Real Issues - Traditional Foods

The Traditional Foods Philosophy of I.C.A.F.

We advocate a particular viewpoint of traditional foods based from the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price combined with a modern understanding of gut health and physiology. Since Dr. Price’s book came out in the 1930s, there have been a number of people, foundations and books with various views of traditional foods.

These are the fundamentals of traditional foods as viewed by I.C.AF.

Health

Determine your food allergens, if you feel you have them, by way of elimination diet and avoid these foods permanently. If you have gut problems that do not improve after going on a TF diet, you likely still have an allergen in your diet standing in the way of healing.

Take the steps necessary to heal your gut if you have gut damage from food allergens, antibiotics, vaccination, poor lifestyle, poor food choices, medications and the like.

No food is healthy, no matter how nutrient dense it is, if you are allergic to it. The damage from the reaction to the allergy greatly dwarfs any benefit you get from consuming that food. No one food has exclusive nutrients- you can always obtain the same nutrients from foods to which you do not react.

Dental decay is a symptom of a diet deficient in trace minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.

Consuming the wrong fats and refined carbohydrates along with eating high calorie foods that lack dense nutrients has greatly contributed to the epidemic of physical and mental health disorders that did not plague our ancestors. Returning to your great-great-grandparents diet lessen, relieve or completely eliminate symptoms of those diseases. Our 'One Step At A Time' series can help you make those changes.

Remove and replace as many chemicals and contaminants from your environment as possible as your budget allows. Examples would be switching to more natural or homemade cleaners and body care, using organic pest solutions instead of industrial ones in your garden or removing the mercury fillings from your mouth if you are having health symptoms from them.

Foods - "You are what you eat!"

Food is your best medicine and the biggest tool in your arsenal to heal health problems. However, no one food or combination of foods will solve all health problems or un-do damage due to injury, surgery or illnesses that were left untreated for a very long time.

There is no one food or supplement that all people must consume and there are no magic bullets to obtain perfect health for everyone. Each person has different body chemistry.

Consider consuming superfoods like Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil to help you obtain the needed nutrient levels of fat-soluble Vitamins A (retinol), D3 and K2 since they are deficient in even the best modern diets.

Wild-caught or grass-fed is superior to feed-lot animals. If they are not in your budget or unavailable, organic is good. If it is not in your budget, consume the best quality you can find and afford. You are better off consuming conventional meats and produce in a traditional foods form from the local market than you are to continue eating a processed diet.

Consume organ meats where possible. ‘Hide’ them in the meals if necessary to help yourself become accustomed to their presence

Cook from scratch. As your cooking skills advance, learn to make your own ‘ingredients’ like sprouted sour dough bread, salad dressing and mayonnaise.

Consume organic and raw dairy products (preferably goat) from 100% grass-fed animals if you can locate them and they are within your budget. If not, find the best quality you can afford.

Consume organic cage-free eggs.

Use only traditionally available fats such as butter, lard, tallow, palm oil and coconut oil and avoid new vegetable fats like soy and canola oil which are high in Omega-6.

Consume as wide of a variety of vegetables and fruits in season that you can, and use lacto-fermented vegetables as a condiment to help improve digestion and contribute probiotics to your system. Hide the vegetables in meals if necessary.

Soak or ferment all grains, nuts and seeds to remove phytic acid and make the minerals in the food more bio-available.

Consume the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that make you feel best. Some people of certain heritages or with certain health conditions feel better on more or less amounts of carbohydrates, fat or protein than others. There is no magic ratio for all people at all stages of health. Keeping A food journal is helpful in determining which foods you might be sensitive too. Be patient and flexible, you may find that you will have to tweak your diet as you health improves because your biochemical ratios will change as your your health improves. I personally found that I was sensitive to dairy pasteurized cows milk and once I took it out of my diet I had far less autoimmune symptoms and I was able to tolerate citrus fruits once again.

Introduce solids to your children in a way to minimize the potential for food allergens, especially if the child has any gut damage; a family history of gut problems, digestive or skin diseases; has received any antibiotics or vaccinations; or was born by C-section.

Sustainability of your lifestyle is important. Consider getting a couple of chickens for your backyard, rabbits in a hutch or a garden going in your yard. Don’t be afraid to grow your own vegetables, fruit, milk, meat or eggs, even if you need to do it in an innovative or unconventional way.