sea vegetables. THE R. A. D. TABLES OF OPPOSITES CONTRACTIVE
EXPANSIVE
Meat, fowl, fish Eggs
Juices, fruits Potatoes, tomatoes