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From the Executive Director – Summer 2023
Dear Members and Friends,
While we all strive to live a healthy life, it can be challenging to navigate the vast amount of information available about nutrition. This is especially true for those who are living with chronic health conditions or who have a family history of disease. And, if you are planning to have or are currently raising children, knowing who and what information to trust is more difficult than ever.
One source of information that many people turn to is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines. While meant to promote healthy eating habits, because of corporate influence (which often prioritizes profits over health), limited reliance on evidence-based nutrition science, disregard of healthy saturated fats, and other critical flaws, these guidelines fall short of providing trustworthy advice.
Not yet mentioned in the guidelines, but a threat to ancestral foods that supported the evolutionary development of the human brain, is the momentum of the plant-forward movement toward advancing political measures in this country to outright ban access to naturally grown animal protein. The argument goes that naturally grown meat adds to climate change while lab-grown meat will mitigate it.
However, UC Davis researchers just published a preliminary study concluding that “lab-grown or ‘cultivated’ meat’s environmental impact is likely to be ‘orders of magnitude’ higher than retail beef based on current and near-term production methods.” So that begs the question, who does lab-grown meat serve? It certainly is not us health-seeking consumers.
The vision of Price-Pottenger is a collaborative community advocating for policies that prioritize regenerative organic agricultural practices, whole and natural nutrient-dense foods (like those found in the ancestral communities Dr. Price visited nearly 100 years ago), and access to nourishment and healing for all. Advancing the rise of cultivated meat runs directly counter to our philosophy of natural nutrition.
Which brings me to the remarkable work of Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, PhD, concerning the human microbiome. In my interview in this issue, Dr. Dominguez-Bello exposes how suppressed microbiota diversity in modern societies is contributing to a plethora of negative health outcomes, including obesity, diminished immunity, and more. Food is a substantial contributor to these health conditions, but also foundationally important are the microbes that pass between mother and infant during vaginal birth and breastfeeding. Sadly, these natural behaviors are on a dangerous decline.
Also in this issue, and for the first time ever, we’re sharing excerpts of Dr. Price’s “Seven Lessons,” lectures he gave after completing his worldwide studies of the diets and community-oriented practices of Indigenous and other isolated groups. These serve as a reminder that, by reflecting on ancestral nutrition wisdoms of the past, we become better able to mitigate and overcome modern health challenges.
We are also pleased to share important dietary guidance from the latest book of NY Times bestselling author Dr. Eric Westman, End Your Carb Confusion, as well as recipes featuring organ meats (offal), nutrition tips to improve your gut microbiome (Thrive in 65), and wellness-oriented news.
Thank you for relying on Price-Pottenger to provide you with trustworthy information to empower your health journey. Please share this issue of the Journal of Health and Healing with your community and support our work by contributing today.
Wishing you health and joy,
Steven J. Schindler
Executive Director
[email protected]
Published in the Journal of Health and Healing™
Summer 2023 | Volume 47, Number 2
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