Page 13 - Winter2009

Letters

Cowan’s statements remain in essence order to replace toxins which might have perts. True, I ignored our then-pediatri-
true, especially as 9 percent of those 13 wound up in my fat. cian, who ordered me to wean Julian and
percent had had four or more vaccina- The reviewer insinuates that I give him inorganic iron. Instead, I fed
tions for tetanus—it seems as though suffered damage from my vegan and Julian his regular diet of real food, which
those people were probably going to get vegetarian years. This too is mistaken. included a near-daily dose of grass-fed
tetanus no matter how much they were My reproductive health has always ground beef. He also had cod liver oil
vaccinated. It might seem nit-picky but been excellent; I got pregnant on the and Dr. Ron’s grass-fed Organic Organ
I believe that integrity and transpar- first try. The reviewer’s cynical remark Delight daily. We were, as always, gen-
ency are vital if we are to rise above the about my lacking moral support for erous with butter and cream. Happily,
rhetoric and propaganda. good prenatal nutrition is offensive as real food worked. Julian’s weight gain
I have to mention that I greatly well as unfounded. Julian’s father Rob and iron levels bounced right back.
respect Dr. Cowan’s stand for health Kaufelt (a nationally-known champion The reviewer’s presumptions about
and get a great deal of value out of Wise of raw milk cheese), my mother (who my travel with Julian are odious and
Traditions. I am a staunch advocate of fed us on traditional foods and gave me unfounded. For nearly one year, Julian
the WAPF philosophy and continue to my first copy of Nourishing Traditions), did not have a babysitter; we were home
try and influence my practice with its and (yes) my friends at the local WAPF together. I seldom traveled. When I did,
truisms. Many thanks indeed. chapter were champions of my good Julian was in my arms and in my bed.
Dr. Mark Edmond, MB ChB nutrition. When I spoke at book events, Julian was
Christchurch, New Zealand The suggestion that my Cesarean right there—safe in my mother’s arms.
section was caused by poor nutrition is Your reviewer finds my book insuf-
Thank you so much for this correction! baseless. My pelvis—where Julian got ficiently purist. How myopic! I describe
We will post your letter after our article stuck, head sideways—is ample. For the ideal diet with care and I describe
on the website. that, I can thank my mother’s excellent how I eat with candor. More than 50,000
prenatal diet, generous breastfeeding, people have bought my books. Scores
REAL FOOD FOR REAL BABY and good baby-feeding practices. There have written to thank me for saving
The review of Real Food for Mother is no evidence from midwifery or nutri- them (as I was saved) from the low-fat
and Baby is littered with errors and dis- tion that diet could have changed his and vegetarian wilderness. They appre-
tortions about my diet, my pregnancy, birth. As for post-partum weepiness, ciate hearing how I square an excellent
and my little boy. I ate a superb traditional diet during diet with real life. My readers include
The reviewer’s claim that I didn’t Julian’s first weeks. As any mother many Weston A. Price Foundation mem-
follow a pre-conception diet of tradi- knows, tears have many causes. They bers and chapter leaders. “Your books
tional foods is false. As a would-be soon subsided. I stand by my statement are accessible and fun to read, and I have
mother of 35, I prepared myself for my that some cases of post-partum depres- recommended both to countless people,”
first pregnancy with care. That diet in- sion cannot be cured by food alone. I writes one chapter leader who found the
cluded raw milk from a trusted source, am lucky my baby blues were not so review baffling.
as the book makes clear, as well as other severe. Meanwhile, since Real Food for
traditional foods Price called for. Your The reviewer’s suggestion that I was Mother and Baby came out, our family
reviewer calls me complacent about the not sufficiently concerned by Julian’s has been blessed again. Today, I’m nurs-
few chemicals we used on our farm in low iron and thinning-out around age ing newborn twins. Jacob and Rose were
my early childhood. The claim is igno- one is outrageous. I arranged a phone born vaginally at full term. (Attention
rant and false. I followed a clean diet consultation with Weston Price expert obstetricians: A 38 year-old mother can
long before attempting to conceive, in Dr. Tom Cowan. I interviewed iron ex- have VBAC twins.) I owe their good

WINTER 2009 Wise Traditions 11