The Wisdom of Our Ancestors

By Jessica Annunziata and Kevin Spyker

Certified Healing Foods Specialists & Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leaders

Turns out Great-Grandma may have been right all along..

The simple tools and ingredients of a bygone era… baking soda, vinegar, mason jars, salt, butter, tallow, bone broth, porridge, and yes, liver… are making a well-deserved comeback, and the deeper we dig into human history, the more pearls of wisdom emerge!

In training as Healing Foods Specialists, we studied the lifestyles and eating habits of indigenous cultures and traditional societies around the world to shed light on health problems of our modern age. Our mission: nourishing food made with regenerative farming, informed by tradition, validated by science.

By reviving the ways of old, we’re rewarded with strong immunity, superb digestion, keen minds, radiant energy and a sense of connection to the natural world. Armed with this knowledge, we envision a powerful partnership between medical professionals and nutrition experts, merging the technology, anatomical understanding and diagnostic experience of MDs with the intrinsic knowledge passed down for generations. By fostering a synergy between doctors and healers, we can restore a lasting state of well-being for all.         

Hippocrates once declared, “All disease begins in the gut.” Hence, we can surmise that treatment should begin in the gut as well.

Our approach stems from the intersection of the Wise Traditions Diet, put forth by the Weston A. Price Foundation, and ReWilding lifestyle strategies, both of which draw from the profound wisdom of our ancestors. 

Imagine that merely 3 or 4 generations ago, this was the way of life for much of humanity! These guidelines are rooted in the remarkable findings of Dr. Weston Price during the surge of industrialization in the 1930’s. A prominent dentist in Cleveland, and head of research for the National Dental Association, Dr. Price became increasingly concerned about the steady rise of tooth decay, crooked teeth and chronic illness, especially among young patients. He viewed teeth as a window to the health of our entire body, and was intrigued by accounts of isolated tribes with flawless dentition… “Teeth as white and straight as piano keys.”

In 1932, Dr. Price embarked on a steamship expedition to remote corners of the globe in search of these radiant traditional peoples, with hopes of reverse-engineering this unexplained epidemic. Over the next decade, he would meticulously document the oral health and eating habits of indigenous cultures—Swiss, Scottish, Inuit, Native Americans, Polynesians, Africans, Aborigines, Maori, Peruvians—and unknowingly become a legendary pioneer of nutrition.

Dr. Price was astounded at the robust health of the so-called “primitive” societies he encountered, free of the cavities, dental deformities and chronic disease that he observed back home. He was also alarmed by the rampant degeneration of the surrounding communities that had begun to adopt what he called “the displacing foods of modern commerce,” such as condensed milk, vegetable oils, and refined sugar, grains and flour.

While each of these isolated groups of natives had very different diets, Dr. Price brought samples of their cuisine back to his laboratory for analysis, and a pattern of vital nutrients began to emerge—primarily Vitamins A, D and K2—all in quantities 10 times more than the average American diet of that era. These days there is an even greater disparity, as our soils are depleted, industrial methods prevail, and we have been taught to avoid the very foods that contain these fat-soluble vitamins. Mineral content was also off the charts in comparison, and every culture had instinctively harnessed the power of microbes to ferment and preserve their harvests in unique ways. Meanwhile, germ theory was sweeping through modernized societies, and probiotic-rich foods were becoming scarcer as we waged war against bacteria. Convenience became our focus, and we gradually abandoned our traditional ways… until now.

The journeys and discoveries of Dr. Price are chronicled in his masterpiece “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,” which serves as a testimony to the intrinsic wisdom of humanity, and a cautionary tale of modernity. These studies establish the parameters of an optimal diet, and demonstrate how vibrant health can be achieved generation after generation. Dr. Weston A. Price quietly reminds us, “Life in all its fullness is Mother Nature obeyed.”

One final thought for this edition is the concept of bio-individuality, which means that there is no single dietary strategy that will work for every person at every stage of their life. We encourage you to remove toxic, addictive foods from your diet, and begin to trust your own “gut instinct” as you explore traditional foods. Be patient, and find the approach that works best for you alone. 

Be well until next time, and keep it Real Food 🙂