A diet for healthy teeth

Here are some dietary pointers to help you improve the health of your teeth and gums. These are based on the research work of Melvin Page, Weston Price and Francis Pottenger which, in turn, has been the basis of many of today’s dietary regimes.

• Protein. Eat small amounts of protein regularly - around 2–4 oz per serving per meal are ideal - which should comprise young red meat such as veal and lamb, or fish or fowl. If you are vegetarian, eat eggs. Do not heat meat above 110 degrees F as crucial enzymes will then be damaged. Avoid frying in oil or grease.
• Vegetables. Eat these as often as possible and, ideally, raw or lightly cooked. Vegetables should be crunchy and organic whenever possible.
• Fruits. Eat one fruit at a time and on an empty stomach. Avoid the sweetest types and tropical fruits—except papaya and pineapple, which are rich in digestive enzymes. Eat only fresh and organic fruit.
• Carbohydrates. Ideally, vegetables should be your carbohydrates. Limit all grains as much as possible and avoid, at all costs, white bread. The only bread that is acceptable is 100% rye. The only grains allowed in Price’s dietary protocols are brown rice, unprocessed rye and rolled oats.
• Fats. Only cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, flaxseed and grapeseed oils should be used. These oils should never be heated or used in cooking. Avoid all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats, including all margarines, and avoid peanut butter. Instead, eat avocados and raw nuts.
• Dairy. All dairy products from cows are to be avoided. Page maintained that milk is even more detrimental than sugar. An acceptable substitute is raw goat and sheep cheeses and milk.
• Liquids. Drink plenty of water every day. The ideal amount is a half-ounce of water for every pound of your weight. If you must drink wine, drink it only at mealtimes and only red wine. Avoid all Californian varieties.
  
• In general, it’s better to eat little and often than to eat one or two heavy meals each day. Ideally, have three to five small meals every day, and drink fluids one hour before meals and two hours afterwards.