Wise Principles for Every Diet

with Sally Fallon Morell

Keto. Paleo. Carnivore. Vegetarian. Whole 30. Pescatarian. And on and on. There seems to be an infinite number of diets on this planet. Some are particular to a certain people group or spot on the globe. Others are diets taken on for improved health, weight loss, or managing an illness. Many of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s Wise Traditions principles can be followed, whatever the dietary specifics. The Wise Traditions principles are not a diet, per se, but a framework for making the best choices for the body, based on what has worked for humankind for millennia.

Sally Fallon Morell, the head of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) gives an overview of the 11 Wise Traditions principles for a healthy lifestyle, based on the work of Dr. Weston A. Price and further study by WAPF. In today’s conversation, Sally sheds light on her own dietary journey, the one thing she overlooked when it comes to eating a more traditional diet, and what influenced her along the way. She also explains the important role of salt in the diet, why we should avoid industrial seed oils (like canola) and what happens to the body when we don’t eat enough fat. She covers the key concept of “nutrient density”—foods that offer the most “bang for your buck”—and how to prepare food to make nutrients more bioavailable and easier to digest.

Notes:

Highlights from the conversation include:

How the wise traditions principles are not a diet, per se
Principles 1-3 and number 11 are directly from Weston A. Price & his conclusions that came from his observations of traditional people
Principles 4-10 came through further study by WAPF
Whatever your diet diet, you can still apply the principles
Sally’s health/food journey influences
One thing Sally overlooked when it came to eating traditionally: the need to soak grains
How we can go from “strength to strength” – getting healthier over the years
The two most important principles: nutrient-density and making foods digestible
The issue with “oat milk”
A review of the main principles from Dr. Price: no refined or denatured foods, animal products, nutrient-density, and preparation for pregnancy
Principles 4-10 are mostly related to making food more digestible
Why fermented foods & salt are so good for our digestive tract
Sally’s theory for why the Native Americans may have succumbed to disease
The importance of fat in the diet & what our bodies do if we don’t get enough
How industrial seed oils are problematic causing cancer and heart disease
How traditional groups mostly cooked their vegetables
Why juicing kale is not a good idea
Why grains and carbs may not work well for some people