Wise Traditions

The United States is a country of many cultures and food traditions. However, the traditions of the land's indigenous ancestors have largely been forgotten. Sean Sherman, an award-winning chef, is the CEO and Founder of The Sioux Chef, an organization committed to helping us rediscover Native American culture and history, using food. He and his team prepare local, traditional foods, using ancient cooking techniques, in an effort to re-introduce Native American cuisine to their own communities and to the world. Their work is about more than food, clearly. It is provocative, reminding us of the past, and present, oppression of indigenous people. Our conversation covers the intersection of food, culture, and history. We discuss what inspires Sean's work and why he believes it's critical to preserve ancient ways. Today, Sean leads us to encounter the lost world of indigenous food wisdom. Check out our sponsors: Green Pasture and Just Thrive probiotics. For information on our Wise Traditions conference & to register, click here.

Joel Salatin is likely one of the most influential farmers on the face of the planet. He runs Polyface Farms in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. For decades he has been an influential author and speaker; a prominent advocate of the sustainable, regenerative agriculture movement. With humor and honesty, he always tells it like it is. One of his most popular books, "Folks, this ain't normal," was recently translated into Spanish. We caught up with him shortly after some recent travels to Australia, Austria, Spain, and more. In today's interview, he gives us his perspective on farming around the world. Along the way, he weighs in on imitation meat, how limited the "organic" label can be, and why Americans may be more willing to buck the government than Europeans. After going global with Joel, we get hyperlocal and swing back around to Polyface, and then to our own backyards. How can we eat more locally? What changes can we make to live in a way that's better for the world and our health, too? Prepare to be challenged and entertained as he answers these questions and more. To find out more about Joel, visit his website polyfacefarms.com. For the full show notes (or to give a donation), visit our website: westonaprice.org. To register for the Wise Traditions conference: visit wisetraditions.org.

Mercury is considered by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern. Why? Because mercury is a poison, more toxic than lead or arsenic. And it is the hidden toxin behind a lot of common health concerns—it attacks the central nervous system and can lead to chronic conditions like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, as well as ADD, brain fog, mental illness, and more. This episode focuses on how we are exposed to it—through environmental pollutants, food sources, dental amalgam fillings, preventive medical practices, and more—and what we can do about it. Sally Fallon Morell, the head of the Weston A. Price Foundation walks us through important articles on the subject in our latest Wise Traditions journal, including one written by Robert F. Kennedy Junior. This conversation covers the problem mercury poses and reveals protocols for minimizing exposure and removing it from our bodies. For the full show notes, or to make a donation, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

What's the secret to a long, healthy life? Dr. Alvin Danenberg recently participated in the "Human Longevity Project," a documentary that explores the world's "blue zones"--areas where folks are living long, happy lives. He knows well what it takes to nurture good health. A personal health crisis years ago led him to change his own diet and lifestyle. Now, at 71 years of age, he is healthier than he was decades ago. Today, he is a certified functional medicine practitioner, a primal health coach, and a periodontist who offers unique insights and tips to point us in the right direction. Among other hacks, he stresses the importance of diet (not just what we eat, but what we choose not to eat), the role of the microbiome in our overall health, the supplements to take to diversify gut bacteria, and how a 4-minute daily workout can bring immeasurable benefits to our bodies! Check out our sponsors: Just Thrive Probiotics and Chelsea Green! Take our listener survey here. To visit our website, for the show notes or to make a donation, go to westonaprice.org.

Many people use Roundup without questioning its safety. It's advertised on TV, and sold at hardware/garden stores all over the country. The herbicide is viewed as a miracle spray that gets rid of those dreaded weeds within hours. It's become a staple garden product in many homes. And it's used by many agricultural companies during food production. But how safe is it really? What is it doing to our health? In today's conversation, Kiran Krishnan, a research microbiologist and an expert on the human microbiome, explains how dangerous glyphosate is. He discusses the science behind the damage it causes to the body's microbiome. He also explains how the presence of glyphosate directly correlates with the rise of many chronic health conditions, including obesity, autism, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and gut infections. Kiran goes in depth about the dangers of this ubiquitous herbicide and explains why it's still in use today, despite warnings from the World Health Organization that it is a probable carcinogenic. Most importantly, he tells us what we can do (and eat) to protect ourselves from this toxin that acts like the worst kind of antibiotic on a mass scale. For more from Kiran, check out episodes #84 "Ground zero of most health disorders" and #169 "Improve your microbiome". Check out today's sponsors: Chelsea Green Publishing and Just Thrive Probiotic. To take our listener survey, click here. To visit our website or make a donation, go to westonaprice.org.

Fiddlehead ferns, dandelions, mushrooms--these are just a few of the many foods that can be found in your own backyard (or in your neighborhood, perhaps) that are free for the taking and good for you! Our ancestors foraged for wild plants and mushrooms that were rich in nutrients, and we can, too! Becca Griffith, longtime food educator and foraging enthusiast, explains why wild foods are beneficial to our diet, how to go about finding them, and what precipitated Becca's own involvement in the wild world of foraging. Learn how you can get started, too, from today's engaging and "wild" conversation! Follow Becca on Instagram @griffithbecca! Check out our sponsors: Just Thrive Probiotics and Green Pasture. For the full show notes for this episode or to make a donation, visit the Weston A. Price Foundation's website: westonaprice.org.

It is now so common for children to be "picky eaters" that most consider it a normal childhood phase. There are special menus at restaurants and at social events shaping this whole "children's food" culture—offering them primarily chicken nuggets, french fries, and mac and cheese. Despite parents' best efforts, "picky kids" seem to choose carbs all day long and getting them to eat healthier foods can appear like an impossible task. But is it? Can picky eaters be "fixed"? On today's podcast, Jennifer Scribner, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and author of "From Mac & Cheese to Veggies, Please", helps us understand what makes a picky eater "picky" in the first place and she gives us strategies for helping them change their eating patterns. She tells us what to expect and how to plan ahead to make the transition smooth (or at least smoother) as we navigate from picky to healthy. Check out our sponsors: Just Thrive Probiotics & Green Pasture. To find our more about the Weston A. Price Foundation or to make a donation, visit westonaprice.org.

Some say soy is heart-healthy. Others consider it a food that is a perfect protein, making it an ideal meat substitute. Dr. Anthony Jay has a different perspective. He suggests that soy is problematic. Anthony has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and works at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is also the author of "Estrogeneration." He describes soy as an "estrogenic" food, meaning that it acts like estrogen in our bodies, which can lead to dysfunction and a number of ailments. In today's episode, Anthony explains why there is so much conflicting information on soy and how to make sense of it all. He makes clear why we should care, guides us on how much—or rather, how little—we should consume, and describes in detail the cumulative effects of soy on our health. Check out our sponsors: Just Thrive probiotics and Kraut Pounder. For the full show notes or to make a donation to the Weston A. Price Foundation, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

We let our kids play with them, sleep with them next to our heads, and can't seem to live without them. But cell phones just may be one of the most hazardous objects in our house. Our guest, Dr. George Carlo, a world-recognized medical scientist, tech expert, and the Chairman of the Science and Public Policy Institute, explains why. George is not an alarmist and yet today he does sound some alarm bells to wake us up to the dangers that radiation poses to our health--specifically the radiation emitted from our devices and wifi networks. George was featured in the recently released documentary "Generation Zapped." In that movie, and on today's show, George discusses how we got to where we are today, why the cell phone industry has chosen to ignore evidence that radiation damages us on a cellular level, and what we can do to protect ourselves from its effects. Check out our sponsors: The Frenching Your Food Summit and Defender Shield. To find out more about the Weston A. Price Foundation or to make a donation or to find the full show notes for this episode, visit our website here.

Most of us believe that our dental health is directly related to how much we brush and floss. But what if there is more to it than that? The traditional groups that Dr. Weston A. Price visited so many years ago did not have wonderful dental hygiene, yet their teeth were perfectly straight and surprisingly free of decay. Their secret? Their diet! These populations were eating a diet devoid of processed foods, and extremely rich in minerals and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K. On this episode, Dr. Steven Lin, the author of The Dental Diet, explains how to maintain a healthy smile, naturally. He covers how we need to increase vitamin and mineral consumption from the foods we eat, what foods to avoid that are destructive to our health, and how to breathe and hold the mouth properly. He also busts many common dental myths and replaces them with truth that we can apply, to enable vibrant dental health. For more on Dr. Lin, visit his website: drstevenlin.com. And check out our sponsor: Just Thrive Probiotics. To find our more about the Weston A. Price Foundation, or to make a donation or find the show notes for this episode, visit our website: westonaprice.org.