Dr. Autumn Smith On Healing Naturally, Eating Well, & What Actually Matters In Your Food

What It Covers

Autumn Smith, cofounder of Paleo Valley and Wild Pastures, breaks down how to identify high-quality meat, decode misleading food labels, and use whole-food nutrition — specifically organ meats, glycine from bone broth, and fermented foods — to reduce chronic inflammation and correct widespread micronutrient deficiencies.

Key Questions Answered

• •Meat Label Literacy: Four companies control 85% of the U.S. beef market, and 90% of grocery store meat is factory-farmed regardless of warm-sounding labels. "Grass-fed" does not guarantee grass-finished or antibiotic-free. "Pasture-raised" has no regulated definition. To find genuinely clean meat, ask a butcher directly about sourcing and preparation methods.
• •Organ Meat Nutrient Density: Liver ranks as the most nutrient-dense food on the planet based on researcher Dr. Ty Beal's analysis of nutrients most people are deficient in — B12, vitamin A, iron, zinc, and copper. A three-to-four ounce serving two to three times per week delivers these in bioavailable form; capsule supplements are a viable alternative.
• •Glycine Deficiency and Inflammation: Researcher Dr. Joel Brint identifies an eight-to-ten gram daily glycine shortfall in most adults. Glycine stabilizes immune cells called macrophages, preventing excessive inflammatory responses linked to nearly every chronic condition. Reaching eight grams daily through bone broth, gelatin, collagen, or slow-cooked collagenous cuts like oxtail can meaningfully reduce systemic inflammation.
• •Protein Powder Red Flags: Chocolate-flavored and plant-based protein powders consistently test highest for heavy metals according to Consumer Labs data. Additional red flags include sucralose, artificial additives, non-grass-fed sourcing, and solvent-based processing. Verify any powder through third-party testing, confirm 100% grass-fed and grass-finished sourcing, and prioritize water-based agglomeration processing over spray-drying.
• •30-30-30-10 Protein Framework: Hitting 100 grams of protein daily becomes manageable by targeting 30 grams per meal across three meals — three eggs plus turkey sausage at breakfast, five to six ounces of steak at lunch, five to six ounces of salmon at dinner — then adding two meat sticks as a 10-gram snack. Eating protein first at each meal reduces appetite for lower-quality fillers.