On June 11, 2005 I invited several community members involved in the San Francisco Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, that I founded and lead at that time, for lunch in order to name our cause. It took us the entire afternoon to come up with the name and byline: – Nourishing Our Children: Timeless Principles for Supporting Learning, Behavior and Health Through Optimal Nutrition! The next day I purchased the domain nourishingourchildren.org, and when it became available in time, also purchased nourishingourchildren.com.
The word “our” in our name was very intentional. We choose not to use the word “your” because we considered our collective role as we nourish our children. We also liked that the word “our” connotes community, a “we” – and we wanted to be a community supported cause.
Learn why I posted a photo of a beeswax candle in an article I published about candles.
The number 8
The number 8 laying on its side is the mathematical symbol for infinity. We hope that the principles we teach will continue to be taught indefinitely! In our 8 years, we’ve evolved from presenting to local Bay Area audiences with a 66 slide PowerPoint, to distributing our PowerPoint for others to teach with. The PowerPoint went from 66 to 107 to our current version at 308 slides – it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to present. Since 2005, we’ve also created a study guide, audio book, DVD, E-book, and Food Pyramid Comparison Chart. See our educational materials!
Our educational materials have reached the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Zambia, France, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Chile and all over the United States and Canada. We have over 27,300 who follow us on Facebook. We also have a private discussion group of over 840 members on Facebook that is quite active! We have had over 2,100 donors contribute to our case, some numerous times. Yet, we’ve distributed our educational materials as an appreciation gift to even more who donated via NaturalNews and The Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Let us open some of the gifts!
In celebration of the community we’ve created, we will gift all of our newest 2012 educational materials to 8 people! We will include the Nourishing Our Children E-Book, the Nourished Baby E-Book, our PowerPoint, Study Guide, and Food Pyramid Comparison Chart, all designed for your own self-education and/or to teach others. We would ask for a 100.00 donation for this bundle of materials but, will offer 8 bundles as a gift! See our educational materials!
Enter here in the comments in 2 steps:
- Let us know what it means to you to nourish your children and how our cause has contributed toward that end. Please write at least a paragraph of 4 sentences. 1 word answers, or less than a paragraph will not be considered. We seek communicative, thoughtful responses, which means, please take a moment to reflect on the question so we learn more about you and our role in your life!
- Subscribe to our blog. Do so on the top, right had column of this page.
Terms:
- 1 entry per person will be considered only. If you enter more than once, neither entry will be considered.
- Each entry will be verified.
- 8 people will be randomly chosen on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 5:00P PDT.
There are more gifts we will offer from some of our favorite resources as the week progresses. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to be kept in the loop.
107 Responses to We Celebrate 8 Years!
Your blog has taught me a different perspective on how to nourish my young girls. It’s not easy to undo the years and years of information and brain-washing that told us that fat is evil! But clearly the “modern” view of health has not been successful. I use your facebook page as another tool in my toolbox to grow healthy children.
Delighted to read about your experience!
I have become much more aware of thinking about what food really is and where it comes from. I am able to say to my kids, “think about where this food comes from, think about what is in it.” At a young age I taught them about the difference between juice drink and 100% juice, since they would so often see juice boxes at friends’ house, gatherings, parties. Before my son could really read, he knew how to look for 100%. I taught them how to look at the ingredient list on a package. I know they will eat plenty of “junk” food in their lives but at least they are aware that it is junk and that they need to balance it with “real” food.
My wife is in the Waldorf teacher training program through the Southern California WISC.
Over the last year, she and I have become intensely interested in the effects of nutrition and diet. We started the GAPS diet over a year ago.
It is becoming ever more apparent to us that poor nutrition is playing a devastating role in the development and functionality of many of the children we come in contact with here in Southern California. It is painful to observe how these children, even those coming from privileged backgrounds, are paying a huge price because of ignorance and lack of educational exposure about how unhealthy a modern processed diet is. Part of our concern is that, teaching to modern students in a Waldorf-structured environment is difficult enough, but must be 10 times more difficult if the students come with the debilitating effects of a nutritional deficit: ADD; ADHD; asthma; infections; inability to learn, etc.
My wife has some years before she attains here teaching degree. We were talking the other day, and it seemed to both of us that, if she could work at a Waldorf school anywhere in the world, one of the key criteria that we would be looking for would be to search for a school where nutrition was actually one of the cornerstones of the educational experience. In the same way that Waldorf works with the parents with very emphatic guidelines over media, that kind of school would also support its students and their families — as a community – in the principles underlying appropriate nutrition, such as those promoted by the Weston A. Price Foundation. The bottom line is, we have become aware that nutrition is essential, if not the most critical essential part of the teaching environment that we strive to make available for our children.
Amen, Amen! I came to many of the same conclusions when I worked as a learning specialist in private practice. Thanks, Alan!
I so enjoy all the knowledge that you have taught me through your blog. I get so many great and usable ideas. I love being around like-minded people who encourage me, and give me strength to continue. Thank you so much for taking your time out to help out others… I’m sure many benefit from it as I do!
Chagit, bless you and yours! Thanks for taking a moment to comment!
I nourish my sons by not buying into mainstream food conventions touted by fake t.v. doctors. It feels right to follow in the footsteps of my grandparents and ancestors and eat the way our bodies were intended to recieve nutrients. Because I know so few people in my community who follow this way of being, it’s great to have the online community of Nourishing Our Children to get the support I need when everyone around me is trying to give my children boxed mac n’ cheese behind my back! I really feel blessed to have found WAPF and this group to educate myself on nutrition before becoming pregnant with my (now) 15 month old. He is hardy and healthy and I love his wide smile!
Cheers to nourishing the wide smile! Have you joined our Facebook group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nourishedchildren/
Nourishing Our Children has taught me so many things about nutrition that I never knew. It completely changed my views towards food and the modern diet. I have learned how to prepare nutrient dense, nourishing meals for my family. I am so thankful to have found the WAPF and Nourishing Our Children. I learn so many wonderful things every day, and always feel great support from this community. I try to spread the word about the WAPF and Nourishing Our Children as much as possible, in hopes of helping others learn all I have about proper nourishment. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for your words of appreciation. It is so gratifying to know that we contribute to your support system!
Hello,
I believe my comment will be a little different, as I do not yet have children of my own, but wish to change the ways of the world in which OUR children are nourished. I’ve started in small steps, a most recent example – for quite some time I have been giving a little girl cooking lessons, within those lessons she now knows how to use ghee, how to love and respect her fruits and veggies, and above all, that nourishing herself, her community, and her body should come above any and all else. To my delight, I think I may have stumbled upon a future food and nourishment revolutionist within the heart and mind of a now 12 year old beautiful little girl!
In other areas of my life, nutrition and nourishment are always present, I am *always* trying to educate and enlighten those around me. – Even just recently, to my HUGE satisfaction, my youngest cousin, of whom I have closely watched much to absolute horror, grow on a diet of sugar, juice, carbs, and ice-cream, has now switched to WATER instead of juice boxes, and at last, instead of me telling – HE is now asking me questions regarding health and food, and how said choices affect your body. I cannot tell you the level of joy this brings me, truly!!!
In the fall, I am hoping to open a healing foods store right smack in the center of our town, featuring lots of good items such as organic ghee and butter, raw honey, organic vegetables grown on the rooftop of our operation, fresh cage free eggs right from the stores back yard, sour dough breads, fresh nut butters – just to name a few. We are also hoping to open a small little restaurant within our store, serving just one organic and nourishing plate per day. Additionally though, and in this lies perhaps the greatest excitement of all, we are hoping to have cooking and nourishment education classes exclusively for kids, as well as one for parents and/or anyone else desiring to learn about ways in which we can nourish our bodies.
Your resources would be a help of astronomical proportions and would be so very much appreciated. With the knowledge within I hope to be able to touch many lives, and further extend our efforts in nourishing our children, nourishing ourselves, and nourishing all the future generations to come.
Thank you very much!!
Bravo! I salute you! I would love to visit your health food store, restaurant and classes! I will hope that random.org will find your number, so to speak!
When I went back to work after my maternity leave, I could not pump enough breast milk to keep up with my son’s appetite. He would take 30 ounces of milk a day but I could only pump 10 ounces. Through the Weston A. Price foundations I learned about the homemade raw cow milk formula recipe. https://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/nutrient-dense-baby-formula/ I was able to make ½ a batch each morning before I sent my son to daycare. I am proud to say he has never had a taste of store bought baby formula! Learning about nutrient dense foods such as raw milk and egg yolks for children lead me to learn more…which helped me find Nourishing Our Children!
Heartwarming to read! I will share your response with Sally Fallon Morell!
As a family, our journey to eating traditionally lead us to WAPF and to your website when we started seeking alternative means to healing our children’s food allergies. This rabbit trail has been a wonderful adventure that will continue even when our children is healed from allergies. our vision is to not only pass this way of living to our children but to their future generations as well. We also hope that living as example will help others to look for nutritionally-densed foods rather than the most convenient way of eating.
Thank you so much for sharing your vision of serving as an example that it is possible!
Nourishing Our Children has taught me so much in the past 2 years! For me, mostly it’s been support. A great support system that lets me know I’m not alone. Changing from a lifestyle of SAD food is extremely overwhelming at times. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in giving my kids the absolute best! I enjoy reading every article, thank you.
You are definitely not alone! Have you joined our Facebook group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/nourishedchildren/
I discovered this wonderful community when I was going through my child birthing class, pregnant with my first child. Nervous and confused by the overwhelming amount of information the world throws at you while pregnant. I would usually wind up taking nap while trying to sift through droves of different ideas on nutrition. Until I took a class from Nourishing Our Children in Sausalito. Everything clicked! It can be this simple! I love this community and look forward to daily posts reminding me how simple it is to stay healthy. My chubby baby girl and I thank you very much.
So wonderful to read that we have had this positive impact in our local Bay Area community! Thank you for sharing!
Your Facebook page makes me feel like I’ve done the right things for my son. I have always been suspicious of the medical/pharmaceutical complex as I believe at the heart of it that our bodies can heal themselves. Your page gives lots of wonderful suggestions about these topics. My son is in his early twenties now and sometimes I wish he was younger so that I could utilize many of the suggestions from your website. On a personal level, I have had gum issues which I believe have been helped by the teachings of the Weston Price Foundation. I do so appreciate what you do. Thanks.
The principles we teach are apropos to nourishing ourselves as well!
A few years ago I was pregnant with my first baby, I was young and “healthy” and I thought nothing bad could happen to me but at 19 weeks I had a placental abruption and lost my baby :( The doctors said it was just “bad luck”, but something inside me kept telling me that it was something more, something about my lifestyle… so I started researching, and I learned how diet affects fertility. Your page, among others (related to Weston Price) opened my eyes, and I finally understood that I wasn’t really healthy (I had a lot of little issues that I thought were “normal) and think my bad diet played a major role in my miscarriage. Thanks to your page I have learned a lot about fertility, and it has helped me gain confidence that the next time I will have a healthy pregnancy. I’m really thankful for all the work you do.
PD: I’m sorry if my English is not good, I’m from Ecuador.
Bless you, Paz! I understood your English perfectly and wish you well as I envision for you a full term, healthy pregnancy. Please keep us posted!
For me, it started nearly 20 years ago, when, in my late teens I was diagnosed with ADHD (then they called it ADD) and the doctor who diagnosed me first opened my eyes to chemical colorings in food and body products and how they affect the brain. Since then, the road to health has been one that I strive to stay on, even more so since I became a parent.
When we started trying for our first baby, my husband and I began eating more healthfully–at least as far as SAD (Standard American DIet) knowledge goes. Once we started thinking about feeding our baby solid foods, it was all organic, unprocessed, no sugar (we were even able to keep birthday cake at parties off of her radar), free range meats and eggs, raw milk. Nourishing Our Children has helped along the way with ideas and support from like-minded people who strive to feed their families healthy food that isn’t served from a preserved box; food that is thoughtfully and lovingly prepared.
It’s ironic that, for people with eating disorders, therapists and experts try so hard to disconnect food from emotions and, while “emotional eating” is tough and not so good for anyone, providing nourishment is very much entwined in love and caring. The best thing that I do for my children is to love them unconditionally and give my patience and guidance to them. Nourishment in all forms goes hand in hand with this.
Beautifully expressed, from my perspective, Zoya! You’ve been a part of our community for a long time and I appreciate your presence very much!
I am a member of our local WPF chapter (http://wpricecolumbiacounty.wordpress.com/) and was so thrilled to discover your educational materials, quite by accident, almost a year ago. We are in the midst of presenting them in a two part series. (BTW, I forgot to order the DVD when I was supposed to and Katie helped me to get it on time for our presentation…it actually arrived on that day!) Your materials are such an incredible resource. The information is clear, easy to follow and a great way to introduce others to the work of Weston Price and help them begin the process of thinking about how they feed themselves and family members. For me, the initial experience of opening Nourishing Traditions was absolutely overwhelming. Now, almost 12 years later, I would have been so grateful to have had a resource like Nourishing Our Children (as well as some of the incredible bloggers out there offering recipes, meal plans and other helpful tips). Thank you so much for your efforts and your dedication!
I trust Katie will be delighted to read that her contributions were of value, as I am to know that the materials I designed have served your teaching needs!
I am so glad you got the DVD on time and thank you for your kind words about the DVD and Nourishing Our Children!
Nourishing my child means so many things to me. Not only do I take into account what I allow her to eat and drink, but many things as well. While I am far from my goals with how we eat, I do feel we are on the right path. In addition to what she eats, I try to nourish my sweet daughter in other ways. We try to forgo medication in favor of herbs and do not vaccinate. I try to make sure she has plenty of opportunities to create and stimulate her mind through learning. We also try to make sure we read with her, listen to good music, and more to nourish her mind. We go to church weekly, read scriptures, etc. to nourish her spirit. I am working toward more positive parenting, and controlling myself more in my response. We try to confirm how she is feeling and help her know how to deal with her emotions in a more positive way. We make sure she knows we love her unconditionally. Each day, we strive to be better and help her be better. That is how we nourish our child.
I was moved by your comment! I sincerely salute you and all the parents who nourish their children.
Nourishing my children means listening and responding to them to the best of my ability. Whether it’s feeding them meals made with whole foods, or playing with them outside or indoors, or allowing them some guilty pleasures, or giving them tough love when it is called for. It’s teaching them how to be responsible citizens, to take care of each other and the world we live in. It’s reading them books, and jumping in puddles, and brushing their teeth even though they hate it! There are lots of ways to nourish my kids, not just with food.
My wife and I have a 17 month old daughter that is so vibrantly healthy that it amazes me. We have been following the findings of dr Weston a Price for about 3 years now and the differences we were seeing in our health are really showing up on our little girl. Seeing her eat salmon roe or liver pâté with the excitement that she has warms my soul to know that she knows what is best for her and that I can provide that for her. Your page has helped me see what others are doing and allowed me to help others when my experience has been useful. Knowing that others have decided to take up this struggle of nourishing ourselves and our children makes me happy, because it is a struggle when almost all the “food” available is not building people up, but tearing them down. I really like seeing how others have solved problems that crop up for us all. Thank you.
As a European coming to the US in my early 20s, I went through quite a journey in the last 15 years. At first simply assuming foods were pretty much of equal quality all over the world in industrialized countries. Not having had any awareness or even interest in any politics or food movements back then I suddenly started gaining weight although on a similar diet as growing up in Europe (which actually for the most part agrees with WAP recommendations, but by now I’ve expanded my knowledge into consuming raw dairy, soaking grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, eating even more ferments and greens, cutting out refined sugars, eating quality fats and especially how to feed my children). I am talking just a few pounds here or there, but as a young girl it was bothersome enough so I started my quest, read book after book, explored diet after diet only to find out that I was running in circles, that it’s the lifestyle, origin and quality of the foods and nutritional value that counts. I have known about the raw milk baby formula long before getting pregnant with my first baby and have forwarded the recipe to many friends only to find that most found it odd and preferred to feed their babies ingredients I found strange. I was the only one I knew of at that time who drank raw milk daily already a couple of years before and during my entire pregnancies. I was and am very lucky to have a husband who supports any of my decisions when it comes to our nutrition – even with a limited budget. I think my mission must have been to learn and explore more in that field, because I happened not to be able to produce sufficient breast milk, no matter what I tried and ate. I was grateful to know about the second best solution and raised both of my babies on the raw milk formula. Granted, it was time-consuming comparing to simply having your milk with you in your breasts wherever you go, 3.5 years of mixing the ingredients freshly every other day, thinking ahead and spending more money on quality ingredients than I would have ever dared to believe in my wildest dreams before I commited myself to this lifestyle. My boys are strong, (with exception of colds and healing fevers once in a while) healthy and radiant. It pains me to observe what so many parents feed their children, and that they don’t understand the connection with the recurring ear infections their children suffer from as well as the medications they choose for relieve or to surpress teething pain, temperatures, common childhood diseases etc. Many parents also seem to take for given that their children simply don’t gain enough weight. In many older toddlers you can already observe narrow bone structures and jaws and much smaller heads in general. And yet, during a casual conversation, when I gently try to guide them, suggest basics like to use organic whole milk or better raw, add pastured butter into most dishes, luckily not always but unfortunately still often enough I get this blank look – and I know I lost them… – because that is already against the recommendations of most modern minded pediatricians who suggest to use 2 % reduced fat milk among other myths. I did feel very alone und misunderstood for a long time until I found and started connecting with like-minded spirits on the web, various very supportive WAP-yahoo and FB-groups and through those finally found my community here in LA. I was able to learn and grow so much and still am daily – so thank you to each and all of you for all the work and input to spread the word!
Martina
When my children ask me why we eat differently than their other friends, or why they have to take their cod liver oil, I have a simple response. I ask, “Do those other children have the energy level and focus level you do? Do they also rarely get sick? Do they also perform as well in school as you?” The answer is always, “no”. I don’t have to convince them of anything. They see how they are bounding with energy when most others are exhausted after extended exercise. They watch their classmates, one after another come down with stomach viruses and strep throat, while they sail through the winter healthy. They see their stellar school marks, which come to them with ease. As their mom, I appreciate the ongoing information of Nourishing Our Children to support me in feeding my family differently than all MY friends and remind me to ask, “Do I see the evidence of health and wellbeing in my children?” The answer is always, “Yes”.
Growing up in a family that ate real food, I didn’t truly appreciate its value until I began having my own children and became aware of all of the health issues facing children, mamas, people in general. Up until then I took good health for granted and even often felt like an outsider as my father sourced food from local farmers and practiced sustainable gardening, lawn and home practices. Now these are more accepted and even normal practices but in the 90’s they really weren’t, at least they weren’t here in Minnesota.
When I first found WAPF and then a few years later connected with Nourishing Our Children, I knew I’d found a place for my family to plug in and take part. I feel so blessed to be a part of this bigger family now. My children are growing up in a community that supports the nourishment of mind, body and spirit and we feel so supported as a family.
I was personally inspired to become a WAPF chapter leader with my very good friend here in Minnesota and together we have taken great joy in growing the community locally. Last fall we showed the Nourishing Our Children movie to a group of new mamas, not new mamas and others from the area and learned a lot ourselves in the discussions that followed.
With groups like WAPF and Nourishing Our Children I am continually challenged to question and grow as a person, mama, wife, chapter leader. Having a supportive community in which to grow us invaluable.
Thank you Susie! My journey started a the founding San Francisco chapter leader! Delighted to know you are using are materials to educate!
Your ability to put the “Nourishing Traditions” message from Sally Fallon Morell’s five hour lecture to a DVD of 2 hours … made it possible to get the word out to many who maybe could not sit though, or perhaps even totally grasp the indepth 5 hour lecture.
The Nourishing Our Children movement, that you all created has really brought the message home for a lot of us. After all, the children are our legacy and future. If we do not help them regain their “right to health”, where does it leave humanity?
I’m a chapter leader in Coyhaique, Chile. Thanks so much for all your efforts and passion.
Ann
Finding Nourishing Our Children and implementing it had been a process. First purchased the book several years ago but with the birth of our first grandchild it has been put to use. It means helping my daughter eat healthy as possible while breast feeding. Helping to source and prepare fresh healthy fats and proteins for her first foods. It’s meant evaluating our meal choices in a new light after searching for many years for what was important for health from food. I enjoy the dialogue on the journey.
Thank you for being a part of the dialogue, Karen!
I had the pleasure of presenting the Nourishing Our Children PowerPoint to a room full of pregnant women and mothers several years ago. Today, I see these thriving young families shopping at the farmers’ market with their happy, round-faced children. I also notice that my own daughter’s new front teeth are coming in much straighter than those of many of her peers. I notice that she is calm and happy while other sugar-fed kids are having temper tantrums. I’m thankful every day for my happy daughter and the nutrition that allows us to live our best possible lives together.
I am delighted to read that you presented our PowerPoint! Thank you!
What I enjoy most about Nourishing Our Children is your gift of a nourishingly positive outlook. You see, politics can be more than a little distressing. Becoming aware of traditional wisdom (i.e. fat is good for you and eggs (especially yolks) are something akin to a miracle) also made me aware of the tremendous political and financial forces at work to minimize (i.e. glyphosate) or dismiss the benefits of naturally wonderful and healthy foods sourced from naturally raised and healthy animals.
Learning from your PowerPoint presentation feels effortless. Your Facebook posts are also reliably positive and nourishing in and of themselves. I am very grateful for your gift of information, and your gift of a positive outlook. Whenever I find someone who really wants to open their eyes and understand, I send them to your site. They will get a safe place to land – and beautifully presented information that has the power to change lives.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This one moved me to tears! Thank you, Tara!
Awe, so beautiful! :)
Oh, Sandrine, I am so glad my words could touch you! Hugs!
Thank you K!
Hi,
I’ve feel so lucky to have been exposed to healthy nutrition education in our local community in Oregon, USA, on several levels over the past 10 years.
Originally from Monique Dupre’s WAPF (Nourishing Traditions Cookbook) informative in-home workshops, called Sustainable Budgets, to Chrissie’s farm food & cheese making workshops at Kookoolan Farms, and Sally Farb’s Prepare Now in-home education offerings to Kerry Ann’s Cooking Traditional Foods on Facebook.
More recently added to and melting lovely with those layers of learning has been Nourishing Our Children.
It has been quite the journey gaining and maintaining healthy eating information, gathering useful recipes and feeling the encouragement and motivation to continue choosing whole unadulterated foods, as billions in marketing $$ is spent to push and pull profit driven food-like substances into our families cupboards. Mass produced food-like items that are void of nutritional density, live enzymes and life supporting substances.
I do say, with gratitude, thank you for the continuing enlightenment being offered by Nourishing Our Children to help guide us on a path to continue eating real food in its whole and natural state.
I commend all the effort you put forward, as food education is no small feet. You are countering conglomerate corporations daily to keep us Nourishing Our Children with healthier options, despite the heavy marketing telling parents and their children to chose otherwise.
Kind Regards,
Kathleen Corkett :)
FYI: the Subscribe to Our Newsletter link above is loading a fb error page.
https://www.facebook.com/nourishingourchildren/app_273094699438206
It works for me – just checked — and we’ve received hundreds of subscriptions via that portal. Are you on a phone? If so, it may not work on a phone.
Yip, using an iPhone…fb has been closing photos today too, not on your site though. Funky digital world it is. ;). I’ll tradition to another device and will probably be successful then. Thanks, Kathleen :)
I was a pediatric nurse for several years, and now I work as a Family Nurse Practitioner, in addition to teaching nursing at a large public university. As much as I love nursing, I feel like we focus far too little on nutrition and traditional nourishment. While I don’t yet have children of my own (soon, hopefully!), I want to learn as much as I can so that I can 1) give my kids the best nutrition available, and 2) teach my patients, students, and colleagues about traditional nutrition. I love your site and continue to learn so much.
I would love you to have our materials to learn and teach with!
I discovered Weston Prices’s work over 10 years ago, when trying to conceive my now vibrantly healthy, curious, focused, athletic ten year old son. It’s been a long road of gradual transition from the standard American diet, but seeing my children thrive is soooo worth it! I try to share this information when I find openings, but not everyone is ready to hear it.
The more allies I can find, the easier this path becomes–local WAPF group connection have been a total lifesaver. It sometimes seems like a struggle to swim upstream in this way. Your facebook posts are a constant “normalizer” and comfort in supporting our ways of eating and staying healthy, Thank you so much for all you do! I also really appreciate your positive, uplifting tone amidst all the bad news about modern food. Nourishing our kids nourishes our grandkids and all the future generations, what could be more important!
Thank you, Jana! We extend a considerable amount of effort to keep the Facebook community engaged day in and day out and it is gratifying to know that it is of value to you!
I have actually been working on a blog post relating to this topic, so this is long because I’ve really been thinking about it!
I wanted more than anything to have a healthy child. Before I got pregnant, I got myself as healthy as I could and got off my depression medicine. I planned to eat well and be drug free my entire pregnancy. But I really didn’t know what I needed to eat to produce a healthy baby. I was told not to worry, my baby would get everything it needed, even if I was puking up everything I ate and stopped taking my prenatal vitamins.
I had already started giving up faith in conventional health practices. But even in the “natural health” and “natural parenting” world there was still so much misinformation. I was told my son would get everything he needed from breastmilk and my diet wasn’t even considered. Breastfeeding would give him perfect teeth and prevent allergies, as well as make him smarter. I was even fairly stingy with solid food before he turned one because I believed food was just an experience for babies, and all the nutrition he needed was really in my milk. I didn’t know that by not giving him liver and egg yolks and other special foods, I was depriving him of important nutrients that would help him grow better. Even though I delayed grains with him (something I did intuitively), by the time he was two, we were having whole grain pancakes every morning and continued this practice for several months. I didn’t know that grains needed special preparation and that improperly prepared grains could harm his digestion. My son started having food sensitivities and was emotionally volatile as a result.
When I found out about nourishing traditional foods, our lives changed. For once, I felt like I finally really knew how to nourish my child, as well as myself. Traditional foods went beyond organic food, whole food, real food, even. Traditional foods were about eating the most nutrient-dense foods, especially for babies, children, and those who would make babies–mothers and fathers. Things that never made sense to me before suddenly had clarity. I could now see why even breastfed babies who were weaned onto wholesome foods could have food allergies, asthma, and gluten intolerance. Our society is in a state of nutritional degeneration, that’s why! But the good news is that we can actually take steps to reverse it. What a wonderful revelation this was to me.
Thanks to Nourishing Our Children and the Weston A Price Foundation, I have hope for my son’s health. His health is probably never going to be perfect because of how he developed in the womb, but there is much we can do to support him, and I have hope he can live a full life with good health. I also know now what I need to do in order to give my next child the best chances of good health. It’s very empowering to know I can affect a child’s development by how I eat, rather than it being attributed to luck. It’s nice to know that it isn’t just breastmilk that helps a child be healthy because breastmilk didn’t do everything I hoped it would for my son. It really makes SO MUCH SENSE that preconception diets and prenatal diets can have a strong impact on a child’s health. Nourishing Our Children makes it easy to understand what we need to eat to give our children the best health possible, and then how to feed our children when they are ready for solids. I wish everyone had this information…it would surely change our society for the better. Thank you for making it available!
First and foremost, I absolutely loved meeting you in person while I was in Portland and am so excited to move there and continue to develop a friendship with you!
I would love to use your comment above as an independent blog post as part of our Nourished Family series, with the beautiful photos that I saw on the wall in your home!
May I?!
Of course, I’d be honored!
I believe that health, culture, and family bonds all share their beginnings in the kitchen. In my mind, good food isn’t just a means to nourish my family and myself; it is also a clear reflection of my life philosophy outside the kitchen. Because our food choices are a direct outgrowth of the quality of attention that we give to the rest of our lives, you can tell a lot about a person by a peek into their kitchen cabinets.
That being said, we live in a culture where unhealthy, and sometimes toxic, food choices are placed in front of us every day, along with dubious nutritional advice, corporate advertising campaigns, and conflicting studies. In light of this culture-wide confusion and ambivalence toward food, it has been so refreshing to find the elegant, traditional dietary guidelines espoused by the Weston A. Price foundation and Nourishing Our Children. The information I have gathered from these organizations has not only brought shining physical health to my family, but it has also gifted us with a profoundly beautiful food culture to share with our friends.
I can clearly see, now, that the loss of a food culture in these modern times is one of the fundamental reasons for the loss of connection we feel today in our society. I believe that we can reverse this trend by coming together over a beautiful meal every day. My children will be nourished with great food, but more importantly, they will grow up understanding the real value of a meal created and shared with loved ones. This is a tradition worthy of our grandchildren, and theirs. Thank you for moving us forward, by taking us back to simple, real food!
After reading, researching and studying for over 6 years, meanwhile taking baby step after baby step toward a 100% nourishing diet, seven months ago, my husband and I committed go 100%, no turning back!
We have used your DVD as a way to share with family and friends, and stir their minds. Your food pyramid rocks!
I love knowing I am feeding my children only what is absolutely best for them. I get many comments from people observing my cart at stores, with this one being the most common: “It’s very interesting that everything in your cart is real food!”
The results of eating this way are astronomical! My husband and I have never felt better. My brain fog and depression are gone, our children say their stomachaches are gone, my husbands heart and gastrointestinal problems are gone. The fungus he had for over 20 years on his arms is gone, and most remarkable to me, our 12 year old sons’ top jaw has grown, and his teeth are no longer crooked! In that short of time!
I am profoundly thankful.
I am profoundly thankful to you for taking a moment to let us know the positive impact we’ve had!
I enjoy seeing your posts on FB! The resources shared are great. Your revised food pyramid is such a helpful image. I’m so grateful I discovered Weston A Price and a holistic way of eating.
Nourishing my children has meant that even when finances dictate otherwise, we have been wealthy because of how we eat. This wealth has led to incredible health, both mental and physical. With the knowledge gleaned through sites like NOC, I have gifted my family with the absolute best gift in the world and a foundation that will take them and their children through healthy lives. Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for taking a moment to express your appreciation!
I am so glad to have had the wisdom of information to keep my girls healthy and strong. I look at their vegetarian and vegan classmates in a perpetual downward spiral of health and can’t wait to open my clinic and use your tools to start teaching this information to others. The name of one of the slides in your presentation “How children can be well fed and malnourished” sings a song to my heart. So many parents do believe they are doing the right things – after talking with them they are so happy to receive new information and then we both love to watch their children also start to flourish! I would love to win this opportunity to get these teaching materials.
Love your work!
Belle
Thank you for your words of appreciation! I would love to give our materials away to all who seek them but, we seek to sustain ourselves as well.
We discovered your website through are local WAPF chapter and have been soaking up all the information. I grew up on a farm and we grew or raised 80% of what we ate. My husband grew up on fast food and so our food journey has been bumpy. After having twins in 2011, followed by a surprise pregnancy when they were a year old, eating well was no longer a matter of opinion it was necessary for my health as well as our children’s. Because of Nourishing Traditions and the video series you provided (Our WAPF chapter leader showed it to our group) my husband is now 99% on board. He drinks raw milk, loves his grassfed beef from our local farmer and is even considering eating liver pate! If you knew him 4 years ago you would know this is a miracle!
My goal is to reach out to other mothers in my area(specifically the twin moms I know) and educate them about real food. If I don’t win a complimentary bundle then I still plan to save up and eventually get the resources so I can share and tell! Thank you for all you do!
Brittany
Honesty, tears to my eyes! Every day of the last 8 years is so worth the moment I read your post!
Hey Sandrine!
My son was born in December. I adore him; the love I have for my boy comes from deep within my belly & all I want for him is to be healthy, happy & aligned, throughout his life.
I have owned a copy of Nourishing Traditions for several years now & have been following Weston Price for the same time. When Taj was born, my goal was to exclusively breastfeed for six months, then go from there. My diet prior to conceiving, and during pregnancy, was quite nutrient-dense.
Since discovering your blog, Facebook page & forum, I now know which first foods I will start my son on! I am also grateful for the people involved with Nourishing, as there is so much guidance! I am also well-equipped in knowledge on many other dietary factors, thanks to you, that I incorporate into the daily lives of myself, son, husband & two stepdaughters.
Thank you. :)
Emma, I am deeply gratified to know that our cause has served as contribution to you as you nourish your beloved son!
Nourishing my child, to me means nourishing him mind, body, and soul. Your Facebook page has led me to some fabulous information on nourishing his (and my) body. I especially love the recent articles posted about raw milk. I was so excited to find that my local health food store started selling local raw milk! The timing was perfect.
We have belonged to a local organic CSA for years and we feel so fortunate to have this available to us. I am so excited to teach my son about food and nourishing his body as he grows.
Yeah! I will ensure Raine, who is assisting me on Facebook, reads this comment! I trust she will be happy to read that we’ve made a difference!
Caitlin – That is wonderful to hear! I am so happy you are finding a place in your local food system to obtain the foods you need to keep your family healthy. It’s also great to know your local health food store carries raw milk.
I was first drawn by curiosity to the Nourishing Our Children website through a mention in a VitalChoice.com newsletter. I started reading about the basic ideas of Dr. Weston Price and was just blown away. After 30-some years of eating junk and struggling with obesity, this was the first time ever that a nutritional plan made perfect sense to me. The raw milk, the free-range grass fed animals, the abundant vitamins A and D, resulting in the amazing teeth and faces of the people all over the world who ate this way, these are amazing concepts. In a world where they are manufacturing “eggs” from sorghum and creating deep fried scallop treats on 3-D printers, I truly believe the Weston Price guidelines of nutrition are what our Creator intended for the human race. Although it takes some dedicated study and real effort to learn how to soak grains, obtain and ferment raw milk, pickle veggies, etc., I am confident that in baby steps I can accomplish this for myself and my family. I no longer drink quarts of diet pop and fill up on white bread, chips, and cereals. I soak my oats in yogurt, eat organic veggies, raw milk cheese, and grass fed beef. Slowly but surely I’ll figure out the rest. Thank you all for opening my eyes!
I am so delighted to know that you found us through Vital Choice! I will let Randy Hartnell know – he is one of our most passionate supporters!
I found you through You Tube and have watched the first part of your video. I have four children ages 5 and younger. I learned about Weston A. Price’s research through you and that has been the catalyst for more and more research and big changes for our family. We have since switched to raw milk, grassfed butter, found multiple sources for wonderful eggs, taking fermented cod liver oil and switched to true sourdough. I feel empowered as a mother and have been sharing this knowledge with everyone who will listen! Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge. I know I still have so far to go but the changes we have made feel SO good!
I feel so lucky to have found Weston Price and Nourishing Children while I was pregnant for the first time. Raising our son from the beginning with grassfed meat, raw milk, and lots of pasture butter has made such an impact. I always knew I would breast feed my baby but didn’t think much past that until I was pregnant. Your site provides a safe haven for families trying to navigate through this process. You have helped us make the necessary changes and to feel good about those changes, even if most of society thinks it is crazy. Thank you!!
When my daughter was born via c-section in 2008, I was so disappointed and thought I’d ruined her for life! When, at 1, she developed a urinary tract infection and after a round of antibiotics had major constipation issues, I was convinced that there was a connection. After years of trying to figure it out on my own and getting as far as we could, I found you and the whole Weston Price Foundation on Facebook. It was eye-opening to see the many things that my husband and I regularly discussed at home (gut bacteria, digestion, holistic health from food!) being discussed as though it was COMPLETELY NORMAL! How refreshing and wonderful! I felt renewed in my quest to help my daughter’s digestion and to set her on a better path for a healthy life. Since then we’ve incorporated raw milk, kefir, learned to make lots of our own fermented foods, begun eating far more good, healthy fats than we ever did before. We feel great, we’ve all gotten healthier, my daughter was able to quit her prescription medication for constipation, and better still, we have a healthy 14 month old whose favorite food is sauerkraut. Thank you for being there for folks like us. Even though we live in a very educated, foodie, progressive place, turning the tide on the USDA food pyramid is a long process of reeducation and we need resources like you!
I’m so thankful to have found this resource. I’ve really been concerned for all the toxins my children are exposed to (in their food and environment) and strive to give them the healthiest life possible. Seeking alternative treatments isn’t always easy and most mainstream physicians think I’m crazy. But, it’s encouraging to know that other people are like-minded.
My daughter is now 13 months old and I discovered you, the WAPF and Sally Fallon’s book after her birth, through the “keeping a family cow” forum.
It has been a wonderful ressource in helping me focus and put words on some of my intuitions (like raw milk, we hope to own a homestead some day with a dairy cow and it only seemed normal to use the milk we’ll get raw).
It has helped me persevere with breastfeeding and following my instincts and not apologizing for my values and beliefs, especially when I feel so alone on this path and the economic stressors aggravated our situation.
We live in France and the WAPF is not very present. I hope I’ll get to go to the Wise Traditions summit in London (2 hours away) next year.
Having a copy of your educational material would help me understand your values and message better and maybe teach me what my next steps should be and also help me not feel so overwhelmed and lost all the time.
I hope to be able to nourish my little girl’s body, mind and soul so that she grows up to be a happy, confident and strong woman and not go through the hardships I went through, especially depression and emotional eating.
Thank you for your great work and the support you offered me, all the way to northern France.
Oumayma
I first heard of Sally Fellon Morell when I heard her lecture given during an online health summit by Village Green Network and I was floored by the information given and how genuine and sincere it seemed and how much it made sense!!! To prepare one’s body pre-conception with sacred foods (which is only normal food and what’s weird is what is in the supermarkets!), to then continue to nourish your baby as it grows inside you and during it’s first few years of life which are so very crucial for development, to me it just made utter sense and I recalled food lessons my grand-mother taught me when I would visit her in Egypt from Canada as a child. She had that notion of nourishing from conception with broths and liver and raw milk etc. From that day I decided I will no longer be a victim of our current food system and I will try to educate and teach others how to eat in an ethical, healthy manner which is what nature and God has always intended. Good on you and THANK YOU for the opportunity to learn xox Mum of an almost two year old girl :)
I discovered WAPF when my daughter was 2 months old and I had become obsessed with feeding myself, during my pregnancy and now her, the healthiest food I could find. I took a whole foods class on making baby food, and from that first taste of egg yolk, butter and broth I was hooked. I had spent part of my childhood on a farm, drinking raw goats milk, but the next 30 years eating Weight Watchers frozen meals and low-fat yogurt in a never ending attempt to lose weight. Consequently I had never had a productive afternoon or a great night’s sleep. I had no idea food made me feel good or bad! Eating a whole foods diet has changed my life, and has created a smart, strong, resilient, flexible, cheerful, emotionally whole daughter too. Your daily posts are a continuous reminder, in a world that reminds me constantly that I am not enough but if I buy processed foods and an endless supply of household cleaners I might be able to fool the world I am “OK”, of what is important, doable, delicious, yummy and healthy. Somedays I don’t think I could stay the course without you Sandrine. And I am always happy to come here and find my tribe discussing everything that is important to me in the world! Thank you.
Our family has slowly been changing to a traditional foods diet for the past few years. I am still suffering the affects of a previously bad diet, and I want to prevent that for my children. It’s amazing how much better everyone in our family feels and acts when eating this way! I am thankful for all of the great information I have found on Nourishing Our Children, especially the prenatal advice, so that I can give my children the best health right from the start!
Have shared your educational tools with everyone I know. Thank you Sandrine and crew for all that you do. Many blessings
It wasn’t until my third child was born and I found myself with not enough milk that I began to research formula. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. Starting with homemade formula I realized that I needed to take a stronger stand when it came to what went into my children’s bodies. This blog has helped me feel less alone when having to make all kinds of choices from food to vaccines. Thankuou
This has been so rich on so many levels for my family! My kids attend waldorf school and though the teachers and parents I learned how to regain our families health through this way of eating. I have felt so powerless about the state of the environment and our food supply. Now I am empowered because I have found a group of people who are helping me make mindful decisions for not only my family but also for the planet:) thank you so much.
My mother is obese and has had type-2 diabetes for as long as I can remember. It has been so severe that rice, beans and potatoes – even in moderation – were out of the question. Still, it has spiraled out of control and transformed into insulin-dependent type-1. I have seen my father shake and faint from low blood sugar. My maternal grandfather has type-2, and I watched my paternal grandmother’s health decline as she neglected her type-2 diabetes. I have always wanted more food – starting from when I was a child. Our family loves good, food, so it’s never been hard to get it. But, because of the familial health concerns, and my own chubbiness, I was always made to feel wrong for wanting more. Still, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t understand why my body was telling me to eat more if that’s not what it needed!
As I grew and began having children, my own weight gain began, until after my second child when a single cracker would give me diabetic lethargy at 4:00 in the afternoon. It wasn’t looking good for me, until one day a light clicked on in my head and I noticed all the foods that were making me lethargic were wheat-based. It has been two years since my self-diagnosis of a wheat intolerance and one year since I have also removed dairy. I was doing much better, but everything else was starting to make me sick too. Even raw vegetables were making me nauseous. Additionally, my daughter was showing signs of food allergies. A lot of food-related research later and I was drawn to an article posted by this site about a study where children were presented with all the foods they could want (that were wholesome and nutrient-dense) and they only ate what their bodies needed, and then stopped. This article changed my entire understanding of eating and caring for my body. I realized if I cut out the things that were poisoning and messing up my body, I could start trusting my cravings again. My body was asking for so much food because it needed something that I still wasn’t giving it! This has transformed my eating habits, and just in time for my third pregnancy. Because of you I didn’t not feel like an ugly person when all my new baby seemed to what me to eat was fat! And even my mother, to whom I talk constantly about my views on life and food, has had her own turn-around in terms of health. She, too, is beginning to see that once she stops poisoning her body, she can feed it what it wants, and how much it wants and surprisingly (not to you!) she would feel better and lose weight! Our journey has only just begun, but Nourishing our Children has been a critical part of it – for my mother, her child, and mine. Thank you!
I am fairly new to your blog but have been following you on Facebook since I stumbled on your site. My husband and I are in the process of adopting a little girl with orthopedic special needs from an orphanage in China. We are trying to learn all that we can about proper nutrition for young children so we can restore her to full health when she comes home. We are already an organic, grain free, preservative free, chemical free home. We belong to a local CSA and value the gift of real food and we realize that we are what we eat. We would be so happy to receive any publications from your group as we know you hold the same values. International adoption is very expensive and we are watching ever penny we spend. I am sure that your publications would enhance our knowledge of how best to heal our little girl! Namaste
I just recently found you. First through Facebook and most recently your website. As a single mom, I find the hardest part of my job sometimes is providing nutritious, healthy, whole foods to my daughters. I don’t always feel like making Breakfast or dinner but i love sitting around the table Talking to my daughters and creating ritual around food. I believe that real, whole, organic natural food is important and I do my best to make sure that my daughters are healthy and happy. I look forward to continuing to learn from and share with you throughout our journey.
This community has helped me better myself as I started this journey to nourish (and in some cases heal) my 4 children. That includes a lot of reflecting on the past mistakes and forgiving myself and committing to do better now that I know better. I feel like this process of educating myself as painful and raw as it has been at times is a HUGE part of nourishing my kids, if I don’t care for myself how I can truly nourish them and teach them how to care and nourish themselves as they grow.and it’s always great to know we are not alone, thank you for the safe place to learn and grow.
I am always happy when I see a posting by Nourishing Our Children (the egg) because everything I’ve read has such credibility. I didn’t begin my ‘nutrient-dense’ journey until after my three children were born and that saddens me with regret, but, as a mother, I do the best I can at the present moment. Being our own worst critics, Nourishing Our Children gives me the boost I need to affirm my journey and the decisions I make for my children. The more I learn, the more questions I have and Nourishing Our Children helps me educate myself so I don’t regret my present decisions. Thank you NOC for your honesty and effort on behalf of our children, it is much appreciated.
A common thought I always have is “if I had known that way back when…”. Back when I was pregnant with my two kids, back when my daughter was a tiny baby and I couldn’t produce enough breastmilk, back when she was diagnosed with asthma and eczema…if, if, if! Since we’ve discovered a whole food type “diet” my kids don’t have asthma symptoms, their eczema has cleared up, and one day I’m hoping their little guts heal so their allergies aren’t so bad. As for me, I think I still have a long way to go before I heal. All the incredible advice I receive on a daily basis (mostly from Facebook!) is just invaluable to helping me continue on my journey of healing. I always like to pass on my knowledge to other people who have struggled with the same things we did. It’s hard not to be pushy since we’ve seen such great results :) Congrats on your 8 years – I’m sure you’ve helped an innumerable amount of people during that time!
I feel like my body, heart, mind and spirit have been healed by learning what true nourishment means. I only recently found Nourishing Our Children, and feel so blessed that I did! I am an IIN graduate, mother of 2, and am on a new journey with a child with Sensory Processing Disorder. We have removed gluten from his life, and have shifted to no processed foods. We were already a healthy, organic, largely whole foods family, but wow is this shift still hard! Nourishing our children so they can truly thrive in this world is my highest priority. As a health coach, helping other mamas do the same is the most rewarding work. I feel your educational materials would be a huge asset to further my training, with my clients, my family and my children’s school. Congratulations on 8 years, I look foward to being part of your continued journey!
Beth, your comment came just as the opportunity has closed! Just in the nick of time, as they say!
At this point, my life is pretty much focused on nourishing my children. My two older boys have Autism and my third doesn’t….The only thing different between my boys with and my boy without is the nourishing I’ve put forth since the Autism diagnoses. This is one resource that has helped us on our journey to better health, physically and mentally. You can say we wouldn’t be where we are today without this hidden blessing of Autism. Children with Autism are notoriously picky eaters but the more we work on it and the better they are nourished, the less picky they are. Autism is, in my opinion, an auto-immune issue that manifests itself in the gut and brain and the symptoms can be greatly improved through diet alone. I’ve learned so much and we all feel and do better everyday!
After my son got his 8th silver filling, (which i paid out of pocket) I knew something had to give. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong and the dentist was no help at all, dismissing me saying “Some kids just have bad luck.” I saw a random pin on Pinterest about curing tooth decay and that led me to Dr. Weston Price’s book and website. I found this website and stayed up late at night learning many things I’ve never known before. I quickly made changes and even got rid of my microwave. The first thing I tried was making bone broth, then soaked oatmeal, both of which were never attempted by me in my life. I had no idea about soaking grains, raw milk or fermentation. At first I was depressed to learn I was tricked by modern food system. But that feeling quickly turned to determination to change our SAD diet to a REAL traditional one. It’s only been 5 months and every time I learn something new, I put it into practice. No more processed, packaged foods! I went from opening a can to serve a meal to fermenting veggies and making sourdough with my own starter! I currently cook exclusively out of Nourishing Traditions and allow the recipes and all the notes to train my mind and hands to cook the most nourishing food for my family. I am so thankful and grateful and I hope to win!
Alicia, this giveaway opportunity ended at 5:00P PDT today and you didn’t post until after so, we didn’t consider your entry but, I am grateful for your comment!
Oh I know this is too late, but today ended up being far busier than I like. We struggle, just like many of you, with how to slow this huge wheel down. Today, it free-wheeled for much of the day. It’s 8:22 and I’m finally preparing dinner. My success is that I have thrown in a bit of bone broth to lessen the impact of such fast food. I ache for a life that conversations, all conversations, were not the 5 or 10 minute things they are on days like this. Till then, thank you for giving me the opportunity to at least think about what a meaningful conversation would be on such a wonderful sunny day like today.
Congratulations to these 8 who were randomly chosen to receive some of our newest educational materials! I just finished verifying their entries!
1. Christine Veldman Miller
2. Anna 343
3. Tara of McDonald Design
4. Amy
5. Anna B.
6. Martina
7. Chagit
8. Felicia
A number of folks who wrote comments up until 5:00P PDT today were randomly chosen but didn’t quality because they hadn’t subscribed to our blog as required.
That is a requirement of all of our giveaways!
Wow, if you mean me with Martina – that’s absolutely awesome! I am so excited! What do I have to do next in order to receive my gift?
Thank you,
Martina
Emails were sent to each recipient a couple of days ago. Please check your email!
Congrats to those who won.. I would have loved to win! How can we get access to your educational materials at the best price possible.. Is there a bundle pack anywhere? I want to learn it all AND teach others, it’s so very important what you do!!
Heba, we are launching an 8 day promotion with a 50% to 60% reduction in our donation request! http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Anniversary-Promotion.html
This is the lowest donation request we’ve ever offered our materials for – so I would definitely encourage you to go for it since you expressed an interest!
Oh, I am delighted!!! Thank you Sandrine! Looking forward to presenting your new info :) .
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