236: Were our ancestors vegetarian?

Veganism and vegetarianism have become the hip and “clean” way to eat, for many—particularly for young people. But what is this diet doing to our health? Throughout history, has any traditional culture deliberately chosen to forego meat in favor of a 100% plant-based diet? In this week’s episode, Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of “Nourishing Traditions,” discusses the importance animal products have held in diets around the globe. Sally touches on the work of Dr. Price (who found no completely plant-based diet among indigenous people) and the ethics of eating animal foods. She covers what happens to our bodies when we don’t include animal products (issues with tooth decay, weight gain or loss, and more) and stresses the dangers of vitamin B12 deficiencies. Finally, she reviews how to source and prepare animal foods to get the most out of them. This episode is a review of principle #2 of the Wise Traditions lifestyle: that all traditional cultures included animal products in their diet. For more from Sally, see her blog at nourishingtraditions.com. Visit our website for more resources: westonaprice.org. Order our trifold pack (12 brochures) here. Check out our sponsors: Ancestral Supplements and White Oak Pastures