Wise Traditions

Have you ever wondered what life is really like on a farm? What does it take to run a farm? The romantic allure of fresh air, a slower pace, and ethically sustainable foods make farm life appealing, but it honestly takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice.

Today, Paul Grieve of Primal Pastures, a regenerative farm in Southern California, offers insights into the realities of running a farm and walks us through a day-in-the-life of a small farmer, sharing some of his early struggles and how he overcame them. Paul also explains why balance is key--how farms need to be not only economically and ecologically sustainable, but also socially sustainable for the communities they serve and the families that run them. If you haven't visited a local farm yet, this conversation may inspire you to do just that!

For more from Paul, visit his website: primalpastures.com.

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

And register for the Wise Traditions conference here.

Weight loss is often on the mind, even for those who "eat right." Today, Sally Fallon Morell, author, real food advocate, and the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, offers ideas for how to best nourish ourselves to maintain a healthy weight and mind. As she reviews the summer Wise Traditions journal, Sally highlights topics such as the keto diet, coconut oil as a food to boost memory, and how to build up good bacteria in our bodies to fight infectious diseases. She also celebrates dietary traditions in the Ukraine--such as consuming organ meats and raw dairy--and looks at trends in the U.S. (particularly for how we nourish our children) that are troubling.

For more from Sally, check out her blog: Nourishingtraditions.com

Visit our sponsor's website: Ancestral Supplements.

Find out more about events in Australia in September 2019 here.

Fermented foods are SO popular right now: from kimchi to kombucha to kraut to kefir. But do they live up to the hype? Why are they thought to be so good for us? Can you ever eat too much of them? What does die-off look like? Which are the best ones to incorporate into our diet?

In front of a LIVE audience in Southern California, fermentation experts Monica Ford and Elaina Luther answer a wide variety of questions related to ferments. Monica is an ancestral cuisine chef, who launched Real Food Devotee, the first ancestral cuisine delivery service in the country. Elaina Luther is the founder of Culture Club 101, a "beyond organic" nourishing café, specialized grocery store, and community learning center.

Together, with fun and flair, they explore the myths & little-known truths about ferments. How do they boost our health exactly? Which help to fight eczema? Which fight fungal infections? Is it true that eating ferments counterbalances the carcinogenic effects of grilled meats? And what's the deal with kombucha? Is there too much sugar in it for it to do us much good?

Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about the subject, Monica and Elaina bring up some surprising revelations about these ancient, nearly magical foods.

For more from Monica, visit her website: realfooddevotte.com.

For more from Elaina, visit cultureclub101.com

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

And donate to WAPF's fundraising drive here.

Growing up, Jo Whitton suffered with poor health. She had food intolerances, histamine reactions, frequent colds, and more. As she grew older, her problems increased, and she noticed that her children struggled with similar issues. When her 11 year-old son began to develop strange phobias, extreme anxiety and other mental health concerns, Jo began to look for answers, like never before.

Today, Jo is a popular author and speaker and the podcast host of "A Quirky Cooking Journey." She and her family have reversed the trend of poor physical and mental health and Jo shares their story to help others do the same. Through the GAPS (Gut and Psychology) diet, she turned things around and now she lectures around the world about the importance of gut health.

On this episode, we cover the many symptoms of poor gut health--ranging from OCD to anxiety to allergies to constipation to diarrhea to arthritis, and more--along with how to begin the journey of healing the gut with nutrient-rich foods.

For more from Jo, visit her website: quirkycooking.com.au.

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

Donate to WAPF's fundraising drive here.

Hilda Labrada Gore, known as Holistic Hilda, is normally the host and producer of this show. Today, in honor of hitting the two million download mark, we turn the tables and invite her to impart her top health hacks as a guest on the program.

Hilda has traveled extensively, exploring wise traditions. She has conducted over 200 interviews for this podcast. She is a certified integrative nutrition health coach and an ACE-certified fitness professional.

On this episode, Hilda shares her tips for improving energy and overall well-being. She tells her own journey and the story of the birth defect that jeopardized her health from the start. She offers insights on the power of sunlight to improve sleep and hormonal function, gives suggestions for how to transition to a more ancestral diet, and reveals the daily physical and spiritual practices that give her perspective and strength.

For more from Hilda, visit her website holistichilda.com.

For more on our guest host, Marisa Moon, visit her website marisamoon.com.

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

And register today for our Wise Traditions conference here. (Use the coupon code "WTpodcast" for $20 off!)

Sadly, modern living is often grossly out of balance with nature, resulting in poor health, poor soil health, biodiversity loss, and trauma to indigenous communities.We are decidedly not living harmoniously with the world. We've cleared 2/3 of the earth's surface and killed one billion species.

How can we restore nature's balance? And what can we learn from Aboriginal Australians' way of life?

Dr. Geraldine McGuire has spent the better part of her life restoring a rainforest in in North Queensland, Australia. She is an environmental and agricultural scientist, and the founder and director of Rainforest Bounty.

As a scientist, and as a human being, she has grown in her understanding of what it means to live harmoniously with the planet and with people. In today's conversation she reflects on the urgency to live differently. She talks about what she's learned from life in the rainforest and from the original inhabitants of the area. She describes plants and fruits native to the region, and mixed-species farming, an indigenous practice that has often been overlooked.

Restoring humanity through restoring the earth is a concept from the Aboriginal community that she has embraced. And she guides us all on how to incorporate this approach into our day-to-day lives.

For more on Rainforest Bounty, visit their website here.

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

And register today for our Wise Traditions conference here.

Why are bess disappearing? What contributes to "colony collapse disorder?" Do we need bess to survive as a human race? And what about honey? Why is it so hard to find the real deal? And are we consuming more than we should?

Beekeeper and teacher Leo Sharashkin answers these questions and more. Leo learned beekeeping from his uncle in his native Russia. Today, among other things, Leo offers his theory on why we have a dying bee population. He describes what wild beekeeping looks like. And he addresses the question of honey adulteration (why not all honey on the shelves is true honey).

By the end of the conversation you'll gain insights on bees, honey, and how Leo lives out the theme of the book he edited "Keeping Bees with a Smile."

For more from Leo, visit his website: horizontalhive.com.

Check out our sponsor: Ancestral Supplements.

And register today for our Wise Traditions conference here.

It's time to disrupt the trend of chronic illness in the next generation of kids. Hilary Boynton has a bright idea for achieving this goal. Hilary is the head of nutrition services at The Manzanita School in Topanga, California, and she is the author of the "Heal Your Gut Cookbook." Her plan is to reinvent the "Lunch Lady" and the very lunch she serves up. Her mission is to truly nourish children and she is training up a new wave of lunch leaders to do just that. She talks to us about how she and her team approach the lunches they make at their own school, how they follow Wise Traditions guidelines for nutrient-dense meals, their relationship with the local farmers, how they inspire the kids to try the food they make and more. This conversation challenges all of us to become a part of the change we want to see in the world. Hilary reminds us of what's at stake and the power of just one meal to turn things around.

For info on the "Lunch Leader Intensive", go to slowfoodventuracounty.org. You can find Hilary on Instagram @liveyumyum.

Check out our sponsor Ancestral Supplements.

And sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.

John Arbuckle of Singing Prairie Farms is a 9th generation livestock farmer. Today, he helps us take a deep dive into the heart of regenerative farming practices. He explains how we need to see soil differently, as a living entity that we must nurture and respect.

His family has been farming for the last 300 years, and they've learned a thing or two along the way. In this conversation, John shares their accumulated wisdom. He discusses how recent droughts, flooding and even wildfires are related to our disconnect with the land. He contrasts regenerative agriculture to the industrial model of farming and explains how good the former is for the planet. And he invites us all to "hold hands with the earth" and take part in regenerating the soil, whether we are farmers or not.

For more from John, visit his website, singingprairiefarms.com.

Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition and Ancestral Supplements.

Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.

Plantar fasciitis, back, knee, and leg pain all seem to be nothing out of the ordinary these days. And yet, up until roughly 50 years ago, we walked with little complaint. That's when modern shoe companies began designing footwear with so much padding and arch support that—instead of allowing our feet to flex, bend and move—they have unintentionally weakened our muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Steven Sashen, the co-founder of Xero Shoes, a minimalist footwear company, makes a case for why we need a more ancestral, natural barefoot experience. Today, he talks about the problems most footwear creates, the challenges of transitioning back to bare feet (or minimalist footwear), and why not all shoes called "barefoot" shoes are good for us. He also tells stories (including his own) of those who have benefited from the freedom and fun found in allowing our body to do what is natural—namely, giving our feet the freedom of connecting with the ground, unhindered.

For more from Steven, visit his website, xeroshoes.com.

Check out our sponsors: Vintage Tradition and Ancestral Supplements.

Sign up for our Wise Traditions conference here.