Have you ever felt addicted to ultra-processed foods---like you knew they were bad for you, but you couldn't stop indulging? This happened to our guest today who at age 15 weighed over 300 lbs. And she didn’t know who she was anymore.
Today, Penelope Popken is 19 and she's overcome her addictive behavior.
During this revealing interview, mother and daughter discuss what led to Penelope’s struggles with weight, the drugs she took, the (mostly unhelpful) therapists’ recommendations and more. They go over how most weight loss drugs (including Ozempic) and other quick fixes (like gastric bypass surgeries) have dire consequences. And they cover what it took to turn things around for Penelope. By the way, her healing path included not just returning to real nourishing food but addressing dysfunctional family patterns that contributed to unhealthy behavior.
Since both Helene and Penelope have had to overcome their individual struggles with unhealthy eating and obesity, they have started the Step it UP program to help other women in just their position. After failed attempts at diets, injections, and pills, they are on a mission to help everyone learn how to nourish themselves more deeply and to thrive.
Visit Helene and Penelope's websites: Step it UP and Step It UP Accountability Group
Register for the Wise Traditions conference at wisetraditions.org
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Wouldn't it be helpful to have straightforward nutrition and lifestyle advice for enhancing fertility? And to know what to avoid that may hinder your ability to get pregnant? Lily Nichols offers just what you're looking for on today's podcast. Lily is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and the author of Real Food for Fertility.
Today, she goes over her recommended macro and micronutrient ratios for a healthier body (i.e. home for a baby) and what to do to have higher sperm and egg quality (so you can improve your chances of carrying the baby to term). Lily covers food, of course, but also lifestyle choices that we may not have realized impact our fertility (like our intake of alcohol, caffeine, and also our stress levels).
Visit Lily's website: lilynicholsrdn.com
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (and use code pod10) at westonaprice.org
Check out our sponsors: Arvoti and Earth Runners
How did a guy into politics and the culture war become a health and wellness advocate? Will Witt is a 2x national bestselling author and international speaker. And today he talks about why young people need to question everything and be willing to rebel to regain their health. Will shares his own story of a serious diagnosis that had him questioning conventional medicine and taking his health into his own hands. He also talks about the transformative and healing power of raw milk.
Visit Will's new website: purebasicscollective.com
Will's account on Instagram
Find raw milk near you at realmilk.com
Check out Meadows Bee Farm and their resources
Visit our sponsor's websites: Paleovalley and New Biology
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation and use the code pod10
Why are bees so important for our food supply and for life on this earth? How is "natural beekeeping" different from regular beekeeping? What are horizontal hives? And what can we do to protect natural bees in our area? And what's the deal with honey? How do we find the best source?
Nathalie B. has answers to all of the above in today's podcast. She goes over why honey is considered a superfood and often referred to as 'liquid sunshine,' sharing its powerful nutritional and healing benefits. And she explains what it is like to be a natural beekeeper and how you could even start an apiary in your own backyard!
Visit Nathalie's website: bee-mindful.com
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (and use the code pod10)
Check out our sponsors: Gray Toad Tallow and One Earth Health
Have Millennials and Generation Z been experimented on without their consent? Is their sickness a consequence of malfeasance of those responsible for our food, pharmaceuticals, and health care system? Alex Clark is the host and founder of Culture Apothecary and an outspoken advocate for healthcare reform and food freedom in America today. She is determined to find out who is responsible for the chronic health conditions that affect so many young people today.
Today, Alex explains where her quest began, why she changed her podcast from one focused on politics and pop culture to one centered around health concerns, and more. She reveals her own personal health wake up call and the first thing she changed when she realized that most food was pseudo food. Alex, the woman who once was known for her love of chicken nuggets explains how she did a 180 and has now become a passionate advocate for raw milk, sourdough bread, and traditional health ways.
Find Alex's podcast Culture Apothecary on Apple Podcasts (or your fave podcast platform)
Register for the Wise Traditions conference in Utah this October
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation
Check out our sponsors: Gray Toad Tallow and One Earth Health
How is running bad for us? Tennis shoes aren't doing us any favors. Cold plunges may be overrated.
Mark Sisson is a pioneer in the ancestral health movement, known for his blog Mark's Daily Apple and the Primal Health Coach Institute. He is also the author of “Born to Walk”. Today, Mark highlights how good walking is for health and longevity.
He also does some myth busting when it comes to current health trends. A former triathlete, Mark has shifted and now recommends walking instead of running, minimalist shoes (or going barefoot) over tennis shoes and NOT cold plunging every day (even though this has grown in popularity). He also reviews how to make the most of walking. And he goes over common injuries like plantar fasciitis and why orthotics are never the answer. His recommended health shifts just may inspire your own.
Visit Mark's website: peluva.com
Check out Optimal Carnivore and HydroHealth
Glyphosate is a toxic carcinogenic chemical found in RoundUp, a weedkiller that is routinely sprayed on our lawns and crops. But the bad news doesn't stop there! It is making its way into the food we eat, the air, and the water. Worse still, the maker of glyphosate, Bayer, is working on passing liability shield legislation so that they cannot be sued for the way the poison in their products is affecting the nation!
Today, Kelly Ryerson, known as the Glyphosate Girl, explains why she is working so hard to inform the public about the dangers of glyphosate and the company that wants to protect itself from the fallout of the harm it is causing.
Kelly goes over the legislation that is being considered in various states across the country. She also explains why glyphosate is so damaging, how it personally affected her own life, and how a General Mills whistleblower helped her to connect the dots about it all.
Update: The liability legislation being considered in North Dakota, at the time of the interview, has since been passed in that state.
Visit Kelly's websites: americanregeneration.org and glyphosatefacts.com
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (and use the code pod10)
In Albania, olive oil is called “ilac”, medicine. It’s included as a daily ritual for generations--a source of nourishment, healing, and tradition. For many of us, in other regions of the world, we have less familiarity with olive oil.
And then we see labels on olive oil bottles that say "cold-pressed", "extra virgin", and "organic". What do these terms mean? And how can we find the best quality olive oil wherever we are? Bianti Danaj, an Albanian-American entrepreneur and founder of Donika Olive Oil, today brings clarity amidst the confusion.
He goes over the meaning of the wording on labels. He describes the nuances that affect the quality of olive oil, including its exposure to heat, light and oxygen. He also goes over what the polyphenols in olive oil do for our explaining brain and gut health, our overall wellbeing and longevity. In sum, he makes a strong case for including olive oil as a part of our health journey, wherever in the world we may live.
Visit Bianti's website: donikaoliveoil.com
Download the Wise Traditions podcast app on your iOS or Android device.
Check out our sponsors Paleovalley and New Biology Clinic
"If we don’t understand how nature works, we’re just guessing at trying to fix things." Adam and Josh Bigelsen provide insight today in how to listen to the body's messages, in order to address them. If you have trauma (and, naturally, most of us do), it doesn't mean just doing emotional work for healing. The physical has to be addressed as well.
Today the Bigelsen brothers, from the Bigelsen Academy, offer insights on what the body is telling us, along with uncovering the emotional ties behind cancer, rashes and hives, asthma and mononucleosis, for example.
This is a power-packed episode building on Wise Traditions podcast episode 523, which was the beginning of this conversation. You may want to go back and listen to that one for context and then follow it up with this one!
Visit the Bigelsens' website: BigelsenAcademy.com
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (and use the code pod10)
Check out our sponsors: Gray Toad Tallow and One Earth Health
What if your body was trying to tell you something about your state of health...through your blood? And not just through blood tests or "live blood analysis" but via a holographic image?! Adam and Josh Bigelsen are carrying on the important work of their father, Harvey Bigelsen, the author of "Holographic Blood" and "Doctors are More Harmful than Germs".
Today they help us wrap our head around the message(s) that our bodies want to communicate to us. They explain the patterns that the blood uses to tell us about our health. They also go over the progression of disease and how important it is to read the body's messages... and how you can you do so with or without a dark field microscopy instrument.
Visit the Bigelsens' website: Bigelsenacademy.com
Register for the Wise Traditions conference at wisetraditions.org
Check out our sponsors: Optimal Carnivore and Earth Runners
We are essentially aquatic terrain. From before we were born till the day we die, we are surrounded by and filled with water! Isabel Friend, a water expert and educator, explains why this matters. She goes over the importance of water in ancient cultures and the science behind its many benefits for us (and its amazing properties)!
The U.S. dietary guidelines are considered the "gold standard" of nutrition recommendations. But they are failing us. Americans are unhealthier (and more obese) than ever before. Nina Teicholz, the author of "The Big Fat Surprise", explains why they are faulty and based on poor science.
She goes over how the guidelines were chosen, its ties to the American Heart Association, Proctor & Gamble and Crisco. She explains why the emphasis on grains (even refined grains) and low-fat choices have led to sickness. And why saturated fat and sodium consumption are currently "capped" but shouldn't be. Finally, she shares her vision for how the guidelines could be reformed, based on sound science, for improved health outcomes for all Americans.
Visit Nina's websites: ninateicholz.com and nutritioncoalition.us
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What dental care practices are helpful and which are overly hyped? Is it a good idea to use oral exercise devices? What about tongue scraping and flossing? What should we look out for when it comes to toothpaste and mouthwash? Dr. Dominik Nischwitz, author of It’s All in Your Mouth, highlights what is best for strong healthy teeth and a beautiful smile. He separates fact from fiction. He goes over how to cultivate a healthy oral microbiome and he also addresses the issue of "leaky gums". And he leaves us with three key questions to ask ourselves to help determine if our health concerns could be related to oral health.
Visit Dr. Dominik's website: DrDomeOfficial.com
Join the Weston A. Price Foundation email list HERE
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They say that those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. This is why we are releasing this podcast focused on what happened in hospitals during the "pandemic." Ken McCarthy is the author of "What the Nurses Saw," and today he reveals the systemic issues in patient care that occurred during the time of COVID-19—from unethical changes in the standards of care for patients to the unprepared staff and unhelpful hospital hierarchy to incentives for the use of ventilators and for labeling deaths as covid-related.
It played out like a horror show instead of health care, according to Ken. And anyone who dared to call out what was happening was censored or had their license revoked or were publicly shamed. It was a blatant attack on free speech. Ken boldly reminds us of what happened only four or five years ago and explains why this all matters now.
Visit Ken's website: What The Nurses Saw
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation at westonaprice.org
Check out our sponsors: Optimal Carnivore and Black Lotus Shilajit
To make America healthy again is going to take more than a political movement! Today, Sally Fallon Morell, the president and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation, weighs in on the campaign platform that was part of the Republican platform in the 2024 elections.
Sally tells what she believes was behind the movement, what it is overlooking, and what she hopes it will accomplish. She reminds us of the benefits of eating the wise traditions way. And how making vaccines voluntary could radically change the health landscape of our country and our children. She also addresses concerns about MSG in our food supply and the financial interests behind vaccinations, among other important topics. Finally, she suggests that the best way to make America healthy again is to improve the choices we make in our own home.
Visit Sally's website: Nourishing Traditions
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What's the best way to strengthen our hearts to avoid heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, bypass surgery, and heart disease? Dr. Jack Wolfson, a self-described "natural cardiologist", offers unconventional advice today about what to do for all of the above. (Hint: it doesn't include statin drugs or avoiding cholesterol or animal fats.) Jack also points out very unusual threats to heart health—from microplastics to mold! He also points out the benefits of fermented foods which can negate the effect of plastics in our food!
Check out Jack's website: Natural Heart Doctor
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation
Visit our sponsors Paleo Valley and New Biology Clinic
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, in 2020, 1 in 36 children has autism spectrum disorder in the United States. Beth Lambert is an author, documentarian and the founder of Documenting Hope, a group committed to the prevention and reversal of chronic health and developmental conditions in children, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, PANS/PANDAS, Sensory Processing Disorder, learning disorders, and more.
Today, Beth shares a groundbreaking result of her work documented in a peer-reviewed publication about autism reversal in a pair of twin girls! She discusses the changes the parents of the twins made, how the girls’ Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) scores dropped over the course of 6 months, and much more. She explains how we can make similar changes to improve our health. Beth also goes over why her findings and research are indeed giving hope to so many parents who want to see their children’s health turn around.
Visit Beth's website: documentinghope.com
Register for the Wise Traditions conference at wisetraditions.org
Check out our sponsors: Smidge and One Earth Health
Lots of people transition from the vegan diet to one that includes meat and animal products...but few do so on a public stage. Former vegan chef Mollie Engelhart had a dietary change of heart that became very public when she changed the menu and name of her restaurant in California. That's when the virtual and in-person backlash and vitriol began. While Mollie's restaurant has now closed, she is a regenerative rancher who is sticking to her dietary convictions.
Today Mollie shares her remarkable story, all that she went through, and why she has chosen to stand strong in the face of opposition. She also explains why she believes regeneratively raised meat, food traditions and food sovereignty are so important. And why she goes the extra mile to get raw milk to her community in Texas.
Visit Mollie's website: sovereigntyranch.com
Listen to the Gubba Homestead podcast
Check out our sponsors Optimal Carnivore and Gray Toad Tallow
There are currently techniques being implemented to psychologically manipulate, persuade, and control the public. We're not just referencing marketing firms trying to get you to purchase something. From Hollywood movies to government programs, there are subtle systems and approaches in place to alter behavior...and negatively impact the health and autonomy of the populace.
Jason Christoff runs an international psychological reprogramming institute and in this episode he explains what's going on and how it can sabotage our independence and critical thinking without our even realizing it. Some techniques have been used for centuries and can shift us, for example, from a beta brain wave (thinking) state to an alpha brain wave (trance) state, making us susceptible to suggestion and more compliant. Jason also goes over what toxins in our environment "dumb us down" in effect, also making us possible pawns to powers that desire to control us.
Visit Jason's website: Jason Christoff
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Check out our sponsors: Arvoti Skincare and Black Lotus Shilajit
You want to eat a more nutrient-dense diet. You get it. You're ready to get some basics down. Well, roll up your sleeves because Alison Kay from the Ancestral Kitchen Podcast and The Fermentation School is going to empower you to do just that.
Alison today shows you which 5 traditional foods to introduce into your diet. She explains how to make them (we're talking bone broth, fermented oats and more) and why. She also shares her own personal story. Alison was once obese, had issues with fertility and PCOS. She tells how she overcame these hurdles thanks, in part, to the very ancestral foods she discusses today.
Visit Alison's website: ancestralkitchen.com
Check out the Gubba Homestead Podcast
See our sponsors PaleoValley and New Biology Clinic
What if your body isn't malfunctioning but adapting? Could trauma or conflict be the root cause of the dis-ease you’re experiencing?
Dr. Melissa Sell, a chiropractor and New Medicine consultant, shares an insightful overview of Germanic New Medicine (GNM), a radically different approach to healing. Many of us spend years overhauling our diets or trying new protocols for gut issues, autoimmune conditions, and chronic illnesses—often without lasting results.
Melissa explains the fundamentals of GNM, highlighting how a root conflict or emotional shock can trigger the body’s adaptation process, leading to symptoms, healing, and eventual resolution. She shares her personal journey of overcoming acne through GNM and why she believes every life conflict serves a purpose, helping us grow and learn.
Visit Melissa's website
Listen to the Gubba Homestead Podcast
Check out our sponsors: Rosita Cod Liver Oil and One Earth Health
What if everything we’ve been told is backwards?
Peanuts have been labeled bad for us due to mycotoxins, but what if they’re actually protective—especially against EMFs? And copper, once a staple in our lives through pipes, tools, and cups, has been replaced with iron, PVC, and plastic. Why did we move away from this beneficial material?
In this episode, Matt Roeske of Cultivate Elevate explores "inverted truths" about our health and well-being. From climate change and its manufactured narrative to the real story behind peanuts, copper, and water scarcity, Matt challenges mainstream assumptions. He invites us to think critically and rediscover what truly supports health and balance.
Check out Matt's website: Cultivate Elevate
Listen to the Gubba Homestead Podcast
See our sponsors: Arvoti skincare and Optimal Carnivore
Here's a fresh approach for weight loss! Instead of counting calories or eating less and moving more, what about taking into account the vibration of food, i.e. its life force energy? This is what Chef Whitney Aronoff, of High Vibration Foods, recommends on today's episode.
Whitney's approach focuses less on the numbers on the scale and more on how we feel and how the food we eat makes us feel. She also covers the importance of freshness and sourcing. She tells stories of how her clients' health and weight has stabilized with this perspective. And she also shares what she, as a personal chef, recommends for food choices that help reduce anxiety, boost mood, and improve our relationship with food and our weight.
Check out Whitney's website: Starseed Kitchen
Become a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (and use the code pod10)
Visit our sponsors' websites: Paleo Valley and Black Lotus Shilajit.
A mythical island known as the “other Atlantis,” Skellig Michael where monks once dwelled, and the story of how oysters saved humanity are just a few of the many highlights from today's episode. Marine biologist Stephen Kavanagh gives us an overview of wise traditions in Ireland. Stephen shares the earliest accounts of life in Ireland—from what the people ate to how they embraced art and beauty. In essence, he takes us on a tour of his beloved Ireland.
Check out Stephen's website: marinehealthfoods.com
Subscribe to the Weston A. Price Foundation's YouTube channel
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Our end-of-year gift to you is this "highlight reel" of sorts, featuring excerpts from the most listened-to episodes of 2024! Ginny Yurich covers how our children benefit from being outdoors. Dr. Olivia Lesslar explains how to communicate to our body that the coast is clear and that we’re in a safe space to heal. And Dr. Gabrielle Lyon goes over how strength training can help us avoid the “diseases of aging”: obesity, cancer, and diabetes. Listen and benefit from the insights each guest brings!
And check out each episode in its entirety:
Wise Traditions podcast 458 “Get Your Kids Outside” with Ginny Yurich
Wise Traditions podcast 466 “Build Muscle To Stay Strong & Live Long” with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Order the "11 Dietary Principles" book!
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