Q.
My primary problem is constipation. Although I am an otherwise
healthy 27-year-old lady, my colon
seems to have stopped working altogether. I use enemas twice a week
but fear dependency. I eat bran
every morning but nothing seems to
help. I do not feel sick, but I know I
would feel a lot better if I could get
my bowels regulated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
N.J.H., Lancaster, PA.
A.
Regular, prolonged use of enemas can be harmful, although they
are useful occasionally, and are a
must during fasting.
With proper diet and adequate
exercise, there is no need for anyone
to suffer from constipation unless
there is a definite pathological condition such as prolapsed organs,
obstructed colon, degenerated peristalsis mechanism, hypothyroidism, or
liver dysfunction, which are all unlikely at your age.
Here is a simple, harmless, and
effective nine-point anti-constipation
program, in a nutshell:
Q.
I get a heavy "mucus" reaction
to milk and dairy products. Am I
allergic to milk? If so, is there
anything I can do about it? And just
how important is milk? I've been a
vegetarian for seven years. P. S.J.,
Tucson, Arizona
A.
You don't say what your heredity is, but you could be "lactose
intolerant" or allergic to dairy products. Lactose intolerance is caused
by a lack of the enzyme, lactase,
which breaks down lactose, or milk
sugar. Approximately 96% of those
whose ancestors come from countries
where milk has been part of the diet
for many generations - such as
Europe and the Middle East - have
no difficulty with dairy products. On
the other hand, those from areas
which have not traditionally herded
animals for milk are usually unable to
digest it - such as those with a
background of American Indian,
Eskimo, Filipino, Chinese, or African.
About 75% of American Blacks are
lactose intolerant, though most of
them probably use dairy products
anyway and may be unaware of their
situation. Those who should theoretically tolerate milk but don't, are
usually allergic to it. Such allergy is
often caused by feeding cow's milk to
infants before the age of eight or nine
months. Feeding children many foods
before they are able to digest them
when their primary food is meant to
be mother's milk, is a frequent cause
of allergies, and cow's milk is, of
course, one of the major allergens.
As far as doing anything about
intolerance, if you have a heredity
that is not suited to milk it would take
generations to change. My advice in
such cases would be to eliminate milk
from the diet completely. But if you
are merely allergic because of improper feeding as a child, you may
become tolerant by taking whey over
a period of time, gradually introducing some dairy products, especially
lactic-fermented ones such as clabber milk, kefir, and yogurt, which
are easier to digest. Goat's milk,
incidentally, is much superior to
cow's milk as a human food and is
better tolerated, even by those who
cannot tolerate cow's milk well. Also,
while cow's milk is restricted in
certain conditions, such as cancer
and arthritis, goat's milk is actually
recommended and beneficial. Of
course, milk should come from organically-fed, clean animals and be fresh
raw, and free from chemical residues.
Commercial milk of the pasteurized, homogenized, and fortified
variety isn't good for anyone, milk tolerant or not. Making your own
dairy products at home, such as
kvark or cottage cheese, is enjoyable
and helps assure their purity.
However, milk is not absolutely
necessary in the human diet. Although some of the world's healthiest
people such as Scandinavians,
Russians, and Bulgarians eat a
dairy-product-rich diet, one can,
with proper attention to needed
nutrients, maintain optimum health
on a milk-less diet by using seeds,
grains, beans, and nuts as the staples, with added food supplements,
such as brewer's yeast and vitamin
mineral tablets, as outlined in my
books. If you are a vegetarian and
want to avoid milk, you must include
in your diet such high-quality protein
foods as almonds, millet, buckwheat,
sunflower seeds, sesame seeds,
pumpkin seeds, soybeans, and other
beans. Even foods that do not contain
complete proteins, such as corn and
beans, for example, if they are
combined in the same meal, become
good sources of high-quality proteins.
Some vegetarian recipe books contain the information on how to make
tasty dairy substitutes - anything
from cashew and almond milk to soy
cheese.
Q.
How much juice should I drink
each day? Mrs. C.L., Kansas City,
Mo.
A.
Not knowing your age or your
general health condition, or specific
illnesses you may suffer from, it is
very difficult to answer your question. It is amazing (and amusing) how
many ladies write to me asking
advice and telling about their various
health problems and what has been
done for them so far (in length
sometimes 20 pages or more!) but
totally omitting mentioning their age!
You see, if you are beginning to feel
the early symptoms of arthritis, it
would help me tremendously to know
your age. If you are 82, I might
suggest getting down on your knees
and thanking the good Lord that your
arthritis didn't set in until now.
But if you are 18, I would probably suggest
very drastic and dramatic measures
aimed at preventing you from developing this crippling condition so early
in your life.
Well, this applies even to such a
seemingly simple question on how
much juice you should drink. If you
are very young and reasonably
healthy, I would say: eat your fruits
and vegetables, don't drink them.
Those who go all out for natural,
whole, unprocessed foods often forget that there is nothing whole or
natural about juices. They are fragmented,
isolated and very concentrated foods. Gorging indiscriminately on carrot juice,
for example, (some
juice freaks drink as much as 2-4
quarts per day!) can cause too much
stress on the pancreas, adrenals and
liver, and can even contribute to the
development of hypoglycemia and
diabetes. Many juices are extremely
rich in sugars, which can only play
havoc with your metabolism and have
a detrimental effect if consumed in
large quantities. Therefore, if you
are young, and/ or relatively healthy,
use juices sparingly not more than
a half glass at a time, and dilute them
50-50 with water if they are sweet.
Now, having said that, I must add
that juices have their rightful place in
many therapeutic and fasting programs. For example, I advise juice
fasting for practically every metabolic and degenerative illness,
recommending as much as 4-6 glasses of
various juices each day. Especially
for older people, whose digestion,
chewing ability, and assimilation are
not very efficient, juices can be
life-saving. Many juices possess therapeutic, medicinal properties.
Specific juices should be used for specific
conditions. For example, citrus juices
are not advisable for arthritic and
rheumatic conditions; raw potato
juice and cabbage juice are specific
for stomach ulcers, etc.
Q.
I've read in a book (not yours)
that melanin, the coloring matter in
hair, is affected by stress. What
exactly is melanin? And where or in
what foods can melanin be found?
J.E.M. Williamsburg, Iowa
A.
Melanin is the dark brown
pigment that occurs in the skin, in
hair, and in other organs, such as the
eyes, etc. It is not a nutrient, and
cannot be obtained from foods - it is
manufactured in the body for its own
needs. The thought that severe mental stress can affect the color of the
hair is medically substantiated.
There are recorded cases where
severe traumatic mental shock resulted in a rapid graying of the hair. I
am sure you are aware of the fact
that severe and prolonged mental
stress can contribute to the development of virtually every disease in
medical books.
Q.
Do you have any suggestions for
my problem, the loss of taste and
smell, which seems to be increasing
as I get older (I am in my mid-50's)?
My diet and supplementation conform closely to the ideas in your book,
How To Get Well, and I feel wonderful, but this particular problem baffles me.
Mrs. J.H. , So. Pasadena, CA.
A.
One of the common contributing
causes of the loss of taste and smell is
a chronic sinus condition. Allergies
are also often involved. You must
avoid all synthetic cosmetics and
household chemicals. Many of my
patients who have fasted on juices for
two weeks or longer, reported that
their sense of smell and taste improved dramatically. juice fasting is also
an excellent therapy for a chronic
sinus condition.
An Optimum Diet with emphasis on
raw foods is essential, along with the
usual vitamin and mineral supplements. The supplements that are
directly involved with the sense of
smell and taste are vitamin A and
zinc. You should try at least 60 mg. of
zinc daily.
Q.
Do you have a diet to help my
arthritis? I have it in my feet and
hands. I take vitamins, but I don't
think I assimilate them. What do you
think of cod liver tablets? I cannot
take the oil. Mrs. A.S.M., Colfax,
Wash.
A.
The best diet for arthritis is a
vegetarian diet, with the emphasis on
cooked and raw vegetables particularly potatoes and all available
greens. Alfalfa, fresh or in tablets, as well as alfalfa sprouts are of specific
benefit. Raw potato and celery juices
are also excellent. The beneficial
fruits are: pineapple, cherries, bananas, and apples. Avoid meat, fish,
fowl, cow's milk and cheese, wheat
bread (even whole grain), salt, and
sugar. Use honey for a sweetener,
and kelp as a salt substitute. Raw or
soured goat's milk is okay. Millet, rice
and corn are the best grains. Juice
fasting is an excellent biological
treatment for arthritis.
If you cannot take cod-liver oil
capsules, cod liver tablets can be
used. Also take the following supplements:
vitamins C, E, B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, B-complex, as well as
bromelain, potassium, yucca extract,
brewer's yeast, and multiple mineral
tablets (preferably in chelated form).
The complete biological and dietary program for arthritis (more than
I can possibly squeeze into the
Forum) can be found in my book, How
To Get Well (available at health food
stores).
Q.
I have read so much about the
dangers of using modern cosmetics - the toxic chemicals they contain, etc.
I am especially concerned about
sprays and deodorants. I have eliminated all aerosol sprays, but what
can I do about deodorants? I just can't stop using them. I perspire profusely.
Please help! How toxic are deodorants and under-arm sprays? Which
are the least harmful - roll-ons,
dusting powders, or sprays? Or, still
better, are there any natural, totally
harmless under-arm deodorants?
Mrs. P.K., Egan, S. Dak.
A.
As far as I'm concerned, all
commercial deodorants are undesirable and harmful, whether they are
roll-ons, sprays, or powders. They
contain harsh and toxic chemicals
which provoke allergic response in
many people, and can even be carcinogenic - not to mention the
carcinogenic propellants all aerosol
products contain.
But, do not despair! I have found
two 100% natural, completely harmless and remarkably effective
deodorants.
Q.
I am 68 years old, still working
and active. Due to a hiatus hernia I
cannot eat roughage. As most diets
call for raw vegetables and salads, I
would like to know what kind of a diet
would help me lose 10 pounds. Thank
you so much for your help. Mrs.
R. J., Centerville, Ohio.
A.
First, it is not true that because of
a hiatus hernia all raw vegetables
and whole (high-roughage) foods
should be excluded from your diet.
The magic words are: Small Meals!
You can eat practically any natural
foods, including raw vegetables, if
you eat 6-8 small meals a day, instead
of the usual 2 or 3. Regarding losing
10 pounds, the other two magic
words are: Juice Fasting. Being overweight
definitely aggravates a hiatus hernia.
You must, therefore, bring your
weight down. A fourteen-day juice
fast (outlined in detail in most of my
books) can be undertaken on your
own, if you are relatively healthy,
have a reasonable amount of will power, and follow my instructions
100%. You will lose about 10 pounds
on a fourteen-day fast. If you can get
your fast supervised by a doctor so
much the better.
Constipation
Remember: it is the combination of
exercise and proper diet that will do
the job, not one or the other!
Lactose Intolerance
Juice Drinking
Melanin, Gray Hair, and Stress
Loss of Taste and Smell
Diet for Arthritis
Natural Deodorants
Hiatus Hernia