till others say your diet should be based on blood type or ethnic background. Others claim you need a low-calorie diet based on artificial sweeteners and fake fats. One expert will say one thing while another will say the opposite. Who do you believe? Which one is right? How do you tell? There is a way.

The secret to recognizing the difference between a healthy and unhealthy diet was revealed back in the 1930’s. A dentist by the name of Dr. Weston A. Price observed that early in his career very few of his patients were troubled by cavities and dental disease. As time progressed, however, more and more people were developing dental problems. Degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes were also on the rise. At this same time, a revolution in food processing was in progress. Packaged and convenience foods were taking the place of fresh foods that once dominated the market place. Dr. Price wondered if there was a connection between these modern foods and the changes that were occurring in people's health.

To answer this question Dr. Price embarked on a 10-year study that took him around the world. He began his study in the early 1930’s. Dr. Price traveled to Canada, Alaska, Australia, South America, Africa, Europe, and the islands of the Pacific to study the diets and health of the people.

Back then many of these people were still living on traditional foods just like their ancestors had done for thousands of years. He was able to compare people of the same ethnic and genetic backgrounds, but who had different dietary habits. What he found was remarkable. Those people who lived on traditional diets, without any modern foods, had excellent dental health and were relatively free of degenerative diseases that were common in the U.S. These people didn't have access to dentists or doctors and didn't brush their teeth, but they were free of cavities and other dental problems.

In contrast, he found that when these people began eating modern foods such as white bread, sugar and sweets, processed meats, and vegetable oils their health declined. Those people who ate modern foods had tooth decay, dental disease, and degenerative diseases just like those in the U.S. Dr. Price studied dozens of different cultures from around the world and in every single case it was the same. Where the people ate traditional foods they were relatively free from the so-called diseases of modern civilization. When they began to adopt modern foods they started to develop health problems. He found no exceptions to this observation.

His conclusion, and the secret to good health, was that modern food processing has produced foods lacking in essential nutrients and contaminated with harmful additives that leads to poor health and increases susceptibility to disease. These foods include sugar, soda pop, hot dogs, chips, donuts, candy, white bread, pasteurized and homogenized milk, processed vegetable oils, canned foods, etc.

In order to avoid the diseases of modern civilization, a person must eat wholesome traditional foods such as whole wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh whole meats and eggs, and raw or cultured dairy like yogurt, kefir, and cheese.