My So-Called Healthy Diet - Part Three

It has been interesting to read the stories of other vegetarians that have returned to eating meat and animal products.  The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith is one such story, as is this one by Chris Masterjohn.   Like these people, our family is seeking a diet that is consistent with thousands of years of human experience, experience that is intertwined with all living things, plant and animal.

Without a doubt, the health of my family has improved since we embraced the principles suggested by the research of Dr. Price.  Key elements of our diet are as follows:

1. We eat liberal amounts of pastured beef, pork, and chicken raised by farmers we trust.
2. We make our own stock and broth from leftover bones.
3. We eat dairy products including butter, sour cream, yogurt, cheese, etc. and drink raw milk from our cow.
4. We eat about 4 dozen eggs per week (between 2 adults and 2 children).
5. We take a daily dose of fermented cod liver oil from Green Pastures, and supplement with vitamin D3 during the winter (5000 IU for the adults and 1000 IU for the kids).
6. We use butter, lard, duck fat, and significant amounts of coconut oil (occasionally olive oil).
7. We should eat more seafood; however most of the family has not acquired a taste for it.
8. We eat a lot of produce from our own garden:  sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, kale, and broccoli are but a few.
9. We are trying to eat liver (I love liver pate); however this is still a work in progress for the rest of the family.
10. We have eliminated canola, corn, safflower, and other vegetable oils from our pantry.
11. We eat almost no simple sugars and do not drink sugary beverages.
12. We have dramatically reduced our processed carbohydrate intake.  The kids still eat some bread products and pastas.
13. We purchase almost no packaged foods (breakfast cereals, baking mixes, etc.) from the grocery store.
14. We consume almost no foods made from soy.
15. We rarely eat fast food.

Some readers may doubt that a diet like the one above is an appropriate way to eat.  Clearly, it is at odds with much of what we have been told by the experts.  I certainly make no claim that our diet is perfect, nor do I believe that our diet will not evolve as we learn more.

What I do know is that there have been many people before us that have eaten well and found health based on the cultural wisdom acquired through trial and error.  While these people may not have had modern medicine, they also did not fall prey to the diseases of modern civilization. 

Rather than outsource our critical thinking to medical and nutritional experts, I suggest that we reclaim a piece of our cultural wisdom by giving our bodies what they need.

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