Staying Well: 2. Lard
Dr. Royal Lee wrote the following in 1933, on Vitamins and Resistance to Infections: “The ability of the human body to resist the invasion of its tissues by micro-organisms is dependent upon a number of factors. But probably the best way to ensure the highest degree of resistance for any given individual is to see that his (or her) dietary intake of vitamins is amply high.” Vitamins from FOOD. Not synthetic vitamins made in labs. (For more on this, see Dr. Richard P. Murray, DC, “Natural vs. Synthetic, Life vs. Death, Truth vs. The Lie”
Given the above, let’s take a look at the next traditional food to include in your diet in order to provide the body what it needs to stay well-now and into the future. Note: if you do not include pork in your diet for religious or other reasons, stay tuned for the other 4 things you can include in your diet! (And use coconut oil, of course!)
2. Lard
Lard, or pork fat, is the next food to include in your diet. This will provide many good things for your body, but there are two that I would like to present here: the healthy saturated fatty acid content and important natural vitamin D.
As you all know, saturated fats are critical to the health of the human body for so many reasons, from major organs right down to the cellular level, where they help to maintain the integrity of the cell membrane. (Pretty important, I would say.) Saturated fats provide the building blocks of so many important chemical reactions in the body: they are integral to your sex hormones, stress hormones, and prostaglandins (hormones that act within the cells.) Your brain, kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs all require saturated fat to function well[M1] .
Why am I going on about saturated fat (specifically lard) here in regards to staying well through this virus? For obvious reasons, we will focus on the function of the lungs. The lung surface is covered with a fluid (aka “surfactant”) that is 100% saturated. Lungs cannot work without adequate saturated fat in the diet.
Lard that comes from pigs who have lived outside in the sunshine will be also be high in natural vitamin D. Why is this important? Because natural vitamin D that comes from food sources increases resistance to infections and is necessary for normal respiratory function[M2] . And that’s what we need right now. We’ll talk more about the synergistic relationship between vitamin D and vitamin A when we get to cod liver oil.
How much is enough to stay well? For children, start with 1 teaspoon a day. For adults, 1 tablespoon per day at a minimum.
How best to consume lard?
Lard that is from pastured pigs should be odorless and tasteless. You can use it stirred into your tea, coffee (see more about coffee in 1. Coconut Oil) , cup of broth or stock, etc. Stir it into your soup or stew before you eat it. Bake some delicious pies (lard was used in piecrust for years before hydrogenated fats-e.g. Crisco-entered our diets) or use 1:1 to replace any other fat you use for cooking.
For more information about lard and vitamin D, see my article: https://www.seleneriverpress.com/vitamin-d-deficient-america-eat-lard/
Want to render your own lard from pork fat? https://simplybeingwell.com/simply-being-well/2011/12/05/lets-make-lard
Want to purchase lard*?
Renderings Gold Label Leaf Lard
Don’t eat pork? Try beef tallow instead. It is another beneficial saturated fat.*
Ancestral Supplements Beef Tallow
Here are some more resources for you:
Tom Cowan, MD, The Fourfold Path to Healing*
Mary Enig, PhD, Know Your Fats, The Complete Primer to Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol*
Mary Enig, PhD and Sally Fallon, Eat Fat, Lose Fat, The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats*
Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions*
Royal Lee, DDS, Conversations in Nutrition
Royal Lee, DDS, Vitamin News, Part of the Royal Lee Library Series
[M1]For more information about the health benefits of saturated fat specific to cardiovascular function, see Put Your Heart in Your Mouth, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
[M2]Vitamin News, p.142, International Foundation for Nutrition and Health. See also p.165 for bibliography of sources.
* affiliate link.