Page 69 - Spring2010

WESTON A. PRICE PRIMER: a powerful influence on your lives. Let’s look at As societies
OUR FOOD BLUEPRINT where it all started so you can get a clear picture have moved
With food fads and gimmicks blurring our of how to make true vitality a reality.
food-intuition, the meaning of “good nutrition” To understand the meaning of true nutrition, away from
is often muddled. Fortunately, it can be quite this story begins with a visionary dentist by the their
simple: just think back to a time before factories name of Weston A. Price. “What does dentistry traditional
and industrial chemicals had a place in food pro- have to do with nourishing my family?” you ask.
duction; before industrial processing. As societ- More than you might think! food fare
ies have moved away from their traditional food Back in the 1930s, Dr. Price noticed a trou- and practices
fare and practices passed down from generation bling pattern developing among his patients: passed down
to generation, our health and happiness have those with the worst teeth typically had the
suffered greatly. worst health problems elsewhere in the body. from
A number of factors influence one’s vital- To satisfy his curiosity as to the cause of this generation to
ity: sleep quality, rest, companionship, physical unhealthy trend, Price traveled the globe for generation,
activity, chemical exposure, and more. Yet food ten years to study the effects of modern foods
remains the key player for nourishing the body’s on dental health and physical development. His our health
every cell. The body’s genes are constantly com- research is detailed in his book, Nutrition and and happiness
municating with the nutrients we take in through Physical Degeneration, first published in 1939. have suffered
food; in fact, seventy-five percent of our health Dr. Price’s findings were remarkable indeed.
is dependent on what we have done to our genes The correlation between diet and physical health greatly.
throughout life, instead of what our family genes and development was incontestable. Among the
do to us. In other words, food either feeds or many indigenous cultures he visited, the differ-
1
poisons a cell. And this is a powerful concept ences between those who had remained with
when one considers that cells make tissues, tis- their ancestral diet from birth and those who
sues make organs, and organs make us—our had succumbed to the temptations of the western
brains, our bones, our reproductive organs, our cultures—namely sugar, white flour, and soft
joints. drinks—were undeniable!
Here is the most wonderful news: you have a Price found that the native groups eating
choice! Yes, health is a choice: a decision to make their traditional wholesome diet had less than one
good food a priority; to slow down and breathe; percent of their permanent teeth decayed. You
to consider meal preparation a joy; and to make may be thinking, “They must have brushed their
every single bite you serve yourself and family teeth day and night!” In fact, these cultures never

THREE-MINUTE, THREE-STEP SALAD DRESSING

Homemade dressing is one of the simplest ways to make a significant improvement in diet and infuse your family with
more high quality, nourishing oils, while reducing the damaged oils found in most store-bought varieties. Below is a slight
variation on Sally Fallon Morell’s Basic Dressing recipe from Nourishing Traditions. This simple recipe provides a wonderful
base from which to experiment.

STEP 1. Dip a fork into a jar of mustard (either Dijon, yellow, or your favorite variety) and scoop out about one teaspoon
worth. Place the fork in a small bowl.

STEP 2. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar—wine, balsamic, or apple cider—to the mustard and mix well.

STEP 3. In a thin stream, add 1/2 cup olive oil, all the while whisking the ingredients with the fork to form an emulsion
between the oil and mustard mixture.

Once you have gained confidence with this basic formula, have fun and add different herbs and spices (fresh or dried),
grated fresh ginger, a touch of lemon or lime juice, or raw cultured cream. Replacing a portion or all of the olive oil is an-
other way to add variety; walnut and avocado oils are lovely and sesame gives a delicious Asian flare.

SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 69