Think about this for a second: More Americans hunt and fish than play baseball.

What a trip, right?

That's more than 38 million Americans.

And if that doesn't surprise you, this will: 

Hunting—overall—brought in more revenue ($38.3 billion) than Google ($37.9 billion) or the Goldman Sachs Group ($36.8 billion).

Now ask yourself this question: "Why don't I hunt?"

Really think about this for a second. Mull it around for a few minutes, hours, days, whatever. But really think.

Is it because of the blood, guts, and sinew? Is it your ethics or morality? Is it the fact that you live in a city or suburb and feel like you don't have access to the wild spaces needed to hunt? Or, maybe, it's as simple as a lack of money for all that expensive new gear.

Whatever your reason, hunting is a huge undertaking in and of itself. Period. And for the novice not accustomed to growing-up in the hunting lifestyle, the process of learning and developing this fundamental life-skill can seem downright intimidating.

However...

Should you join me and accept the hunter's call to bravely enter the chase, you will be handsomely rewarded with the first-hand experience of accepting another animals life into your own. This experience often catalyzes into a deep, life-altering relationship between you, the natural world, and the entire two-legged and other-than-human community.

And to make this particular transition easier, I've invited my newest friend—Fisher Neal of LearntoHuntNYC.com—on today's episode of Ancestral Health Radio.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• The absolute first thing you should do if you're interested in learning to hunt,
• What a typical day of hunting might look like for the average hunter,
• The basic (yet graphic) process of how to field dress, skin, and butcher a deer—from start to finish, and...
• Much, much more.

Is it possible to heal trauma in our personal and family lives by connecting with our well, deceased ancestors?

Well...

Provided you possess a beginner’s mindset equipped with the right animistic framework, my guest today, Dr. Daniel Foor of AncestralMedicine.org, would say yes—you absolutely can.

This week, Daniel and I delve into practical animism: where ritual and ceremony are used as tools for personal, family, and cultural healing.

A few months ago I was surprised to receive an early copy of Daniel's magnum opus, aptly titled Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. Since then, I've probably recommended Daniel's book to nearly all my closest rewilding friends.

Why?

Partly because trauma—and ways we heal from trauma—was central to many of the topics shared at this year's first annual North American Rewilding Conference. It’s also worth mentioning that Daniel’s work was brought up several times throughout the two-and-a-half-day experience.

So, without further adieu:

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• How our well and unwell ancestors influence the living and non-living;
• How directly speaking with the spirits and other-than-humans can break centuries of colonialism, patriarchy, and scientism;
• How practical animism directly enriches our day-to-day relationships; and...
• Much, much more.

Have you ever thought of starting a homestead on your journey towards ancestral health?

How about composting or gardening?

Well...

Today is a special opportunity to help a community member whose passion is about dismantling the industrialization of people and food through the acquisition of abundant, sustainable, and regenerative homesteading skills.

Enter: John Moody of Steader.com.

John and I share a very similar mission, in that we understand there are skills and wisdom that need to be shared from the first-hand experience of elders within our community.

And that today is an amazing opportunity to support a movement that helps build the groundwork for those to come.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• Why John says he doesn't think you should be able to deal with health and nutrition if you have not read this book,
• John and Jessica's 18-month transformation and simple weekly strategy that helped them both go from your typical standard Americans to what some might call the crunchy-hippie-type,
• A few of the educational videos John and the Steader team have cued up for their Kickstarter campaign, and...
• Much, much more.

Episode Breakdown

• John explains how his youth was riddled with health problems—typical of the average child who grew up in the 80's and 90's
• John greatly appreciates this author's early observations of how people aren't made to be divorced from nature
• The "click" for John came from a time when pharmaceutical intervention was supposedly the only solution for a painful duodenal ulcer
• The comical advise given to a then-single John by his college professor
• John's nutritional first-steps and book recommendations
• Why John says he doesn't think you should be able to deal with health and nutrition if you have not read this book
• John helps the audience understand what industrializing people and food over generations can look like
• John and Jessica's 18-month transformation and simple weekly strategy that helped them go from standard Americans to what some might call the crunchy-hippie-type
• Why John felt his family was being treated like cattle and the moment that hardened John's resolve against the powers that be
• Why John's new-born daughter, Abby, was almost labeled a biohazard by hospital staff
• How Whole Life Buying Club was the first whole food collective to win against a government raid
• John talks about his biggest project to-date: Steader.com
• John lists a few of the educational videos he and the Steader team have cued up for their Kickstarter campaign, and...
• Much, much more.

Can agriculture be a sustainable path forward?

This is the main question surrounding today's episode:

Can we use the same technology that, arguably, has been one of the single-most destructive advents in the epoch of human history to move or usher us forward into a time where we're projected to hit an all-time population density of 9.5 BILLION people by 2050?  

With global desertification, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreats, decreased snow cover, rising sea levels, declining arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events…

What tools do we have at our disposal? How can we make an impact where it seems like none can be made?

That's what we're here to find out.

And why, in today's episode, my guest Doniga Markegard shares with us:

• Her amazing story of triumph as a child being taught traditional ecological knowledge through an experimental wilderness school in the Pacific Northwest,
• What holistic planned grazing is and what that means for the future of agriculture,
• Doniga dispels the jargon around grass-fed, finished, pastured, and free-range, and...
• Much, much, more...

Episode Breakdown

• Doniga talks about her past with wildlife tracking and permaculture
• Doniga explains an ah-ha moment that came from a time when she was young and thrown from her horse
• Doniga briefly speaks about her time as a teenager in an experimental wildlife school in Washington
• Why Doniga tracked wolves in Yellowstone and what that meant for the biodiversity of the ecosystem
• Doniga talks about her new book (Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild) that is being released this fall
• Why Doniga is excited to work with Proprioception Press
• Doniga briefly shares a few experiences she has while traveling alongside wolves and other wild animals
• Why Doniga says her culmination of past experiences has led her to discover holistic ways of stewardship
• How Doniga's particular style of land management mimics the trophic cascade of predator, prey, and plants
• Doniga makes a big distinction between traditional ranch lifestyle and traditional industrialized agriculture
• The similarities between Doniga and Allan Savory
• Why tracking is so important and how that helps you develop your personal awareness
• Doniga mentions what she believes to be the sixth sense
• Why the Bay Area has is so prolific and why it may be a wild food foragers paradise
• Why Doniga says it's important that people realize that these grasslands evolved with grazers
• Why holistic land management is about people, planet, and profit 
• The difference between grass-fed and finished beef
• Why Doniga says Cowspiracy is extreme vegan propaganda

• Why Doniga has gripes about the word Organic

• The difference between traditional and conventional agriculture

• Doniga breaks down the problem of desertification and why we need grassland grazers to help build carbon in our soil

• Why practicing survival skills and challenging herself within the rigors of the wild helped shape Doniga into the steward she is today

• Doniga gives solid tips for the consumer to move forward with becoming a steward of the land herself

• And much, much more...

Did you know...

That the average woman uses 12 products per day containing over 168 ingredients (absorbing close to 4 and a half pounds of toxic chemicals a year)...

A man goes through 6 products with 85 ingredients...

A child is exposed to 5 products with 61 ingredients...

Whilst a teenage girl is exposed to a whopping 17 products with over 230 ingredients, every day...

Most of which are untested, unsafe, and scientifically and clinically unproven.

--

That's why it's important we pay close attention to what we put on our bodies just as much as what we put in our bodies, because, well... Not all products are created equal.

Enter today's guest: Nadine Artemis.

Nadine and her husband Rob run Living Libations, which is one of the premiere natural body care companies on the market.

Nadine's cosmetic creations exceed the recommendations for the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices; use clear legitimate labeling; offer the highest quality oils and natural ingredients; are globally responsible; and never tested on animals.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• How Nadine created Living Libations in a tiny kitchen while in university,
• Why you should immediately throw away your crystal salt deodorant and never, ever use it again,
• How Nadine suggests we take care of our teeth and gums using holistic dental practices, and...
• Much, much more.

Episode Breakdown

• Nadine explains how she entered the world of natural health and body care while studying in university 

• Why Nadine says she hasn't touched processed food in 23 years

• James murders a Jack LaLanne quote about eating cake

• Nadine touches on the topic of self-directed learning and why the traditional education system fails so many

• Why Nadine was so fascinated with 18th century Europe and their knowledge of natural body care

• How Nadine's nose and pineal gland led her to discover faux oils and perfumes from other leading manufacturers in the cosmetic space

• Why most of the essential oils are produced for the food, flavor, and fragrance industries

• Why one drop of oil can have over 300 natural constituents and cannot be reproduced in a lab

• How Nadine started Living Libations in the kitchen of a tiny cottage

• How one of Nadine’s first products helped her friends who waitressed with these...

• Two elements James took from Nadine's body care practice as well as something he could have done better

• Why you should immediately throw away your crystal salt deodorant and never, ever use it again

• How Nadine suggests we take care of our teeth and gums using holistic dental practices (hint: stop, seal, and seed)

• And much, much more...

Guys, listen up...

About every two weeks, another language dies. Or, perhaps, a dialect. There are over 231 completely extinct languages and 2,400 of the world’s languages are considered to be in danger of dying out.

That's why today's guest—Willem Larsen of the College of Mythic Cartography—joins me on the Season 2 Premiere of Ancestral Health Radio.

Willem shares ways at how to look at story and language from an indigenous people perspective and how, if we wish to be heard in today's culture, the types of stories we need to build for ourselves.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• How story enriches and illuminates our land,

• The error of identity and the impact language can have on our perception of self,

• How American Sign Language can help you become a better tracker and storyteller, and...

• Much, much more...  

Episode Breakdown

• Willem shares the origins of his tracking career, 10 years prior to the College of Mythic Cartography

• How two authors challenged Willem to question his perspective about ecology and our place within it

• Willem's personal opinion of a well-known and controversial figure in the world of tracking

• Fact telling versus storytelling

• Willem shares the esoteric meaning behind the language of The College of Mythic Cartography

• Myths as holograms and the replication crisis

• Hunter-gatherer legal systems and the observation of currency as a tool for modern organization

• Willems tells us how story fundamentally illuminates and enriches our land

• Why Willem says many indigenous people are "forced" to speak in story

• Why Willem says maps are useful to the extent to which they leave things out

• Willem explains what the error of identity is and briefly touches on what some people might consider "religious" verbs

• What is English-Prime (or E-Prime) and why does Willem encourage us to play with this style of writing?

• The opposite of "to be" in indigenous languages is _____.

• Willem speaks about the robustness of American Sign Language and how ASL can help you become a better tracker and storyteller

• What Willem says the very first thing we can do if we want to hear our stories get heard

• Willem's newest project has to deal with how we view scientific culture but through an animistic lens

• Why Willem says there are more demands for heroes and heroines now than ever before

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Well...

Leaky Gut Syndrome, or intestinal hyperpermeability, is where the small gaps in your intestinal wall -- or “tight junctions” -- become loose due to pro-inflammatory foods and stressors.

These loose intestinal walls can then lead to inflammation that can affect the whole body by allowing harmful bacteria and toxins to directly enter your bloodstream.

Many health experts are now saying that inflammation may be the root cause to many of today’s chronic health diseases. Some of these diseases include--but are not limited to--diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and even cancer.

I’m not trying to scare you guys, but I am trying to get the point across that taking care of your health is much more than eating whole foods.

That’s why I’m honored to have Dr. David Perlmutter on episode #20 of Ancestral Health Radio.

Not only do David and I talk shop about inflammation and gut permeability, we go deep into the science of how to heal this inflammation from the inside out.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn…

• The direct correlation between diabetes and dementia,

• What coconut oil, ghee, and turmeric all have in common,

• How to heal your gut using fats and prebiotic fiber, and…

• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

 iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play | SoundCloud

Episode Breakdown

• Why people are being affected by carbohydrates and grain sensitivities

• How Leaky Gut Syndrome occurs and increases inflammation in the body

• The ONE thing that causes chronic diseases (e.g.- cancer, coronary disease, and Alzheimer’s)

• What ingredient makes up 40% of the foods we eat in America

• The #1 Cause of Death in the World

• The Glamorization of Gluten-Free Foods

• How carbohydrates affect degenerative brain diseases

• The Correlation between Diabetes and Dementia

• The BEST cure for Dementia and maladaptive gene expressions

• A 1960s scare tactic used to distract you from the dangers of sugar

• What soft drink manufacturers hope you never find out about artificial sweeteners

• What you do to screw up your gut and how to fix it

• The Surprising Truth about your Sweet Tooth

• Why you should embrace cooties

• Which foods have the highest levels of prebiotic fiber

• Why Fat is important in your diet

• How genetically modified fats are affecting your genome

• The Problem with blanket statements about “high fat” diets

• Grass-fed beef vs. Most beef sold in stores

• Which vitamin is vital to heart health and brain health

• The Debate between Dr. David Perlmutter and Dr. John Douillard

• How the Mediterranean Diet is often misunderstood

• Why people who take acid-blocking drugs (e.g. – Prevacid, Nexium, etc.) should beware

• The myth sold to teens with acne

• How Autism and gut-bacteria are related

• What coconut oil, ghee, and turmeric have in common
• And many, many more...

Episode Breakdown

• The disillusionment of our culture and where Steven believes many of us begin our search

• The story and connection between Steven and his grandfather (hint: grafting)

• Steven mentions a few of his inspirations and resources from living in the woods

• Steven discusses what brought him out of the bush

• Steven talks about age and the illusion of choice

• Steven’s introduction to wild or sacred gardening and warrior-king culture

• James and Steven talk about our lack of story and participation and co-creation with the land

• How to build a secular relationship with the Earth

• Why being “green” isn’t enough

• Steven explains the reciprocal relationship between the land and animals and hunter, fisherman, or gardener and the animals and land

• James shares a resource where you can live and learn from organic farming

• Both Steven and James want you to become a craftsman (or woman!)

• Ways Steven says you can give back to the land or wild places you take from

• The problem with nuclear families and the abandonment of eldership

• How to respect the land that you steward through sacred communication

• Steven explains what he calls “industrial ruts” and how easily it is to fall into them

• Why we want to find a place and grow our roots into the ground

• Benefits and differences of maple water and why you shouldn’t buy maple water products you see on store shelves

• Why harvesting root vegetables in the spring produces more natural sugars

• Steven mentions that he healed himself of Lyme disease with herbs

• Steven’s parting words

Questions I Ask

1. “Can you open that up for us and tell give us some of your background as to kind’ve where you got to where you are today?”

2. “You grew up with some of this knowledge?”

3. “What exactly is grafting?”

4. “What exactly made you feel like you needed to be living in the woods? What type of lifestyle were you living?”

5. “Whose teachings did you latch onto in the beginning, then?”

6. “How do we start fostering a more conscious relationship with the land?”

7. “Is having a plot of land going to hold us down?”

Hey Tribe! Welcome back to part two of How to Uncage a Human with Jonathan Mead. 

I'm going to try and do a little something different with today's show...

At the end of today's show, I'm going to summarize the key points mentioned, give action steps, as well as a system to help you succeed.

However...

I'm going to demand I hear back from you -- the tribe -- on your progress the following week.

I want this progress posted in one of two places:

1. My email: james@ancestralhealthradio.com, or...
2. The official Ancestral Health Radio (AHR) Facebook page.

This is part two of How to Uncage a Human.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• The many pitfalls with over-specialization and perfectionism in your movement and lifestyle practice,
• How both Jonathan and I are approaching our businesses and how this will affect you (the listener),
• The many different views and philosophies shared by both Jonathan and myself, and...
• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

 iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play | SoundCloud

Episode Breakdown

• Jonathan and James outline what they see for themselves and for the future of both Uncaged Human and Ancestral Health Radio

• The struggle of trying to find a middle ground between primitive and modern living

• Jonathan asks the audience to ask themselves, "What is your biggest priority?"

• Jonathan stresses the importance of setting goals and creating systems

• Both Jonathan and James's morning and evening rituals

• Why Jonathan practices something called "cloud gazing"

Guys... Today is special.

Today's guest is a dear friend of mine: Jonathan Mead of Uncaged Human.

Jonathan is a primal movement enthusiast and educator in Portland, Oregon. He and I are close friends and accountability partners.

Today's episode is special because it not only has one of my favorite movement coaches online today (Jonathan), but it also shares some of our philosophy on how and why we do what we do.

I really hope this opens some eyes and ears and allows for both Jonathan and I to connect with you on a deeper, more intimate level.

I had a really fun time recording this episode with Jonathan and I think it translated pretty well into today's show.

This is part one (of two) of How to Uncage a Human.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• The many pitfalls with over-specialization and perfectionism in your movement and lifestyle practice,
• How both Jonathan and I are approaching our businesses and how this will affect you (the listener),
• The many different views and philosophies shared by both Jonathan and myself, and...
• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

 iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play | SoundCloud

Episode Breakdown

• How Jonathan developed his passion for natural human movement

• How Jonathan got obsessed with gymnastics strength training

• How Jonathan kept injuring himself with his movement practice

• The path that led Jonathan to primal movement

• The person who changed Jonathan's perspective about nutritious human movement and biomechanics
• The problem with over-specialization and perfectionism
• Why Jonathan is focusing his movement practice on joint mobility work
• Jonathan gives examples of mobility using Jean Claud Van Damme
• Build movement intelligence with Jonathan's simple morning mobility routine
• Why Jonathan and I talk about rewilding as a multi-generational approach
• Jonathan touches on why goal setting can lead to emotional distress or turmoil
• Why Jonathan says he's not moving out of the city to remove himself from harmful nnEMF
• Jonathan talks about the impact the environment has on us and the two biggest movements he believes we should all be examining and working towards
• Jonathan discusses his sitting strategies
• James gives an in-depth look into the layout of his apartment (which happens to be furniture-free)
• Jonathan stresses that movement is how you move all day
• Jonathan talks on the importance of starting where you at with what you've got
• James touches on the topic of how different people are on different avenues in their ancestral health/rewilding journey
• Jonathan talks about a few of the missing links in the realm of ancestral health and rewilding
• How do we navigate living a life with purpose and autonomy while still being plugged into "the Matrix"
• Jonathan tries to answer the question: "Does biohacking have a place in rewilding?"
• Jonathan and I discuss the different variants of people who are exposed to ancestral health
• Finding the comedy and irony in working online and still finding your path
• The reasons behind why Jonathan created Uncaged Human

Did you know that approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases?  And women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected–some 30 million people–are women.

That's why on today's episode I have a special guest, Dr. Terry Wahls, author of the popular book The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine. 

She and I delve into her early childhood and the health issues that led to Terry's progressive illness, along with Terry's big "ah-ha!" moment that led to her creating the Wahls Protocol.

There is just so much in this episode, I hope you have pen and paper ready.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• Why Dr. Wahls prefers ketones derived from medium chain triglycerides versus dairy products;
• The problems with cesarean birth, our gut microbiome, and ketosis;
• Terry's #1 tip for optimal health, and...
• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

 iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play | SoundCloud

Episode Breakdown

• Terry shares stories of her early childhood and the health issues that led to her progressive illness

• Why Terry says she stopped reading medical material for five years 

• How a simple supplement cocktail allowed Terry to get out of bed and go to work

• What the current teaching of progressive MS is and what you'd typically expect

• Terry's radical change to eating Paleo in 2002

• Why Terry wanted to grow more muscle on her legs through electrical stimulation

• The struggles of taking a course on neuroprotection from the Institute for Functional Medicine

• Terry's big "ah-ha!" moment (10:38)

• How the University of Google helped Terry find a list of 20 foods that would then lead to what we now know as The Wahls Protocol

• How The Wahls Protocol is different than the typical paleo diet

• Why its important to shift our environment into a habitat that's more closely aligned to our hunter-gatherer kin

• Why Terry tells people to, "Think about where your ancestors came from."

• Terry reviews the history of life on our planet

• Why Dr. Wahls says our health declines as we lose the diversity of our gut microbiome

• Why Terry is more fond of the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diet rather than the dairy-based ketogenic diet

• Dr. Wahls favorite source for MCT

• Why Terry doesn't use red palm oil

• Why Terry says she only eats once a day, or, every other day

• Why those with ApoE4 gene expression do not want to use coconut oil or saturated fats (and what to use instead)

• Why Dr. Wahls prefers a diet that is higher in resistance starch and fiber

• Terry contrasts the diets of typical sugar burners versus that of a primal fat burner

• The therapeutic use of ketogenic diets in the early 1900's

• Why Dr. Wahls says you should consume ketone bodies from MCT rather than from dairy

• Why Terry says if you're wanting to become a mom or dad, why you may not want to be in ketosis

• What is "metabolic flexibility?"

• What might happen if Dr. Wahls were to eat even a small amount of bread or dairy

• Why Dr. Wahls practices cold thermogenesis and spends time in the sauna

• The types of movement Terry likes to engage with

• The differences between being born vaginally versus being born via c-section

• Issues with going low-carb high-fat

• Why Terry is confident that the MCT oil-based keto diet is less stressful than the dairy-based keto diet

• Why Terry adds seaweed to her diet but cautions against eating too much

• James gets the personal opinion of Dr. Wahls on his own eating strategy and what that exactly looks like

• Why Terry has a goal of eating 200 different plant species a year (and why you should, too)

• Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing

• Terry gives practical tips on how to begin healing yourself of chronic autoimmune disorders with the power of whole foods

• Why Terry says that as soon as you begin to think you have the corner on the truth, you are now completely wrong.

• The one piece of advice Terry says everyone, including myself, should be doing on a consistent basis for better health

What are the "rampy-ramps" and why are they so coveted among foodies and chefs? 

Alan Bergo and I join forces on today's episode to discuss the obsession over wild leeks, mid-western matsutakes, and edible weeds. 

We also talk about how Alan grew up in Minnesota, how Alan's style of mushroom picking has evolved over the years, and how Alan jokingly says he's been supporting his local Amish children since 2013.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• How to sustainably harvest springtime ramps,
• Why you should grow an invasive weed garden,
• Two popular wild condiment recipes, and...
• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

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Episode Breakdown

• Alan talks about his first and most precious experience with wild foods early in his culinary career
• Why Alan says adding wild food to a restaurant's menu is becoming a fad
• Alan talks about his early years growing up in mid-west Minnesota
• How ForagerChef.com came to be
• How digging through David Arora's work led Alan to more research about mushrooms
• Alan gives a few suggestions on people he follows within the fungi community
• Why Alan says he wants to write an article about mushrooms and pokémon
• Alan's discovery of matsutake mushrooms in the mid-west
• Why Alan trims the stems of his mushrooms
• Alan describes the nutty situations people will put themselves into over mushroom hunting
• The difference between North American and European porcini
• Why Alan says you shouldn't eat bitter boletes 
• How Alan's style of mushroom picking has changed over time
• Alan explains what he calls "the neanderthal instinct"
• Why Alan says you really cannot over-pick mushrooms
• Why you need to do your research to be aware of your local and/or state foraging laws
• Alan explains what the "rampy-ramps" are and why chefs (at least in the mid-west) obsess over them 
• Why Alan sees over-harvesting of these wild foods as being an issue in the years to come
• Alan explains the different parts of a ramp
• How the Iroquois sustainably forage ramps
• Why Alan says he won't purchase ramps from anyone other than two people
• Why Alan plants ramps in grandma's garden patch
• What Alan says is the customer favorite ramp recipe (and you don't need to use the bulbs)
• How to make ramp ranch and ramp siracha
• Why Alan's favorite invasive species are thought of as weeds by many of Alan's farmers 
• Where Alan sees the future of food
• How Alan sources wild food for his restaurant
• The interesting and unique way Alan is sourcing spruce tips
• What Alan says is the best part of picking greens yourself
• Why Alan says picking weeds from your garden is a win-win
• Why you might see Alan and his work featured on major television networks

It might shock you to know that the clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world... second only to oil.

On today’s podcast, Denby Royal—holistic nutrition and eco-fashion consultant—joins me on another fascinating episode of Ancestral Health Radio.

Denby and I discuss why westerners commonly fail to think about their clothing's environmental and social impact on the rest of the planet, the physical and psychological pitfalls the fashion industry has on our health, followed by simple, inexpensive tips on how to make more conscious decisions when thinking about your wardrobe.

Other fun things you'll learn in today's episode are...

• How clothing affects our bodies and its many systems,
• The true cost of fast fashion,
• Denby's suggestions for buying less but buying better, and...
• Much, much more.

Subscribe on

 iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Google Play | SoundCloud

Episode Breakdown

• What is eco-fashion?

• How does clothing affect our bodies and its many different systems?

• What is sedentary clothing?

• The dysfunctional clothing women are told they need to wear and the ill-effects these restrictive garments have on their bodies

• Underwire bras and the lymphatic system

• The True Cost Documentary

• Denby breaks down what fast fashion is and the truth behind the industry’s 52 seasons of clothing

• Denby talks about auto-cravings and how they feed our instinctual need for consumption

• How much of America’s donated clothing is actually being sold?

• How many tons of America’s textile waste get shipped to third world countries?

• Denby speaks against the social injustice of one of the most—if not the most—labor dependent industries in the world

• The Rana Plaza disaster

• Denby and I discuss the heartbreaking disconnect from the people who make the everyday goods we use

• Buying less but buying better

• Denby talks about our biological need for adornment

• Monsanto’s monopoly over genetically modified cotton seeds

• The staggering suicide statistic of Punjab farmers

• Obama’s wardrobe classics

• Denby suggests being selective about the clothing you donate or sell to consignment stores

• Why Denby says a quality shirt shouldn’t be priced below $70

• Tips on how to get off-season sales on some of your favorite eco-friendly brands

• Problems with synthetic textiles and our oceans

• The benefits of natural merino wool, hemp, and bamboo fibers

• What is the hippy-eco-paradigm?

• Denby’s eco-friendly brand recommendations for building a sustainable wardrobe

• How to contact Denby in regards holistic fashion consulting and a basic rundown of what she provides as far as services

• The regional fashion in Italy

• How to ask yourself if your next purchase is replacing a negative

• Why you should feel comfortable asking brands what’s going on in their production line

• Why you should expand what your definition of local is

What is ecosystem restoration and what are some common challenges of living off-the-grid?

Tao Orion—author, teacher, and mother—shares her experience with us on today's episode of Ancestral Health Radio.

This was a fun chat, for sure. Because some day in the near future I'd like to purchase land and start a family myself.

We discuss the need for a more holistic approach to land restoration, the medicinal properties of certain invasive plant species, and what tending the wild versus plow-based agriculture looks like.

In today's episode, you'll also learn...

• Why your pastured eggs may be supplemented with grain, 
• The invasive species that can heal a common antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria,
• Questions to consider before transitioning to land or rural property of your own, and...
• Much, much more.

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Episode Breakdown

• Where Tao believes the future of restoration is going

• Why you don’t need a lot of space to grow vegetables

• Tao discusses ideas about communal or cooperative land management models for animal products

• Oregon’s land use laws

• Tao talks about the realistic challenges of animal husbandry

• Why your pastured eggs may be supplemented with grain

• Why Tao grew black soldier fly larvae

• The many different animals Tao has raised and their associated costs

• Why Tao is unsure of the sustainable management of invasive animal species

• Tao’s concerns of herbicide contamination due to Oregon’s forest practices

• Why Tao believes pesticides get more attention than herbicides

• The dangers of glyphosate

• Tao’s advice for people new to foraging or spending time in these managed outdoor areas

• The medicinal benefits of invasive species

• How to wildcraft Japanese knotweed

• The traditional use of the Brazilian peppertree

• Why Tao says it’s important we learn to read our landscape and use land use history

• How indigenous people in California used fire to clear land and reset the succession of perennial plants and grasslands

• Plow-based, annual agriculture and the domestication of the ox

• What would happen if we were to increase the worldwide organic material by 1%

• Why Tao thinks animal-based agriculture is insane

• The permaculture mindset

• Tao emphasizes the benefits of plant and animal stewardship and where she believes you should begin

• Important points and challenges to remember when deciding on a future homestead

What is EZ water? And why the heck is it important?

Dr. Gerald Pollack joins me on episode #13 of Ancestral Health Radio to discuss the many benefits of water, and, more specifically—it's fourth phase.

We also mention water quality, his newest untitled book, and how to supercharge your body with a seemingly unlimited power source... that's right beneath your feet.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• The significance of EZ (Exclusion Zone) water,
• The benefits of drinking natural spring water,
• The positive (or shall I say negative?) effects that Earthing has on the body, and...
• Much, much more.

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Episode Breakdown

• Why Dr. Pollack finds it odd that most people presume that everything there is to know about water must already be known
• Gerald discusses the four phases of water: solid, liquid, vapor, and "gel-like"
• Why Dr. Pollack wrote the book Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life
• Why Gerald finds it weird that water is seemingly irrelevant to biology and biochemistry
• Dr. Pollack shares why he says water has taken a back seat to modern medical technology
• How Gerald found himself involved with water through the study of muscle 
• Gerald's discovery of EZ (Exclusion Zone) water and its many different properties (H3O2)—specifically its structure and charge
• How EZ water grows and generates renewable energy using different spectrums of light
• Hydrophilic versus hydrophobic
• Gerald breaks down how cells and proteins use EZ water (protein folding, etc.) to help cell and organ function
• How saunas build EZ water within the body
• Are gray hairs a sign of dehydration?
• How drinking water was one doctor's only prescription for wellness
• Dr. Pollack's speculative thoughts on water quality
• Why spring water—in theory—should be good for your health
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Organic and non-organic agents that build and inhibit EZ water
• Jerry shares his experience with Earthing and its effects on EZ water
• The Institute for Venture Science
• Dr. Pollack discusses his next untitled book and a few of the topics 

Plant domestication, most scientists think, made its debut some 10,000 years ago, with grain storage cropping up about 11,000 years ago. An ancient site in Israel yielded a hearty collection of grains, which were dated to about 23,000 years ago, according to a 2004 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper. But such an early appearance of wild cereals in the human diet—as this new paper proposes—would push the assumed date of substantial grass-seed eating back more than 70,000 years. 

This first bit is taken from an article published on December 17th, 2009 by author Katherine Harmon for Scientific American, and can also be found on yesterday's (2/27/2017) post on the official Ancestral Health Radio Facebook page.

So...

If our hunter-gatherer kin were eating cereal grains, why are modern diet fads telling us to avoid them? That's what today's guest, Dr. John Douillard, breaks down and explains on this episode of Ancestral Health Radio. John argues that it's not the grains, it's your porous digestive tract. And that It's not the dairy, it's your clogged lymphatic system. 

So what're we to do?

Dr. John Douillard explains how we can heal our gut, drain our lymph, and stoke our lost metabolic fire. All with common fruits, vegetables, and spices.

On top of that, in today's episode, you'll learn...

• Why our ability to detox is directly linked to our overall health,
• The deer study and why your dietary needs change with the seasons,
• How to make your own "prebiotic slime", and...
• Much, much more.

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Episode Breakdown

• John explains what happens when you take ancient health practices (that have been time-tested for thousands of years) and back them up with modern science
• Why Dr. Douillard's intended three-month stay in India turned into an immersive year and a half study of traditional Ayurvedic medicine
• Dr. Douillard breaks down the meaning of the word "Ayurveda" and why that's important
• What is circadian medicine?
• John tells us why we may have prematurely convicted wheat
• Dr. Douillard talks about how we as a species have been gathering grains longer than we've technically been hunting wild game
• The underlying key to optimal health
• John says our ability to digest well is directly linked to our ability to detoxify well
• Do anti-nutrients act as intestinal immune stimulators?
• Why John says we need a strong digestive system
• John gives suggestions on how and where to improve your diet
• The problem with vegetable oils
• The types of bread Dr. Douillard suggests we buy
• Dr. John Douillard versus Dr. David Perlmutter (author of Grain Brain)
• James discusses what he calls "metabolic flexibility"
• Why eating with the seasons impacts your gut microbiome
• The deer study
• John's 3-season diet challenge
• The brain-drain effect and the lymphatic system's role within our body
• The three main causes of aging, according to Dr. Douillard
• What happens when you alkalize your blood
• What are static electricity clinics and why would you want to alkalize your blood?
• What happens when you predigest coconut oil?
• Why certain farmers have a hard time breaking down wheat and dairy due to a lack of microbial diversity from pesticide dust
• What is baker's asthma and why does it matter?
• Why John says you don't need to ferment your foods in the summertime
• The huge difference between nostril and mouth breathing
• Why your dietary needs change with the seasons
• What does lipophilic mean and why is it important when gaining weight?
• Whole wheat versus processed wheat
• What happens when tribal hunters don't bring home the "bacon"
• Why Amish children have the lowest cases of asthma on the planet
• Why gallbladder surgery is the #3 surgery in America
• The purpose of the gallbladder and its role in the body
• The one major cause of gallbladder disease
• How to reboot bile flow with a simple 3-ingredient juice blend
• Dr. Douillard says type-2 diabetes is not a pancreatic condition (it's this, instead)
• Why there are more fatty liver disease cases than ever before
• How to naturally stoke your digestive fire through pancreatic enzymes and bile flow
• What five spices (when consumed together) help you produce more of your own digestive juices? 
• Hunter-gatherer fiber intake versus the SAD (standard American diet) model
• How to make your own "prebiotic slime"
• How to clean and move your lymph with natural, antioxidant-rich foods
• The do's and don'ts of today's podcast

Did you know... Some of the oldest living mushroom colonies are fairy rings growing around the famous Stonehenge ruins in England? 

The rings are so large that they can best be seen from airplanes.

Crazy, right?

Well, be prepared to dive headfirst into mycology 101 with Tero Isokauppila, founder of the popular 'shroom company... FourSigmatic.com

Four Sigmatic is a superfood company founded by Tero and his group of Finnish friends. It's based on their belief that health can be vastly improved through simple dietary tweaks, and the easiest way to do this? Mushrooms, the most scientifically studied and proven superfood. Four Sigmatic wants to popularize medicinal mushrooms by incorporating them in popular products like coffee and hot cocoa.

In today's episode, you'll learn...

• Why most medicinal mushroom products in North America technically don't contain mushrooms,
• Why people on ketogenic diets shouldn't fear polysaccharides (i.e. complex sugars),
• The three tiers of mushroom identification and foraging Tero suggests we begin with, and...
• Much, much more.

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Episode Breakdown

• Tero shares the cliff notes version of his family history and how studying mushrooms led to his current passion with his company Four Sigmatic
• Why Tero says drinking mushrooms catches people off guard
• Why most medicinal mushroom products in North America technically don't contain mushrooms
• What Tero says is the most important part of consuming medicinal mushrooms
• How and why upgrading an existing ritual is easier than creating a new one
• How to "fat-hack" the bitterness from coffee
• How heat and fat can unlock the medicinal power of an unextracted mushroom
• What happens when you combine rosehips with mushrooms
• The difference between the fruiting body and mycelium of fungi
• Why people on ketogenic diets shouldn't fear polysaccharides (i.e. complex sugars)
• Tero explains the fungi circle of life
• The differences between foraging laws in the US versus Finland
• The cutthroat business of commercial mushroom foragers
• Everyman's Right in Finland
• Why Finnish people run off to rural cottages for weeks to even months at a time
• The importance of celestial events in Finnish culture and the origins of Santa Claus
• Why Finland and surrounding countries are some of the least religious countries in the world
• The difference between edible mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms
• The accident that led to Tero discovering a rare Japanese mushroom in Finland
• Where Four Sigmatic sources their "superfoods"
• Tero explains—with a clever anecdote—how adaptogenic herbs can modulate both mood and energy
• Why you should be relaxed, focused, and calm in the mornings
• The mindset that Tero sees that causes many people to panic and stop taking action
• Tero's three levels of mushroom foraging
• Special discount code for 10% off your next Four Sigmatic purchase

Is the world your dojo?

It most certainly is for today's guest — contextual movement coach — Stefano Tripney.

If the two words contextual movement throw you a bit off, no worries. Stefano explains exactly what that is and how it can apply to you and your day-to-day. 

He also shares his early experiences with coaching and a bit of the history that led him to where he is today.

Stefano blends both the disciplines and philosophies of Martial Arts and the natural movement skills of MovNat.

I've taken an excerpt directly from the MovNat website, which reads: 

MovNat is a school school of physical competence for the real-world. Our goal is to equip people with the movement skills, physiological preparedness (strength & conditioning), and mindset necessary for practical, adaptable performance – both fundamental and high level. 

So in today's episode, expect to learn:

• The proper progression dojos Stefano recommends to help avoid injury from exercise after years of sedentism, 
• Why Stefano recommends we live furniture-free lifestyles,
• And why we need to keep our mindsets "in beta",
• And much, much more... 

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Episode Breakdown

• Stefano shares his early beginnings in movement springing from his passion for watching kung-fu movies 
• Where Stefano likes to spend his alone time
• Stefano's kickstart into martial arts
• Stefano's early experiences coaching martial arts
• Why after 10 years of martial arts Stefano gave it all up to move to Italy
• What Stefano says he trains for
• The movement methodology that forever changed Stefano's coaching trajectory
• Stefano breaks down MovNat
• How Stefano addresses the many needs of his clients
• A few questions Stefano likes to ask any new client
• How becoming a "seminar junkie" affected Stefano's coaching
• How Kelly Worden connected Stefano's training philosophies 
• Why your intent with the environment that you're in can make all the difference in your movement practice
• Why discipline and immersion is so important to dropping your ego
• The broad spectrum of people that come to Stefano for training
• How a 52-year-old was a more competent mover than 20-year-olds
• How Stefano significantly motivated an autistic man's desire to move 
• James's personal experience with movement coaching
• How James injured his back at a movement workshop (2016) in San Francisco 
• Stefano's three big movement dojos
• Stefano defines what he calls Obstacle Optics
• "Movement Martial Arts"
• The critical piece or cornerstone to Stefano's training
• Going furniture-free
• The Princess Bride, iocane powder, and hormesis
• What James wants to focus his efforts on in 2017
• Why we should keep a mindset of "beta"
• Stefano's experiences of moving from a small town to the big city and then... to Europe
• Stefano's first bow-drill
• Changing "elevation for vegetation"
• Why Stefano likes being the new kid on the block
• Skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean

How long do we, as a species, have left on this planet?

It may be a lot less time than you may had previously thought, according to today's guest.

Guy McPherson, the leading authority on abrupt climate change and near-term human extinction, predicts that we, collectively, have reached the tipping point that has lead the human population careening towards the sixth great extinction of our planet.

So what're we to do?

Guy's answers range from mailing your local congressmen... to dynamiting cell phone towers—all in the name of dismantling industrial civilization, which Guy believes, is the root cause of many of our modern ills—including, but no limited to—abrupt climate change.

Love it or hate it...

In today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• Why we should take action but be unattached to the outcome,
• Why we as a species are driving ourselves towards a sixth mass extinction,
• The solutions we can take on a local level to extend our time here on Earth,
• And much, much more... 

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Episode Breakdown

• Guy gives a statement to President Trump about climate change
• Why Guy believes being unattached to an outcome is not only important but necessary
• Guy gives solid examples of self-reenforcing feedback loops
• Guy shares his perspective on why he doesn't like to attach himself to outcomes
• Why Guy believes civilization has become an omnicidal heat-engine
• Guy defines anarchy and anarchism as described by Edward Abbey
• Guy describes how conservation biologists like himself are the ones who pushed the efforts of rewilding into mainstream media
• Guy argues that the trigger for humans and civilization came when people began to "lock up the food"
• What's the difference between the leavers versus the takers?
• Guy shares his experience with living in a transition town in the wilds of New Mexico
• Guy tells us what steps we might need to take in order to live more harmoniously with the humans and nonhumans of this earth
• Why we need to escape cityscapes
• Why Guy says there are no parties that are free from environmental damage
• Why we focus on making money instead of building skills
• Guy describes what a holistic human-being is and how we've been distracted 
• Guy shares his biggest challenges when making his own transition in New Mexico
• Why modern culture can drive us away from interpersonal intimacy
• Why Guys says we're "all about the money"
• Guy observes how profoundly driven humans are for material possessions
• The sixth mass extinction
• Guy briefly explains the Great Dying
• Why Guy believes we shouldn't blame or shame anyone into taking action
• Why Guy says the sixth mass extinction is directly rooted in industrial civilization
• Why The Jason Group believes that the Earth will be a lifeless planet in the not-so-distant future
• Guy gives two examples of taking direct action against industrial civilization 
• Deep Green Resistance and Idle No More
• The best excuse in the world not to take action
• Why Guy believes there should be no "should"
• The Seventh Generation Principle

Did you know that our human cells are outnumbered 10:1 by other microbes and bacteria?

Well... Now you do. :)

And my guest today — Dan De Lion, herbalist and educator over at returntonature.us — shares his personal strategies to help realign our microbial health to it's once robust, prolific environment.

For many of us, we suffer from chronic inflammation of our intestines. Which, in many cases, can lead to more severe health issues down the line.

That's why in today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• The problem with modern sanitation practices,
• The group of herbs Dan recommends we all grow to help combat common infections,
• Dan’s favorite fermented creations that you and I can make in the comfort of our own homes,
• And much, much more... 

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Episode Breakdown 

• Dan describes his early childhood growing up in New Jersey
• Dan talks about how you can help support his latest project (a foraging herbalism roving van school)
• Why Dan says sanitation has become a problem
• Dan explains where microorganisms occupy space in and on your body
• How we’re consuming minute amounts of antibiotics through factory farming
• James shares how natural remedies helped cure a past infection
• Dan explains intestinal inflammation and the many reasons we get a porous intestinal wall
• Alternative anti-inflammatory herbs that can act like aspirin
• The effects of antibiotics on the body
• The problem with eating dry, brittle food
• How cows create protein from bacteria 
• A few of the main roles bacteria play in both our nutrition and mood
• Should they throw out biology books due to the new science of the microbiome?
• The pancreas and appendix’s role in mediating bacteria
• The problem with isolated bacterial strains 
• The importance of synergy in herbalism
• How Dan might help someone with a staph infection
• The importance of officinalis herbs
• Preventative health care versus acute condition health care
• The differences between teas, infusions, decoctions, tinctures, salves, and balms
• How the FDA regulates herbalism
• Maintenance dosing versus heroic dosing
• How the vagus nerve impacts our enteric nervous system
• How we need to change our perception of the communication within our bodies
• Neural tissue in unexpected areas
• What Dan says about people going to the store to buy Activia
• The benefits and drawbacks of pasteurization 
• The benefits of making homemade yogurt on your countertop 
• Commercial versus homemade fermentations
• How Dan makes a few of his favorite fermentations
• What to look out for when making your own fermentations
• Conscious omnivory 
• Why Dan says you should splurge on buying healthy foods rather than procrastinate until it’s too late

How many pushups can you do on a single breath?

My guest today, Scott Carney, best-selling author of the newly released book What Doesn't Kill Us could only do 20 pushups before his training with Wim "The Iceman" Hof.

During this time, Scott learned to control his body temperature and seek out the knowledge that was key to unlocking his body's hidden potential.

Since then, Scott has trained with elite athletes, competed in the world's most notorious cold-weather obstacle course race, and summited Gilman's Point on Mount Kilimanjaro... in nothing but a pair of shorts.  

In today's episode I talk with Scott as he shares how freezing water, extreme altitude, and environmental conditioning can renew our lost evolutionary strength.

In today's episode you'll learn: 

• How Scott lost seven pounds in seven days,
• The quickest and safest way to build what Scott calls "The Wedge",
• Scott's personal 15-minute breathing routine, and...
• Much, much more.

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Episode Breakdown

• How to correctly pronounce Wim :)
• Scott’s previous history as an investigative journalist
• How people can lose touch with reality in pursuit of spiritual goals
• Westerner’s lure to perform miracles and how they’re ingrained in our childhoods
• Scott’s concerns about Wim’s initial claims of superhuman performance
• Scott’s first thoughts and experience of Wim after being commissioned by Playboy Magazine
• The simple, almost immediate trick to stop yourself from shivering
• How Scott lost seven pounds in seven days
• Scott shares a few of Wim’s larger-than-life claims
• Why Scott believes Wim’s method has positive effects on autoimmune disease
• The brief story of Hans Spaans and the Wim Hof Method
• Scott describes how homeostasis has negatively impacted us as a species
• Evolutionary Mismatch Disease
• How fire may have shaped human physiology
• How Scott outsources his natural pathfinding ability
• How Tinder is possibly destroying our ability to create deep bonds and long-term relationships
• How Lt. James Cook and his Polynesian navigator—Tupaia—mapped the Pacific seas near New Zealand and Australia
• Di lep and wave-piloting
• How humans have been using the cold to develop environmental robustness
• Scott shares an old quote from the Journal of American Medical Association in 1914
• Scott explains the purpose of brown adipose tissue (or BAT) and why it’s important
• Scott’s first experience with Laird Hamilton and XPT (or Extreme Pool Training)
• The November Project
• Scott explains the evolutionary purpose of vasoconstriction
• Archimedes Banya
• What Scott calls "The Wedge"
• Why Scott says you shouldn't use Wim's breathing techniques in water
• Scott shares his 15-minute breathing routine
• Why it’s easier to pass out with full lungs
• Scott’s experience running the most notorious cold-weather obstacle course race in the world
• Success at Gilman’s Point
• Rapid-fire listener questions