The Sibling Strategy
Today I want to highlight the work of Dr. Catherine Shanahan.
🔸
Dr. Shanahan’s interest in nutrition’s impact on physical well-being was first sparked when her own physical limitations ended her career as an Olympic-level cross-country and track athlete. She then began practicing medicine and started connecting even more dots as young patients came to her with growth and developmental issues.
🔸
Much of her work is dedicated to preconception nutrition, because she so strongly believes that “...every healthy part of every living thing follows the same basic formula for growth in order to function.” And this growth is fueled by nutrition.
🔸
She’s also coined what’s called “The Sibling Symmetry Shift,” based on her numerous years of research and what she observed in her own practice. One study she conducted was on ~400 groups of siblings — over 1,000 family members — born within two years of each other. She found that “from eldest to youngest, the jaw grew narrower and receded, the cheekbones flattened out, and the eyes were less deeply set. The closer in age the siblings, the more striking the changes.”
🔸
This is important because very much like Dr. Weston A. Price, Dr. Shanahan believes “the way we look speaks volumes about our health because of the fact that form implies function. Children with suboptimal skull structure may need glasses, braces, or oral surgery...because suboptimal architecture impairs development of normal geometry, leading to imperfectly formed facial features, be it the eyes or ears or nose or jaw and throat. For example, narrow nasal passages irritate the mucosa, increasing the changes of rhinitis and allergies. When the airway in the back of the threat is improperly formed, a child may suffer from sleep apnea, which starves the brain of the oxygen needed to develop normal intelligence.
🔸
...not only does facial degeneration predictably develop from poor nutrition, the effects are so immediate that you can see it happening within the space of a single generation.”
🔸
Many growth and development issues may show up immediately, but most take until the child is fully developed or even well into adulthood to realize. This is the thinking behind Dr. Shanahan’s “Sibling Strategy.” She advises to “give yourself at least three, preferably four, years between pregnancies and make every effort to fortify your body with vitamin-rich foods before conception.”
🔸
She does admit that “no child, not even an only child, is immune from symmetry shifts because the underlying problem is not birth order; it’s malnutrition.” Therefore, even the first-born can suffer from issues if the mother is malnourished.
🔸
Her conclusions might seem harsh to some, but she’s a true advocate. The goal of her work is to put power back in the hands of parents — because most often health issues can be avoided or changed by nourishing properly. And she is a huge proponent of preconception preparation, as it’s the most impactful thing parents can do to ensure the health and wellness of future children and generations.
🔸
Some food for thought!
_____________________________________________________________
This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
_____________________________________________________________
References
Shanahan, C. (2017). Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. Flatiron Books Publishing.
TTC? Get empowered with Conscious Conception, the ultimate fertility blueprint created to help you optimize your fertility and enter pregnancy empowered.
Stay in touch.
Sign up for my newsletter to get access to exclusive content and resources all about fertility and beyond.
We will never misuse your information.
