Liquid Diet: Is it healthful or Damaging?

Ellen G White (1827-1915) was ahead of her time when it came to healthful living. As the most published female author in history, her health counsels have consistently proven to be accurate per modern day research. In a compilation of her counsels on diet and food, I found she advises against a liquid diet. She writes:

“You have educated the stomach to this kind of diet. …Taken in a liquid state, your food would not give healthful vigor or tone to the system. But when you change this habit, and eat more solids and less liquids, your stomach will feel disturbed. Notwithstanding this, you should not yield the point; you should educate your stomach to bear a more solid diet.” — Counsels on Diet and Food Chapter 5, par 105.1

She is encouraging to train the stomach to get used to digesting solid foods if it was spoiled already by easy liquids. Then continues and mentions a basic human function which is absent in a liquid or soft food diet habit, mastication (chewing).

“If your time to eat is limited, do not bolt your food, but eat less, and masticate slowly. The benefit derived from food does not depend so much on the quantity eaten as on its thorough digestion; … ” — Counsels on Diet and Food Chapter 5, par 107.2

She expounds further in regards to soft vs harder foods and mastication. She writes:

“So much porridge eating is a mistake. The dry food that requires mastication is far preferable.” — Counsels on Diet and Food Chapter 5, par 108.1

“make a stiff dough, and knead it as for crackers. Bake.... They require thorough mastication, which is a benefit both to the teeth and to the stomach. They make good blood, and impart strength.” — Counsels on Diet and Food Chapter 5, par 108.3

 

I found this fascinating. Many of E. White’s writings on health has been very reasonable and logical and her emphasis on chewing is absolutely in line with this basic human necessity for both growth and development and maintenance of our health. So let us now look at some of the modern research, including anthropology research. This 2014 study shows how a liquid diet, which will involve a lack or absence of chewing, can cause memory impairment.

“Liquid Diet induced Memory Impairment: “These findings suggest that reduced mastication induced by a liquid diet in early childhood may impair memory and learning ability, accompanied by neuronal loss in the hippocampus.”” study

Now let us look at a study that shows mastication and brain neurosensory activity.

“The neural circuits, together with regulation of breathing, walking, posture, and blood circulation, are programed in the lower brainstem. Rhythmical movement of the jaw and tongue is regulated by the lower brainstem, mainly as a mechanism of rhythm formation based on the information generated during mastication from sensory receptors in the oral cavity and masseter muscles.” (Squire et al., 2002)

Testing the Chewing Stress Theory:

What we know through anthropological studies is that whether plant-based or not, whole solids which stimulate natural mechanics of chewing (Dr Corruccini) is necessary for a normal development of the jaw and airway, both muscle and bone.

During his first year as a graduate student, eventually professor of anthropology, Dr Robert Corruccini , considered the United States unqualified to test the chewing stress theory due to their modern diet. The criteria needed to be met were isolated rural conditions and a traditional diet, to be able to compare the changes in the next generation who adopts the modern lifestyle and processed diet. Dr Corruccini then came across Mammoth Cave of central Kentucky, home town of colleague Dr Darrell Whitley, PhD, in 1979 and 1985, two major changes came about: industry movement and mechanized farming, replacing traditional farming. And only during the time of these changes, the community began experiencing the need for professional dental care. Prior to this, Friedl, 1978 stated,

“Among the Appalachian peoples in general, there is low level of concern with dental health….” book

The study spanned 20-years and concluded, “Those members of the Kentucky community raised on softer and more cariogenic foods, thus, were more variable from the ideal in their occlusal patterns.” which means more crooked teeth and bite problems in those who ate softer foods which are also cavity causing foods. This was the modern diet. The findings are the consistent with Dr Weston Price’s work that spanned the entire globe in isolated communities at the verge of ‘modernization’.

Recapping:

Ellen White stated good quality mastication is necessary for healthy digestion and the benefit of the teeth. Per research, and common sense, solids stimulate mastication or chewing which develops the brain’s memory neurons and affects many other basic body functions. Dr Corruccini and Dr Price both found diminished chewing efficiency from diet change caused a deformity of the jaw, the orofacial complex, and caused crooked teeth, airway issues, and mouth breathing.






Let us begin to chew our whole and unprocessed natural foods, starting today.

Related: Saliva and Teeth
Bonus: Stressful Day Remedy (see 100 chews)

Saliva & Teeth, Irrefutable Evidence

Babies develop adequate salivary enzymes and pancreatic enzyme to digest starch by 5-6months per research in order to begin digesting starches. Another study shows that all measurements aside, still, a 6-month old’s ability to digest starches is not as efficient as a 1-year old.

“In infants younger than 6 months, amylopectin hydrolysis is incomplete, but in 1-year-old children, amylopectin is rapidly hydrolyzed into glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and branched dextrins.”

This is an irrefutable proof nature gives us that breastmilk is the diet of choice for infants. For busy moms, bottle with pumped breastmilk would be the best we can do for our babies. Yet the most natural way to obtain breastmilk is through direct breastfeeding, which encourages many things including motor and skeletal development.

Researchers discovered more amazing things about breastfeeding. The breastmilk and infant saliva have a synergy it produces to protect the baby.

“During breast-feeding, baby saliva reacts with breastmilk to produce reactive oxygen species, while simultaneously providing growth-promoting nucleotide precursors. Milk thus plays more than a simply nutritional role in mammals, interacting with infant saliva to produce a potent combination of stimulatory and inhibitory metabolites that regulate early oral–and hence gut–microbiota. Consequently, milk-saliva mixing appears to represent unique biochemical synergism which boosts early innate immunity.”

This is further evidence that the baby who is yet to develop the chewing teeth, and also has saliva which does not contain enough enzymes to digest outside food, is meant to have breastmilk for their own health and well-being. The mechanical act of breastfeeding promotes infant stage skeletal growth (jaw, airway, rest of the body) combined with the contents of breastmilk packed with nutrition, even the mixture of saliva and the breastmilk producing an immune boost for the baby… loving bond with the mother… mental emotional security for the baby and mom… it is an undeniably beautiful and perfect design.

Toddler and children enjoying fresh produce from their garden. They are active in the outdoor surrounded by fresh air, sunshine, and microbiome in the soil which promotes both physical and mental well-being.

Transitioning to toddler phase at minimum after 1-yr of age would then be the most appropriate time the child should be given starches, or additional foods besides breastmilk, per the digestive enzymes available. But what about the mechanical process of digestion besides the enzymes?

The baby develops their first set of molars designed for chewing at around 13-14months of age. The chewing produces the saliva which contain the alpha-amylase enzymes. It would then be logical to wait on solids until baby can chew (13-14 months), then once they can, provide whole hard foods which stimulate chewing and which produce digestive salivary enzymes. This takes mashed slurpy foods out of the picture completely. But one other thing to consider is that the toddler does not have a full set of chewing teeth until 33 months. Would this indicate that breastfeeding should be combined until they are fully capable of being weaned?

The mechanical act of chewing breaks down the food, promotes saliva that pre-digests the food. Combined, it provides nutrition and promotes motor development for toddler stage skeletal growth (jaw, airway, rest of the body) . During this time, the toddler becomes stronger and ready for the next stage. It is yet again an undeniably beautiful and harmonious design.

The guidebook to healthy growth and development has always been inscribed within us. This is the big picture.

 

Breast pump for moms who cannot directly breastfeed:

Allows to pump while at the desk, no need for a private room:
https://onewillow.com/

I had a patient who was using the One Willow breast pump during her dental visit with me and thought I must let all the moms know! Nutrition from breastmilk is the best and most suitable for a growing infant. Even if direct breastfeeding is a challenge, allowing baby to have mom’s breastmilk by pumping is important to the baby’s healthy growth and development. - Dr Hyun Bang

 

Getting Good Sleep

Good sleep helps our bodies produce Natural Killer (NK) cells which can kill pathogens like the COVID virus. Poor sleep does the opposite. People with poor sleep lack NK cells in number.

“Nature alone possesses restorative powers to build up your exhausted energies, and repair the injuries.”
— Selected Messages 2:448.2

Nature is your body and its surrounding natural environment. Poor sleep keeps our bodies from performing its normal duties, such as repairing damaged cells, restoring our energy, and preventing harmful cells & toxins from accumulating in the body.

“Give nature a chance, and it will rally and again perform its part nobly and well.”
— Healthful Living 224.6

Good sleep alone is a cure to many ailments even our mental emotional.

“Nature alone is the effectual restorer”
— How to Live 3:60

Lack of Sleep, Brain-Body, and Aging

 

Growth and Development: Restoring your health the natural way

Technology has improved and enough time has passed also for us to witness and realize the consequences of our life choices. 400 years ago, we thought sugar, processed food, and a more ‘convenient’ yet less natural life-style was better for us. Humanity suffered a quick increase in crooked teeth and dental decay. But now, we know better.

Researches observed these issues arose from the growth and development stage and co-existed with a narrow jaw and narrow airway. This means that the human jaw and airway became underdeveloped due to the above life-style choices, and this became the source of the disease. This tells us how important it is for our children to have an airway-centered evaluation in order to prevent this earlier on. For grown adults, all that used to be available was surgical correction. How else could we change the shape of someone’s jaw bone or walls of the airway structures? Revive has cutting edge non-surgical solutions which are gentle and natural by utilizing orthodontic methods. Below are a few important terms here to understand how simple orthodontic methods can do what we used to think was impossible.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable phenotype changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. Under the umbrella of this field of study, orthodontic methods which are Biomimetic, emulating models, systems, and elements of nature (our body) to solve complex human disease problems, has been developed. With such methods, we can achieve Pneumopedics, which is the non-surgical method of upper airway remodeling. All of this is done, just by correcting your bite, with the right goal in mind - health.

When unnatural things occur during our growth and development, the result is a weakened body and immune system prone to disease.

Difficulty Breastfeeding

For your baby’s jaw and airway, and the full body, to develop adequately for health, breastfeeding is essential. Let’s take a look at a few things for those moms who really wish to breastfeed, but are having difficulty. Breastfeeding should not be painful. It should be a comfortable experience for both mom and the baby. Mom feeling pain and discomfort, the baby getting tired easily after one feeding, or just obvious difficulty for both mom and baby are all indicators that the below should be checked immediately.

Some possibilities

  1. lip ties, tongue ties, cheek ties

  2. was given milk based formula before breastmilk

  3. holding the baby incorrectly

Solutions for each problem

  1. have a lactation specialist, a board certified one for a comprehensive evaluation, check the baby

    • baby may need releasing of the ties to free the tongue, lips, cheeks to latch on mommy’s breast fully

    • releases must accompany stretching exercises before and after for an adequate amount of time. mom would work with a myofunctional therapist if the lactation specialist is not able to adequately guide

    • sometimes, an airway-centered dentist may be able to perform a more thorough evaluation and diagnose ties which may have been missed. if release is done and baby still does not feed, you can consult the airway-centered dentist

  2. make the effort and keep trying until the baby slowly gets used to mom’s breastmilk again.

    • if released ties and unable to breastfeed due to baby not taking the feeding

      • keep doing stretch exercises to prevent tie re-attachment. breastfeeding is one of the best exercises for post-release

      • get a second evaluation by lactation specialist and/or airway-centered dentist

  3. lactation specialist will guide on how to hold the baby for feeding to be more effective

If you are all grown-up, and you know this was your infancy, then talk to our airway dentist for options on redeveloping the jaw and airway naturally without surgery or pain, with our orthodontic methods.

Dangers of Retracting to Straighten

Here is an example of a child who in order to straighten teeth, has had retractive orthodontic work - an unnatural process which goes against normal growth and development. Retracting to straighten is the traditional orthodontic treatment model, which many of the world’s population has undergone. Please see the Story of the Headgear.

Airway-centered Orthodontic Model is the most up-to-date, which considers your health beyond the esthetics. What is functional is also esthetic. To restore function, expansive techniques are utilizes with stem-cell signaling. This allows for the artificial retraction, or the original narrow jaw and airway structures, to grow on its own without surgery or without pain.

Click to read about health consequences which can be mild to severe, and will be slightly unique for each person.

Did you have

01 : Teeth extracted to straighten

02 : Palatal expansion as a child, but afterwards, a wire was placed to hold the teeth

03 : Headgear to pull upper teeth back

04 : Wire braces

05 : Clear Aligner braces (Invisalign, CANDID, SmileDirect, Clear Correct) from a non-Airway dentist

If you had any of the above, your body is likely suffering from some degree of airway resistance or tension around the jaw, head neck, shoulder and should consult our Airway Dentist to fully evaluate.

Furthermore, a slew of common health issues can occur either immediately or over time.

 

Diet, Sleep and Gut-Microbiota

Did you know?

  • 70-80% of the body’s immune cells are in the digestive system

  • food absorption and digestion happen here

  • the microbiome in the gut does it all: digestion, body’s strength, emotions, immune function

  • gut-microbiota develops also as a result of direct breastfeeding where saliva and breastmilk mix and produces an immune boosting effect for the baby

  • poor quality sleep often indicates our body is in sympathetic drive, which means not in parasympathetic. this will also contribute to gut dysbiosis

Increased sympathetic activity to the gut could result in dysbiosis, increased gut permeability and inflammatory status, leading to an imbalance in the gut content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria and in the plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These metabolic and structural microbial products, working together, elevate sympathetic drive to the BM and other lymphoid organs, and may act as modulators for BM cell activity by increasing the proliferation and release of myeloid progenitors and other pro-inflammatory cells. This increase in myeloid progenitor cells contributes to an increase in peripheral and central inflammation that could be a critical event for the establishment of hypertension. study

Problem arises when

  • the microbiome undergoes dysbiosis, imbalance of the good and bad bacteria

  • the gut lining starts to malfunction, due to breakdown from insult

  • pathogens and undigested food passes through

  • body begins to react to these foods which may have ‘leaked in’ recognizing it as substances foreign - food sensitivity begins

Solution

  • plant-based diet

  • 70% raw

  • If raw is difficult to digest, soak and sprout, cook certain veges like cruciferous veges.

Dr Hyun Bang on Airway-Sleep-Gut for the Plant-Based Gut Health Community. Many are not aware that when we suffer from chronic sleep deprivation, our gut biome is also disrupted (dysbosis). Even mild sleep disordered breathing can cause this issue.