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The second edition to the The Real Meal Revolution, entitled Raising Superheroes, is set to be on sale from September 1 this year, Real Meal Revolution Managing Director Jonno Proudfoot told Health24 on Thursday.
What kids really need to eat
"This is the most important book on childhood nutrition in the world. You simply cannot raise a child without reading it," he said.
"Finally, the truth about what we should be feeding our children will be exposed. Rather than buying kids junk food labelled with superheroes, we will be showing parents what kids need to eat in order to become superheroes themselves."
Proudfoot also threw his full support behind Professor Tim Noakes who appeared before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
The inquiry followed a complaint lodged by the Association for Dietetics in South Africa's (ADSA) president Claire Julsing-Strydom after Noakes advised a mother on Twitter to wean her child off milk and on foods low in carbohydrates and high in fat, so that it’s in line with the LCHF “Banting” approach.
It is alleged that Noakes acted in a manner not in accordance with the norms and standards of the profession, by providing “unconventional advice on breastfeeding babies”.
'Trying to take him down on a tweet'
Proudfoot claimed that Noakes have been under attack by various people for years. "Rather than arguing any of the facts that he has presented, they are trying to take him down on a tweet," he told Health24.
The HPCSA hearing, dubbed the "Banting for babies" trial, was set for Thursday and Friday. However, it has been postponed to November 23 and will run for seven consecutive week days until December 1 this year.
"The postponement is immaterial in my opinion," said Proudfoot.
Noakes' legal team raised a number of issues before the hearing could officially start. These included whether the Professional Conduct Committee was properly constituted to hear the matter.
Noakes, who is a medical doctor and sports professor, has been researching infant nutrition for the past four years. The sequel to The Real Meal Revolution, called Raising Superheroes, focuses on child obesity.
@ProfTimNoakes Look what @jonnoproudfoot just received in the office, the first copy of Raising Superhero's :-) pic.twitter.com/e5d1gBc15b
— Real Meal Revolution (@real_meals) June 1, 2015According to the book, which is co-authored by Tim Noakes, Jonno Proudfoot and Bridget Surtees: “The three fundamental pillars of advice for children’s nutrition are to eliminate (or drastically reduce) sugar and refined carbohydrates from the diet and to include real, non-processed whole foods.”
Read: The Low-Carb High-Fat infant war
The science chapter by Prof Noakes goes on to state: "A growing baby cannot build muscles and bones from carbohydrates nor, for that matter, brains.”
He adds that it is important to remember that there are no essential carbohydrates and that there are only three uses for carbohydrates in the human body.
"They can be stored as glycogen – the human equivalent of starch – in the liver and muscles; or they can be used as an energy fuel; or they must be turned into fat. There are no other alternatives."
Here are some summary excerpts from the book released through PR agency Mango:
Why is breastfeeding so important?
Breastfeeding is nutritionally superior to formula feeding, a point that may not be sufficiently stressed in major feeding guidelines. Breast milk is truly a miracle food. Thus the health messaging around breastfeeding should be simple: ideally, breastfeed exclusively until weaning begins (at around 6 months), then continue for as long as possible in conjunction with first foods, preferably to 2 years.
But don't infants need a combination of carbs and protein as soon as possible?
A high-fat diet is optimal for brain development in newborn infants and babies, while carbohydrates should be considered a non-essential foodstuff. The current dietary guidelines over-emphasise the need for carbohydrates in part because they fail to appreciate that humans of all ages, but especially newborn infants and babies during the first two years of life, are perfectly adapted to eating low-carb diets. Though there is uncertainty about the correct timing of the introduction of foods to babies, both premature weaning and the late introduction of potentially allergenic foods are best avoided.
But what has changed – what were the guidelines?
The age of introduction of first foods dropped quite markedly in the US during the 20th century and particularly after the success of commercial baby foods from the 1920s – to the point that weaning typically began as early as a month after birth in some populations. There was even that set order of foods: “white cereal rice first, followed by apple-sauce or mashed banana, and progressing on to puréed vegetables and meat”. This rigid American approach was and is not followed universally, however, indicating a lack of consensus on the matter. Today advice on “complementary feeding” can vary greatly between countries.
So what would be a better way of weaning?
Wean onto real foods. Not onto non-foods such as white rice cereal or porridge, as some guidelines will have you do. The traditional weaning of infants onto white (or even brown) rice cereal is not based on some magical nutritional value exclusive to rice cereals without which infants will not thrive. Rather, it is because that is what was decided was good for babies some eight decades ago. The reality is that rice cereal is a nutritionally deficient foodstuff that contains little other than cheap non-essential carbohydrates. Its popularity has been sustained because of the perception that it is a safe foodstuff that is unlikely to produce allergies, and because it is easily digestible (and thus more suitable for premature weaning).
What impact does the first 2 years' nutrition have on an infant?
Optimum nutrition in the first 24 months of life is critical, and it’s absolutely essential to focus on the foods and nutrients that assist brain development in this time, especially fats, vitamins, iron, iodine, copper, zinc and selenium. The emphasis of the Feeding of Infants and Toddlers Study authors is to encourage infants to eat more carbohydrates in grains and some “healthier fats”, while drinking low-fat milk. In fact, the focus of early infant nutrition should be on restricting carbohydrates and emphasising the essential fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals provided by nutrient-dense real foods, especially for the proper development of the brain and circulatory system.
Also read:
The full report on the HPCSA proceedings of 4 June 2015
Noakes hearing postponed until November
Noakes committee comes under the spotlight
Tim Noakes to defend Banting for babies
Noakes' 'real food' may not be kid friendly
Tim Noakes to face inquiry over 'Banting' tweet
Pro low carb diets:
Tim Noakes on how it works and why this is a lifestyle more than a diet
Tim Noakes diet is put to the test
Video: why a low-carb diet is good for you
A scheduled high-fat diet may curb obesity
How a high-fat diet can help diabetics
Video: Tim Noakes talks about his book The Real Meal Revolution
Carb and sugar addiction is fuelling SA's obesity epidemic
Tim Noakes says refined carbs may be toxic
Tim Noakes: the heart disease theory 'has failed'
Tim Noakes: poor children should eat animal organs
Is the Tim Noakes Diet affecting your hair, skin and nails?
Why we get fat, by Gary Taubes
Could the LCHF/ Banting diet help prevent or control ADHD?
Anti low carb diets:
Tim Noakes' critics shun the low carb high fat health summit
Pregnant moms on the high-fat diet may be putting their offspring's life at risk
Why a high-fat diet is bad for the body clock
A high-fat diet could up the risk of pancreatic cancer
High protein diets increase your chances of developing kidney disease
DietDoc asks: why are we always chasing quick-fix diets?Warning issued regarding HFLC and high protein diets
Too much, too soon, Tim Noakes!
Banting/Noakes diet discriminates against women
Noakes slammed by UCT professors
Patrick Holford: banting is dangerous
Heart Foundation's open letter to Tim Noakes
Experts warn against Noakes diet
We debate Tim Noakes on which diet will save the world
