We are living among an addicted population of compulsive eaters, creating allergic and sickly individuals. Eat and live like
most Americans and you will eventually suffer from an assortment of ailments—like most Americans.
Good health is not merely the absence of disease. Good health assumes protection from disease in the future and can be predicted
only by a healthy lifestyle and diet. You cannot buy your health; you must earn it through healthy living. Visiting physicians,
acupuncturists, chiropractors, homeopaths, naturopaths, osteopaths, and other health providers cannot make you healthy. You
can receive symptomatic relief for your condition, but treatments do not make you healthy.
For most people, illness means putting their fate in the hands of doctors and complying with their recommendations—recommendations
that typically involve taking drugs for the rest of their lives while they watch their health gradually deteriorate. People
are completely unaware that most illnesses are self-induced and can be reversed with aggressive nutritional methods.
Both patients and physicians act as though everyone’s medical problems are genetic or assumed to be the normal consequence
of aging. They believe that chronic illness is just what we all must expect. Unfortunately, the medical-pharmaceutical business
has encouraged people to believe that health problems are hereditary and that we need to swallow poisons to defeat our genes.
This is almost always untrue. We all have genetic weaknesses, but those weaknesses never get a chance to express themselves
until we abuse our body with many, many years of mistreatment. Never forget, 99 percent of your genes are programmed to keep
you healthy. The problem is that we never let them do their job.
My clinical experience over the past twenty years has shown me that almost all the major illnesses that plague Americans are
reversible with aggressive nutritional changes designed to undo the damage caused by years of eating a disease-causing diet.
The so-called balanced diet that most Americans eat causes the diseases Americans get.
These conditions, and many others, can be effectively prevented or treated through superior nutrition. As their medical problems
gradually melt away, patients can be slowly weaned off the medications they have been prescribed.
Food Is the Cure
Patients are told that food has nothing to do with the diseases they develop. Dermatologists insist that food has nothing
to do with acne, rheumatologists insist that food has nothing to do with rheumatoid arthritis, and gastroenterologists insist
that food has nothing to do with irritable and inflammatory bowel disease. Even cardiologists have been resistant to accept
the accumulating evidence that atherosclerosis is entirely avoidable. Most of them still believe that coronary artery disease
and angina require the invasive treatment of surgery and are not reversible with nutritional intervention. Most physicians
have no experience in treating disease naturally with nutritional excellence, and some uninformed physicians are convinced
it is not possible.
Not only are common disorders such as asthma associated with increased body weight and our disease-causing diet, but in my experience these diseases are also curable with superior nutrition in the majority of cases.1 Asthma is an example of a disease considered irreversible that I regularly watch resolve with better nutrition.
My patients routinely make a complete and predictable recovery from these illnesses, predominantly through aggressive dietary changes. I am always delighted to meet new patients
who are ready to take responsibility for their own health and well-being.
You can watch a new you being made by the wisdom of your body, and this new you will result in all your systems and organs,
including your brain, functioning better. Depression, fatigue, anxiety, and allergies are also related to our improper diet.
The brain and immune system are able to withstand stress better when our body is properly nourished.
I am neither a research scientist nor a writer by profession. I am a practicing physician who sees at least five thousand
patients a year. I work with these patients, educating them and motivating them to do more than others have asked them to
do. The results I see with my patients are thrilling. Diseases that are considered irreversible I see reversed on a daily basis.
Predictable Disease Reversal Is the Rule, Not the Exception
The overwhelming majority of my patients with high blood pressure are able to normalize their readings and eventually go off
their medication. The majority of my patients with angina can end their symptoms of coronary artery disease in the first few
months on the diet I prescribe. Most of the rest make a recovery, but it takes longer. The point is, they do recover.
More than 90 percent of my Type II diabetics are able to discontinue their insulin within the first month. More than 80 percent
of my chronic headache and migraine sufferers recover without medication, after years of looking for relief with various physicians,
including headache specialists.
Some people, especially other physicians, may be skeptical. There are so many exaggerated and false claims made in the health
field, especially by those selling so-called natural remedies. Nevertheless, it is wrong to underestimate the results obtainable
through appropriate but rigorous nutritional intervention. Even many of my patients with autoimmune illnesses (such as lupus,
rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and hyperthyroidism) are able to recover and throw away their medications. The results are so
spectacular that I am subjected to skepticism and even periodic expressions of anger from other physicians.
When one of my patients who had a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis went back to her previous physician, a rheumatologist,
and told him she was now well and did not require any medication, he replied, “It must just be that you are resting more.”
She said, “I’m not resting more. In fact, I am more active than ever because my pain is gone, and I stopped the drugs.” He
replied, “It’s just a temporary remission; you’ll be back soon with another crisis.” She never went back.
On the positive side, more and more physicians are becoming interested in nutritional intervention. Such care is clearly more
cost-effective than traditional interventions, reduces health-care expenditures, and saves lives. Nothing is more emotionally
rewarding for a physician than to watch patients actually get better. How can this not catch on?
An American Has an Avoidable Heart Attack Every 30 Seconds
Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, accounting for more than 40 percent of all deaths. Each year
approximately 1.25 million Americans suffer a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI); more than 400,000 of them die as
a result.2 Most of these deaths occur soon after the onset of symptoms and well before victims are admitted to a hospital.
Every single one of those heart attacks is a terrible tragedy, as it could have been avoided. So many people die needlessly
because of wrong, weak, and practically worthless information from the government, physicians, dietitians, and even health authorities
such as the American Heart Association. Conventional guidelines are simply insufficient to offer real protection against heart
disease.
If you are an American over the age of forty, your chance of having atherosclerosis (hardening) of your blood vessels is over
95 percent. You may think, “Heart disease won’t happen to me!” But I have news for you: it has already happened, and your
chance of dying from a heart attack because of your atherosclerosis is about 40 percent. Your exercise program and your Americanized
low-fat diet won’t help you much, either. You need to do more.
American Heart Association Recommendations Are Dangerous
The typical dietary advice, represented by the American Heart Association’s guidelines, is still a dangerous diet. It is not
likely to protect you from having a heart attack and does not allow heart disease to reverse itself. Moderation kills. The
fact is that such dietary advice still allows heart disease to advance in the overwhelming majority of patients.
Just to highlight a small difference between the American Heart Association guidelines and my recommendations: my diets have
less than 300 mg of cholesterol per week! More than a dozen studies have demonstrated that the majority of patients with coronary artery disease who follow an American
Heart Association Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet have their condition worsen.6 No study has ever shown that the patients who follow an American Heart Association diet can reverse or stop the worsening
of coronary artery disease.
In contrast, numerous studies have documented that heart disease is reversible for the majority of patients following a vegetarian
diet.7 Most often these diets, such as the Ornish program, are not even optimal diets, as they do not sufficiently limit processed
grains, salt, and other low-nutrient-density processed foods. Nevertheless, they are still effective for most patients.
The medical literature continues to refer to the diet recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program as “low-fat.” By worldwide standards it should be called a high-fat diet, but more important, it should be called a low-nutrient-density
diet—one with a dangerously low level of plant-derived nutrients. As a result of following this almost worthless advice, heart
disease patients usually eat a diet that derives over 80 percent of its calories from processed foods and animal products.
No matter how poorly they eat most patients claim that they are already on a healthful diet. They believe that eating a chicken-and-pasta-based
diet is in some way healthy merely because they eat less red meat. Yet chicken is almost as dangerous for the heart as red
meat; switching from red meat to white meat does not lower cholesterol.8 Such conventional diets simply do not lower cholesterol sufficiently and do not contain adequate heart-protective factors
such as fiber, antioxidants, folate, bioflavonoids, and other phytochemicals.
Another real problem with these so-called low-fat diets is that they are often low in fiber and phytochemical-rich vegetation
and may not be carefully designed to include enough of the cardioprotective fats. For example, multiple studies have shown
the protective effects of consuming walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A study of 34,192 California Seventh-Day
Adventists showed a 31 percent reduction in the lifetime risk of ischemic heart disease in those who consumed raw nuts frequently.9 Numerous further studies have confirmed the significant role that walnuts, and nuts overall, play in protection against heart
disease.10 The ideal diet for heart disease reversal, then, is almost free of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol; rich in nutrients
and fiber; and low in calories, to achieve thinness. However, it should contain sufficient essential fatty acids, so it is
important to add a small amount of nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and flaxseeds.11
Dramatically Lower Your “Bad” Cholesterol without Drugs
Some studies published in the past have concluded that dietary changes alone are insufficient to alter plasma lipid levels.12 The message reported in both the lay and medical media is that low-fat diets don’t work. This reinforces the concept that there
is not much we can do to alter our genetics, except maybe take drugs. Sadly, the diets offered by nutritional authorities
are not aggressive enough to offer true protection or to expect predictable recovery in patients with heart disease. These
so-called heart-healthy diets are not anything like my dietary recommendations.
The concern that some medical authorities have regarding “low-fat” diets is that these diets may lower your HDL and raise
your triglycerides.13 This is true. Lowering fat intake is not the principal step necessary to achieve a cardioprotective diet. It is not sufficient
merely to lower your fat intake. If all you do is cut back on fat, you may see little benefit and possibly raise your triglycerides.
However, triglyceride levels increase on low-fat diets only when the diets are high in refined foods, low in fiber, and unsuccessful in weight reduction.14 My observations have been corroborated by other studies.15 Researchers have compared a high-vegetable-and-fruit diet (like the one recommended in this book) with a grain-based, low-fat
diet. Study participants who ate the high-vegetable-and-fruit diet experienced a 33 percent drop in their bad cholesterol
(LDL)—a reduction that is greater than that achieved with most cholesterol-lowering drugs.16 This reduction is dramatically greater than for subjects eating a grain-rich Mediterranean diet or the modern low-fat diet
recommended by the American Heart Association.
I rarely ever see triglycerides rise when patients are placed on my nutrient-dense, high-fiber, low-fat diet. For 95 percent
of patients, triglycerides drop dramatically. This is also because my patients do not overeat; they lose weight because they
feel satisfied from all the fiber in the natural foods and because the diet has such a high nutrient-per-calorie density.
We watch the triglyceride problem melt away as they lose the unwanted pounds; triglycerides drop precipitously with weight
loss.
The conclusion of the nutrition committee of the American Heart Association is something we all agree on:
There is overwhelming evidence that reduction in saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and weight offer the most effective dietary
strategies for reducing total cholesterol, LDL-C levels, and cardiovascular risk. Decreases in saturated fat should come at
the expense of total fat because there is no biological requirement for saturated fat.17
So the main difference between my recommendations and those of the American Heart Association is that I adhere more rigorously
to these conclusions than they do. You must do what is necessary to achieve the results desired. If you water down the recommendations
to make them more politically or socially acceptable, you sell out the people who want real help and are willing to do what
is necessary to protect themselves. An example of the results possible with such aggressive dietary intervention is the patient
above.
The results I see with my patients are consistently more spectacular than with other dietary interventions because my advice
is generally more rigorous and takes into account the nutrient-per-calorie density of foods to devise a plant-based diet that
is maximally effective.
Some studies from other parts of the world also show fairly impressive results utilizing what they call “anti-atherogenic”
vegetarian diets, as illustrated by a Russian study where all types of lipid abnormalities were found to improve significantly.18
Heart Attack Counterattack
Two things are necessary to predictably reverse heart disease: one is to become thin and superbly nourished, and the other
is to get your LDL below 100. Reversal of heart disease then occurs. If one expects to diminish atherosclerotic plaque over
time and stabilize the plaque so the chance of having a heart attack significantly decreases, I insist that he or she must
strive to achieve the following parameters of normalcy:
-
The patient must achieve a normal weight or become thin (less than one inch of abdominal fat in women, and less than three-quarters
of an inch in men), or be in the process of steadily losing weight toward this goal.
-
The patient must achieve normal cholesterol. My definition of normal is an LDL cholesterol below 100 (most authorities are
now using this benchmark). Drugs are rarely needed to attain this level when an aggressive nutritional approach is taken.
An LDL below 100 earned as a result of nutritional excellence is much more protective than an LDL below 80 as a result of
medication. When you achieve a favorable cholesterol level with proper nutrition, you promote a whole cascade of favorable effects, such as lower levels of inflammation; reduction of fat deposits all over the body,
including inside the blood vessels; lower blood pressure; and reduced propensity of blood to clot.
-
The patient’s diet must be nutrient-dense. Animal products and detrimental fats must be avoided to prevent the after-meal
fat surge.19 Refined carbohydrates should also be avoided to prevent the after-meal glucose surge and to control triglycerides.
-
Blood pressure must return to within the normal range, below 130/85, or be slowly improving and moving toward this minimal
goal. The normalization of blood pressure as medications are gradually discontinued represents the reversal of atherosclerosis
and is an important criterion to predict cardiac safety. The person who has removed his or her cardiac risk no longer requires
blood pressure medication to maintain normal blood pressure readings. The vessels have become more elastic through nutritional
intervention.
Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery Can Be Avoided
My vigorous, nutritionally centered reversal treatment should be started in every patient diagnosed with coronary artery disease
before elective revascularization procedures are considered. My experience has shown that most patients will pursue an aggressive
regimen when it is supported by a knowledgeable and involved physician who provides sustained guidance and support. After
spending adequate time with a doctor reviewing all the risks of the conventional approach and discussing how reversal is possible
with aggressive nutritional management, how many patients do you think would choose to have their chests split open with bypass
surgery?
Even if you are lucky enough to have no postoperative complications from bypass, some degree of brain injury occurs in almost
every patient from the time spent hooked up to the heart-lung machine. On neuropsychological testing six months later, about 20 percent still show deterioration.20 Brain injury can range from subtle degrees of intellectual impairment or memory loss to personality changes and permanent
brain damage.21
Even if you do fine after angioplasty, stent placement, or bypass, atherosclerosis develops at a faster rate in those arteries
that were subject to bypass or angioplasty—the plaque grows faster after surgery. Approximately 25 percent of arteries treated
by angioplasty clog up again within four to six months.22 This is called restenosis.
Restenosis is an iatrogenic (physician-caused) disease. Because restenosis involves scarring, it does not behave like native
atherosclerosis and does not respond as favorably or as predictably to lifestyle modifications later on. In other words, because
of the changes made to the atherosclerotic plaque by the angioplasty treatment, the blockages are less responsive to nutritional
intervention when they return. Many patients are worse off after treatment, not better. If they had followed my coronary artery
disease reversal plan instead, they would be watching their heart get healthier each week.
Stenting attempts to reduce this high risk of restenosis but has not solved the problem.23 Stents are tiny wire-mesh tubes that are laced in the narrowed segment of arteries that were stretched by balloon angioplasty.
A stent may also cause vascular instability or inflammation where the stent ends and the native plaque begins, thus increasing
the risk for coronary thrombosis.24 It would be good to remind patients that revascularization procedures do not influence the underlying disease, because the
rest of the coronary vasculature, with diffuse, nonangiographical noticeable atherosclerosis, is still there posing a risk
for future cardiac events, whether the procedure is done or not.
Heart attacks most commonly occur when plaque of a lipid-rich segment ruptures. These vulnerable areas of plaque are not necessarily
those that are seen as significantly narrowed on catheterization. Heart attacks still occur in the minimally narrowed segments, areas that may appear normal on catheterization and stress testing.
Most of an Iceberg Is Hidden Underwater
Normal stress test results or cardiac catheterization results do not mean you do not have atherosclerosis. You can have a
heart attack the day after you are told your vessels are clear. These tests show only advanced disease.
Massive atheromas (fatty deposits) lurking within the vascular wall—outside the view of angiography (cardiac catheterization)—account
for two-thirds of myocardial infarctions.25 Most heart attacks occur at sites invisible to the tests done by cardiologists.26 This is why invasive cardiac procedures relieve pain but do not have an impressive record of reducing the risk of future
heart attacks.
Only strong risk-factor control, with aggressive nutritional intervention, can reverse diffuse disease, avoiding the high
probability of that heart attack occurring down the road. Your survival depends on risk-factor management—quitting smoking
and lowering your weight, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and insulin levels as a result of careful nutrition—not the
procedures done by the interventional cardiologist or cardiac surgeon. Only then will beneficial changes occur in the plaque
composition, promoting healing of the blood vessel’s lining that will stabilize the vessel wall and substantially reduce the
risk of a heart attack.
You are deluding yourself if you think chelation or drugs alone will reverse your condition while you remain overweight and
nutritionally malnourished. Chelation will not dissolve your atherosclerosis as claimed. The studies done on this therapy
are not impressive.27 In spite of chelation, patients generally continued to deteriorate unless they changed their diet, lost weight, and lowered
their cholesterol. In other words, changes not related to chelation.
The areas of vulnerable plaque that cause heart attacks have a large fatty core of cholesterol. Removing the lipid from the
plaque can make it smaller and more resistant to rupture. Use common sense; chelation could no more suck fatty substance out
of a coronary artery than it could suck the fat off your left hip. There is no way chelating agents can selectively remove
the lipids in atheromas.
These atheromas that form on the inside of our blood vessels are fatty tumors with a fibrous cap. They shrink and become more
resistant to rupture proportionally to, and as a result of, weight reduction, caloric restriction, nutritional excellence,
and aggressive lipid lowering. The most impressive results of shrinking and removing atheromas occur after the person has
lost all excess body fat. Body fat is designed for energy storage. Atheromas are more difficult to remove; they resolve after
other fat storage sites have been depleted. Fortunately, the same body that created the atheromas has the ability to disintegrate
them.
Many of my patients were advised by other physicians to undergo angioplasty or bypass. When they refused, they were referred
to my office and chose aggressive nutritional management. Without exception, they have all done well; chest pain has resolved
in almost every case (only one went to repeat angioplasty because of a recurrence of chest symptoms); and none has died from
cardiac disease.
A typical patient is John Pawlikowski. I see patients like him almost every day. John’s story is not unusual—but a miracle
to him nevertheless. John came to me with a history of steadily worsening angina. His chest pains were increasing. His stress
thallium test suggested multivessel coronary artery disease. He underwent a cardiac catheterization, which revealed a 95 percent
stenosis of the left anterior descending artery, and the left circumflex had diffuse disease. He had normal heart function.
His cholesterol was 218, he weighed 180 pounds, and he was on two blood pressure medications.
Within a few weeks of following my diet, John’s chest pain ceased and he stopped taking nitroglycerin tablets for chest pain
relief. In two months his weight dropped to 152—a loss of twenty-eight pounds in eight weeks—and his stress test normalized.
Today, sixteen years later, he still weighs 150 pounds, following the same diet. He is well, with no heart problems, and is
physically fit; his blood pressure runs about 120/70. He is eighty-eight years old and requires no medication.
JOHN’S LABORATORY REPORTS
| |
6/6/94 |
5/5/99 |
% CHANGE |
| Cholesterol |
218 |
161 |
–26 |
| Triglycerides |
140 |
80 |
–43 |
| HDL |
48 |
65 |
35 |
| LDL |
144 |
80 |
–44 |
| Cholesterol:HDL ratio |
4.7 |
2.4 |
–49 |
Revascularization procedures may be necessary in rare circumstances, such as triple vessel disease with reduced cardiac output
or an injured (stunned) heart muscle. However, I am convinced that aggressive nutritional therapy with the addition of nutritional
supplements (and, if needed, medication) will provide a more favorable outcome for the majority of patients than angioplasty,
stent placement, and bypass.
One might argue, where are the adequate studies that prove this? But where are the studies to prove revascularization will
give a better outcome with a stable patient, without a reduction in cardiac output? The benefits of revascularization procedures
for patients with good cardiac function have not been convincingly demonstrated, and there is considerable evidence to suggest
that the adverse outcomes outweigh the potential benefits. Furthermore, these dubious results are measured against patients
who refuse revascularization and then follow the normal (worthless) dietary recommendations. When we factor in the results
I see with very aggressive nutritional management, it seems likely that many patients would be at lower risk if they avoided
invasive cardiac procedures and surgery. Fortunately, I am not the only physician in America with this opinion, but sometimes it sure
seems as if I am.28
Rarely will you find a cardiologist who advises aggressive nutritional therapy before angioplasty or bypass. And physicians
who offer medical interventions are usually satisfied if blood pressure is below 140/90 and cholesterol level is under 200.
Those levels are not sufficiently normal to offer true protection.
Your Doctor Lied: You Do Have High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
Studies clearly demonstrate that the higher one’s cholesterol level, the higher the risk of heart disease; conversely, the
lower one’s cholesterol level, the lower the risk. For true protection, do not be satisfied until your LDL cholesterol is
below 100. There is nothing particularly magical about the number 200—heart disease risk continues to decrease as one’s cholesterol
decreases below this level. The average cholesterol level in China is 127. The Framingham Heart Study showed that participants
with cholesterol levels below 150 did not have heart attacks.29 In fact, most heart attacks occur in patients whose cholesterol runs between 175 and 225. That is the average cholesterol
range among Americans, and the average American has heart disease. Do you want to be average, or do you want to be healthy?
I know you were told that if your blood pressure is below 140/90, it is normal. Unfortunately, this is not true, either. It
is average— not normal. This number is used because it is the midpoint of adult Americans older than sixty. The risk for strokes and heart attacks
starts climbing at 115/70.
In societies where we do not see high rates of heart disease and strokes, we do not see blood pressure increase with age.30 Almost all Americans have blood pressure that is unhealthfully high. At a minimum, we should consider blood pressure higher
than 125/80 abnormal.
Numerous scientific investigations have shown that the following interventions have some degree of effectiveness in lowering
blood pressure:31
-
Weight loss
-
Sodium restriction
-
Increased potassium intake
-
Increased calcium and magnesium intake
-
Alcohol restriction
-
Caffeine restriction
-
Increased fiber intake
-
Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables
-
Increased physical activity or exercise
Studies have shown controlling sodium intake and weight loss to be effective in reducing blood pressure, even in the elderly.32 How can you integrate these interventions into your lifestyle? It’s simple. Eat many more fruits, vegetables, and legumes;
eat less of everything else; and engage in a moderate amount of exercise. High blood pressure is relatively simple to control.
I encourage my patients to do what it takes to normalize their blood pressure so they do not require medication. Prescribing
medications for high blood pressure has the effect of giving someone a permission slip. Medication has a minimal effect in
reducing heart attack occurrence in patients with high blood pressure because it does not remove the underlying problem (atherosclerosis),
it just treats the symptom. Patients given medication now falsely believe they are protected, and they continue to follow
the same disease-causing lifestyle that led to the problem to begin with, until the inevitable occurs—their first heart attack
or stroke. Maybe if high blood pressure medications had never been invented, doctors would have been forced to teach healthful
living and nutritional disease causation to their patients. It is possible that many more lives could have been saved.
Only You, Not Your Physician, Must Take Full Responsibility
Do not expect to receive valuable health advice from your typical doctor. Physicians usually do not help; they rush through
their patient appointments, especially in the current HMO climate, because they are paid so poorly for each visit and are
pressured to see as many patients as possible each day. Your physician is likely doing just as poorly as you are and eating
just as unhealthfully or worse. After reading this book, you could improve his health and reduce his risk of premature death
more than he could help yours. Even when physicians offer their full time and effort, their recommendations are invariably
too mild to have a significant benefit.
Drs. Randall S. Stafford and David Blumenthal, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, reviewed the records of more than
30,000 office visits to 1,521 U.S. physicians of various specialties and found that doctors measured patients’ blood pressure
during 50 percent of the visits. However, doctors tested their patients’ cholesterol levels only 4.6 percent of the time.
Physicians offered patients advice on how to lose weight in 5.8 percent of the visits, and suggestions on how to quit smoking
3 percent of the time. On average, doctors gave patients advice on dietary and other changes that can help lower cholesterol in 4.3 percent
of the visits, and advice on exercise in 11.5 percent of the visits. When records were reviewed for those who had cardiovascular
disease, the typical (almost worthless) dietary counseling and exercise were usually never even mentioned.33 Obviously, we have a long way to go.
Diabetes—The Consequence of Obesity
More than twenty million Americans have diabetes.34 As our population grows fatter, this figure is climbing. Diabetes is a nutritionally related disease—one that is both preventable
and reversible (in the case of Type II diabetes) through nutritional methods.
Diabetes can take a severe toll—causing heart attacks and strokes, as well as other serious complications. More than 80 percent
of adults with Type II diabetes die of heart attacks and strokes.35 The statistics are even more frustrating when you watch people gain weight, become even more diabetic, and develop attendant
complications, all while under the care of their physicians.
Patients are told to learn to live with their diabetes and to learn to control it because it can’t be cured. “No, no, and
no!” I say. “Don’t live with it, get thin and get rid of it, as many of my patients have!”
There are basically two kinds of diabetes: Type I, or childhood-onset diabetes, and Type II, or adult-onset diabetes. In Type
I, which generally occurs earlier in life, children incur damage to the pancreas—the organ that produces and secretes insulin—so they have an insulin deficiency. In Type II, the most common
type, the individual produces near-normal levels of insulin, but the body is resistant to it, so the level of blood sugar,
or glucose, rises. The end result is the same in both types—the individual has a high glucose level in his or her blood.
Both types of diabetes accelerate the aging of our bodies. Diabetes greatly promotes the development of atherosclerosis and
cardiovascular disease, and it ages and destroys the kidneys and other body systems. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness
in adults and is the leading cause of kidney failure. We witness today a huge number of Type II diabetes patients with terrible
complications, such as amputations, peripheral neuropathy (painful nerve damage in the legs), retinopathy (the major cause
of blindness in diabetics), and nephropathy (kidney damage); complications of Type II diabetes are just as bad as those of
Type I diabetes.36
Diabetics, regardless of type, have higher levels of triglycerides and increased levels of LDL cholesterol than the general
population. Diabetics have more than a 400 percent higher incidence of heart attacks than nondiabetics. One-third of all patients
with insulin-dependent (Type I) diabetes die of a heart attack before age fifty. This acceleration of the atherosclerotic
process, and the resulting high mortality rate, is present in both types of diabetes.37
By simple logic, you would expect that any dietary recommendations designed for diabetics would at least attempt to reduce
the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event. Unfortunately, the nutritional advice given to diabetics
is to follow the same diet that has proved not to work for heart disease patients. Such a diet is risky for all people, but
for the diabetic it is exceptionally hazardous—it is deadly. The combination of refined grains, processed foods, and animal
products guarantees a steady stream of available customers for hospitals and emergency rooms.
When Type I patients take a more aggressive and progressive nutritional approach, they can prevent many of the complications that befall diabetics. They can expect a normal life span,
because it is the interaction between diabetes and the disease-causing modern diet that results in such dismal statistics,
not merely being diabetic. Type I diabetics will still require some insulin, but often I find my Type I diabetic patients
requiring about half as much insulin as they did prior to adopting my lifesaving program. Their sugars don’t swing wildly
up and down, and since they are using less insulin, they have less chance of developing potentially dangerous hypoglycemic
episodes.
Type II diabetics adopting this approach can become undiabetic and achieve wellness and even excellent health. They can be
diabetes-free for life! Almost all my Type II diabetic patients are weaned off insulin in the first month. Thanks to their
excellent nutrition, these patients have much better (lower) blood sugars than when they were on insulin. The horrors of diabetes
about to befall them are aborted.
I have also observed patients who came to me with diabetic retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy gradually improve and eventually
resolve their conditions. Dr. Milton Crane reported similar findings in his patients: seventeen out of twenty-one patients
who adopted a plant-rich vegan diet obtained complete relief from their peripheral neuropathy.38
Insulin for Type II Diabetes Makes Things Worse
Insulin works less effectively when people eat fatty foods or gain weight. Diets containing less fat improve insulin sensitivity,
as does weight loss.39 An individual who is overweight requires more insulin, whether he or she is diabetic or not. In fact, giving overweight diabetic
people even more insulin makes them sicker by promoting weight gain. They become even more diabetic. How does this process
work? Our pancreas secretes the amount of insulin demanded by the body. A person of normal weight with about a third of an
inch of periumbilical fat will secrete X amount of insulin. Let’s say this person gains about twenty pounds of fat. His body will now require more insulin, almost twice as much, because fat on the body blocks the uptake of insulin into the
cells.
If the person is obese, with more than fifty pounds of excess fat, his body will demand huge loads of insulin from the pancreas,
even as much as ten times more than a person of normal weight needs. So what do you think happens after five to ten years
of forcing the pancreas to work so hard? You guessed it—pancreatic poop-out.
The pancreas begins to secrete less insulin, in spite of the huge demands of the body. Eventually, with less insulin available
to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, the glucose level in the blood starts to rise and the person gets diagnosed
with diabetes. In most cases, these individuals are still secreting an excessive amount of insulin (compared with a person
of normal weight), just not enough for them. When they eat a less taxing diet and lose weight, they don’t need the extra insulin
to control the sugars.
What this means is that typical Type II diabetes is caused by overweight in individuals who have a smaller reserve of insulin-secreting
cells in the pancreas. In the susceptible individual, even ten to twenty pounds of excess weight could make the difference.
Losing the extra weight enables these individuals to live within the capabilities of their body. Most Type II diabetics still
produce enough insulin to maintain normalcy as long as they maintain a thinner, normal weight.
Following my program is the most important thing a diabetic individual can do to extend his or her life span. It has been
known for years that intentional weight loss improves diabetics’ blood sugars, lipids, and blood pressure. One study documented
a significant increase in life expectancy, with an average of 25 percent reduced premature mortality when diabetic individuals
dropped their body weight. Other studies have come to similar conclusions.40 Imagine the results when a program of nutritional excellence achieves the weight loss.
Insulin is a dangerous drug for Type II diabetics. These are people who are overweight to begin with. Insulin therapy will result in further weight gain, accelerating their diabetes. A vicious
cycle begins that usually causes patients to require more and more insulin as they put on the pounds. When they come to see
me for the first time, they report their sugars are impossible to control in spite of massive doses of insulin, which they
are now combining with oral medication. It is like walking around with a live hand grenade in your pocket, ready to explode
at any minute.
Don’t Merely Control Your Diabetes—Get Rid of It for Good
As my patients begin the program I usually cut their insulin in half. The insulin is then gradually phased out over the next
few days or weeks, depending on their response and how advanced their condition was when they started. Most patients can stop
all insulin within the first few days. The warning I give to patients and their physicians adopting this program is not to
underestimate how effective it can be. If the medications, especially insulin, are not dramatically reduced, a dangerous hypoglycemic
reaction—driving the blood sugar level too low—can occur from overmedication. It is safer to undermedicate and let the glucose
levels run a little high at first, then add back a little medication if necessary. This will minimize the risk of hypoglycemia.
Since this diet is so powerfully effective in reversing diabetes and other diseases of nutritional neglect, it is essential
that you work closely with a doctor who can help you adjust your medication dose downward in a careful fashion.
I typically continue or begin Glucophage (metformin) or other similar drugs. The newer medications that do not interfere with weight loss are safer than the older oral medications diabetics used in the past. Eventually, as more weight is lost,
these patients can have normal glucose levels without any medication. They become nondiabetic, though diabetes can recur should
they adopt a more stressful and girth-growing diet.
Gerardo Petito’s case exemplifies the outcome I see with other diabetic patients on a regular basis. Gerardo stated that his
main reason for coming to me was that he wanted to control his diabetes better. On his first visit, on January 18, 2000, he
was taking three medications: Accupril 20 mg for blood pressure and two medications for diabetes, Glucophage 500 twice daily
and fifteen units of insulin twice daily. He had been on insulin for seven years. His fasting glucose in the morning had been
running around 175 with this regimen. His blood pressure was 140/85 and he weighed 256 pounds.
After a lengthy discussion, Gerardo agreed to follow my dietary advice. I instructed him to cut back his insulin dose to ten
units the evening of the visit and to five units the following morning; after that, he was to take no more insulin.
When Gerardo came back for his second visit two weeks later, he weighed 237, a loss of nineteen pounds in just two weeks.
His glucose in the morning was averaging 115, and his blood pressure was down to 125/80. Other than checking his blood test
and doing an EKG for the record, I made no changes in his program. He was enjoying the diet and following my advice to the
letter.
At Gerardo’s third visit the next month, he weighed 221, a loss of thirty-five pounds in fifty-two days. He had just returned
from a cruise, where he continued to follow his healthful diet. His morning glucose was averaging around 80 (completely normal),
so I stopped the Glucophage. His blood pressure was 88/70, so I discontinued the Accupril.
Ten months after Gerardo’s first visit, he weighed 190, a loss of sixty-six pounds, his cholesterol was 134, and his blood
pressure was 112/76. His hemoglobin A1C, a measure of diabetic control, was 5.3, in the nondiabetic range. He was on no medication.
Rather than controlling his blood pressure and diabetes, he chose to follow my advice and get rid of his medical problems
altogether.
Advice for the Diabetic Patient
The general advice given in this book is sufficient for most diabetics. The most important goal is how much weight you lose,
not whether your glucose is a little higher or lower in the short run. Follow my guidelines for aggressive weight loss in
the next chapter. If you follow my program to the letter, it will not be necessary to make your diet complicated by following
diabetic food exchanges and counting calories. Most people do not have to measure portions, either. Your goals are the same
as the patient with coronary artery disease: get thin and aggressively treat your risk factors. With time, your body will
normalize your numbers. Keep the following guidelines in mind:
-
Refined starches such as white bread and pasta are particularly harmful; avoid them completely.
-
Do not consume any fruit juice or dried fruits. Avoid all sweets, except for fresh fruit in reasonable quantities. Two or
three fruits for breakfast is fine, and one fruit after lunch and dinner is ideal. The best fruits are those with less sugar—grapefruit,
oranges, kiwifruit, strawberries and other berries, melons, and green apples.
-
Avoid all oil. Raw nuts are permitted, but only one ounce or less.
-
The name of your diet is the “greens and beans diet”; green vegetables and beans should make up most of your diet.
-
Limit animal-food intake to no more than two servings of fish weekly.
-
Try to exercise regularly and consistently, like dispensing your medication. Do it on a regimented schedule, preferably twice
daily. Walking stairs is one of the greatest exercises for weight loss.
As the information in this book becomes your prescription for health, you can avoid heart attacks and strokes. If this diet
were adopted by the general public, these illnesses would become rare and diabetes would practically disappear from our society.
The Eat to Live Formula Lowers Triglycerides
Some physicians and nutritionists believe that individuals suffering from obesity, diabetes, and elevated triglycerides may
have good results in losing weight and controlling their high triglycerides and elevated glucose with a high-protein, low-carbohydrate
diet. They believe this because it has been observed that high-carbohydrate diets can raise triglyceride levels.
I agree that a diet high in refined carbohydrates is not advised and will worsen this condition. However, I want to make it absolutely clear that these patients
can achieve spectacular results without the added dangers of a diet high in animal protein and saturated fat. They merely
need advice on how to modify the plant-based diet for their condition. They do so by eating a relatively high-protein plant-based
diet that reduces the amount of low-fiber carbohydrates. The diet is heavy in beans, raw vegetables, and cooked greens. The
results are invariably impressive.
Headaches, Hypoglycemia, and Hunger
It’s almost incredible to believe, but almost all patients with headaches and hypoglycemia get well permanently following
the formula for health in this book. I believe it has very much to do with detoxification.
The body can heal itself when the obstacles to healing or stressors are removed. The reason people can’t ever make complete
recoveries is that they are addicted to their bad habits and unhealthful ways of eating and drinking.
Imagine if you were drinking ten cups of coffee daily. If you stopped drinking coffee, you would feel ill; you might get headaches, feel weak, even get the shakes. Fortunately, this would resolve slowly over four to six days, and then you would be well.
So, if you were this heavy coffee drinker, when do you think you would feel the worst? Right after eating, upon waking up
in the morning, or when delaying or skipping a meal?
You are correct if you answered either upon first waking up or when delaying or skipping a meal. The body goes through withdrawal,
or detoxification, most effectively when it is not busy digesting food. A heavy meal will stop the ill feelings, or you’ll
feel better if you just drink another cup of coffee, but the cycle of feeling ill will start all over again the minute the
caffeine level drops or the glucose level in your blood starts to go down.
Delaying a meal brings about symptoms most people call “hunger.” These symptoms include abdominal cramping, weakness, and
feeling ill—the same as during drug withdrawal.
This is not hunger. Our dietary habits, especially eating animal-protein-rich foods three times a day, are so stressful to
the detoxification system in our liver and kidneys that we start to get withdrawal, or detoxification, symptoms the minute
we aren’t busy processing such food.
Real hunger is not that uncomfortable. True hunger is mediated by the hypothalamus in the brain. The hunger-related activity
of the hypothalamus correlates best with an increased sensation of need in the mouth and throat area.41
You could feel better by drinking a cup of coffee every three hours, evenly spaced out, to keep your caffeine blood levels
constant. Or you could take medications such as Fioricet, Cafergot, Excedrin, Esgic, Fiorinal, Migranal, Wigraine, and others
whose active ingredients are narcotics, barbiturates, ergotamines, or caffeine; or you can just get some amphetamines or cocaine
from the alley behind the liquor store. Either way, I hope you understand that temporarily feeling better does not mean getting
well. Putting toxic drugs in your body can only compromise your health and lead to further dependence and suffering. In order
to detoxify, you need to feel worse, not better; then after the withdrawal symptoms are completed, you will truly become well.
In medical school my classmates and I learned from a researcher that animal protein places a detoxification stress on the
liver and that the nitrogenous wastes generated are toxic. These metabolic toxins (about fourteen of them) rise in the bloodstream
and accompany the rise in uric acid after a meal rich in animal protein. Withdrawal from these toxins can cause uncomfortable
symptoms in susceptible individuals, symptoms that many call hypoglycemia.
The word hypoglycemia means “low glucose in the bloodstream.” It gives people the impression that the low glucose level itself is the cause of
the problem.
Certain uncommon medical conditions (such as insulin-secreting tumors), excessive diabetic medication, and other rare illnesses
can cause hypoglycemia and even hypoglycemic coma, but I am referring to those people with reactive hypoglycemia. They feel
ill when they delay eating, but they do not have a serious medical condition, nor do their blood sugars drop dangerously low.
Most people carrying this diagnosis do not have fasting glucoses below 50; when their blood is drawn when they delay eating
and feel extremely ill, the blood sugar is usually not low enough to account for their feeling so ill. There seems to be no
correlation between the severity of the symptoms and their low glucose levels, but they feel uncomfortable if they try to
stop treating themselves with high-protein diets.
It is a massive oversimplification to think that a lower level of glucose in the blood is the sole cause of this problem.
I find that the people with the most troublesome symptoms do not even have low glucose levels.
Many doctors learn during their training that if the liver is compromised, such as in cirrhosis, the patient cannot effectively
remove these toxins and may consequently feel mentally affected, confused, and even psychotic unless they are fed a low-protein
diet, generating a lower level of nitrogenous wastes. For this reason, it is standard medical care to feed a patient with
advanced liver disease a low-protein diet.
Most Americans are protein-toxic. Like the patient with cirrhosis (but less so), they are toxic because their body detoxification
system struggles under the excessive nitrogen load in addition to all the salt, caffeine, sweets, trans fats, and other noxious
chemicals we consume. So the stomach empties and we feel ill, not hungry. Most people are too toxic to feel hungry. Detoxification
symptoms appear first. Most people are driven to eat because it is time to eat or because they feel detoxification discomfort.
Most Americans have never felt true hunger in their entire overfed existence.
Many people come into my office with a diagnosis of hypoglycemia, meaning they feel ill when they delay eating. They are often
told to eat a diet with frequent feedings of high-protein food. I insist that this diet is the precise cause of the condition,
not the remedy; it is no more a remedy than putting them on a cup of coffee every hour. Sure, they will feel better temporarily,
but if they want to make a complete and lasting recovery, they must unscramble their thinking. They must put up with about
one week of not feeling so great, but then they can be set free from their discomfort and their addiction to bad habits and
a toxic diet.
When I first begin treating patients with hypoglycemic symptoms, I continue them on snacks between meals and use some raw
nuts and beans at each meal. They are forbidden to consume any refined carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, sweets, or fruit
juice, to prevent swings in insulin. In some individuals, insulin levels swing up too high and then too low merely because
they are eating refined sugars and refined grains, and not natural, unrefined food. These individuals are just sensitive to
the junk food eaten by most Americans. The notoriously unreliable glucose tolerance test, in which patients consume about
100 grams of glucose, duplicates eating a huge quantity of junk food. Even normal people can feel ill from this experience.
Invariably, within two or three weeks their symptoms diminish and they gain the ability to delay eating without feeling ill.
They can then follow the same diet I recommend for everyone without feeling any ill effects.
If you have this condition, you must also avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, artificial flavorings, and food additives. Fresh fruit
does not need to be restricted.
Headache Sufferers Rejoice
Recurrent headaches are not much different. They are almost always the result of nutritional folly and, like other reasons
that keep doctors’ offices busy, are completely avoidable.
The relationship between food triggers and migraines has been the subject of much debate, with varying results from medical
researchers. Headache specialists such as Seymour Diamond, director of the Diamond Headache Clinic at Columbus Hospital in
Chicago, report that about 30 percent of patients can identify food triggers.42
My experience in treating migraine and severe-headache patients with a more comprehensive nutritional approach has shown that
90 to 95 percent of patients are able to remain headache-free after the first three-month period. These patients avoid common
migraine triggers, but also in the healing phase they adhere to a strict natural-food vegan diet of primarily fruits and vegetables
rich in natural starches, such as squash and brown rice. These patients must avoid all packaged and processed foods, which
are notorious for containing hidden food additives, even though they are not disclosed on the labels. They also avoid all
added salt.
I believe I obtain such impressive results not merely because of avoiding triggers but because the patient becomes healthier
and is able to process toxins more effectively. Additionally, when animal-product consumption is significantly lowered or
removed from the diet, the liver is not faced with breaking down this heavy toxic load and can perform its normal detoxification function
more effectively.
Very often in the initial phase of my program, when patients are on a diet with a lower level of tissue irritants, a headache
will be precipitated. In other words, it is possible that the patient will initially feel worse, not better. I encourage such
patients not to take medication during this initial phase, if at all possible. Instead, I recommend that they drape a cold
washcloth over their forehead and lie down in a dark room to rest. The prescribed diet, very low in sodium and animal protein,
resolves the headaches in the large majority of patients. If it does not, not all is lost, because some fasting usually clears
up the problem in most of the remaining headache sufferers.43
My patients begin by following a diet along the lines of the one described on the next page. They are instructed not to take
any medication after the first week; after that time they are encouraged to control their pain with ice, hot showers, and
pressure bands. They will never recover if they don’t first detoxify themselves of their addiction to pain medications. These
medications may offer pain relief, but they perpetuate the headache at the same time. Drugs that are used for headaches, such
as acetaminophen (Tylenol), barbiturates, codeine, and ergotamines, all cause headaches to recur on a rebound basis as these
toxins begin to wash out of the nervous system. Even a little aspirin can cause a chronic daily-headache syndrome.44
15 COMMON MIGRAINE TRIGGERS
| sweets |
dairy and cheese |
salted or pickled foods |
| fermented foods |
chocolate |
vinegar |
| pizza |
smoked meats |
alcohol |
| monosodium glutamate |
nuts |
food additives |
| yeast |
hydrolyzed protein |
baked goods |
The first phase of the anti-headache diet is followed strictly for two weeks. Then if the person is headache-free, I expand
the diet to include a wider variety of fruits and begin to add beans in the second phase. I usually have the patient avoid
nuts for the first few weeks because these bother some people. All dairy and yeast should be avoided as well.
Autoimmune Diseases and All the Rest
If dangerous drugs were the only way for a person to gain relief from suffering, we would be forced to accept the drawbacks
of conventional therapy for autoimmune illnesses. The reality is, however, that dietary and nutritional interventions work
for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Caring for such patients has been a major portion of my work as a physician for the past twenty years. I have seen scores
of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and connective tissue disease patients recover completely through these interventions. Many
of my patients have also made complete recoveries from allergies and asthma. Not every patient obtains a complete remission,
but the majority are able to avoid the use of medication.
The key to treating autoimmune illnesses is to obey the H = N/C formula. Only then can the immune system begin to normalize
its haywire circuitry.
Research studies from around the world confirm that this approach is effective.45 While more research is needed in this area, all the studies that have been done are predictably positive and document improvement
in blood inflammatory markers, as well as patient symptoms. I see this occur on a daily basis.
Here are the main ways to increase the possibility of obtaining remission or improvement in patients with autoimmune diseases:
-
A strict plant-based (vegan), dairy-free, wheat-free, and gluten-free diet is usually necessary; a lower-protein diet is helpful.
-
A high nutrient-per-calorie density with caloric restriction sufficient to obtain a normal weight is essential.
-
Arachidonic acid and DHA levels should be checked with an essential fatty acid profile. If the fatty acid balance is abnormal,
supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids to achieve satisfactory balance may be necessary. Ground flaxseeds, pure plant-derived
DHA, or in some cases high-potency fish oil can be used.
-
Therapeutic fasting can be an extremely effective adjunct to control the autoimmune response and reset the hyperactive immune
system to a more normal (lower) level of activity. Do not fast if you are are dependent on multiple immunosuppressive drugs,
such as methotrexate and Imuran, as it is not safe to fast while on such medication. It is essential that patients contemplating this therapy be properly supervised by a physician. Those interested in learning more
about therapeutic fasting for autoimmune illness should read my book Fasting and Eating for Health. Physicians can request medical journal articles, including case studies that I wrote about this therapy along with comprehensive
medical references, from me via my website (DrFuhrman.com) or office.
-
Undertaking food elimination and challenge can uncover hidden food sensitivities. Most of the offending foods have already
been eliminated—animal products, wheat, and dairy—but many patients find other foods that can worsen their condition as well.
These foods are not routinely uncovered with allergy testing. It usually requires a short period of fasting and then the gradual
introduction of only one new food each day, eliminating any food that causes an increase in pain over the fasted state. I
would like to repeat this to make it clear—the elevated levels of IgG and IgE against various foods on allergy tests are indeed
common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases; however, there is not an adequate clinical correlation
between those foods and the foods we find to be aggravating the symptoms. Other researchers have noted the same thing.46 I usually instruct patients to save their money and forgo those tests.
Diet Is the First Line of Defense
Working with patients with autoimmune diseases such as connective tissue disease, myositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus
is very rewarding. These patients were convinced that they could never get well and are usually eternally grateful to be healthy
again and not require medication. I regularly get notes and letters, such as these unsolicited comments:
“After three months I am off all drugs.”
—Richard Arroni
“I would like to shout, Dr. Fuhrman did it.”
—Fred Redington
“Six months ago I prayed I would die, now I’m ready to live again.”
—Jennifer Fullum
“Thank you for saving my life.”
—Harriet Fleming
An aggressive nutritional approach to autoimmune illnesses should always be tried first when the disease is in its infancy. Logically, the more advanced the disease is, and the more damage that has been done by
the disease, the less likely the patient will respond. My experience with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
is that some patients are more dietary-sensitive than others and that some patients have very high levels of inflammation
that are difficult to curtail with natural therapy. Nevertheless, the majority benefit—and since the conventional drugs used
to treat these types of illnesses are so toxic and have so many risky side effects, the dietary method should be tried first.
Modern drugs often contribute to the disability and misery of patients with an autoimmune illness and increase cancer risk.
Studies show that the long-term outcome is poor after twenty years of taking such medication.47 A study in the British Journal of Rheumatology showed the major drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis, such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, and methotrexate,
increase the likelihood that the person will die of cancer.48
Patients who use drugs that suppress the immune system forgo some protection that the immune system offers against infection
and cancer. These individuals need a superior diet, even if they can’t stop all medication.
So many of the patients I see, especially the ones who have made recoveries, are angry at their former physicians who did
not even suggest nutrition before starting them on medication. These individuals are usually so “sick of being sick,” they
will do anything to get well. They don’t find the diet restrictive and show enthusiasm and determination to recover their
health. It is terrifically exciting to see such patients make recoveries and eliminate the need for medication.
Diseases Resolve or Improve with Nutritional Excellence
Other conditions that also respond exceptionally well to dietary modification include menstrual complaints and irritable bowel
syndrome.
Researchers testing similar diets to the one I recommend have noted that a low-fat vegetarian diet increases sex-hormone-binding
globulin as it reduces estrogen activity.49 This not only reduces one’s risk of breast cancer but also significantly reduces the pain and bloating associated with menstruation.
I also see a large number of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Some feel better within three days of following this
diet, although others take a few weeks or longer to adjust to the comparatively large amount of fiber. Both animal products
and flour products are triggers for bowel symptoms in many individuals.50 British researchers have documented that increased production of methane and other gaseous products representing increased
fermentation in the colon from meats, dairy products, and refined grains correlate with bowel complaints. However, there are
other mechanisms by which a natural-food diet high in nutrients and fiber reestablishes normal gut motility and tone. It can
take time to undo a lifetime of wrong eating; most of my patients need three months to see improvement. Of course, sometimes
diets have to be modified for individual uniqueness. In such cases, working with a knowledgeable physician is helpful.
Most chronic illnesses have been earned from a lifetime of inferior nutrition, which eventually results in abnormal function or frequent discomfort. These illnesses are not beyond our
control, they are not primarily genetic, and they are not the normal consequence of aging. True, we all have our weakest links
governed by genetics; but these weak links need never reveal themselves unless our health deteriorates. Superior health flows
naturally as a result of superior nutrition. Our predisposition to certain illnesses can remain hidden.
Certainly, this method of healing is not for everybody. Some would prefer to eat conventionally and take whatever medication
is indicated for their condition. That is their inalienable right. However, it is also the right of sick and suffering individuals
who seek a natural approach to be aware of how effective aggressive nutritional interventions can be. I would like to take
these patients down the streets of Manhattan for a ticker-tape parade to spread the word: You don’t have to be sick. Remember,
health is your greatest wealth!
