It’s time to disrupt the trend of chronic illness in the next generation of kids. Hilary Boynton has a bright idea for achieving this goal. Hilary is the head of nutrition services at The Manzanita School in Topanga, California, and she is the author of the “Heal Your Gut Cookbook.” Her plan is to reinvent the “Lunch Lady" and the very lunch she serves up. Her mission is to truly nourish children and she is training up a new wave of lunch leaders to do just that. She talks to us about how she and her team approach the lunches they make at their own school, how they follow Wise Traditions guidelines for nutrient-dense meals, their relationship with the local farmers, how they inspire the kids to try the food they make and more. This conversation challenges all of us to become a part of the change we want to see in the world. Hilary reminds us of what’s at stake and the power of just one meal to turn things around. For info on the "Lunch Leader Intensive", go to slowfoodventuracounty.org. You can find Hilary on Instagram @liveyumyum. Check out our sponsor Ancestral Supplements. And sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.

John Arbuckle of Singing Prairie Farms is a 9th generation livestock farmer. Today, he helps us take a deep dive into the heart of regenerative farming practices. He explains how we need to see soil differently, as a living entity that we must nurture and respect.   His family has been farming for the last 300 years, and they've learned a thing or two along the way. In this conversation, John shares their accumulated wisdom. He discusses how recent droughts, flooding and even wildfires are related to our disconnect with the land. He contrasts regenerative agriculture to the industrial model of farming and explains how good the former is for the planet. And he invites us all to "hold hands with the earth" and take part in regenerating the soil, whether we are farmers or not.   For more from John, visit his website, singingprairiefarms.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition and Ancestral Supplements. Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.

Plantar fasciitis, back, knee, and leg pain all seem to be nothing out of the ordinary these days. And yet, up until roughly 50 years ago, we walked with little complaint. That’s when modern shoe companies began designing footwear with so much padding and arch support that—instead of allowing our feet to flex, bend and move—they have unintentionally weakened our muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Steven Sashen, the co-founder of Xero Shoes, a minimalist footwear company, makes a case for why we need a more ancestral, natural barefoot experience. Today, he talks about the problems most footwear creates, the challenges of transitioning back to bare feet (or minimalist footwear), and why not all shoes called “barefoot” shoes are good for us. He also tells stories (including his own) of those who have benefited from the freedom and fun found in allowing our body to do what is natural—namely, giving our feet the freedom of connecting with the ground, unhindered. For more from Steven, visit his website, xeroshoes.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition and Ancestral Supplements. Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.

Known as a “master gland,” the thyroid works with other endocrine system glands and hormones to govern our body's growth, metabolism, and reproduction.  Thyroid diseases like Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism are increasingly common, and can cause a host of issues, including stunted growth, weight gain, fatigue, or infertility.  What factors cause thyroid problems? What role does iodine play in supporting the thyroid? And how can we heal the thyroid naturally? Today, holistic nutritionist and master herbalist Ronda L. Nelson, PhD, MH offers insights on how the thyroid works, how to heal it using nature as our guide, and why it’s important to look beyond the symptoms when health problems arise. She also tells us how her daughter’s diagnosis with terminal bone cancer led her on a path toward discovering the inextricable link between the food we eat and our health.   For more from Ronda, visit her website restorationhealth.net. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition and Ancestral Supplements. Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.  

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a well-known environmental attorney and human rights activist. On a mission to stem the tide of threats to the health of our planet and our own, for decades, Kennedy has dedicated himself to educating the public on the chemicals that are harming us and what to do about them. He advocates holding parties responsible for injuries and establishing safeguards against chemical use. Today’s conversation centers around vaccine safety. Those with children, those born after 1989 – a time when vaccine schedules multiplied, and, with them, lifelong health conditions – and those experiencing chronic disease should listen closely to this episode to gain insight on this controversial subject. For more from RFK Jr., visit his website: childrenshealthdefense.org. Sally Fallon Morell's website is nourishingtraditions.org. Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference this November here. And visit our website: westonaprice.org.      

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel like a personal crisis and a medical emergency. Treatment is necessary, but a knee-jerk reaction can lead to poor outcomes. Today, Dr. Nasha Winters offers some concrete suggestions for what first steps to take when dealing with cancer. Nasha is a licensed naturopathic doctor and the co-author of “The Metabolic Approach to Cancer.” She describes in detail how to weigh the options when it comes to conventional, alternative, and integrative therapies, how to build a supportive team, & how to cultivate a healthy "terrain" in the middle of it all. For more from Nasha, visit her website: drnasha.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition, Chelsea Green Publishing and Ancestral Supplements. Record your feedback on the podcast via Speakpipe here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

Cancer is increasingly identified in young people under the age of 35. One in 2 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer. One in 2.4 women will also be diagnosed. What is happening? What factors contribute to this epidemic? Is it genetic only? Can lifestyle choices lessen the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis? Dr. Nasha Winters, co-author of "The Metabolic Approach to Cancer," offers insights on what causes cancer cells to go "rogue" in our bodies, replicating without cessation until they kill the host. She talks about her own cancer diagnosis at age 19, which informed her life's course. She explains why new approaches are needed to combat cancer including addressing mitochondrial function, our diet, and emotional trauma in our lives. And she offers practical first steps for protecting the body against cancer. For more from Nasha, visit her website: drnasha.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition, Chelsea Green Publishing and Ancestral Supplements. Record your feedback on the podcast via Speakpipe here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.  

We're told cannabis is a cure-all; we need fluoride in the water to prevent tooth decay; and aluminum in vaccines cannot possibly cause autism. Today, Sally Fallon Morell, the head of the Weston A. Price Foundation, upends conventional thinking when it comes to these controversial topics. As we review highlights from the Wise Traditions journal, Sally separates facts from fiction and gives us much food for thought. She undergirds the conversation with science that points to why we need to proceed with caution with cannabis and cannabis-derived products, how systemic fluoride interferes with cellular function, and the troubling consequences of aluminum injected into the bloodstream.   For more from Sally, visit her website: nourishingtraditions.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition, Chelsea Green Publishing and Ancestral Supplements. Record your feedback on the podcast via Speakpipe here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

John Chester, of Apricot Lane Farms, explains on today's show how a small farm can make a BIG difference. And he challenges those of us who are not farmers to look for ways to do the same.  He covers topics ranging from what led him and Molly to become farmers in the first place, to our need to respect the environment and livestock, to the impermanence of life, to the importance of composting, to the challenges behind establishing a farm that can regenerate soil, provide nutrient-rich food, and be sustainable and beneficial to the planet! He shares their challenges as well as the secrets to their success--that have to do primarily with the harmony and beauty of a balanced farm ecosystem. His farm, Apricot Lane Farms, is featured in the film “The Biggest Little Farm,” now showing in theaters. You'll understand why it is so inspiring as you listen to his story. For more on John and Molly's farm, visit ApricotLaneFarms.com. For more on the movie, visit biggestlittlefarmmovie.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition, Chelsea Green Publishing and Ancestral Supplements. Take our listener survey here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

From the time we are born, we are conditioned to sit, sleep, walk and stand in a certain way. We are directed to “sit up straight” and to stick our “chest out” when we slouch. These ideas are actually counterproductive and do not correspond with how our ancestors sat, stood, and moved. The result? Back pain, digestive issues, shoulder and neck impingement, and more. Esther Gokhale knows this firsthand. She had excruciating back pain and resorted to several surgeries before she discovered the root of the problem: poor posture. Esther is the founder of the Gokhale Method: an approach that retrains the body to adopt its natural, primal posture. Today, she walks us through what’s wrong with our alignment and how to fix it. She offers simple tweaks for improving how we sit, stand, and even sleep. And she explains why it is critical to carry ourselves properly for a strong foundation for optimal wellbeing. For more on Esther and the Gokhale method, visit her website gokhale method.com. Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition, Heal Your Gut Guy and Ancestral Supplements. Donate to the Weston A. Price Foundation here. Take our listener survey here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.