Episode 107: The Food Pyramid to Braces - How Diet Shapes Our Jaw Development

For decades, the U.S. food pyramid shaped how Americans ate, emphasizing carbs, avoiding fats, and largely ignoring food quality and texture. Today, that model has been replaced with a more balanced approach, but there’s still an important piece of the nutrition conversation missing. In this episode, we explore the shift from the old food pyramid to the modern plate model... and then dive into a lesser-known consequence of modern diets: the loss of chewing and how it is leading to more orthodontic interventions. As ultra-processed, soft foods have become the norm, children are chewing less than ever during critical growth years. Emerging research in orthodontics, dentistry, and anthropology suggests this may contribute to underdeveloped jaws, narrow dental arches, crowded teeth, poor tongue posture, and even smaller airways, with potential impacts on breathing and sleep. This episode connects nutrition, development, and airway health, and asks a bigger question:Are modern diets feeding growth or limiting it?🎙️ Listen in for a fresh perspective on food, form, and function.Equip Foods Grass-fed beef protein - Code: MARLAWant to work with me? email me to [email protected]