Mrs. Adler was diagnosed with anemia during her second pregnancy. By a stroke of luck, she discovered traditional dietary practices and started cooking for herself. Since changing her eating habits, she noticed a significant improvement in her health.
“From waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, I have always had abundant energy, clear mind, sharp thinking, and a body full of vitality. I feel a strong drive to not only pursue more goals in life but also to create a better future for my children,” the full-time mom said in an interview with The Epoch Times.
Growing up in a family where home cooking was central, Mrs. Adler’s interest shifted to various dieting methods after she went to college.
During this time, she experimented with vegan and plant-based diets, consuming a lot of diet protein bars and coffee.
Mrs. Adler and her family currently reside in San Diego, where she is a mother to three children. She said, “I never really connected food with health before and didn’t pay much attention to my health.”
Although she hadn’t encountered major health issues, she was troubled by skin problems, severe menstrual pain, and fatigue.
In 2018, when pregnant with her second child, Olympia, Mrs. Adler was diagnosed with severe anemia. This came as a surprise to her as she had been consuming fish and high-quality prenatal vitamins consistently.
Upon the midwife’s recommendation, she started consuming beef liver.
“Though the taste wasn’t great, I knew it was necessary,” she said. “After a few months, the blood test results showed that my anemia had healed.”
Following these experiences, Mrs. Adler began researching the theories of Dr. Weston A. Price. Dr. Price, a dentist in the early 20th century, traveled the world studying people living traditionally and believed their good health stemmed from following traditional dietary practices.
Now, as a supporter of traditional dietary practices, Mrs. Adler finds inspiration from Dr. Price’s research.
“Traditional dietary practices mainly involve whole, unprocessed foods,” Mrs. Adler explained. “This diet includes rich animal proteins sourced from grass-fed meats, poultry, eggs, full-fat dairy products.”
After adopting this eating style, Mrs. Adler mentioned positive changes such as reduced depression and emotional fluctuations, optimized brain function, strengthened immunity for herself and her family, leading to fewer illnesses and quicker recovery when feeling unwell.
“I feel this dietary approach has broadened my horizons and deepened our understanding of our food,” she said.
Mrs. Adler admitted that adopting the traditional dietary practices was not easy at first.
“I couldn’t find suitable recipes, spent a lot of time experimenting with various recipes to find dishes that suited our tastes,” she expressed.
To cook up delicious meals successfully, early attempts included ingredient substitution, adjusting portions, and cooking times.
Being married to a food enthusiast, 40-year-old Eric Adler, who runs a chain of restaurants called Puesto and Marisi, Mrs. Adler set high standards for her cooking skills.
“I had to find a way to make these unhealthy meals both nutritious and delicious, yet healthy,” Mrs. Adler said.
She successfully transformed these meals, such as homemade tortillas, slow-cooked meats, and homemade sauerkraut.
She noted that starting from scratch in cooking doesn’t have to take up much time. Family dinners can be simple, like baking chicken with herbs gradually in the oven, paired with a simple garden salad.
She said, simple dishes made with quality ingredients are “nutrient-rich and delicious, very satisfying”.
Mrs. Adler pointed out, “Many people think this is a high-end diet and lifestyle, but it’s not.”
There are many cost-saving practices in traditional dietary practices, such as homemade bone broth, and bread.
The Adlers have a quarter-acre home where they grow various fruits and vegetables like peas, eggplant, tomatoes, fruit trees, allowing them to be self-sufficient in many ingredients.
All dairy products they purchase are unprocessed from a local store in San Diego, while meats and eggs come from their backyard or family farms in Ohio.
Their pantry is filled with unprocessed ingredients such as legumes, grains, sometimes canned wild salmon, instead of snacks.
Baking in the Adler household has its flair. Her children—2-year-old Aston, 5-year-old Olympia, and 8-year-old Arabella—are little helpers, often grinding grains with a mill and collecting fresh eggs from their backyard chickens.
After Mrs. Adler shared her cooking journey from scratch on her website and social media, she started receiving inquiries from many interested individuals. In answering these questions, she decided to start the Nourishing Kitchen Masterclass to guide women on how to cook from scratch.
Mrs. Adler mentioned that many people have seen improvements in their health after following her advice. Despite encountering some negative feedback, she chooses to focus on positive feedback and supporting others.
“I know what I’m doing is very valuable, and I won’t let negativity hinder me or slow me down,” Mrs. Adler said, having persisted in traditional dietary practices for about seven years.
For those interested in traditional dietary practices, Mrs. Adler advises trying a new recipe each week, avoiding highly processed fast food products, and stocking up on nutrient-rich ingredients.
“Cherish your family and your health, and of course, the food you put on the table because without good health, we have nothing,” she said.