Can Tooth Decay be Healed Naturally?

Dr. Weston Price (1870-1948) spent the bulk of his career researching the connection between dental health and diet. After traveling the world, Price concluded that primitive groups, whose diets were rich in nutrient-dense, unrefined foods, experienced fewer cavities.

He published his findings in 1939, in a book titled, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration." His research has never been disputed.

His work continues to inspire many, including my friend Renee – a missionary, mom and researcher. This is her story.

After coming home from Africa a year and a half ago, we dutifully began making rounds as a family to doctors and dentists.Missionaries always take any chance in their home country to catch up on needed work while in a familiar setting. Reese, who had just turned seven, went in for a dental check. Her teeth looked good and felt great, but surprisingly we were told she had eight cavities that needed filling! We were surprised and suspicious, to say the least. I did not have peace at all about the diagnosis and with support from my husband, I began the journey of researching teeth.

I began by praying a lot, not sure where to start but knowing that I needed to find out why and how cavities were invading her mouth. We moved shortly after the initial check up, and began looking for another dentist.I didn't want to ignore the cavities, but at the same time, I was felt I needed a dentist I could trust. I tried several, but came away frustrated at the way they pushed antibiotics and root canals for a problem that wasn't proven to be there. While I continued to pray for the right dentist to address Reese’s problem, the Lord began to bring things to me.

Books came to my attention that I hadn't read before. I became fascinated and ecstatic after reading Weston Price and his ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,’ and then ‘Cure tooth Decay. Everything came together. I had researched and tried various diets such as raw, vegetarian, the Maker's Diet, the pH Miracle and more. Again and again it came back to simple things: Stay away from refined foods and sugar, and put in plenty of good fats, raw foods and soaked grains.

We finally found a good holistic dentist, but I was already coming up with a plan to reverse Reese's tooth decay. I asked my husband to give me 3 months to work intensively with Reese. We did the best we could.We took away all forms of sugar even natural things like honey and fruit. We took out all refined foods and stuck to lots of vegetables and soaked grains. We ate tons of Kerrygold butter and raw cheese.I gave her a double dose of fermented cod liver oil every morning with her raw milk. We also began using clay toothpaste.She was such a good sport about the whole thing!Of course there were days that weren't perfect but on the whole we were very diligent.

We finally made an appointment for her at the dentist. They cleaned and x-rayed her teeth and found NO cavities. There is a tooth that had actually started to decay on the back side but got hard again. They were very encouraging and I was completely amazed. I had hoped that at the least one or two would be completely gone, but to have every one healed, I just praised God and stood in awe

To learn more about the connection between dental health and diet visit the Weston A. Price Foundation website. (You can even see a 1 minute film of Dr. Price!)

This post shared on Nomday Monday.
Also shared at Natural Living Monday.

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How to Integrate Organ Meats

My family would agree that my energy levels have improved remarkably in the last three years. I have no doubt that the liver has been a major factor. How do I integrate the organ meat?

I make capsules using desiccated liver for my kids, and indulge in raw liver myself. I also incorporate liver into meatballs, sausage, and meatloaf. (I am sure to freeze the liver ahead of time to avoid any potential parasite issues.)

A study conducted in 1951 found a strong connection between liver and fatigue. This article describes the findings.

But doesn't the liver store toxins? This is the number one concern people have about eating liver. Actually, while the liver is the center for the neutralization of toxins, it doesn't store them. Drugs, pesticides, and other toxins that are not eliminated are stored in the fatty tissues and nervous system. Instead, the liver stores critical nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, and folic acid.

So how do I eat raw liver?

1. Buy liver from a trusted source, making sure it has no added hormones, is free from drugs, and is truly grass-fed.
2. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
3. Process in food processor.
4. Pour into ice cube tray and refreeze.
5. Cut into "pills" and enjoy!

I made this video as a demonstration. Sometimes it helps to see the process!

This post shared at Healing With Food Friday.

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Dr. Weston Price: Lessons Learned

The various opinions regarding health and nutrition can be confusing and overwhelming. Who can we believe and trust? Why do some diets work for some and not for others? What if I can't afford expensive supplements and alternative therapies? The research of Weston A. Price provides some fascinating information that I believe offers help and hope for those trying to sort through the varying opinions and studies.

Price, a dentist living in the early 1900s, understood that those who lived in primitive conditions had excellent teeth. Those eating the "modern" diet experienced tooth decay and periodontal disease. Rather than look at the disease, Dr. Price chose to study the primitive groups and consider their diet. From the Eskimos of Alaska to Australian Aborigines to isolated African tribes, Dr. Price concluded that dental health as well as overall health comes as a result of eating whole, unrefined foods.

Dr. Price detailed his research in his 500-page book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, published in 1939. In the chapter titled "Practical Application of Primitive Wisdom," Dr. Price makes a stunning conclusion when addressing the issue of eliminating tooth decay.

Simply stated, the practical application of the primitive wisdom for accomplishing this would involve returning to the use of natural foods which provide the entire assortment of body-building and repairing food factors. This means the recognition of the fact that all forms of animal life are the product of the food environments that have produced them. Therefore, we cannot distort and rob the foods without serious injury. Nature has put these foods up in packages containing the combinations of minerals and other factors that are essential for nourishing the various organs. Some of the simpler animal forms are able to synthesize in their bodies some of the food elements which we humans also require, but cannot create ourselves. Our modern process of robbing the natural foods for convenience or gain completely thwarts Nature's inviolable program. I have shown how the robbing of the wheat in the making of white flour reduced the minerals and other chemicals in the grains, so as to make them sources of energy without normal body-building and repairing qualities. Our appetites have been distorted so that hunger appeals only for energy with no conscious need for body-building and repairing chemicals.

This last sentence is striking! Dr. Price was correct. It's easy to distort our appetites so that we no longer recognize our need for nutrient-dense foods. Indeed, eating food in its natural form may get us back on track with our teeth and our overall health.

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Healthy Fats

A recent 60 Minutes segment explored the toxicity of sugar. The interviews were compelling and the research convincing. An interesting link was made between high sugar intake and reduced fats in our diet. The pediatric endocrinologist made the point that food without fat "tastes like cardboard."

Must we avoid butter? What about lard or eggs? Dr. Weston Price studied 10 people groups isolated from the "modern diet" in the 1930s and found that the healthiest people with little to no tooth decay included animal fat as part of their diet. His book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration details his research, which has never been disputed. The Weston A. Price Foundation website is a contemporary representation of his work.

In Month Three of the momsAWARE Natural Year Challenge: Food Edition, we tackle the subject of healthy fats and oils. The following video looks at common misconceptions and explores ways to incorporate healthy fats into your daily diet.

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