Weston A. Price

Which Famous Doctor Knows the Most About Nutrition?

As we head into 2022 I have many people contacting me about their general health and asking how to eat. There are often silver linings to times of crisis, and the past couple of years have made many more aware of how important it can be to stay well.

I also have people asking me what I think about published authors like Michael Pollan, Dr. Perlmutter, Dr. Gundry and Dr. Berg. All of these doctors emphasize the importance of food and nutrients to your energy and long-term health, and I applaud them for that. 

Long before so many dietary regimens like Paleo, Vegan, or Keto became popular, I considered myself an “Ancestral” nutritionists because I followed the scientific discoveries of Dr. Royal Lee and Dr. Weston A. Price. These last two were giants in the field of nutritional science last century, before pharmaceutical companies took over research. 

Both Dr. Lee and Dr. Price were trained as dentists, but each asked a question that few modern dentists even consider-why is there so much tooth decay, loss of teeth, and gum disease? We take it for granted that people have dental issues. Isn’t good dental health seeing your dentist frequently for x-rays, cleaning, and fillings, not to mention braces, implants, and prosthetics like bridges and false teeth? Or are these just costly and painful “solutions” to our inadequate dental health?

It could be said that the first sign of ill health may start in the mouth. Teeth are composed of a mineral complex. With vital minerals missing from our soil, causing us to eat food that is deficient, and high sugar diets that leach minerals, it is no wonder that we need dentists to fix the problems that dietary deficiencies cause. 

But you never hear your dentist talk about this subject, except to tell you to brush your teeth because sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth. The real dental education is how to eat so that your teeth are strong enough to stand up to bacteria, as well as how to create an oral environment of healthy bacteria that are not harmful to teeth. As with other organisms in the body, the helpful ones thrive on healthy foods and the harmful ones love junk and sugar. 

Dr. Weston Price wrote a book called, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” that has become a bible for nutritionists that encourage nutrient-dense foods. He photographed people all over the world who ate natural diets and documented their disease patterns. Those people, who ate like their ancestors, did not have diseases of modern civilization, like Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, and Obesity. They didn’t suffer from allergies and asthma and autoimmune disorders. 

They also birthed healthy babies, and stayed slim and active into old age.  

Imagine a world where we didn’t need vitamin supplements and frequent doctor visits for check ups to see which disease we are generating by our toxic environments and dead, lifeless foods. 

 We could have that world. There would still be a need for supporting health when extra stressors depleted nutrients, or caused a breakdown of organs or systems. But we could actually grow food for our physical survival and medicine, which is the actual purpose of food. Add in herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and other non-invasive modalities, guided by wellness practitioners, and we wouldn’t have the epidemics of modern disease states.

Medical doctors could do what they technically do best-set bones and perform rare and necessary surgeries. Big Agriculture, Big Industrial Farming, and Big Food Companies, not to mention Big Pharma/Insurance/Hospital, would all have to go. Drug Cartels, Big Tobacco (now rapidly becoming Big Vape and Pot) and Big Alcohol are also contributing to the problem. These industries have a vested interest in keeping us weak, addicted, and sick. 

 When you realize that a high percentage of businesses in the Industrialized world have created problems that demand products and services they can sell, rather than offering genuine help, you become an independent consumer and builder of your own natural health and immunity.

 This does not mean that all the people who work in the named industries are bad people. Some of them truly wish to help alleviate suffering and help people to get well. But we are known by the company we keep, and there is a responsibility to look beneath the surface of anyone or anything that we support with our money and allegiance. 

 If you would like to learn about the work of one of the greatest nutritional researchers you can visit www.westonaprice.org. There you will find a wealth of material about healthy fats, raw milk, organic foods, and the superfoods valued by cultures that Dr. Price documented. Health freedom includes having the freedom to eat the nourishing foods that our cells crave and Nature provided.

 Leave rocket science to NASA and chemicals to the factories that manufactured them. The Healing Arts belong to those who walked the walk and touched patients’ lives with their wisdom and caring. You can never learn enough from a test tube. We humans bring a lot of stuff along with us-composed of experiences, emotions, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, not to mentions hopes and dreams. The stuff of Life. 

As we draw the curtain on a tough 2021, I wish a whole lot more Life for you in 2022. It takes courage to live a fully and energetically, so I hope that we are all brave enough and insightful enough to find more health and peace in the New Year.

 

 

 

Teeth-The Hard Facts

What did you learn about taking care of your teeth? I remember being told to brush after every meal, floss daily, and visit the dentist often to take care of the fact that brushing and flossing didn’t save teeth from cavities.

We all know that tooth decay is just one more reason why we should avoid eating sugar. But sweets in the mouth are only half the story. Like the Big Bad Wolf sugar can only blow your house down (or blow holes in your teeth) if your house is made of straw, or your tooth enamel is too weak or brittle.

How do you get strong teeth? Minerals. The very things that are so missing from the American food supply because of our farming methods run by the Dark and Evil forces of Big Agriculture.

In his seminal work, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, published in 1939, Dr. Weston A. Price published his findings following a round the world research project to discover why American teeth were so riddled with cavities. He found that primitive people (defined as those not yet enjoying the white man’s diet of white flour and refined sugar) eating their native diet, composed of locally procured meats, fish, vegetables, grains and fruits, had no cavities. They also had dental arches and palates so wide and strong that wisdom teeth grew in easily and teeth lasted a lifetime.

A new study warns us to stop eating so much sugar. Excellent advice. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/863

But we also need to dramatically increase our minerals. In the years Dr. Price studied native diets, people around the globe had 2-10 times the ratio of minerals that Americans and Europeans had then. Today, thanks to more “advances” in modern farming methods, the problem is even worse. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/

The good news about minerals is that they are also cancer protective and they offer relief from many health issues. Calcium is not just helpful for bones and teeth. Calcium can cause what is called a “calcium flash” which signals the White Blood Cells to respond to an immune issue, such as a viral or bacterial infection. (Note that not all calcium is created equal. Some forms are more easily assimilated than other forms, and sufficient stomach acid is vital for utilization.) Calcium must also be in balance with magnesium and phosphorus because Nature seems to like families of nutrients to work together. Magnesium is the heart mineral, and assists muscle relaxation and nerve conductivity.

Zinc is vital for immune health, and many people are zinc deficient. Zinc and selenium are helpful for prostate health. Chromium helps blood sugar and is helpful for hypoglycemia and diabetes.

You get the picture, and it is a mosaic of minerals. Not all minerals are needed in mega-doses, but anyone eating the standard American diet is deficient.

We hope that organic foods have more minerals, and studies do indicate that, but it depends on the soil. In order to grow produce without pesticides it is necessary to husband and treat the soil, so chances are your money is going to be wisely spent on organic foods. But there are no standards for soil management in the U.S., like there are in Europe. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/nutritional-differences-in-organic-vs-conventional-foods-and-the-winner-is/

Plants have to use the minerals in the soil and convert them to the form our bodies can use. That is why we don’t just eat rocks. So, healthy organic vegetables that taste delicious probably have better nutritional content. And, it will deplete our bodies even more to break down and eliminate the toxins from the pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in commercial product. Not to mention that genetically modified foods appear to be causing DNA mutation. We won’t know the full impact of that until this generation of kids has kids. Do you want to wait until then?

We are already seeing more allergies, asthma, neurological disorders, Diabetes, obesity and cancer in kids today. So, one thing parents can do is feed kids organic foods. Concerned about expense? Check out Trader Joe’s. I am very surprised about how inexpensive their organic produce is. And they have pledged to avoid GMO foods in their products, although there is no way to verify this fully because there are no labeling laws for genetically modified foods. http://blogs.naturalnews.com/why-doesnt-trader-joes-use-gmo-labels/

So, there is every reason to get more minerals into your diet. Just be warned that some minerals being sold commercially are difficult to digest and you don’t want an accumulation of minerals gathering in your body. This may result in bone spurs or kidney stones. You want to look for forms of minerals that break down easily, and are not isolated, without other support minerals for balance. You may want to take some diluted apple cider vinegar when you take mineral supplements, to give yourself enough acid for the ph of the stomach. One way I can tell if you are getting sufficient minerals is by checking your saliva ph. And I also have a saliva zinc test to check your zinc levels.

Ask me about supplements that can give your children’s (or your) teeth the exact minerals and nutrients that build enamel and keep teeth cavity proof. Start these during pregnancy, eat whole-nutrient foods, and we can bring back the kind of teeth our ancestors had. Your money may be better spent on mineral-rich foods than on the high prices dentists charge these days.

Burbank Farmer’s Market now sells bone broth, or you can make your own. This is one delicious way to get the right minerals for bones and teeth. Here is the link to the skinny on the new trend in bone broth http://www.today.com/food/i-tried-bone-broth-week-heres-what-happened-2D80450660 

A good recipe here http://www.today.com/food/how-make-bone-broth-brodo-chef-marco-canora-shares-his-2D80452900

Bone Broth is available from Whole Foods. Want bone broth delivered? 10 grams of protein, 0 carbs and only 48 calories! https://www.barebonesbroth.com/?gclid=CLCVkcHi6MYCFQqGaQod9RkAWw The Lakers’ Nutritionist is recommending it. http://www.fastcompany.com/3040752/most-creative-people/as-the-bone-broth-craze-heats-up-suppliers-scramble-to-keep-soup-in-eve

More on the work of Dr. Price at www.westonaprice.org

By the way, don’t stop brushing and flossing. I love my oral irrigator. There is a new way to “brush” your teeth with German sonic technology. Amazing for gum health.

Avoid fluoride in toothpaste and in tap water. The excess can make teeth brittle instead of strong, and is toxic. Use a water filter like Clearly Filtered water pitcher to remove impurities and fluoride and look for fluoride-free toothpaste. http://www.clearlyfiltered.com/

We have wonderful dental technology, for fixing sick teeth or replacing lost or damaged teeth. But dentists are never taught how to help you have healthy gums and teeth for a lifetime. Eating plenty of nutrient rich foods is the answer to beautiful healthy teeth. And the health of the mother is reflected in the health and teeth of her children. Nature pays it forward.