WAPF Wise Traditions: What I Learned

After spending three intense days of learning at the Weston A Price Wise Traditions conference it is difficult to put into words all that I learned and experienced.  It was my first time at this conference.  Many people have asked me about it, so here's a first pass.  I hope to find time to write more in coming days, particularly which audio sessions to buy.

Overall Impressions


1.  The food was amazing.  I didn't keep good records, but it seems like I tasted something new at each meal.  I will write a separate post on the food.  It alone was worth the cost of the conference.  Among many other things, I tasted "bubonic tonic" which was beet kvass made by fab ferments.  Potent stuff; it is made with fermented beets, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, and onions.  Other things I tasted for the first time: liverwurst, braunschweiger, lox, caviar, sablefish, pemmican, butter oil and a bunch of food by Zukay.  I bought samples to bring home to my family and friends.  I've wanted to try all these things but too afraid to spend the money to try them.

Personal Action Point: start saving for next year's conference.

2.  Convinced beyond a doubt the necessity of fat-soluable vitamins A, D & K - that only come from animal sources.  I knew some of this, but wow! it was reinforced.  Some notes I took in one of Sally Fallon-Morell's talks:


When you eat the nutrient dense foods your body needs you will not have cravings for pornographic (processed) foods.  I can testify to this.  At the conference I was never hungry or even thought about snacking.  The meals were well balanced.


Primitive diets contained 4 times the calcium and other minerals and 10 times the fat soluable vitamins compared to modern diet.


Deficiency of vitamin K is characterized by underdevelopment bottom 3rd of face - she had a picture that compared two faces and showed this convincingly.


Green grass that pastured animals eat makes vitamins A&K.  Vitamin D comes from the sun as well as from animals who have been in the sun.  It is so important to eat animals who have been on grass.  {see also post on key nutrients for brain development.}


Vitamins A, D, and K are the activators for minerals.  A person cannot assimilate protein or calcium without vitamin A.  {Lori's post on Brain Pow-ah is expands a bit more on this.}

Salmon roe I brought to my family.

Personal Action Points: Keep eating lots of butter! Be consistent about taking fermented cod liver oil.  Learn to like organ meats and make liver in a palatable way. One mom I sat next to at a seminar recommended this recipe by Cheeseslave.  My new friend said she craved it.  I bought liverwurst and salmon roe to bring home from the conference, hoping to win my family over.  Get my children to eat more pastured egg yolks.

3. The awesome power of fermented foods.  Lacto-fermented foods are powerhouses of vitamins, enzymes, beneficial bacteria and flavor!  My family enjoys drinking kombucha and actually I have to ration it for everyone, baby included.   Several people at the conference brought to my attention the need to diversify beneficial bacteria.  I have many jars of lacto-fermented veggies in the fridge but often forget to set them on the table.

Personal Action Point:  Look through the fridge for a lacto-fermented food before I sit at the table.  Keep making kefir smoothies once a week.

4.  Encouraged to keep real food in my kitchen and stay the course.   I heard so many stories of healing because of real, nutrient dense, food.  Incredible stories.  At mealtimes because I missed my children I purposefully tried to sit where I saw children at the table then talked with the mommas.  (There was a children's program at the conference that sounded fabulous!)  Or, if a woman looked to be my age inevitably we talked about children.

5.  There were pretty people at the conference.  This sounds silly but hear me out.  The older women were glowing with beautiful skin.  I hardly saw an overweight person (which is unusual in the south!)  Everyone was friendly.  I think these outward expressions are an indication of what is going on inside a person's body.  Nutrient dense food makes beautiful people.

-Julie

PS - I added more WAPF foodie blogger sightings to Friday's post.  This is linked to The Healthy Home Economist, who was the first blogger I saw at registration.  She really didn't know what to think of me.  I was a bit, ahem, excited.

PSS - I just read Kelly the Kitchen Kop's tweets and could AMEN every single one.  I met her, too.  :)

If you went to the conference, what were your overall impressions?