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Dr. Melvin Page’s Phase 2 eating plan for balancing blood chemistry
In the first instalment of our series of articles on diets or eating plans that have been shown to be highly beneficial for weight loss and therefore also for health we discuss the Page diet or eating plan. Before we get into it first an introduction.
Who was Dr. Melvin Page ?
Dr. Melvin E. Page was born in 1894 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of a physician. Dr. Page was one of the early pioneers in nutritional biochemistry.
He obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree University of Michigan.
In 1919, Dr. Page began a successful dental practice in Michigan. He invented dentures based on engineering principles. During this time, he also became aware that it was necessary to remake the classic dentures for many of his patients within two and one-half years. Their mandibles (jaw bones) would resorb under the dentures and bridges. This is a common problem that still exists today owing to inadequate nutrition caused by over consumption of refined carbohydrates and white sugar.
In a quest to learn why the mouths of his patients deteriorated. Dr. Page studied Dr. Weston Price’s work with primitive people and started his own investigations. He ran more than two thousand blood chemistries and discovered that no absorption of bone occurred (and no cavities) when the calcium to a phosphorus ratio was in a proportion of 10 to 4 in the blood. Thus, the basic research of Dr. Page uncovered the knowledge that white sugar and refined carbohydrate’s increases serum calcium. Calcium is drawn from the bone tissue and is then carried in the serum calcium.
At the age of 84, this nutritional pioneer still walked a mile to and from his office almost daily.
His treatment and philosophy were simple and logical.
1. The harmful effects of the use of white sugar and refined carbohydrates can’t be ignored.
2. The harmful effects of using chemical additives and other food preservatives for the sake of “shelf life” upsets body chemistry
3. Using whole food vitamins concentrates, Minerals and Digestive Enzymes to supplement daily food intake might be necessary.
4. That milk is not the perfect food for everyone.
Dr. Page developed a set of measurements from the elbow to the wrist and from the knee to the ankle which reflected genetic disposition. These anthropological measurements became the backbone of his practice using micro doses of endocrine extracts to balance the body chemistry from his measurements. Since most of his patients were at his clinic for a minimum of two weeks, Dr. Page would track them by checking their blood chemistry and especially the calcium phosphorus ratio every three to four days.
The Page Food Plan was developed during this time not because Dr. Page was trying to create a diet but simply because he noticed certain foods upset the body chemistry more than others. His food plan was developed on the glycemic index encouraging patients to eat unlimited quantities of green leafy vegetables. Ironically, today Dr. Page is better known for his diet than for the anthropological measurements which are amazingly accurate.
“Why does modern medicine find it so hard to look at, and accept, many of these simple truths?” Dr. Melvin E. Page 1968
Who was Dr. Weston Price ?
The moniker “Charles Darwin of Nutrition” has been designated to Dr. Weston A. Price. In attempting to find the causes of dental decay and physical degeneration of teeth, he took his knowledge outside the lab and toured the world to study human beings.
In the early 1930s, he studied isolated groups, such as secluded villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, Eskimos and Native Americans of North America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori and the Native Americans of South America. In all cases, Dr. Price found that the characteristics of beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, stalwart bodies and resistance to disease were typical of the indigenous populations who were accustomed to traditional diets, which were rich in essential food factors.
After analyzing the foods consumed by isolated primitive peoples, Dr. Price discovered that they furnished at least four times the water-soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least 10 times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal foods, such as butter, shellfish, fish eggs and organ meats.
Another part of Dr. Prices finding was that these primitive people living on their natural diet, not tainted from what he called the foods of commerce (white sugar and white flour) had little or no signs of degenerative disease or dental caries. His studies were the first to point out that these isolated groups with only 0.1% dental caries consistently had blood chemistry readings of 10 parts calcium and four parts phosphorus.
Most Important Steps in the Page food plan
• First and most important step is to remove all pasta, bread and cereal and by that I mean all flour products, absolutely all grains, including rice from your diet.
• The second step is to consume protein three (3) times per day; this included lean meat, fish, fowl and eggs. Please as far as possible try to ensure that the protein you consume is grass-fed and free range.
• The third step is to increase your intake of green vegetables. Please as far as possible insure that the vegetables you consume are organic.
Don’t let the absence of grass-fed, free range or organic produce stop you from following the plan, consuming protein and vegetables that do not fall into these categories are still far better than eating grain products.
General guidelines on eating while following the Page food plan
• There is no limit on the serving size for lean-meat, fish, fowl, eggs or vegetables. (but please let common sense prevail)
• Foods eaten closest to their raw state have the best digestive enzyme ability.
• Take fluids longer than one hour before or further than two hours after a meal.
• Limit fluid intake with meals to no more than half a cup.
• Drink at least half a cup of water every half an hour.
• Please adhere to the food combining guidelines but more about that later.
For ease of explanation I divided the foods up into groups in the following tables.
Vegetables and Grains (Carbohydrates)
|
A |
B |
B |
|
Limited to 2-3 times per week maximum |
Unlimited Amounts |
Unlimited Amounts |
|
Vegetables: 12-21% Carbohydrates and Low Glycemic Grains |
Vegetables: 3% Carbohydrates |
Vegetables: 6 – 9% Carbohydrates |
|
Boiled Potatoes Chickpeas Peas Kidney Beans Lima Beans Lentils Sprouted Seeds Sunflower Seeds Quinoa Sprouted Grains Wild Rice (actually a grass) |
Asparagus Bean Sprouts Beet Greens Broccoli Cabbages Cauliflower Celery Swiss Chard Cucumber Garlic Parsley Lettuces Mushrooms Radishes Salad Greens Sauerkraut Spinach Yellow Squash Zucchini Squash |
Bell Peppers Chives Spring Onions Eggplant Green Beans Olives Pickles Boiled sweet potatoes Tomatoes Butternut Artichoke Avocado Beets Brussels Sprouts Carrots Leeks Onions Pumpkin
|
Protein, Fruits, Miscellaneous and Beverages
|
C |
D |
|
|
|
3 times per day |
Maximum 2 times per day |
Slightly restricted |
|
|
Animal Protein |
Fruits |
Miscellaneous |
Beverages |
|
Meat (no pork) Fish Fowl Eggs |
Apple Pear Orange Peach Grapes All the berries |
Jerky/Biltong Butter-unsalted Cottage Cheese White cheese as garnish or flavoring Kefir (liquid yogurt) Milk – Raw Raw Nuts (no peanuts) Olive Oil Sesame Oil Walnut Oil Dressings (oils as above mixed with balsamic vinegar and herbs) Celtic salt Himalayan Salt (Salt 1/2 teaspoon per day) |
Water (Spring or Filtered) Herbal Teas Chicken Broth Beef Broth Red wine only (2 glasses per day) |
Correct food combinations
Food combining is as important as eating the right foods.
Never combine protein (C) and Vegetables with high-carbohydrate content or with low glycemic grains (A).
Fruit (D) should always be eaten alone at least one hour before or after meals.
All the vegetables and grain’s columns A and B can be eaten together at the same meal.
Protein (C) and the low-carbohydrate vegetables (B) can be eaten together at the same meal.
A+B=GOOD
B+C=GOOD
A+C=NOT SO GOOD
D=EAT ALONE
I hope you found this first installment useful, if there is any questions feel free to mail me or to add a comment.
Acknowledgements and Resources
Nobody knows everything really and so we also don’t learn anything all on our own. Here are a few of the most important people and organizations I’ve learned from along the way.
