Posted in Traditional Nutrition

Hi All, It's incredible to see how much I've learned since writing this blog about Traditional Nutrition! Since beginning more research on bacteria's role in our bodies I have been finding that I need more ways to introduce these incredible parts of life into my own diet and environment. And, after doing so, am seeing how much of a difference they make in the way I feel and the way my body looks and operates. Every traditional culture that I have studied, meaning a culture that has lived in the same place and eaten the same traditional foods for many generations, has had many sources of bacteria in the diet. For example, a traditional meal would consist mainly of bacteria (lactobacillus) rich foods. Raw, prepared cheese, yogurt, or kefir, saurkraut or kimchee, fermented drinks such as kvass or kombucha or even beer(once a traditional herbal fermentation!). Finally, very different from our culture today, the meat portion of the meal would sometimes be fermented! This sounds distasteful to our trendy palates, however pickled herring is still popular in some places, and is a delicious treat that can be fermented with bacteria rather than pickling solution. Yesterday I went to visit a friend in Lexington, KY. She works on a CSA during the summer, and cans her excess vegetables for the winter. I was admiring her beautiful shelves of stock, but asked if she ever considered fermenting rather than canning her abundance. She had never though of it, she said, because she didn't really know how. Her granny had always canned, and so she followed suit. I understand that well. My grandmother also canned, and made incredible applebutter! However, even though our closest ancestors canned vegetables it doesn't mean that we can't change the tradition and begin fermenting...thus teaching our progeny the value of a smart way to keep food alive during the winter, enriching our bodies not only with the beneficial bacteria found in these foods, but also enhancing the vitamins (espcially C) already present in the cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. that can be put into kraut. It's a change that would literally change the way we think of health, and taste. In this blog, I also wanted to encourage everyone reading to look into the Weston A. Price Foundation. Founded in 1999, this foundation encourages real milk, whole foods, and a balanced traditional way of life. They are easily found on the web, and have countless articles, all for free, to help lead us in a very holistic direction. In addition, they publish a Buying Guide. This guide lists all of the approved foods of the foundation, and is an easy way to begin eating a very whole foods based diet. Hi, I'm Victoria LaFont. I live in Paducah, KY and own Kentucky Roots Market. I just finished training to become a DONA certified doula, and am excited to begin assisting in births!