Recommended
Reading
This is the book that started it all. Dr. Weston A. Price traveled the world to document the transition of native cultures from a traditional diet to a modern one. What he found is perhaps the most striking and important revelation of our time. It would be difficult to be an informed parent in any capacity without first reading this book. It is equally important for adults to read for their own benefit.
This is a very well written and detailed book that explains many of the findings of Dr. Weston A. Price on his worldwide journey to study the effect of a modern diet on traditional cultures. Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig to a wonderful job of transforming Dr. Price's findings into usable everyday recipes. The amount of food and health knowledge in this book is a marvel; I highly recommend buying this book and giving it a good read. This is one for the ages.
This groundbreaking book covers the effects on children and subsequent generations of deviating from a natural diet. Includes photos of documented and verifiable deformities that result. A must read for any parent.
Dr. Edward Howell provides us with earth shattering evidence about the importance of food enzymes. Our bodies were designed to consume mostly raw calories from sources such as dairy, fruit, honey, nuts & seeds. Dr. Howell walks you through his detailed research and will change the way you think about food forever.
Dr. Jason Fung is one of the most progressive and knowledgeable modern day doctors that practices the art of fasting as a measure of healing and weight loss. I highly recommend anyone looking to find out more about fasting give this book a read.
This is a groundbreaking book about the ability of plants to communicate with other life forms, including humans. While we may not be conscious of our connection to the world around us, many scientists have taken it upon themselves to document this connection and prove its existence beyond the shadow of a doubt. This is a fascinating read and anyone interested in total mind and body health should read it.
Sandor Katz has dedicated his life to exploring the wonderful world of fermentation and health. He has composed a no-nonsense straightforward book on how to ferment various foods from sauerkraut to mead. Katz has also given a historical background to many of the recipes. This is a great read and a great stepping stone into the world of fermentation for beginners.
Figuring out how to feed baby once they are old enough for food can be a daunting task. Note: the answer is NOT rice cereal. Thankfully we have this baby specific book from the heralded author of the original Nourishing Traditions cookbook. This is an absolute necessity in any parents library.
Integrating an age-old health practice with state-of-the-art medical research, a program explains how a natural diet--without fasting--can renew health, how and why fasting works, and specific dietary and fasting programs for overcoming chronic diseases.
This book offers a common sense approach to the art of healing through fasting. Dr. Shelton backs up his claims with medical research conducted by himself and many other doctors across the world. This is a must read for anyone interested in fasting as a mechanism for weight loss, healing, or as as an added measure of sustaining health.
Written by Ross Horne, a real truth seeker when it comes to health and curing of disease. This book is a free and valuable resource for all. I highly recommend you give it a read.
Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist, is one of the more knowledgable health bloggers on the internet. I highly value her contributions to the health community and believe that this book is well written and is a treasure trove of information. Especially for folks that are new to natural healing, I highly recommend purchasing this book and keeping it on the book shelf.
Kevin Trudeau is a controversial figure, no doubt. While this book is often repetitive and some of the info is bogus, there is still a great deal of eye opening information that I consider to be very valuable. This book remains on our bookshelf and I feel it is a worthwhile read for anyone in the natural foods community.
This is great recipe compilation from a dedicated natural foods home cook. This is another book we are proud to have on our bookshelf.
This is a groundbreaking documentary that brings light back to the science of fasting. Fasting has been proven to be a highly effective means of treatment for all manner of disease and obesity. This has been well documented over the last two hundred years, but much of the research has been brushed under the rug of the modern medical-industrial complex.
Whatever your opinions on vaccines, this documentary is a must watch before deciding how to proceed with your own children. No exceptions.
Recommended
Websites
This is a national database of farmers that offer real/raw milk and other pastured and/or grass-fed farm products.
Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist, is by far the number one health blogger that I follow online. From traditional remedies, to recipes, investigative articles, and health news coverage, The Healthy Home Economist seems to have it all. The information she puts out is invaluable, and I highly recommend subscribing to her blog.
People One Health is a free diet-tracking resource with Premium options. I have only used the free service to track my daily nutrients and nutrition goals. I love this site, and it gives so much away for free. The customized nutrition tracker allows you to save your recipes with corresponding nutrition info.
This site is a great springboard for connecting with other health aware people. The Weston A. Price foundation is comprised of honest to goodness freedom fighters and their pursuit of food freedom and policy change should serve as an inspiration to us all. I definitely recommend familiarizing yourself with this site and organization.
This site is an amazing free resource that puts out authentic recipes from around the world. I most often frequent this site to learn about French cooking, especially the many wonderful French sauces! This is very well done and an excellent resource for inspiration and research into authentic global cuisine.
This is a traditional foods blog that I visit at least once per week. Valeria does an amazing job of photographing and detailing traditional foods recipes. I most often use her sourdough recipes, as she is a true master of sourdough and ancient grain preparation. Her sourdough einkorn sandwich bread is something I make my children every week and it is absolutely the best recipe ever. I highly recommend you explore her site and bookmark it for future use.
This site has an extensive collection of authentic Japanese recipes. In my pursuit of uncovering the secrets of world food culture I have grown especially fond of traditional Japanese cuisine. This site is the best online resource for understanding what true Japanese food is; however, I would advise there are many ingredients used that include MSG and similar preservatives. As with any other recipe online, use your best judgment and don't be afraid to make substitutions.
This site has a great nutrition info calculator that has many hard to find food items in its expansive database. There is plenty of other useful info here as well, so go check it out and get motivated!
Baby
Products
This is the jogging stroller I use. It's a great price, has a locking front wheel which is an absolute MUST if you will be doing anything but walking, the tires are inflatable, which gives a more comfortable ride, and it is plenty comfortable for baby. The 5-point harness is compatible with the Stokke Foot Muff for all season use with baby. I've logged over 500 miles on mine and it's still going strong. The only downside is there's no hand break, but for the money this can't be beat.
Carriers have come such a long way - this model is super breathable, ultra comfortable, and can be used in 4 different positions for baby. LOVE this and I consider it an absolute MUST HAVE.
This bouncer is a lifesaver when you need a place to set baby so you can be hands free. Bring this around the house with you into the kitchen, living room, or bedroom. Our babies loved this - and so did I! Should be a staple item in any parent's arsenal.
This breast pump was absolutely indispensable in our pursuit of exclusively breast feeding our babies. I give this item my highest recommendation.
This is my favorite lunch box - we've used it for three years with our daughter so far and I couldn't live without it This is a bit pricey, but totally worth it!
Designed to fit perfectly in the PlanetBox lunch box - a great accessory to go with your lunch box.
I love this bowl because it is drop resistant and has a nice suction cup base. The lid is a nice bonus. Highly recommended.
These are the reusable food pouches I used. They work great and hold up well in the dishwasher.
This is the filling station setup that I used. I found this system to be indispensable when for serving fresh blended smoothies to baby. I highly recommend getting this with your reusable food pouches.
After much consideration and endless reading of reviews I went with these glass bottles for baby. I could not have been happier with these. They're super simple to clean, and baby never had any problems with them - no gas, burping etc.
This was the perfect transition potty for our baby. Not only was this great in the house, but it is super portable and we took it in the car on road trips so baby didn't have to use filthy gas station toilets. Love this.
These are super soft, absorbent, and made from 100% organic cotton. Makes bath time much easier with the nice hood and ultra comfort.
This is by far the easiest baby gate we've ever tried - and there have been many. This installs in seconds right out of the box and fits most places. I highly recommend using self-drilling drywall anchors with this,
This is a simple radio frequency baby monitor. I highly advise against getting a wi-fi monitor, as these have been shown to have a negative impact on baby. This monitor is super sensitive and can pick up the tiniest yawn or stir from baby.
These are great appliance safety straps. We also use the for toilet seats and trash cans.
The best cabinet and door locks. These are super easy to install and they work great! Not to say they're perfect, but I spent a ton of time testing various locks and these are by far the best.
Kitchen
Appliances
This is far and away the best cold-pressed style juicer out there. We love ours and could not live without it.
This is by far the best citrus juicer I have used. I highly recommend this product.
It is very important to find the right mixer that has enough horsepower and wattage to get the job done. This is the mixer I use and it can handle any task from kneading bread dough to whipping up egg whites or butter. Love this!
This meat grinder brings your home kitchen up a level towards professional capabilities. There are so many uses beyond grinding meat such as grinding corn for masa dough, grinding garlic, onion, or veggies, or grinding sprouted wheat berries for making Mana bread.
Not only do these cut the work way down for fresh pasta making, but the roller is PERFECT for rolling sourdough cracker dough. I could not go without this set.
Love this for making zucchini noodles - this spiralizer pays for itself by making so easy to do zoodles at home.
This makes perfect vegetable sheets for faux lasagna noodles. Can also be used for sandwich wraps, or sushi rolls.
This is an invaluable accessory to the KitchenAid mixer. My family and I love the taste of freshly rolled oats, and baked oatmeal. It is super important to roll your own oats for similar reasons that it is important to mill your own flour. Freshness is key!
This is a wonderful hand crank oat roller. By far the best way to make oatmeal is to roll your own oats, and this will help you get it done. The link below will bring you to the real thing, whereas there are a few lesser quality knock offs available online. This one is all stainless steel, as opposed to aluminum, and comes with a full three year warranty.
This is probably the appliance that I use the most in my kitchen. This is pricey, but is a great long-term investment in the health of yourself or your family. Go with the Pro grade - this is not an item to skimp on.
This is the classic 7 cup food processor. Just the right size for making mayonnaise, shredding carrots or cheese, or family meal prepping. This is the very best processor out there.
This is great for chopping garlic, making small batch salad dressing, or any other small scale prep job.
This is my go-to method of preparing bone broths at home. Huge time saver and delivers impressive results. Also great for cooking tough meats in a pinch, or cooking pre-soaked beans in minutes.
This is one of the finest home coffee makers available in the world. The key is delivering consistent and correct brew temperatures, and boy does this baby deliver. We love it. Make sure to get a great conical burr grinder to go with it to maximize coffee quality in your home.
This conical burr coffee grinder is an absolute bargain at $99. This is the same model I use and I can say that it will elevate your coffee to coffee shop status.
Milling fresh flour is a MUST if you are committed to the health of your family. This mill has a great reputation and has been around for quite a while.
Cookware
My favorite chef's knife - this is an all around workhorse of a knife - the one you must have in the kitchen.
This is the perfect accompaniment to the Wusthof Chef's Knife. These are the two most important knives in any home chef's arsenal.
A must have for any kitchen, this long carving and slicing knife is my go to knife type for slicing freshly baked bread.
This is a great entry-level wood cutting board.
Olive Wood 5-Piece Cooking Wooden Utensil Set With Holder, Includes Spatula, Cooking/Mixing Spoon, Salad Spoon & Fork With Holder.
The perfect soup ladle - made from Olive Wood to last a lifetime.
This set covers all the basics for stainless cookware. These are a must have.
These skillets from TasteMade are crafted in the old style with a super smooth machined finish. You can usually find pans like these in antique shops, but if you want to buy new then there is no other option for this quality.
This 14" Carbon Steel Wok is a timeless piece that will last forever and can handle any task. Perfect for stir-frying, deep frying, sauces, soups, and anything else. Love this wok!
This cast iron wok ring will fit most gas stovetop grates. Check out the link below to make sure it fits your model. This is a must have for cooking with a traditional round bottom wok on a gas stove.
This workhorse is great for too many recipes to list - this is another must have.
This is the perfect pan for rice and side dishes. Another absolute staple pan in my kitchen.
Heavy duty large stock pot, perfect for slow-cooking soups, stews and rich, traditional bone broths.
Perfect for oven roasting meat, poultry and vegetables or for baking lasagna and casseroles.
This is my preferred non-toxic cookie sheet - works for quick roasting and various oven tasks too.
This is a great basic pizza stone - perfect for thin, crispy crust.
Pantry
This is my preferred brand of Olive Oil. It comes from the rolling hills of Italy on an organic farm, and is first-cold pressed to retain maximum health benefits.
It's best to get this from a local farmer, but if that's not an option then you can get it here for a decent price per gallon. This is non-hydrogenated and totally natural. Perfect for frying, baking, sautéing, or any other cooking.
Perfect for frying, baking, sautéing, or any other type of cooking. This is a clean, healthy fat that has been used since the dawn of time. It's best to get your fats from a trusted local farmer, but if that's not an option then go for this.
Raw, Unrefined, Organic coconut oil. Pure coconut oil in its natural state. Great for blending into smoothies, eating as it is, or mixing into coffee.
Ghee, a.k.a. clarified butter is a wonderful, nutrition-packed addition to any meal. This is one of the finest cooking and baking fats available.
This is a fantastic raw apple cider vinegar. With so many uses in the kitchen, in medicines, and around the house you cannot afford not to have a bottle, or two, on hand.
This vinegar is the real deal; made from 100% Trebbiano grape must - no fillers, sweeteners, caramels, etc. This is an absolute gem in the kitchen. A side note - this is a living food, so should always be eaten in its natural state - do NOT cook with this, simply use it as a topper on your food.
These jars of organic tomato paste can be pretty difficult to find in a store. It's a great idea to stock up on this case of 12 with an online order so you don't run out of this kitchen staple.
This is my absolute favorite brand of tomatoes to cook with. Jovial brand items are grown on an organic farm in the rolling hills of Italy. Love these!
This is my absolute favorite brand of tomatoes to cook with. Jovial brand items are grown on an organic farm in the rolling hills of Italy. Love these!
This is raw, enzyme rich, naturally brewed soy sauce. Ohsawa Nama Shoyu is fermented, or cultured, in the traditional way, in wooden barrels under the sun. The label boasts "living enzymes and beneficial organisms". Its mouthwatering umami taste brings out the best in food without darkening its color. Enjoy it on sushi, tofu, seafood, vegetables, even on fruit.
Red Boat is an all-natural, first press, "extra virgin" Vietnamese fish sauce. It does not contain added water, preservatives or MSG. This is the only brand I use.
This is the highest quality Mirin that is widely available in the United States. This Mirin is brewed/aged in the traditional method and does NOT contain added sugars, or preservatives. I consider this an absolute MUST for Japanese cooking.
Pure, additive-free rice vinegar can be hard to come by in some super markets. This is a pure and clean brand I recommend.
This is traditional Chinese rice wine, used for cooking and marinating a wide variety of Asian flavored dishes.
This is perfect for adding the finishing touch of nutty sweetness to salads or Asian inspired dishes. Be sure not to heat this oil, as it is extremely delicate. Rather use this to top or dress your dish once it is ready to serve.
Household
Appliances
Any healthy home needs a Dyson to keep everything neat and tidy. This lightweight machine does the job day in and day out - we absolutely love ours.
This is a great large room HEPA air purifier, up to 1000 sq. feet. Has many great features, and gets the job done well.
This is a great HEPA air filter for smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices. Packs a lot of power into a small unit and is a great price.
Supplements & Remedies
These are the highest quality probiotics I have used. They are great as a daily supplement for immune support. They can also be opened directly into your mouth before bed to cure a sore throat. Love these!
This product works absolute wonders on a sore throat and works immediately. Additionally this delivers high level immune support when you are sick. We always keep a bottle on hand.
Love this neti pot; it's ceramic and dishwasher safe too. Use this to rinse our nasal passages during allergy season, or whenever your sinuses are blocked.
This is a clean, iodide-free, preservative-free salt that is intended to be used with the Neti Pot.
This is a great alternative to the neti pot for sinus rinsing. I have found this to be way easier to use on children, and easier for sensitive adults. Just be sure not to squeeze too hard, as this may cause too much pressure in the sinuses.
These are a great natural cure for an ear infection. Some children get more ear infections than others, probably depending on diet and gut health, but the worst thing to do would be to treat with antibiotics. This natural alternative works 100% of the time. 5-7 drops per ear, one to two times daily. Pain relief will take 3 - 4 hours from the initial dose.
This is a fantastic raw apple cider vinegar. With so many uses in the kitchen, in medicines, and around the house you cannot afford not to have a bottle, or two, on hand.
This is used to make Super Saturated Potassium Iodide (SSKI). Simply measure a small amount of water (enough to fit in a dropper) and mix this powder into the water until it won't dissolve anymore. The resulting liquid is SSKI. 5-8 drops two to four times/day will work as an all natural cough expectorant. No more awful cough syrup from the drug store!
These 2 oz. bottles are perfect for holding extracts, tinctures, and medicines. I use these for SSKI, made from Potassium Iodide and water.
There are many touted health benefits of Essiac Tea. Generally speaking it is said to cleanse the body and organs. i have used it successfully to treat a chronic cough that would not go away. I sipped a few ounces each night for about 2 weeks, and poof! The cough was gone. I won't pretend to know the science of this, but I do know that sometimes the body gets an imbalance, and having some herbal tea like this can often do the trick to get your body back to homeostasis.
These are used for making elderberry syrup, which is said to be an immune booster and cold/flu remedy.
I most often use this for an upset stomach, but it can also be used orally as a teeth whitener. Great to have on hand.
Personal
Care
Pure shea butter has a wide variety of uses in personal care products. It's always a good idea to keep a pound or two on hand.
With so many uses, coconut oil is surely a miracle product. You can eat it, drink it, rub it on your skin, mix it into all types of personal care products, etc. We always have some coconut oil on hand.
High quality food grade olive oil has many skincare and hair care applications. This is yet another reason to always have a bottle on hand.
This is great for skincare and hair care. This is another item that we always keep on hand.
This is great for natural skincare and hair care. I always have a bottle of this on hand.
This is a great soap for the shower - it really gives you that super clean feeling when you need it. I also use it on my hair when it gets extra oily - just be sure to condition afterwards.
Pure, organic, aluminum free baking soda. With so many uses around the house and in personal care products, it makes sense to buy a 2 lb. bag at a great price.
This is a subtle and calming scent. We use this with our deodorant, but there are endless uses around the house.
This is perfect for flavoring toothpaste, or just using a dab on your temple for relaxation. Very high quality.
Set of 12 reusable deodorant sticks. These are also great for lotion bars.
This is the classic 3-Row Regular toothbrush from POH; The toothbrushes from this company have unique rounded bristles that clean the teeth without damaging them. These are the only toothbrushes I use with my family.
This shower filter uses the natural power of Vitamin C to filter our chlorine from your shower water. Chlorine gas in the shower is the single biggest exposure we have in our daily life to chlorine, so it is imperative, especially for our children, to filter out chlorine before using hot water for a shower. This is the filter I trust and use with my family and it works great - just be sure to buy extra cartridges!
5-Pack of VitaFresh chlorine filters for the shower. We go through one of these about every 2-3 weeks, so it's important to keep extra on hand.
This jug is BPA free and comes with a solid plastic handle. I try to avoid the hollow handles, as they tend to accumulate growth of algae or mold.
This is the perfect water dispenser. Drinking water is much better to drink at room temperature, as cold water tends to have a negative effect on the body. This dispenser costs less, requires less maintenance, and is better than a traditional water cooler.
This is a great stand for your porcelain water dispenser and 5 gallon water jug. Using a stand allows you to free up counter space and place the dispenser anywhere you like.