This weekend I had the privilege of listening to a talk from one of my favorite all time food authors, Sally Fallon. Her book, Nourishing Traditions is based on the nutritional teachings of Weston A. Price, a man who dedicated his life to re-discovering the secrets of indigenous nutrition.

This well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods contains a startling message: Animal fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels. Sally Fallon dispels the myths of the current low-fat fad in this practical, entertaining guide to a can-do diet that is both nutritious and delicious. – Amazon

By learning more about the foods that we should eat for optimal health, we also discover more about our relationship with the planet, as care of our plants and animals go hand-in-hand with our own health and well-being.

One of the biggest and most significant changes that I have made to my own diet over the past few months is the addition of raw milk. The below photo shows happy, organic, pasture feed dairy cows that now supply me with nutrient dense raw milky goodness!

The quality of the food that we buy makes such a difference, not only to our own health and well-being, but also the health and well-being of the planet. Remember, in the long run, we suffer the negative effects of modern farming techniques such as mono-cropping and animal feed lots. After all, nobody really wants to support the kind of practice shown in the photo below.

Take some time to get to know a local farmer. If you are not sure where to start looking, get in touch with someone form your local Weston A. Price Foundation chapter and they will be able to point you in the right direction. In my opinion, learning to live as close to nature as possible is the answer to so many of life’s problems. I sincerely believe that when it comes to sustainability, the answers lie in decreasing the quantity of food that we consume, whilst at the same time increasing the quality.

It’s well worth taking a look at this book and learning more about the discoveries of Weston A. Price. It’s packed with loads of great information on things like making your own cheeses, ciders and fermented goodies, as well as how to prepare grains etc for optimal digestion.

Click on the above image to check out the book on Amazon. There is also loads of information about Sally Fallon’s work all over the internet, and in my opinion it’s well worth checking out. Happy, healthy people = happy, healthy planet!