Category Archives: Healing and Building Health with Nutrient-Dense Foods

Optimal Health/Optimal Nutrition via a Healing Diet of Nutrient Dense Traditional Foods

New Hope for Healing

I am excited to present my new video about my book. I hope it inspires you to really take charge of your health!  Sourcing your foods from farms that follow traditional farming practices will help you to heal and build health. Real food saved my life! Watch!

 

Can Supplements Heal Acid Reflux?

I receive letters from people all around the world who are struggling to regain their health because they suffer from acid reflux. Many are professional singers who have lost their voice due to damage caused from acid escaping up the esophagus and into the vocal chords.

Acid reflux is a serious illness and a sign of poor digestion and poor health to come, if not corrected. However, I am somewhat surprised when people are reluctant to heed sound advice that could literally save their career and life.

Recently, I was asked about using supplements instead of the nutrient-dense food protocol I recommend to heal the gut. I was posed with the following question:

“Most of the “nutrient dense” foods you discuss are foods I dislike very much. Do you think supplements would work as well? Also, if I had to force myself to eat one or two of these foods, which would you say is/are the best? Thank you!”

My answer to this inquiry was:

“I know that the foods I recommend have the most power to heal the gut. Bone broth and bone broth soups are a must followed by probiotic foods. Supplements have little ability to heal the gut as the body does not recognize them as food. Real food has the nutritional elements to heal the body.”

In my seminars on healing, I remind people that it has only been in the last 60 years that we have had so many nutrient-poor “foods” available. In fact, grocery stores are “new” in light of history. Traditionally, the “grocery” store was your farm where you grew and raised all the food you ate.

The body will heal best with “real food.” The effort it takes to break poor eating  habits to heal and build optimal health is worth its weight in gold. Without your health, you will not be able to live the life you were meant to live.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see my book, Performance without Pain and my e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Raw Juices and Healing from Acid Reflux and Digestive Disorders

Recently, I have been asked by several people who have purchased my book about the value of raw juices in healing from acid reflux and other digestive disorders. Here is a common thread from my correspondence:

“What are your thoughts on raw juices? I have recently bought an Oscar raw juicer and have been grinding up organic verges and apples once or twice a day as it’s easier on my swallowing to get something down, I thought simmering the juice may make it more digestible, or maybe I should just stick to broth and raw milk for now?”

My reply to this question relates to suggesting how one can make the most progress. I therefore explain that the foods that best heal the gut include easy-to-digest,  nutrient-dense foods starting with bone broth.  I am ok with raw juices–not cooked ones–as long as they are green. However, the sugar in fruits and high-sugar vegees (like carrots) will encourage candida.

It is also very important to add a traditional fat to the juice so you will absorb the nutrients. The cultures that Dr. Price studied that had incredible health, all consumed high amounts of traditional fats. In fact, Price found that without adequate traditional fat in the diet, such as raw butter, coconut oil or lard, one could not absorb the nutrients in the food no matter how good the diet.

In my own healing and the work I have done in the last 12 years helping others, I have found that when people stick with broth and bone broth soups first and then add raw milk kefir from grass-fed cows after the gut is healed, followed by adding other nutrient-dense foods, that the most progress is made. If they cannot tolerate the raw milk kefir, I recommend coconut kefir.

Green juices do have many nutrients and are easy-to-digest, but when compared to nutrients and healing properties of broth and kefir made from pastured animals, green juices don’t come close.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see my book, Performance without Pain and my e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Grandfather’s wise healthy traditions speak to his grandaughter’s vocal health

I recently received this letter from a singer in Norway who suffered from career-threatening acid reflux:

"
I’ve received your e-book and find it very inspiring, thank you. I’m a vocalist and was diagnosed with reflux disease a year ago. None of the medics I’ve been given has solved this problem. In fact–it’s worse. It’s only one and a half month to concerts and I’m so happy to be able to start a new approach, changing my diet.

Luckily there is a store here in Norway (where I live) that sells organic broth. My grandfather who is 95 has never been sick, except from food poisoned once during a holiday. When he was hospitalized, the doctors could not believe his high age. His health and body is comparable to someone decades younger. Guess what he’s been eating his whole life? Self-caught fish, meat and broth from cows and mutton and chocolate :) (He’s also eating some bread, but I guess his stomach tolerates it, living on fresh foods from day 1.)

Again, I’m very happy to have find your book and are now going to follow the recommended diet.
"

Traditional, nutrient-dense foods are what our ancestors thrived on–take heed and return to real food. Sourcing your foods is critical. Organic, pasture-based and home-made is best.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see my book, Performance without Pain and my e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

 

Through Pain to Victory, A Journey Through Food: The Story of Kathryne Pirtle

Listen to my interview on blogtalk radio with Stephen McCarthy:

Through Pain to Victory
A Journey Through Food: The Story of Kathryne Pirtle

Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project covers a few of the concepts of the book, Deep Nutrition, along with an interview with Kathryne Pirtle, author of Performance Without Pain. She tells her story of overcoming pain to live life and perform her absolute best. Catherine Shananhan’s book covered recent research related to nutrition and traditional gene theory.  Kathryne Pirtle joined Stephen to talk about her journey through pain and struggle with food to gain victory and some ideas on how each of us can improve our performance by eating a non-gmo, organic non-western diet.

Here is a link to the interview:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/themccarthyproject/2014/01/04/epigentics-and-food-choices-story-of-kathryne-pirtle

A Journey from a Lifetime of Acid Reflux, Asthma and Medications to Healing:Real Food Replaces Medication

Is it possible to have acid reflux and asthma for most of your life and at nearly 50, be able to recover from these serious health problems through nutrition? It was for a dear friend of mine. Last summer I met David Morales, a terrific police officer who was helping my daughter with her car. After talking, I learned that he was an excellent musician, but that he suffered from chronic acid reflux and asthma.  In fact, his asthma at times was life-threatening and his acid reflux, pervasive. He had recently also suffered from some very frightening health experiences that needed effective answers, and he knew that his medications were just covering symptoms.  I had the privilege of sharing my books with him and found that he really took the advice to heart.  Since then, real miracles began to take place with his health.  His story sends a powerful message that I hope will help many other people.  Kathryne Pirtle

I am 49 years old and I’ve had acid reflux and asthma for pretty much all my life. In what I call the early years, the only thing that gave me any type of relief or comfort in controlling my acid reflux was milk, as in those days there were no medications. I still remember the countless nights I slept in a sitting position with a belly full of milk hoping for at least a half night’s good sleep. I was introduced to common acid-blocking medications in my early twenties and welcomed them with open arms. With time, I found myself using these medications anywhere from three up to four times a week without dependable relief. In fact, I would often have to take antacids along with my medication regimen so much so that I would buy them in the largest quantity available to save money.

 In early spring of 2012, while at work, I began to suffer from chest pain. Thinking I was having a heart attack, I was rushed to the local emergency room. After six hours of tests, I was sent home with a clean bill of health, a $7000 emergency-room bill and a RX for a narcotic pain killer. I was informed by the ER doctor that they couldn’t find anything wrong with me even though my body told me otherwise. The cause of this event literally became a mystery and made me very fearful of a possible recurrence.  I was on a serious search to find out what was happening to my health.

In the summer of 2012, I met Kathy Pirtle who enlightened me about raw milk. She told me how drinking raw milk from grass-fed cows had played a crucial role in her recovery from a life-threatening digestive disorder and 25 years of chronic pain.  I had already been drinking store bought milk for years and really didn’t believe it would help me any further than it already had in my early years. She told me about a few sources where I could purchase raw milk. I felt that I had nothing to lose  and that the ten dollars a gallon would be a very small  price to pay if this would help my condition. So the experiment began!  

 I immediately began drinking a minimum of 16oz to 24oz a day. I actually think I drank so much of it because I enjoyed the way it tasted and was tired of drinking juice and soda. Juice and soda were my preferences because I had stopped drinking liquor and smoking completely almost two years earlier.

In addition to raw milk, I began a strict regimen of consuming organic pasture-raised foods such as eggs, bacon, butter and meat and largely cut out grains, sugar and any processed food. I learned how to make milk and water kefir, which helped my digestion improve.  Culturing my own beverages saved me a lot a money—especially the water kefir , which only cost few dollars a gallon to make. I also religiously consumed fermented cod liver oil which I would add to my morning portion of milk. Cod liver oil was a childhood memory as my mother regularly gave it to me and my siblings.

It hasn’t been easy to make these changes because I was used to eating certain foods like corn products, which were an important staple in my diet. Additionally, I have learned that many foods in the store, like corn, are often GMO’s and may contribute to health problems.  Because of this, I began to purchase much of my food from different farms as I didn’t trust the local stores. It wasn’t enough for me to read that the products were organic. I felt that just because the label stated it was organic didn’t mean it really was.  I demanded proof! I wanted to make sure that all my products came from free-range grass-fed animals. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck—then it’s probably a duck!

For exercise,  I continued my daily habit of walking 3 to 5 miles three times a week, which I had been doing on and off for the past 15 to 20 years. I walk instead of running due to shin splints and asthma.

With all of these changes I began to notice some exciting improvements in my health.  After about a month, I noticed that I had lost approximately ten pounds without doing a single exercise except for my walking ritual. About four months into this regimen I noticed I had, give or take a few, lost between twenty to twenty-five pounds! 

Most importantly, my acid reflux and asthma were improving dramatically.  First, I realized I had only taken my acid reflux medication a total of about 5 to 6 times compared to the usual 3 to 4 times a week.  I still, from time to time, consume an antacid for temporary relief, but there is no comparison to the amount I was ingesting previously.  Second, my asthma attack pattern completely changed.  I don’t know if this is coincidence or not, but this fall I didn’t have my yearly asthma attacks, which I could set my clock to occur in early fall, and again in early spring. However, I have noticed that if I stop drinking the raw milk for longer than two weeks that my acid reflux returns immediately, even if I consume a small portion of spicy food.

I must admit that this food and lifestyle change requires a great amount of dedication, hope and discipline and may not be for everyone. I feel that I was blessed with an early warning system call that told my body that I must change what I was doing if I wished to continue to exist. Kathy turned me on to what I think is a great saying, “You Can Pay The Farmer Or You Can Pay The Doctor.”

Guess what—the farmer’s getting my money!
Hope this helps inform people about real milk and real food.

David Morales
25 Year Veteran
Chicago Police Department

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see my book, Performance without Pain and my e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Fantastic, Easy Recipe for Ginger-Lemon Water Kefir–Great for Digestion

Here’s a easy recipe for Ginger-Lemon Water Kefir. I have been making my own water kefir for over three years. Before that I made kombucha for four years. Compared to all the prep necessary for kombucha–water kefir is an breeze to make, is dairy-free and also helps to promote excellent gut-health.  It’s a great beverage to help with digestion at meals and is a good source of enzymes and probiotics. As a matter of fact, people have made fermented beverages like water kefir for thousands of years as a good supply of drinking water was not available.

You’ll need to order kefir grains first or get them from a friend. They double with each batch–so you will have lots to share. http://www.amazon.com/Cultures-for-Health-LLC-Grains/dp/B003JO71D8

Here’s what you need:

1 gallon glass jar with lid
1 gallon filtered water
1 1/3 c. organic sucanat (unprocessed brown sugar available at the health food store)
4 heaping T. kefir grains (reconstituted)
1/4 c. diced fresh ginger (use food processor–no need to peel)
1 1/2  diced whole organic lemons (process peel and lemon with ginger in food processor)

Put filtered water in jar with sucanat and kefir grains. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon until sucanat is dissolved. (You don’t want metal to come in contact with the kefir grains.) Cover loosely and place on top of refrigerator for 24-36  hours. Then drain kefir water through a plastic strainer into a large bowl. Pour strained kefir water back into gallon jar. Save the kefir grains in a glass jar and feed them with 2 T. of sucanat (store in fridge) until you make next batch. (You will always double the grains with each batch–so you can share or put them in your garden.)

Add the lemon and ginger to the kefir water and stir. Cover lightly and place back on top of refrigerator for about 24 hours.  Drain the water kefir again through a strainer into a large bowl and discard the lemon and ginger. After this, pour finished water kefir back into the glass jar and cover.  Place jug in fridge. Enjoy!!

You can make lots of different flavors of water kefir.  Be creative! I also add fresh ground mint to this recipe. Try using berries or citrus fruit.

For more information on building health and healing with nutrient-dense foods see my book, Performance without Pain and my e-book on healing acid-reflux.

Best in health,

Kathryne Pirtle

My Television Interview on Healing with Nutrient-Dense Foods on Deeper Living

My 2007 television interview on healing from 25 years of chronic pain and a life-threatening digestive disorder. It is a great resource for understanding how to permanently solve chronic inflammation and digestive ailments. Press the link below to go to the interview:

Interview

 

My Canadian Radio Interview on Healing with Nutrient-Dense Foods

Listen to this fantastic interview on 1290 AM CJBK, London, Ontario about healing digestion and chronic pain and building optimal health with nutrient-dense foods.

http://pamkilleen.com/app/download/5791226104/Andy+Oudman+Pam+Killeen+Kathryne+Pirtle.mp3

For more information on healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods and seminars on this subject, see www.performancewithoutpain.com

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle

Review: Find Your Safe, Local Raw Milk and Other Real Food, Too!

E-book by David Augenstein, MS, P. Eng.

More and more people are discovering that raw milk from grass-fed cows is nature’s perfect food and want to experience its health-promoting benefits. They are also are learning the benefits of other nutrient-dense foods like pastured eggs, meats and poultry. However, finding a local source for these foods for the first time can be complicated.  The e-book, Find Your Safe, Local Raw Milk and Other Real Food, Too, is a fantastic guide that really simplifies the process and provides excellent guidelines to insure a high-quality source. (See http://livingfood.us/iShop/rawmilk.htm)

Through a step-by-step process, Augenstein shows you how to locate a local dairy or a co-op and understand the laws regarding raw dairy in your state. Importantly, he describes the high-quality farm management practices that need to be present in raw milk production so you can determine if the farm you are considering will be a safe, clean, nutrient-dense source of food.

David discusses other very helpful issues like the differences in how people organize picking up their food that range from driving groups to drop-off points and home delivery. He also has links to invaluable books, articles and studies about raw milk.

People who seek out a high-quality source of raw milk are usually interested other foods from these sustainable farms. This book helps you understand how to connect with farms that can provide all of these. 

You will be surprised to find a bonus download of the new book from the Weston A. Price called Healthy for Life. This book alone would cost $10, but through this offer you have an excellent opportunity to get 2 books at once, plus learn about the guiding principles behind a truly health-building diet. Additionally, there is a wealth of delicious recipes from which to choose.

Lastly, David shares blogs, web resources and books that cover the gamut of subjects revolving around the explosion of interest in real food from sustainable farms. I can’t think of a better use of $7! Thanks David for preparing this amazing resource!

If you consider this powerful quote you will realize just how important making the effort to find nutrient-dense foods really is:

“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”
Edward Stanley

Best in Health,

Kathryne Pirtle