Sally Fallon takes on this issue and more in her incredible book, "Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats." This is much more than a cookbook--it is a testament to a much-needed transformation of the way we look at food in America.

Once you read this book, you will gain insights into the traditional food selection and preparation of our ancestors, and learn how to apply the wisdom of their culinary customs in your modern-day life. Fallon explains why reverting to our traditional diet--complete with healthy portions of animal fats, raw dairy products and fermented vegetables--will protect you from many of the diet-related illnesses that are so prevalent today.

The first portion of the book covers nutrition basics through topics like fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The book is worth buying for this section alone as Fallon dispels many myths about fats and cholesterol that contribute to our society focused, wrongly, on fat-phobia. Prepare to be shocked by the current state of nutrition, and then prepare for the truth that will inevitably result from reading this book.

The latter portion of "Nourishing Traditions" is made up of over 700 delicious real food recipes that use ancient techniques such as soaking, fermenting, culturing, sprouting and slow cooking--techniques that once were used by our ancestors to make foods safe and digestible but now have been all but eliminated in exchange for convenience. Discover how preparing traditional recipes with whole ingredients can bring balance back into your diet and your life.

Throughout the book, the margins are filled with additional food facts and history so that you get a wealth of interesting and useful information just from reading these sidebars alone. What’s more, all of the information in the book is very well researched: if you want to confirm things for yourself, the references are well noted.

If you have questioned nutrition in the past or, perhaps more importantly, if you have not, "Nourishing Traditions" will open your mind to a traditional way of eating that has long been forgotten. Introduce this ancient knowledge into your life and realize how food is meant to be experienced. Along the way you will also reap the inherent healing effects of these whole foods that will surely lead to a feeling of satisfaction and an overall increased quality of life.

Be sure to read our interview with Sally Fallon in the next newsletter.