Dec 3, 2019
Are you aware adult health is influenced by what we eat as adults AND as children?
Whilst it might seem difficult to believe the food we eat early in life can influence the diseases we develop and how long we live, most of us do understand that childhood nutrition is at least a little bit important. And that foods like cow’s milk, soft drinks and sugar-laden processed foods might not be the best things we can feed our children.
So if you are a parent, a grandparent, a budding parent, or even a child, you’d do very well to listen to American pediatrician, Dr Jackie Busse on this episode of the New Normal Project podcast.
Jackie is a board certified pediatrician with expertise in
plant-based nutrition for kids and families. She grew up in
Madison, Wisconsin, received her undergraduate and medical degrees
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before training in
pediatrics at Rush University in Chicago. Shortly after moving to
California in 2011, she was introduced to "The China
Study" and it changed her life and practice. She has been
living and teaching a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle ever
since.
As a founding member of the pediatric working group of the
Plantrician Project Jackie was the lead author and editor of the
Pediatric Quick Start Guide, published in 2018, and spoke at the
International Plant Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference in
2019. As an expert lecturer for the T. Colin Campbell Center
for Nutritional Studies, she recently rebuilt the pediatric and
family lecture modules for the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate
program offered through eCornell.
In addition to her full-time general pediatrics practice in Santa Cruz, CA, Jackie teaches an ongoing whole-food, plant-based nutrition series for adults as well as the nutrition component of a lifestyle medicine series for kids. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most importantly, Jackie is a mother to two thriving plant-eaters, now 3 and 5 years old. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, insights and personal experience with the plant-based lifestyle.
Jackie has read widely on plant-based nutrition and is a world-renowned pediatric expert on the topic. In this conversation she speaks about:
- Growing up with a dairy farming grand-father
- Jackie’s own transition to a plant-based diet after her husband read “The China Study”
- Her progression to advising a plant-based diet in her pediatric medical practice
- A couple of excellent patient examples
- The importance of understanding that healthy kids make healthy adults
- How primary disease prevention can begin in childhood and even in pregnancy
- How 80% of adult chronic diseases come about from lifestyle factors
- That almost all 10 year old children eating a standard American diet have fatty streaks in their heart’s arteries
- The knowledge that our chances of cancer as an adult are affected by our childhood lifestyle
- Some wise thoughts about how we should think about genetics
- Childhood development of taste preferences
- Bringing up her own children as plant-based
- The differences between plant-based and animal-based diets on childhood health and disease
- The dangers of cow’s milk and other dairy-containing products
- How long women should consider breast-feeding for
- Which plant-based milk best approximates breast milk
- The difference between juices and smoothies
- Some practical recommendations for dealing with parties, sleep-overs and peer pressure
- Advice for those wanting a gluten-free plant-based lifestyle
- What breakfast, lunch and dinner looks like for an average day of her family
- Which supplements you might consider for your children
Jackie knows what she is talking about. Her children have been plant-based their whole lives and her whole family is vibrant and thriving. On this podcast there is so much information about how best we can feed our children that it is truly a must listen.
Please enjoy my exchange with Dr Jackie Busse.
Live well, feel well, do well.
Andrew Davies
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About the New Normal Project podcast: The podcast is aimed to help you to become more healthy, fulfilled and conscious through a plant-based, body-moving and mind-focused way of living. I hope to inspire and empower you with scientific evidence, helpful information and real-life stories, based on eating mostly plant foods, being physically active, particularly in nature, sleeping well, being mindful and refining both the connections in your life and your purpose.
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Links related to Jackie Busse
Dr Jackie Busse on Instagram @plantbasedpediatrician
Links to people and resources (in order of mentioning)
Book “The China Study” (by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell)
Book "The Pediatric Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide"
American College of Lifestyle Medicine
American Academy of Pediatrics
eCornell Plant-based Nutrition Certificate
International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference
Book “Disease-Proof Your Child” (by Joel Fuhrman)
Book “Dr. Attwood’s Low-fat Prescription for Kids” (by Charles Attwood)
American Academy of Pediatrics policy on Breastfeeding
World Health Organization recommendations on Breastfeeding
Book “How Not to Die” (by Michael Greger)
Book “How Not to Diet” (by Michael Greger)
New Normal Project podcast - Episode 60 with Gemma Newman
Links related to New Normal Project podcast
New Normal Project on Facebook
New Normal Project on Instagram: @newnormalproject
New Normal Project on Twitter: @newnormalproj
Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66
Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66