@ Chris Patrick
2025-01-14 00:36:44
Weston A. Price was a Canadian dentist and researcher who, during the 1930s, studied traditional diets worldwide, and correctly linked nutrient-rich whole foods to optimal dental and overall health.
His book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, remains one of the most important books ever written on health and one of my favourites.
*Pictured: Cover of Weston Prices book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration*
His research on indigenous populations around the world revealed a simple truth: human beings thrive on sunlight, nature and nutrient-dense, whole foods.
When traditional lifestyles were replaced by artificial light environments (moving from the country to the city) and ultra-processed foods (refined flour, sugar, and industrial oils), physical degeneration followed.
Crooked teeth, chronic disease, and weakened immunity became common. Sound familiar?
## What did Price get right about nutrition?
Price's work showed that thriving societies shared common dietary foundations:
- **Animal-Based Nutrition:** Every healthy population consumed some form of meat, fish, and nose-to-tail organ meats. These foods provided essential fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K2), minerals, and bioavailable protein.
- **Seafood:** Coastal and island communities thrived on fish and shellfish, packed with DHA, iodine, and other critical nutrients for brain development and metabolic health.
- **Nose-to-Tail Eating:** Nothing was wasted. Bones, marrow, organs, and connective tissue were all consumed, providing collagen, glycine, and minerals vital for strong bones, joints, and teeth.
It didn't really matter what the rest of their diets were made up of, as long as they were whole foods, processed in the correct way.
*Pictured: Left: Thriving on ancestral diets. Centre: Decline with modern diets. Right: The visible impact on children's health.*
## How Price's work breaks modern nutrition myths
Price’s findings dismantle many of today’s nutrition myths that we see on social media everyday.
- *Oats are bad?* Scottish islanders prepared them properly, without glyphosate.
- *Fatty meat causes heart disease and cancer?* The Inuit lived on it, free from disease.
- *Fruit is harmful?* Pacific Islanders consumed local and seasonal fruit and thrived.
- *Unpasteurised milk will poison you?* The Massai lived on it (and still do).
- *Sourdough bread will cause diabetes?* Swiss Villagers ate it regularly.
- *Plants trying to kill you?* The Kikuyu ate a 90% plant based diet but included meat.
I could go on and on here...
If this challenges your perspective, it might be worth reflecting on how closely personal identity can become tied to dietary choices.
Food is meant to nourish and be enjoyed, not followed like a rigid belief system.
*\*If a particular diet is working for you please continue with it.*
## The missing piece of the puzzle
While Price deeply understood the importance of ancestral diets, he overlooked one critical factor: **sunlight and time outdoors.**
All of the healthy populations he studied lived naturally, outside, grounded, and in sync with the sun.
This daily exposure to natural light regulated their circadian rhythms, increased vitamin D levels, and supported hormonal health.
The absence of artificial light at night further protected their health.
Today, some people eat well (most don't) but neglect this vital piece of the health puzzle.
Sunlight, outdoors, and grounding complete the foundation Price started.
*Pictured: Incredible physiques and facial bone structure of Australian Aborigine eating their traditional diet and in sync with nature.*
## Health shouldn't be complicated
Modern nutrition and science has overcomplicated what we humans already knew for thousands of years.
**Eat real food. Move outside. Embrace the sun. Limit artificial light.**
Simple. Proven. Forgotten by fiat health.
\- Chris
Ready to reclaim health the way nature intended? Let’s talk.
Book a free discovery call here: <https://calendly.com/hello-chrispatrick>
*Further reading:*
Cate Shanahan MD has an excellent book called 'Deep Nutrition' which explains in detail many of these concepts. <https://drcate.com/deep-nutrition-why-your-genes-need-traditional-food/>
<https://www.ericdavisdental.com/facial-orthotropics-for-your-child/why-raise-unhealthy-children/how-our-ancestors-formed-full-faces-and-straight-teeth/>
<https://www.drstevenlin.com/the-dental-diet/>
<https://www.westonaprice.org/>