106. Soil Health and Your Health: Pat Miletich on What Your Food Was Grown In

If our food isn't "full power," will we feel full power? In this conversation, Kate talks with Pat Miletich, a UFC champion, martial arts coach, and Hall of Famer whose life mission is now soil health. Pat shares how a childhood of respiratory illness set him on a lifelong search for answers, and how that search led from human performance to the soil that grows our food and our herbal medicines. Kate and Pat explore why they see soil as a living ecosystem, how they see the diversity of microbes in soil mirroring the microbiome in our gut, and why Pat believes mineral diversity in soil matters for the plants, animals, and people who depend on it. They talk about what organic and regenerative labels may leave out, what to ask the grower at your farmers market, and what you can do whether you have a backyard, a tiny plot, or no garden at all.

What We Cover

Why Kate keeps coming back to the soil, and how it connects to Ayurveda's "you are what you eat" Pat's journey from childhood illness to UFC champion to soil advocate What soil health actually means: minerals, microorganisms, and the web of relationships beneath your food How Pat compares soil biology and the human microbiome Weeds and medicinal herbs as signals of what the soil is missing Why the questions "organic?" and "regenerative?" may not be the whole story Grounding and walking barefoot: why Pat says to know your soil first Starting or renewing a backyard garden, including small plots Why Pat says flavor is a clue to nutrient density Planting a food forest of berries and fruit trees instead of purely ornamentals What to do if you don't grow your own food The farmers market question: "What was used to grow this?" Prana, vitality, and stewardship of the land Rapid-fire questions: morning prayer, first drink of the day, and a very non-standard wind-down

Take-Home Practices

Ask your grower how the food was grown: herbicides, fungicides, synthetic NPK fertilizer, or truly organic If you have any space at all, plant edibles (berries, fruit trees, bushes) in place of purely ornamental plants If you practice grounding, learn what is in the soil you're standing on Notice flavor. Pat says real nutrient density tastes like something. Visit soilsaviors.org to explore Pat's Art and Science of Soil course.

About Pat Miletich Pat Miletich is a UFC champion, martial arts coach, and Hall of Famer who grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa. Following a childhood shaped by respiratory illness, he spent decades researching health, performance, and nutrition. Today his mission is soil health: regenerating the soil that grows our food and our herbal medicines. Links

Soil Saviors: soilsaviors.org Cell Saviors: cellsaviors.org

Health Disclaimer: The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine. Connect with Kate: https://www.healwithkate.orgCulinary Training in Indiahttps://ayurvedicliving.institute/ayurvedic-culinary-nutrition-trainingFall Cleansehttps://ayurvedicliving.institute/kitchari-cleanse-ayurveda-fall Ayurvedic Living Institute Membership: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/membership Women's Health Collection: https://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/collections/womens-healthhttps://courses.ayurvedicliving.institute/products/courses/copy-of-fall-community-cleanse-2024Panchakarma in India: https://ayurvedicliving.institute/panchakarma-in-indiaThanks to our Sponsors: Banyan Botanicalshttps://alnk.to/eOQb34qTriphala Support:https://alnk.to/bPhiKjx