In 1939, Dr. Clara Davis began an experiment in Chicago. She wanted to know if infants and toddlers were able to know what they needed to eat in order to be healthy.
You see, at the time Board Certified Pediatricians were beginning to use formulas (this isn’t an opinion for or against formulas) and different diets deemed healthy and at times even force feeding children. The result were more and more children were refusing to eat and having other health issues as a result.
She only worked with 15 children, so this is a small study. Many of the children were sick with diseases like rickets at the beginning of the study.
What was the experiment?
For every meal, 33 different items would be placed in front of the children for them to chose. There was no direction by any of the nurses or research staff, only support. The children would chew on cardboard and plates at times, but also eat salad, beef, liver, and eggs. Sometimes they’d eat straight butter or straight salt.
But you know what happened?
Their rickets resolved, and they all grew into very healthy children.
Is it possible that babies know best? Is it possible that we know what’s best for us?
I don’t think that goes away just because we grow up. We still know what’s best for us. It’s just that we’ve have so much extra influence, that we lose track of what we know works for us.
This can be rediscovered though.
You can trust yourself to eat well and take care of yourself and your body. In fact, you’re the best one for the job. If you’ve ever had the nudge that what someone else suggested just doesn’t feel right for you or a nudge to look into something that seemed so far outside of the norm for you, these are signs that you are on the right track.
You can trust yourself. You have everything you need to feel at home in your body.
Much love,
KC