Wise Traditions

Wise Traditions IN FOOD, FARMING AND THE HEALING ARTS

Volume 9 Number 1

A PUBLICATION OF

THE WESTON A. PRICE FOUNDATION?

CONTENTS

Spring 2008

FEATURES

An Inconvenient Cow Matt Rales examines claims that

vegetarianism hurts the environment

Page 16 All Thumbs Book Reviews Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal The Fertility Diet

Page 58

Vegetarianism and Deficiencies Page 25 Growing Wise Kids

Page 64

Chris Masterjohn looks at the hard facts

Jen Allbritton on bodacious beverages

of nutrient deficiencies in vegetarians

for kids

Twenty-two Reasons Sally Fallon responds to arguments

for vegetarianism

Page 37 GMO Report Jeffrey Smith shares his plan for

avoiding genetically modified foods

Page 70

Traditional Diet in Russia

Page 49 Soy Alert

Katherine Czapp explores eating by the

Kaayla Daniel on our petition to

seasons in Mother Russia

rescind the soy heart health claim

Page 73

DEPARTMENTS

President's Message Dr. Price's greatest disappointment

Letters

Caustic Commentary Sally Fallon and Mary Enig take on the Diet Dictocrats

Know Your Fats Mary Enig reviews the Canadian report on trans fatty acids

Page 2

Page 3 Page 12

MSG Update Jack Samuels counters the latest industry propaganda

NAIS Update Judith McGeary keeps us updated

A Campaign for Real Milk Robert Irons finds more proof that pasteurization destroys nutrients

Page 75 Page 80 Page 86

Page 55

Healthy Baby Gallery Local Chapters Shop Heard `Round the World Membership Upcoming Events

Page 91 Page 92 Page 101 Page 116 Page 117

THE WESTON A. PRICE

FOUNDATION?

Education Research Activism

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sally Fallon, MA, President and Treasurer Mary Enig, PhD, FACN, CNS, Vice President Geoffrey Morell, ND, JP, Secretary Tom Cowan, MD Cherie Calvert Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN Valerie Curry Joyner

GENERAL COUNSEL James Turner, Esq.

HONORARY BOARD H. Leon Abrams, Jr, MA, EDS Jen Allbritton, BS, CN Christian B. Allen, PhD Naomi Baumslag, MD, MPH Marie A. Bishop, CDC Jerry Brunetti Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD Lee Clifford, MS, CCN Christapher Cogswell, MA Monica Corrado Janice Curtin Eric Davis, BDSc, DAc, DCN William Campbell Douglass, MD Sara Bachman Ducey, MS, CNS James A. Duke, PhD Carol Esche, DNP, MA, RN, CNA Mike Fitzpatrick, PhD Ruth Ann Foster, MA Donna Gates, BS, MEd Zac Goldsmith, Editor, The Ecologist Nicholas Gonzalez, MD Trauger Groh Joann S. Grohman Barry Anthony Groves Beatrice Trum Hunter, MA Richard James, MBA, LLD Larry Klein Kilmer McCully, AB, MD, MA (hon) Frank Melograna, MD Carlos Monteiro Joseph Mercola, DO Kenneth Fielding Morehead, DOM David Morris, BS, DC Bruce Rind, MD Julia Ross, MA Jordan S. Rubin, NMD, CNC Ethan Russo, MD Adrienne Samuels, PhD Jack Samuels, MSHA Ron Schmid, ND Andreas Schuld Frederick I. Scott, Jr, BE, MS C. Edgar Sheaffer, VMD Ted Spence, DDS, ND Rebecca L. Stearns, LAc, DAc Alana Sugar, CN Krispin Sullivan, CN Joe Tarantolo, MD John Umlauf Charles Walters, MA Susun S. Weed David Wetzel, BS Bruce West, DC George Yu, MD

President's Message

When Dr. Weston Price embarked on his worldwide investigations of nonindustrialized peoples, he did so with an open mind. When his patients asked him that all-important question, "What is a healthy diet?" he did not know the answer. He knew that a healthy diet produced freedom from dental decay, attractive facial structure, protection against disease and ease of reproduction, but he could not, before his investigations, tell his patients with assurance what to eat.

Dr. Price was a highly spiritual individual with leanings towards vegetarianism. He had hoped to find healthy peoples whose diets contained only plant foods. What he discovered instead was that all so-called primitive cultures consumed animal foods in one form or another. In some cultures, such as native tribes in Alaska and northern Canada, animal foods comprised almost 100 percent of calories; in others, such as the agricultural tribes in Africa, animal foods comprised only a small portion of the diet. However, all of the cultures he studied valued certain foods as sacred, necessary for healthy reproduction and the optimal growth of children, and these sacred foods were always animal foods. This discovery has been called "Dr. Price's greatest disappointment." He did not, as he had hoped, find a single vegan culture.

This issue of Wise Traditions examines the various arguments for vegetarianism and veganism, especially the proposition that avoidance of animal foods will make us healthier and will benefit the environment. Unfortunately, many people--especially young people entering the childbearing years--believe these arguments and adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, a decision that can have severe adverse consequences for the next generation. The Weston A. Price Foundation has consistently issued strong warnings about the dangers of veganism. Some individuals may do well on a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet if the eggs and dairy foods they consume are of very high quality (and the dairy foods should be raw). However, most people need other sources of animal protein, especially seafood. Those born with a very high requirement for zinc and vitamin B will need to consume liver and red meat frequently.

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The question of whether or not to eat animal foods is highly charged with emotion and often involves tenuous arguments about spirituality. The most spiritual act of all is to put one's ideals into practice, to be active for beneficial change in the physical world. Without the good health and mental clarity that comes from a healthy diet, one that includes animal foods, this is very difficult if not impossible to do. And the responsibility for imparting this good health and mental clarity to the next generation rests on the shoulders of all those who would be parents. We hope that the articles in this issue will provide future parents with the requisite understanding well before their children come along--and not as a tragically disappointed aftermath.

Letters

OUTSTANDING CONFERENCE I have been implementing a healthy

traditional diet in our family since 2003. I have had chronic fatigue for over ten years. I don't know whether I'll ever be completely recovered but this way of eating has been a lifesaver. Thank you for all your work.

I just attended my first WAPF conference and it was outstanding. First, the friendliness of the people and children overwhelmed me. Meal after meal, the conversations were as exceptional as the food. Complete strangers could discuss amiably about the wealth of information they had just experienced in the talks. Natasha Campbell-McBride's was the best presentation that I heard, but others were excellent, including those by Vicki Braun, Chris Masterjohn, Dr. Mary Megson, Dr. Veronica Doggett, Kathy O'Brien, Kathryne Pirtle and Dr. Phillip Incao.

Mary Claire Robinson Rileyville, Virginia

Dr. Campbell-McBride will conduct an all-day seminar at this year's confer-

ence, to be held in San Francisco. All of the talks from the 2007 conference are available on CDs and DVDs. Visit for ordering information.

SUCCESS LIST Please add my name to the WAPF

success list--I was researching nutrition for bones (to avoid taking Fosamax) when a friend told me about the WAPF guidelines. I had news in July, 2005, from my NP that I was very close to osteoporosis.

Forward to today. I have to go see my NP to get the actual numbers, but her recent note (result of a scan on December 10, 2007) indicates bone density "improvement." I joined our local chapter and have been buying local raw milk and other farm products for about 18 months.

Tish Cotter New York, New York

AGILE AND ALERT My daughter Isabella is now one

year and nine months old. Even though

she came into the world with many risk factors, including an obese 43-year-old mother with a previous infant death, preeclampsia, a low birth weight of four pounds, and a difficult cesarean post-op period, she has turned out to be exceptionally strong, smart and is catching up physically to other healthy full term babies. People are amazed at how agile she is. She started talking fully at one year and five months. Her constant ear infections have stopped and so has her eczema and asthma that the doctors feared she would develop at a later age. Now she rarely gets colds.

This is all thanks to a religious following of all the principles of a nourishing traditional diet and feeding for a baby and toddler. She not only has the raw milk baby formula, but I give her lots of live yoghurt, kefir, organic eggs, sea salt, raw liver, raw tuna, meat stocks and whey.

Leesa Khalid Dhaka, Pakistan

LED ME TO WAPF I first came across your website

LEFT: Isabella Khalid came into the world as a low birth weight baby with many risk factors.

RIGHT: Today Isabella is a plump and perfect picture of health on a nourishing traditional diet.

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Letters

while researching online. I was actually looking for the best brand of commercial baby formula as my own milk was drying up. It's a long story but the main thing is that I found WAPF and my daughter, once a two-pound, three-ounce preemie, thrived on raw milk and bone broth formula, and is now a very vibrant, healthy, unvaccinated two-year-old.

My health has improved as well because of the website, links, books, etc. My life has changed dramatically and for the better. I now raise free-range pasture-fed chickens and eat as much as I can according to the dietary principles. Everyone I meet who I feel is really open-minded I introduce to WAPF. I'm getting the membership in my daughter's name to honor her and how she led me to WAPF.

Roxanne Bloomer Cadiz, Ohio

ANTI-FLUORIDE ACTIVISM Did you know that the American

Dental Association issued a bulletin to their members this year warning parents to avoid using fluoridated water when mixing infant formula? Use of fluoridated water increases the baby's risk of the toxic effects of fluorosis. Only two out of an audience of about 50 at your recent conference were aware of this fact.

I was very pleased that Dr. Phyllis Mullenix was invited to speak at the Wise Traditions conference. For those unfamiliar with her story on fluoride research, the details can be found in The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson. Her talk titled "Why You Need

to Protect Your Children from Fluoride" highlighted new research on the adverse effects of low-dose fluoride exposure such as we get with water fluoridation. For those who missed the talk you can get more information from a soon-tobe-released book she is co-writing for Second Look, a Tides Center project (, tidescenter. org), The Fluoride Illness Handbook: A Guide to Identification and Treatment.

In the meantime there is something that each concerned reader can do to help bring the practice of fluoridation to an end. Go to the Fluoride Action Network website () and select the link to send a message to your congressional representatives asking for a moratorium on fluoridation and full congressional investigation. It takes many voices to force Congress to action. If you are a medical, dental, health, science, or water professional you can also select the link to sign the professionals' statement.

Shirley Jacobson, RN Bellingham, Washington

RAW MILK STOPS SEIZURES I am 29 years old and have suf-

fered from epilepsy for 11 years now. I had my first seizure when I was 18. Medical doctors immediately put me on anticonvulsant medications. Aside from a few tests (MRI and Sleep Deprivation EEG), they never investigated what was going on in my life for possible causes or cures.

In these past 11 years I have had a few miscarriages due to the medication Dilantin that I was on, and I also almost

lost one of my children due to fetal hydantoin syndrome. This syndrome is a rare disorder that is caused by exposure of a fetus to the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (Dilantin).

When I was 16 weeks pregnant with my son Elisha, my water broke and I found out that doctors had no hope that my baby would live through the pregnancy. It was then that I began looking for an alternative way to deal with my epilepsy during pregnancy. The only thing I found out at that time was that the amino acid taurine could help reduce epileptic seizures and for the duration of the pregnancy, that's all I used, but still had seizures, although at a much lesser degree.

Once my body got used to the Dilantin, it wouldn't work any more. I tried a few other anticonvulsants and the last one threw me over the edge; I became anorexic, was constantly sick and wanted to commit suicide. (These side effects were all listed on the drug's website.) That's when I got desperate and began really searching. Thankfully I have found several natural healers!

I have been going to a chiropractor twice a week, and I eat almost exclusively all organic food. I take fish oil, amino acids L-tyrosine and taurine, a very high quality multivitamin, coconut oil and raw milk! When I am out of the raw milk for a few days, I begin to have some auras and seizures. It is essential for me to be able to keep my supplements and milk around so that I can live a normal life.

Since eating a healthy diet that includes raw milk, I no longer need medi-

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Letters

cation in the day time. I have reduced my dosage from 400 mg a day to just 100 mg at night. Now I am no longer sleepy, I have my memory back, I am not at a loss for words, and therefore my job of home schooling five kids (four of my own and one fantastic niece!) is much easier. I hope and pray that we will continue to have the freedom that our forefathers dreamed of when they gave their lives for us to be able to think for ourselves and make our own wise decisions!

Thanks for all you are doing to help Mark McAfee and Organic Pastures Dairy. I'll be checking out the website to see what is going on and how I can help.

Jill Price Discovery Bay, California

SLOW COOKING AND AGEs Concerning the article on Slow

Cookers, in the box "Preventing AGERelated Effects" on page 54 of the Winter 2007 Wise Traditions, the author is to be congratulated for bringing to our attention the damage that can be caused by advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from cooking at temperatures higher than boiling and cooking without liquids.

However, there are some errors. Marinating foods is not discussed in reference 6 as noted. The only criterion is temperature; if the temperature is high, then protein- and fat- containing foods are altered to form more of the damaging AGE compounds. Marinades should not be considered protective when food is heated above boiling as the foods can still reach high temperatures in the oven,

skillet or on the grill no matter how much marinade is used.

Also, the article included microwave cooking along with the damaging frying, barbecuing, and broiling methods. This is not correct. Reference 8 explains that "Microwaving was shown to increase AGE content similar to boiling cooking methods..." This is because the microwave energy is absorbed by the water molecules in the food, which cannot exceed boiling temperatures.

An omission by the author is that foods that do not contain substantial protein or fat ingredients make few AGEs when cooked at high temperatures. This group includes baked grain products like bread.

AGE production is a very important topic; we should only boil or microwave foods that contain substantial proteins and fats. Although broiling, BBQ, baking and frying create good tastes, these are at a high AGE cost.

Jay Caplan Brentwood, Tennessee

We do not recommend the microwave for a number of reasons, including destruction of nutrients and many unknowns. Research indicates that AGEs in food are partially or largely degraded by gut bacteria and/or rapidly excreted via the kidneys and are not harmful to human health (Mol Nutr Food Res 2007, 51, 1085-1090). However, AGEs created in the blood stream when blood sugar is high can have many deleterious effects in the body, although carnosine (from meat) and low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids provide protection against

formation. Cooked meat and fat are not the only sources of dietary AGEs. They are also found in coffee and crusted and/ or toasted bread and cracker products.

ANOTHER VIEW In regards to the article "The Slow

Cooker Rules!" in the winter edition of Wise Traditions I thought that I should let you know that slow cooking is contraindicated for MSG-sensitive people. We have received a number of reports from MSG-sensitive people who have experienced adverse reactions from meals prepared in a crock pot.

The extended cooking time associated with slow cooking in a crock pot serves to break down the protein into individual amino acids, at least in part, resulting in some processed free glutamic acid (MSG). That is why foods taste good if prepared in a crock pot. Of course, MSG-sensitive people vary in their tolerances for MSG and only experience adverse reactions when they ingest an amount of MSG that exceeds their individual tolerance for it.

Jack Samuels San Diego, California

DISAPPOINTMENT I cannot for the life of me understand

what the reason could be for publishing the letter bemoaning organic products imported from China. This is the new xenophobia, spouting hate in the name of "buying local." There is no reason to believe that a third party certification on products from China means less than the same certification on domestic products. I'm surprised and disappointed that the

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