In	
Diet	for	a	New	America,
John	Robbins	described	their	typical	diet:
[S]awdust	laced	with	ammonia	and	feathers,	shredded	newspaper	(complete
with	all	the	colors	of	toxic	ink	from	the	Sunday	comics	and	advertising
circulars),	“plastic	hay,”	processed	sewage,	inedible	tallow	and	grease,
poultry	litter,	cement	dust,	and	cardboard	scraps,	not	to	mention	the
insecticides,	antibiotics	and	hormones. Artificial	flavors	and	aromas	are
added	to	trick	the	poor	animals	into	eating	this	stuff. The	animals	are	not	the	only	ones	tricked. The	consumer	is	“tricked”	into
buying	these	make-believe	foods	and	into	thinking	that	they	contain	the	nutrients
required	to	support	healthy	life. Dr.	Joseph	Beasley	in	
The	Kellogg	Report	
wrote
that	shortchanging	nutrients	over	a	period	of	time	“is	bound	to	involve	human
illness,	particularly	chronic	conditions	such	as	today’s	high-technology	medicine
can’t	seem	to	get	a	handle	on.”	Again	and	again,	well-meaning	parents	go	to	the
store	thinking	they	are	feeding	their	families	fresh,	wholesome	foods,	only	to	be
fooled	by	the	multitude	of	offerings	of	deficient,	make-believe	food	products. Carl	Pfeiffer,	Ph.D.,	M.D.,	related	in	
Mental	and	Elemental	Nutrients	
an
experiment	at	the	University	of	California,	Irvine. Healthy	rats	were	fed	foods
that	an	average	American	would	purchase	in	a	supermarket:	white	bread,	sugar,
eggs,	milk,	ground	beef,	cabbage,	potatoes,	tomatoes,	oranges,	apples,	bananas
and	coffee. The	rats	developed	a	variety	of	diseases. Dr.	Pfeiffer	concluded	that
if	the	average	human	diet	could	not	support	the	health	of	rats,	then	it	probably
would	not	do	much	better	for	humans. In	
Diet	for	a	Poisoned	Planet,	
David	Steinman	describes	an	experiment	in
which	four	sets	of	rats	were	fed	different	diets. The	first	set	ate	natural	foods	and
drank	clean	water. Throughout	the	three-month	experiment,	these	rats	remained
alert,	calm	and	social. The	second	set	was	fed	the	same	food	as	the	first,	with	theaddition	of	hot	dogs. These	rats	became	violent	and	fought	each	other
aggressively. The	third	set	ate	sugar-coated	breakfast	cereal	and	drank	fruit
punch. These	rats	became	nervous,	hyperactive	and	aimless. The	fourth	set	was
fed	only	sugar	donuts	and	cola. These	rats	had	trouble	sleeping,	became
extremely	fearful	and	were	unable	to	function	as	a	social	unit. The	poor	nutrition
of	these	foods	(not	to	mention	the	toxic	food	additives)	had	a	profound	effect	on
the	behavior	of	these	animals. Many	children	today	struggle	with	hyperactive,
antisocial	and	even	violent	behaviors. The	time	has	come	to	consider	how	their
diet	may	be	causing	this	behavior. More	Unreal	Than	Ever
As	if	our	foods	were	not	“make-believe”	enough,	modern	technology	has
taken	another	unhealthy	leap. We	now	have	totally	artificial,	synthesized
products	that	are	consumed	as	“food.”	The	food	industry	is	creating	products
such	as	artificial	sweeteners	(saccharine	and	aspartame)	and	man-made	fats,
including	margarine,	Olestra	and	nondairy	creamer. As	Paul	Stitt,	author	of
Fighting	the	Food	Giants,	
wrote,	“An	ever	increasing	proportion	of	the	food	we
eat	is	no	longer	even	food	but	is	now	a	conglomerate	of	high-priced	chemistry
experiments	designed	to	simulate	food.”	More	and	more	Americans	are	eating
these	fabricated,	imitation,	processed	foods;	if	you	want	to	eat	a	good	diet,	you
cannot	subsist	on	foods	that	are	not	real—foods	that	are	completely	foreign	to
the	body. What	are	the	real	foods	that	your	body	needs	in	order	to	become	healthy	and
stay	healthy? Your	body	needs	nutrients:	vitamins,	minerals,	amino	acids,
essential	oils,	oxygen,	water,	sunlight	and	fuel	(calories). With	the	exception	of
water,	air	and	sunshine,	the	nutrients	necessary	to	keep	your	cells	healthy	must
come	primarily	from	the	healthy	plant	and	animal	cells	that	you	eat. If	the	fruits,
vegetables,	meats	and	other	foods	that	you	eat	are	not	healthy,	they	cannot	keep
you	healthy. If	you	are	hoping	for	health,	but	eating	a	diet	that	is	made	up	of
unhealthy	plants	and	animals,	or	foods	so	highly	processed	that	they	no	longer
resemble	plants	or	animals,	you	are	hoping	for	the	impossible. A	professor	of	chemistry	wanted	to	demonstrate	the	superiority	of	fresh	foods
to	his	class. He	purchased	“fresh”	oranges	at	a	local	supermarket	and	measured
their	vitamin	C	content. There	was	none! Unpleasantly	surprised,	he	traced	the
oranges	back	to	their	source. He	found	they	had	been	harvested	while	still	green,
stored	for	two	years	and	then	artificially	colored	prior	to	being	sold	as	“fresh
fruit.”	This	is	what	the	consumer	is	up	against	and	why	purchasing	fresh,	organicproduce	is	so	important. One	Size	Does	Not	Fit	All
The	amount	of	nutrients	required	for	optimal	nutrition	differs	for	every	person
and	changes	as	a	person’s	life	progresses. We	are	not	genetic	cookie-cutter
replicas	of	each	other. In	addition,	individual	factors	can	affect	our	nutritional
needs,	such	as	age,	physical	activity,	climate,	illness,	injury,	pregnancy	or
menstruation. Your	need	for	calcium	may	be	far	higher	than	your	neighbor’s;
your	neighbor’s	requirements	for	vitamin	C	may	differ	widely	from	yours. In	his	book	
Nutrition	Against	Disease,	
biochemist	Roger	Williams,	Ph.D.,
reported	on	laboratory	animals	that	were	bred	to	have	similar	genes	and,
theoretically,	have	similar	nutritional	needs. Yet,	some	animals	were	found	to
need	forty	times	as	much	vitamin	A	as	others. Similarly,	human	nutritional
requirements	operate	across	a	wide	range. Williams	described	another	study
performed	on	healthy	young	men	which	demonstrated	that	their	needs	for
calcium	varied	almost	sixfold. Does	someone	in	your	family	catch	colds	and	flus	noticeably	more	often	than
everyone	else? Have	you	considered	that	his	or	her	need	for	vitamin	C	(vital	for
immune	function)	might	be	higher	than	everyone	else’s? Is	vitamin	C	deficiency
a	problem	for	them,	not	because	they	get	less	of	it,	but	because	they	need	more? Researcher	and	Nobel	laureate	Linus	Pauling	was	plagued	with	frequent	colds
and	flu	all	of	his	adult	life	until	he	started	taking	high	doses	of	vitamin	C.
Likewise,	women	have	special	nutritional	needs	(especially	when	pregnant	or
menstruating),	as	do	elderly	people,	athletes	and	anyone	who	is	fighting	off	an
infection	or	suffering	from	a	chronic	disease. When	it	comes	to	nutritional	needs,
the	“average	person”	does	not	exist. Women	are	more	likely	to	be	nutritionally	deficient	than	men. Why? Because
women	typically	eat	less	food	but	still	require	roughly	the	same	amount	of
nutrients. That	women	are	more	susceptible	to	certain	diseases—including
osteoporosis,	chronic	fatigue	syndrome	and	autoimmune	diseases—is	no
coincidence. Because	of	reduced	activity	and	appetite,	older	people	require	fewer	calories
(fuel),	but	they	retain	the	same	need	for	nutrients;	in	fact,	nutritional	needs	may
actually	increase	with	aging	(not	to	mention	that	digestion	of	food	and
assimilation	of	nutrients	is	often	impaired	in	older	people). Unfortunately,
elderly	people	often	are	less	able	to	buy	and	prepare	fresh	foods,	and	they	often
subsist	on	packaged,	processed	or	frozen	foods,	thus	consuming	fewer	nutrients.This	diet	makes	a	bad	situation	worse,	contributing	to	widespread	disease	and
disability	among	our	older	population. Almost	certainly,	you	have,	for	at	least	a	few	nutrients,	unique	needs	that	are
substantially	higher	than	average. More	than	a	quarter	century	ago,	medical
pioneers	like	Dr.	Carl	Pfeiffer	were	able	to	use	this	concept	to	cure	many	cases
of	“incurable”	schizophrenia	by	giving	patients	extra	vitamins	and	minerals
(above	and	beyond	what	was	available	through	a	regular	diet). With	their
nutritional	needs	being	met,	Pfeiffer’s	schizophrenic	patients	were	able	to	return
to	a	completely	normal	life. Such	nutrient	deficiencies	are	a	major	cause	of	the
many	mental	and	behavioral	problems	in	our	society. Arbitrary	Standards
Although	science	has	proved	that	we	have	individual	nutritional	needs,	at
present	we	have	no	way	of	measuring	each	person’s	needs. The	Recommended
Daily	Allowances	(or	RDAs)	that	are	listed	on	foods	and	vitamin	supplements
are	arbitrary. They	do	not	provide	accurate	information	about	what	you	need	in
order	to	stay	healthy. These	standards	are	a	measurement	only	of	the	minimum
dosage	necessary	to	prevent	a	diagnosable	deficiency	disease,	such	as	scurvy	(a
vitamin	C	deficiency	disease	common	to	sailors	who	went	too	long	without	fresh
fruits	and	vegetables). You	can	easily	meet	RDA	standards	and	still	lack	the
nutrients	necessary	to	prevent	other	diseases	not	specifically	known	as
“deficiency	diseases.”	In	fact,	optimal	health	usually	requires	at	least	several
times	the	RDA	values. In	reality,	however,	most	people	do	not	meet	even	these	minimum	standards. A	study	by	Professor	Suzanne	Murphy	at	the	University	of	California,	Berkeley,
published	in	the	November	1992	issue	of	the	
Journal	of	the	American	Dietetic
Association,	
measured	the	diets	of	5,884	people	for	fifteen	essential	nutrients. The	average	person	consistently	measured	below	two-thirds	of	the	RDAs	for
three	to	six	essential	nutrients. A	separate	study,	sponsored	by	the	U.S.
Department	of	Agriculture,	examined	ten	essential	nutrients	in	the	diets	of
21,500	people. In	that	study,	not	a	single	person	was	obtaining	100	percent	of
the	RDAs	for	all	ten	nutrients	on	a	daily	basis—not	one	person	out	of	21,500! Virtually	all	Americans	are	chronically	deficient	in	at	least	one	and	usually
several	nutrients,	even	when	measured	against	the	artificially	low	RDA
standards. When	we	consider	that	good	health	requires	several	times	the	RDA,
the	true	magnitude	of	the	problem	becomes	apparent. That	problem	is
compounded	by	the	fact	that	nutrients	must	act	as	a	team	in	order	to	keep	youhealthy. Of	the	more	than	fifty	known	essential	nutrients,	each	must	be	available	to	the
body	on	a	daily	basis	and	in	the	correct	amounts	and	ratios	to	each	other. Rather
than	acting	by	themselves,	nutrients	act	in	combination	with	each	other;	a
shortage	of	even	one	starts	a	chain	of	events	that	can	result	in	extensive
nutritional	deficiencies	and	body	system	malfunctions. In	
The	Kellogg	Report,	
Dr.	Joseph	Beasley	examines	how	one	specific
nutrient	deficiency	(vitamin	B
3
)	has	far-reaching	ramifications:	A	vitamin	B
3
deficiency	impairs	absorption	of	vitamin	C,	which	impairs	absorption	of	iron,
which	causes	excessive	copper	absorption,	which	inhibits	nickel	metabolism,
which	in	turn	adversely	affects	iron	metabolism,	and	on	and	on. If	all	those	can	occur	from	a	deficiency	of	just	one	nutrient	(vitamin	B
3	
in	this
case),	just	imagine	what	happens	in	the	bodies	of	most	Americans,	who	are
chronically	deficient	in	several	nutrients. The	most	common	deficiencies	are	calcium;	zinc;	magnesium;	chromium;
vitamins	A,	E,	C	and	B
6
;	and	folic	acid. What	you	must	recognize	is	that	you
cannot	miss	even	one	member	of	the	nutrition	package	and	hope	to	be	healthy. The	way	to	assure	you	are	getting	what	you	need	is	to	eat	a	wide	range	of	real
foods	that	are	rich	in	nutrition,	keep	the	Big	Four	and	other	“make-believe”
foods	out	of	your	diet,	and	take	high-quality	nutritional	supplements. A	Diet	That	Really	Works
As	a	child	growing	up	in	a	Boston	suburb,	I	remember	food	shopping	with	my
mother	at	several	farms	in	our	town. The	farmers	maintained	the	mineral	content
of	their	soils	with	traditional	methods	of	crop	rotation,	mulch	and	manure. All
through	the	summer	and	even	into	the	fall,	those	farms	supplied	our	town	with
freshly	harvested,	organically	grown,	fully	ripened	fruits	and	vegetables. Everybody	in	town	could	share	in	the	nutrition	those	small	local	farms	provided. By	the	late	1950s,	all	the	farms	had	been	sold	for	housing	developments,	as
happened	to	many	small	farms	across	the	United	States. From	a	real	estate
standpoint,	subdivisions	may	be	the	best	use	of	the	land,	but	from	a	health
standpoint,	development	is	a	disaster. Lost	with	those	local	farms	was	the
superior	nutrition	contained	within	fresh,	organically	produced	foods. What	has
replaced	them	are	commercially	produced,	toxic,	nutritionally	deficient
supermarket	foods. Our	biological	ancestors	ate	living	food	directly	as	nature	provided—oftenwith	no	alternative. If	you	were	hungry	and	found	a	berry	bush,	fresh	berries
were	what	you	ate. Likewise,	a	hunter	might	eat	an	animal	right	after	the	kill,	its
flesh	still	containing	living	cells	filled	with	vital	nutrients. Nature	works	that
way. Within	these	hunting	and	gathering	parameters	we	evolved	biologically;
even	today	our	nutritional	needs	are	best	served	with	living	foods	that	are	as
unchanged	as	possible	from	the	way	nature	provides	them. Instead,	we	often
settle	for	food	in	very	different	forms:	cooked,	dehydrated,	ground,	canned,
frozen,	hydrolyzed,	hydrogenated,	irradiated	or	otherwise	modified. By	eating	a
diet	that	consists	primarily	of	these	“altered”	foods,	we	run	the	risk	of	being
deficient	in	fundamental	nutrients	that	are	contained	only	within	the	whole,
intact,	living	cells	of	other	organisms. Your	body	needs	to	burn	calories	every	day	to	provide	energy. Although
Americans	are	seldom	deficient	in	calories,	almost	always	they	are	deficient	in
nutrients. We	must	learn	to	count	nutrients,	not	calories. Your	body	builds	more
than	ten	million	new	cells	every	second. If	the	foods	you	eat	do	not	contain
sufficient	nutrients	needed	to	build	and	maintain	those	cells,	an	“eat	more”
message	is	sent	to	the	brain. This	happens	regardless	of	how	many	calories	are	in
your	diet. A	body	that	is	starving	for	nutrients	seeks	out	more	food,	and	weight
gain	likely	results. Eating	just	one	hundred	calories	more	than	you	burn,	on	a
daily	basis,	translates	to	roughly	twelve	pounds	of	added	fat	per	year. Try	that
ten	years	in	a	row! Many	Americans	are	both	malnourished	and	overweight. Obesity	is	a	major
health	problem	in	America	today,	regardless	of	age	or	economic	status. According	to	recent	government	statistics,	63	percent	of	American	adults	are
overweight. When	you	eat	real,	nutritious	foods	(typically	lower	in	calories),
your	body	obtains	the	nutrients	it	needs	and	you	likely	do	not	have	intense	food
cravings. If	a	large	part	of	your	diet	is	made	up	of	real	foods,	becoming
overweight	is	difficult. Unfortunately,	overweight	people	(or	those	wishing	to	avoid	becoming
overweight)	often	cut	down	on	their	overall	food	(calories)	intake,	without
making	changes	in	what	types	of	foods	they	eat. This	results	in	more
malnourishment	and	stronger	food	cravings. Consuming	2,000	calories	yet
obtaining	little	or	no	nutrition	is	frightfully	easy:	a	small	candy	bar	(280	calories
and	almost	no	nutrition),	two	soft	drinks	(600	calories	and	no	nutrition),	and	a
hamburger/fries/shake	meal	(1,180	calories	and	only	a	little	nutrition). This
intake	totals	2,060	calories	yet	offers	a	serious	case	of	malnutrition. That	diet
provides	some	protein,	carbohydrate	and	fat	that	the	body	can	use—but	is
seriously	lacking	in	vitamins,	minerals,	phytonutrients,	enzymes,	fiber,	essentialfatty	acids	and	other	nutrients	necessary	to	construct	healthy	cells	and	maintain
good	health. Lacking	these	nutrients,	the	body	must	deplete	its	nutrient	reserves
in	order	to	keep	functioning. When	the	reserves	run	out,	cells	suffer	from
deficiency,	and	they	cease	to	self-regulate	and	self-repair. Disease	follows. Meanwhile,	you	are	still	hungry	and	adding	more	weight	because	your	body	is
short	of	nutrients. Magic	Capsules
How	do	real	foods	support	the	health	and	function	of	your	cells	whereas
processed	foods	do	not? Here’s	one	example:	Whole	grains	(such	as	wheat,	oats,
millet	and	quinoa)	are	seeds	that	contain	all	the	ingredients	necessary	to	create	a
new	plant—to	create	a	new	life. They	are	like	magic	capsules. The	nutrients	in
these	capsules	that	are	necessary	to	create	life	are	also	necessary	to	sustain	your
life. However,	as	soon	as	this	life-creating	capsule	has	been	opened	(due	to
cutting,	mashing	or	grinding),	oxygen	reacts	with	the	chemicals	inside,	causing
the	nutrients	to	deteriorate. At	this	point,	the	seed	can	no	longer	produce	a	new
life,	nor	can	it	sustain	yours	as	well	as	before. Our	ancestors	did	not	have	such
nutrient	losses	in	their	grains,	which	were	eaten	whole	or	coarsely	ground,	rather
than	processed	into	nutritionally	worthless	white	flour. Remember	the	Hunzas? They	coarsely	ground	grains	and	immediately	made	nutritious	flat	breads,
minimizing	nutrient	loss. Foods	that	are	nutritious	but	nontoxic	come	from	the	following	categories:
•	
Organic	foods	
produced	naturally	without	any	man-made	chemicals,	such
as	pesticides,	herbicides,	fertilizers,	preservatives,	antibiotics,	hormones,
processed	animal	feed,	etc. These	foods	are	generally	higher	in	nutrients
and	lower	in	toxins	than	nonorganic	(commercially	produced)	foods	of	the
same	type. •	
Fresh	foods	
harvested	at	their	peak	of	nutrition	(ripeness)	and	consumed
shortly	thereafter. Food	that	is	harvested	does	not	gain	any	more	nutrition
(even	though	it	may	continue	to	ripen),	and	in	fact,	nutrition	begins	to
decline. Some	foods	deteriorate	more	quickly	than	others,	but	the	point	is
that	you	want	to	eat	your	food	as	soon	after	harvesting	as	possible. The
more	the	food	sits	around	(during	harvesting,	storage,	transportation	and
distribution),	the	more	nutrition	it	will	lose. •	
Unprocessed	foods,	
minimally	altered	from	the	way	that	nature	provides. Avoid	foods	that	are	cooked,	peeled,	cut,	ground,	dehydrated,	frozen,
canned,	etc. Unprocessed	foods	are	whole,	complete	foods,	rather	than	justpart	of	a	food	(whole	grains	instead	of	flour	made	from	grains,	for	example,
or	potatoes	with	the	peel	still	on). Because	we	cannot	all	revert	to	hunting,	gathering,	growing	our	own	food	and
eating	it	fresh	and	raw,	we	must	learn	to	evaluate	the	foods	that	are	available	to
us	and	make	choices	that	are	both	healthy	and	realistic. We	must	take	the	“black
and	white”	nutritional	knowledge	outlined	above	and	apply	it	to	our	lives	in	the
best	shade	of	gray	that	we	can. Poisoned	in	the	Nursery
Much	of	the	nutrition	trouble	we	face	begins	before	food	leaves	commercial
farms. Modern	agricultural	practices	and	chemicals	(such	as	chemical	fertilizers,
insecticides,	herbicides	and	fungicides)	produce	ever-increasing	quantities	of
food,	but	the	chemicals	reduce	the	nutritional	quality	of	the	food	and	deplete	the
soil	of	nutrients	needed	to	produce	future	quality	crops. Chemical	fertilizers,	which	are	supposed	to	put	nutrients	into	the	soil,	actually
end	up	causing	nutrients	to	be	removed	from	the	soil. The	most	common
chemical	fertilizers,	which	support	high	food	production,	add	three	major
nutrients	to	the	soil:	nitrogen,	phosphorous	and	potassium. But	the	plants	require
many	other	nutrients	absorbed	from	the	soil,	such	as	zinc,	calcium,	magnesium,
selenium,	germanium,	chromium,	manganese,	nickel	and	molybdenum. Chemical	fertilizers	do	not	supply	these	nutrients. By	not	replacing	these
nutrients	and	by	growing	more	food	on	the	same	land	year	after	year	after	year,
critical	nutrients	continually	are	lost	from	the	soil,	leading	to	nutrient-deficient
soil,	nutrient-deficient	crops,	nutrient-deficient	farm	animals	and	nutrient-
deficient	human	beings. In	her	1976	book	
The	Living	Soil,	
Lady	Eve	Balfour	describes	an	eighteen-
year	experiment	on	three	farms	with	similar	soil	profiles. One	of	the	farms	was
managed	organically,	one	chemically,	and	the	third,	a	mixture	of	the	two. During
this	eighteen-year	study,	the	soil	on	the	organic	farm	was	found	to	have	the
highest	mineral	content. Not	coincidentally,	the	dairy	herd	on	that	farm	was
healthier,	produced	more	milk	and	had	higher	reproductive	capacity. The	use	of	chemical	fertilizers	triggers	a	series	of	problems	as	plants	struggle
to	cope	with	deficient	soils	and	toxic	attacks. Plants	grown	in	nutrient-deficient
soils	are	less	healthy	and	more	vulnerable	to	insects,	molds,	fungi,	viruses,
bacteria	and	weeds. The	susceptibility	leads	to	the	use	of	other	agricultural
chemicals,	such	as	pesticides,	herbicides	and	fungicides,	to	protect	sick	plants. These	toxic	chemicals	create	“dead	soils,”	killing	not	only	the	undesirableorganisms	but	also	the	helpful	organisms	(earthworms,	insects,	bacteria	and
fungi)	that	are	responsible	for	taking	minerals	out	of	the	soil	and	converting
them	into	forms	that	plants	can	use. When	these	bacteria	and	fungi	are	killed,	the
plants	no	longer	receive	adequate	nutrition. Insecticides,	fungicides	and	herbicides	accumulate	in	the	soil	to	a	level	where
they	inhibit	plant	growth. These	poor	growing	conditions	have	spurred	the
development	of	new	kinds	of	plants,	such	as	hybrid	and	genetically	modified
crops. In	creating	genetically	modified	plants,	which	humankind	has	never	eaten
before,	we	may	have	(unknowingly)	altered	the	nutritional	value	of	the	plants,	as
well	as	made	them	more	toxic	or	allergenic. More	and	more	genetically	modified
foods	are	contaminating	the	food	supply	with	novel	and	unnatural	varieties	of
organisms. (See	chapter	9	for	more	information.) Shelves	Stocked	with	Old	Food
I	can	remember,	as	a	child	on	my	uncle’s	farm,	picking	ripe	apples	from	the
trees	and	eating	them	then	and	there. I	can	remember	harvesting	fresh	peas,
strawberries	and	sweet	corn	from	our	own	garden	and	eating	them	raw	within
minutes	of	harvesting. Not	only	do	fresh	foods	taste	better;	they	are	substantially
better	for	health. Much	of	the	food	purchased	in	a	standard	supermarket	today	is
old. Presumably	fresh	produce	such	as	apples,	oranges	and	cucumbers	are	put	in
cold	storage	and	can	be	anywhere	from	months	to	years	old. Supermarket	eggs
are	commonly	anywhere	from	six	weeks	to	six	months	old,	and	they	still	can	be
labeled	as	“fresh.”
Food	is	reasonably	hardy,	but	nutrients	are	not. Nutrients	are	quite	fragile	and
are	destroyed	by	heat,	light,	oxygen	and	overly	long	storage. The	most	fragile
vitamins	are	C,	B
1	
and	B5. Unless	you	grow	food	yourself	or	obtain	it	freshly
harvested	from	a	local	farmer,	it’s	likely	the	food	does	not	have	the	nutrition	you
think	it	has. Irradiated	foods	may	be	years	old	before	you	eat	them	and	thus	completely
devoid	of	vitamins. Fruits	and	vegetables	undergo	substantial	destruction	of
nutrients	in	modern	cold	storage. In	
The	Kellogg	Report,	
Dr.	Joseph	Beasley
offered	examples	of	the	nutritional	loss	that	occurs	after	harvesting:
•	Spinach	and	asparagus	lose	50	to	70	percent	of	their	folic	acid	when	kept
at	room	temperature	for	three	days. •	Vegetables	such	as	asparagus,	broccoli	and	green	beans	typically	lose	50percent	of	their	vitamin	C	before	they	reach	the	produce	counter. •	Potatoes	lose	as	much	as	78	percent	of	their	vitamin	C	during	long-term
storage	at	36°F. •	Blanching	of	vegetables	prior	to	freezing	can	destroy	up	to	half	of	the
vitamins. •	Freezing	meat	can	destroy	up	to	70	percent	of	its	vitamins. Commercial,	make-believe	foods	lack	nutrients	not	only	because	of	losses
after	harvest,	but	also	because	food	is	frequently	harvested	before	it	is	ripe. This
practice	may	be	necessary	for	our	modern	distribution	system	(to	bring	food	to
the	consumer	before	it	rots),	but	early	harvesting	also	reduces	nutrition. The
ripening	process	is	critical	to	develop	the	full	vitamin	and	mineral	content	of	a
food;	vitamin	and	mineral	content	rise	near	the	peak	of	ripeness. Also,	flavor
improves. The	carrots	you	buy	in	the	supermarket	may	look	ripe,	but	they	frequently	turn
that	bright	orange	(ripe)	color	during	transit	through	the	distribution	system. If
they	are	not	ripened	while	still	in	the	soil	(and	most	are	not),	they	will	lack
essential	nutrients. Vine-ripened,	freshly	harvested	tomatoes	are	loaded	with
vitamins,	minerals	and	phytonutrients	(natural	chemicals	in	plants	that	benefit
our	health)—unlike	commercial	tomatoes	that	are	picked	green	and	artificially
ripened	with	ethylene	gas. Naturally	ripened	tomatoes	were	found	to	contain
one-third	more	vitamin	C	than	those	harvested	green	and	immature. Foods
harvested	before	they	are	ripe	never	develop	certain	nutrients	at	all. Certain
phytonutrients	(substances	found	in	ripe	tomatoes	known	to	help	prevent
diseases	such	as	cataracts,	macular	degeneration	and	even	cancer)	are	lacking	in
the	typical	supermarket	tomato	because	these	substances	develop	in	the	last
stages	of	ripening. While	having	all	kinds	of	food	available	to	us	all	year	round	is	wonderful,	we
pay	the	price	with	our	health	because	the	food	must	often	be	harvested	before	it
is	ripe,	transported	long	distances,	stored	for	long	periods	and	artificially
ripened. Even	though	such	foods	may	look	and	taste	fine,	they	are	substantially
less	nutritious. They	are	“make-believe”	foods. Beware	of	Food	Guillotines
Even	foods	that	are	truly	fresh	and	ripe	can	nevertheless	be	nutritionally
destroyed	if	you	prepare	them	improperly. Our	biological	ancestors	usually	did
not	cook	or	process	their	foods. Foods	were	eaten	fresh	and	raw. The	healthy
Hunzas	ate	80	percent	of	their	diet	raw. Their	foods	not	only	had	more	nutritionto	begin	with	(because	of	traditional	farming	techniques	and	rich	soils),	they	also
did	not	typically	diminish	that	nutrition	by	cooking. Nobel	laureate	Linus
Pauling	believed	that	the	mostly	raw,	mostly	vegetarian,	unprocessed	diet	of	our
biological	ancestors	provided	a	level	of	nutritional	quality	far	superior	to	the
food	supply	available	today. The	bulk	of	the	modern	American	diet	comes	from	processed	foods	that	have
been	deliberately	altered	from	the	way	nature	provided. This	altering	includes
trimming,	peeling,	chopping,	blending,	mashing,	commercial	refining	and
cooking. While	some	degree	of	processing	may	be	necessary,	there	are	many
degrees	of	processing,	from	the	simple	slicing	of	a	carrot	for	your	salad	all	the
way	to	the	grinding	and	bleaching	of	wheat	in	order	to	make	white	flour. The
most	significant	causes	of	malnutrition,	other	than	commercial	farming	and
distribution	techniques,	are	cooking	and	processing. In	general,	proteins	in	food	are	the	most	stable	(less	damaged	by	processing),
while	vitamins	are	the	most	easily	damaged. A	cucumber	loses	a	quarter	of	its
vitamin	C	just	by	slicing	it	to	make	a	salad. If	the	salad	stands	around	for	an
hour,	the	loss	goes	up	to	a	third,	and	if	it	stands	for	three	hours,	half	its	vitamin
C	will	be	gone. Fresh	orange	juice	loses	almost	a	fifth	of	its	vitamin	B
1	
within
twenty-four	hours,	even	when	refrigerated. Cooking	and	mashing	a	potato	will
diminish	vitamin	C	by	80	percent. The	heat	used	in	cooking	foods	damages	nutrients	and	typically	makes	them
more	difficult	to	digest. Cooking	even	damages	protein	(the	most	hardy	of
nutrients). Consider	oatmeal:	In	the	
Food	and	Nutrition	Encyclopedia,	
Aubrey
Ensminger	reported	that	dry	oatmeal	contains	14	percent	protein,	but	that	figure
drops	to	only	2	percent	after	it	is	cooked—a	loss	of	85	percent. Cooking
common	vegetables,	such	as	carrots,	can	cause	losses	of	75	percent	of	the
vitamin	C,	70	percent	of	the	vitamin	B
1
,	50	percent	of	the	vitamin	B
2	
and	60
percent	of	vitamin	B
3
. The	higher	the	heat	and	the	longer	the	cooking	time,	the
more	nutrients	your	food	loses. Heating	food	deactivates	its	enzymes	(the	cellular	machinery	that
manufactures	all	the	products	our	cells	make). Although	the	human	body	is
capable	of	making	its	own	enzymes,	we	also	receive	enzymes	directly	from	our
food. Cooking	destroys	these	enzymes. Eating	cooked	foods	stresses	the	body,
which	must	manufacture	extra	enzymes	in	order	to	digest	food	and	compensate
for	enzymes	lost	in	cooked	food. By	eating	cooked	foods,	you	can	actually	lose
more	nutrients	than	you	gain. Consuming	sufficient	enzymes	is	one	reason	that
eating	raw	foods	is	so	important. Cooked	foods	contribute	to	our	epidemic	of
chronic	disease.Although	the	health	benefits	of	raw	foods	need	emphasis,	a	few	words	of
caution	are	important	about	raw	animal	products	(such	as	eggs,	meat,	fish	and
poultry). Even	though	nature	intended	us	to	eat	raw	foods—animal	products
included—	today’s	hazards	of	bacterial,	viral	and	parasitic	infections	make	raw
animal	foods	dangerous. Also,	raw	animal	foods	must	not	touch	other	foods
intended	to	be	eaten	raw. Even	just	a	few	generations	ago,	people	typically	ate	more	raw	food	than	they
do	now,	and	the	trend	toward	cooked	and	processed	foods	appears	to	be
worsening. According	to	U.S.	Department	of	Agriculture	statistics,	over	the	last
century	average	consumption	of	fresh	apples	declined	by	more	than	three-
fourths,	fresh	cabbage	by	more	than	two-thirds	and	fresh	fruit	by	more	than	one-
third. During	that	same	period,	consumption	of	processed	vegetables	went	up
hundreds	of	percent	and	consumption	of	processed	fruits	went	up	by	about	1,000
percent. Eating	processed	fruits	and	vegetables	(canned,	dried,	frozen,	etc.) is
fundamentally	inferior	to	eating	fresh	fruits	and	vegetables. Eat	for	Your	Future,	Too
The	nutritionally	deprived,	cooked	and	processed	foods	you	eat	today	will
damage	your	health	tomorrow,	as	well	as	the	health	of	your	unborn	children	and
grandchildren	in	the	years	to	come. This	profound	concept	was	demonstrated	in	the	1940s	by	Francis	Pottenger
Jr.,	M.D.,	and	published	in	his	book	
Pottenger’s	Cats. More	than	nine	hundred
cats,	some	fed	a	diet	of	raw	food	and	some	a	cooked-food	diet,	showed	striking
differences	in	their	own	health	as	well	as	the	health	of	their	offspring. Within	six
months,	the	cats	eating	the	cooked	food	developed	numerous	health	problems. Subsequent	generations	suffered	infections,	dental	problems,	vision	problems,
skin	problems,	allergies,	arthritis,	miscarriages	and	behavioral	changes—
including	nervousness,	viciousness	and	violent	behavior. Each	new	generation
was	sicker	than	the	last. By	the	third	generation,	almost	all	the	cats	suffered	from
allergies	and	had	trouble	reproducing	because	of	miscarriages	and	stillbirths. Meanwhile,	the	cats	on	the	raw-food	diet	remained	healthy	and	well-behaved,
generation	after	generation. We	have	much	to	learn	from	Pottenger’s	work;	the
most	significant	(and	ominous)	implication	is	the	impact	of	poor	nutrition,
supplied	by	cooked	food,	on	the	health	of	future	generations. Another	case	dramatically	proves	the	need	for	raw,	fresh	foods. During	World
War	I,	sailors	aboard	a	German	cruiser,	
Kronprinz	Wilhelm,	
ate	beef,	ham,
bacon,	cheese,	potatoes,	canned	vegetables,	dried	peas/beans,	white	bread,margarine,	tea,	coffee,	sugar,	condensed	milk,	cake,	champagne	and	beer. Their
entire	diet	consisted	of	cooked	and	processed	foods. After	six	months	on	this
diet,	the	crew	was	experiencing	shortness	of	breath,	paralysis,	atrophied	muscles,
enlarged	hearts,	constipation,	anemia,	and	muscle	and	joint	pain. Fifty	men
could	no	longer	stand. After	eight	months,	500	were	sick,	110	were	bedridden,
and	they	were	falling	at	a	rate	of	four	per	day. New	symptoms	included	pleurisy,
rheumatism,	pneumonia	and	other	infections,	and	fractures	and	wounds	that
would	not	heal. An	emergency	stop	in	Virginia	brought	a	new	diet	containing	some	raw	fruits
and	vegetables. After	ten	days,	the	men	stopped	falling	sick;	forty-seven	had
been	discharged. Conditions	gradually	improved	thereafter. Access	to	fresh,	raw
food	was	all	it	took. Notably,	the	only	people	on	the	ship	who	did	not	get	sick
were	the	officers	who	had	ongoing	(if	limited)	access	to	raw	fruits	and
vegetables,	apparently	providing	just	enough	nutrition	to	make	the	difference
between	health	and	disease. Think	of	all	the	people	that	you	know	who	suffer	from	allergies,	gum	disease,
heart	problems,	vision	problems,	arthritis,	antisocial	behavior,	miscarriages	and
other	health	problems. Could	malnutrition,	perhaps	even	the	malnutrition	of	their
parents	or	grandparents	before	them,	be	contributing	to	their	problems? Talk	to
those	people	you	know	who	have	lived	in	good	health	into	their	eighties,	nineties
or	even	older. Chances	are	they	grew	up	on	farms	and	ate	plenty	of	raw,	real
food	during	their	developmental	years. By	contrast,	consider	the	deteriorating
health	of	many	people	in	the	baby	boomer	generation—the	first	humans	to
develop	eating	processed,	“TV	dinner”	diets	starting	in	the	1950s. Families	today	often	have	grandparents	that	lived	(or	are	still	living)	into	their
nineties,	while	the	next	generation	is	getting	sick	and	dying	in	their	seventies	or
sixties. Today’s	young	people	are	plagued	with	problems	such	as	cancer,	asthma,
diabetes,	allergies,	obesity,	poor	eyesight,	dyslexia,	birth	defects	and	other
problems,	and	are	likely	to	die	at	even	younger	ages. An	epidemic	of	allergic
disease	is	occurring	in	industrialized	countries,	especially	in	people	born	after
1960. The	prevalence	of	asthma	has	quadrupled	over	the	last	two	decades. Could
something	as	simple	as	nutritional	deficiency	be	a	major	contributor	to	violent
behavior	and	vicious	crimes? Many	reasons	exist	to	believe	so. Many	of	our
young	people	can	no	longer	reproduce;	some	estimates	are	as	high	as	one	in	five. These	problems	were	rare	just	a	few	generations	ago	when	our	grandparents	and
great-grandparents	were	eating	more	organic,	fresh,	and	unprocessed	raw	foods. These	problems	did	not	exist	among	well-nourished	populations	such	as	the
Hunzas.How	You	Eat	Matters
Millions	of	Americans	are	plagued	with	heartburn,	abdominal	pain,	bloating,
gas,	nausea,	bowel	difficulties	and	other	digestive	problems. Much	more	than
inconvenient,	these	are	telltale	signs	of	poor	digestion—resulting	in	deficiency
and	toxicity,	i.e.,	disease. To	eliminate	these	problems,	follow	a	few	simple
guidelines,	which	will	support	healthy	digestion. You	can	choose	digestion
habits	that	will	bring	nutrients	into	your	cells	and	let	wastes	out	of	your	body
efficiently. The	basic	steps	of	good	digestion	are	as	follows:	First,	eat	the	right
combinations	of	foods,	because	certain	foods	digest	better	together	than	others. Next,	chew	your	food	well,	to	assist	in	the	digestive	process. Nutrients	must	be
absorbed	properly	through	your	intestinal	walls	and	transported	throughout	your
body	to	all	the	cells	that	need	them. Finally,	wastes	must	excrete	from	the	body. Any	interference	with	any	of	these	steps	of	the	digestive	process	can	cause	both
deficiency	and	toxicity. Deficiency	may	occur	if	food	is	not	properly	digested
and	absorbed. Toxicity	occurs	when	undigested	food	“sits”	too	long,	either	in	the
stomach	or	in	the	intestines,	where	it	rots,	ferments	and	putrefies,	creating
toxins. Although	eating	a	variety	of	foods	is	a	great	idea,	we	are	not	designed	to
digest	them	all	at	the	same	time. Learning	which	foods	go	well	with	each	other	is
what	“food	combining”	is	all	about. Our	digestive	systems	have	adapted	and
evolved	over	many	thousands	of	years;	until	recently	humankind	did	not	eat	the
combinations	of	foods	that	are	now	“normal”	to	us. Our	hunter-gatherer
ancestors	often	ate	foods	directly	from	their	source,	usually	one	at	a	time
because	there	was	no	way	to	preserve	or	store	them. Our	ancestors	certainly	did
not	cook	up	three-	or	four-course	meals	that	combine	all	sorts	of	different
proteins,	starches,	sugars,	fruits	and	vegetables. When	we	are	young,	our	digestive	systems	are	working	at	peak	performance
and	indulging	in	digestive	indiscretions	may	be	possible. As	we	age,	digestive
capacity	diminishes. Forcing	the	body	to	digest	incompatible	foods	results	in
improperly	digested	food	that	produces	dangerous	toxins. Also,	undigested	food
deprives	us	of	essential	nutrients. Food	combining	principles	are	important	because	each	food	category	has
different	digestive	requirements. The	requirements	for	proteins	and	starches	are
radically	different;	if	you	eat	them	both	at	the	same	time	you	cannot	digest	either
one	well. Proteins	digest	in	an	acid	environment,	whereas	starches	digest	in	an
alkaline	environment. Your	digestive	system	has	the	ability	to	create	either
environment,	but	cannot	create	both	at	the	same	time. Instead,	combine	proteinsor	starches	with	vegetables,	which	are	highly	nutritious	and	combine	well	with
either	one. Fruit	has	special	digestive	requirements	and	should	be	eaten	alone. Fruit	is
easy	to	digest	and	is	meant	to	pass	through	the	digestive	system	quickly. If	not,
such	as	when	combined	with	protein	or	starch,	the	fruit	sugar	ferments	in	the
stomach,	often	manifested	by	bloating	and	gas. If	sweet	and	acid	fruits	are	to	be
eaten	together,	eat	the	acid	fruits	first. Melons	should	be	eaten	alone	or
combined	with	other	melons	because	they	take	even	less	time	to	digest	than
other	fruits	and	should	pass	quickly	through	your	digestive	system	in	order	to
prevent	sugar	fermentation. To	learn	about	food	combinations	that	work	well	together	and	those	that	do
not,	consider	a	few	simple	food	categories:	proteins,	starches,	vegetables,	and
three	kinds	of	fruits	(sweet,	acid	and	melons). Remember	these	simple	rules:
	Vegetables	with	proteins,	okay. Vegetables	with	starches,	okay. No	protein	with	starch	(avoid	meat	and	potatoes,	spaghetti	and
meatballs,	fish	and	rice,	etc.). Eat	fruit	alone. (Acid	fruits	with	nuts	and	seeds,	okay. Acid	fruits	with
sweet	fruits,	okay,	although	acid	fruits	should	be	consumed	first. Eat
melons	alone,	except	with	other	melons.) Not	certain	which	of	your	favorite	foods	fall	into	which	categories? Here	are
examples:
Protein
Eggs,	meat,	fish,	fowl,	nuts,	seeds,	avocado,	
coconut,	sprouts,	milk	products. Starch
Corn,	wheat,	barley,	rice,	buckwheat,	millet,	
oats,	dried	peas	and	beans,	potatoes,	yams,	
squash,	flour	(pasta/bread/pastries),	sugar	
(candy/soft	drinks/etc.). Vegetables
Asparagus,	tomatoes,	okra,	green	beans,	green	
peas,	broccoli,	bell	peppers,	brussels	sprouts,	
cabbage,	lettuce,	celery,	cucumber,	beets,	egg-plant,	
artichoke,	beets,	carrots,	cauliflower,	chives,	
ginger,	garlic,	leeks,	onion,	shallots,	scallions. Sweet	Fruits
Bananas,	currants,	figs,	dates,	raisins,	prunes,	
dried	fruits,	grapes. Acid	Fruits
Lemons,	oranges,	grapefruits,	other	citrus	
fruits,	kiwi,	plum,	pineapple,	mango,	papaya,	
all	berries,	nectarines,	apples,	cherries,	pears,	
apricots,	peaches. Melons
Cantaloupe,	casaba,	crenshaw,	honeydew,	
banana	melon,	watermelon.Many	of	our	traditional	meals	are	comprised	of	wrong	combinations. What	we
think	of	as	a	“good	meal”	is	typically	a	harmful	combination	of	starch	and
protein—meat	and	potatoes,	a	burger	and	fries	or	a	cheese	pizza. We	make	the
problem	worse	by	accompanying	meals	with	sugary	drinks	and	desserts;	these
combinations	cause	the	food	to	ferment	and	putrefy	in	the	digestive	system	(and
the	protein/sugar	combination	also	results	in	the	formation	of	harmful	AGEs—as
described	in	the	sugar	section	of	the	Big	Four). Learning	how	to	apply	proper	food	combinations	to	your	diet	can	help	your
health,	as	it	did	for	Andrea. Her	high-profile	career	was	interrupted	when
chronic	fatigue	and	an	autoimmune	syndrome	called	lupus	overwhelmed	her. Before	she	came	to	see	me,	Andrea	had	been	sick	for	five	years	and	had
exhausted	all	the	remedies	that	modern	medicine	had	to	offer—with	no	help. I	encouraged	Andrea	to	keep	a	food	diary	so	that	we	could	track	what	she	was
eating. The	diary	revealed	that	Andrea’s	diet	consisted	of	a	lot	of	processed	junk
(“make-believe”	food). I	taught	her	how	to	shop	for	“real”	food	and	suggested
special	vitamin	supplements. Within	one	week	this	woman—	who	had	been
chronically	ill	for	five	years—was	starting	to	feel	much	better. She	gained	more
energy	and	more	mental	clarity,	and	she	began	to	have	hope. Then	she	reached	a
plateau	and	seemed	unable	to	make	further	improvement. I	suggested	that	Andrea	prepare	another	food	diary,	this	time	looking	at	the
combinations	of	foods	she	was	eating. We	found	out	why	her	recovery	process
stalled. Andrea’s	meal	choices	were	causing	maldigestion	and	creating	toxins
that	were	inhibiting	her	recovery. For	example,	she	had	gone	out	to	a	Sunday
brunch	and	ate	a	breakfast	consisting	of	a	vegetable	omelet	(protein	and
vegetables,	okay),	hash-brown	potatoes	(starch	with	protein,	not	okay),	toast
with	jelly	(starch	and	sugar	with	protein,	not	okay),	and	a	fruit	cup	(fruit	with
other	foods,	not	okay). Combining	egg	protein	with	the	starch	of	bread	and
potatoes	was	bad	enough;	the	fermentation	caused	by	combining	that	with	sugar
from	fresh	fruit	and	jelly	made	things	worse. By	maldigesting	her	food,	this	meal	was	not	supplying	Andrea	with	the
nutrition	she	thought	she	was	consuming. At	the	same	time	her	choices	were
creating	toxins	that	were	poisoning	every	cell	in	her	body—certainly	not	what
she	had	in	mind	when	she	ordered	brunch. At	another	meal,	Andrea	had	a
sandwich	made	of	organic,	whole-wheat	bread,	organic	turkey	and	organic
lettuce. While	definitely	better	than	the	breakfast,	combining	starch	(bread)	with
protein	(turkey)	just	does	not	work. I	knew	how	important	it	would	be	for	her
health	if	she	had	a	good	understanding	of	basic	food-combining	rules. I	taught
her	the	simple	rules	of	food	combining:	
vegetables	with	protein,	okay;vegetables	with	starch,	okay;	no	protein	with	starch;	eat	fruit	alone. Andrea	put	these	simple	rules	to	work. Her	health	continued	to	improve,	and
she	went	into	complete	remission	of	all	her	chronic	health	problems—something
she	had	been	unable	to	do	even	with	good	food	and	supplements	alone. Proper
food	combining	was	critical	to	this	woman’s	wellness	process,	which	is	no
surprise,	because	improper	food	combining	causes	disease. It’s	All	in	the	Technique
When	you	eat	cooked	foods,	eating	something	raw	first	is	best. Cooked	food
appears	to	be	so	alien	to	the	human	system	that	it	can	provoke	an	immune
response,	as	if	you	are	being	exposed	to	a	virus. Scientist	Udo	Erasmus,	author
of	
Fats	and	Oils,	
wrote:
[W]hen	cooked	(or	dead)	food	is	eaten,	a	defense	reaction	occurs	in	the
tissues	of	the	stomach	and	digestive	tract. This	reaction	is	similar	to	the
reaction	we	find	in	infections	and	around	tumors	and	involves	the
accumulation	of	white	blood	cells,	swelling,	and	a	fever-like	increase	in
temperature	of	the	stomach	and	intestinal	tissues. [As	a	result,	we]
experience	tiredness	after	the	meal. The	same	reaction	takes	place	when
half	the	food	is	eaten	raw,	but	the	cooked	part	is	eaten	first. When	the	raw
part	of	the	food	is	eaten	first,	however,	this	reaction	does	not	take	place. Chewing	your	food	also	is	important. The	style	that	many	people	use	is
“chomp,	chomp,	gulp—down	the	hatch!”	Lack	of	proper	chewing	can	cause
maldigestion	and	contribute	to	disease. Many	of	our	modern	foods	are	easy	to
gulp	down,	requiring	little	help	from	the	teeth	(because	of	excessive	cooking,
processing	and	fat	content). By	contrast,	real	foods	(whole	foods	and	especially
raw	foods)	tend	to	have	more	texture	and	fiber,	and	require	more	chewing. If	you
want	good	nutrition	to	support	good	health,	you	need	to	eat	real	food	and	you
need	to	chew	it	well. First,	your	teeth	physically	mash	food	into	small	particles. Then,	your	saliva
combines	enzymes	with	food	as	it	is	being	chewed	and	helps	to	break	down	and
digest	it. The	purpose	of	chewing	is	not	simply	to	break	the	food	into	small
enough	chunks	to	swallow,	although	many	people	eat	this	way. The	purpose	of
chewing	is	to	assist	the	digestive	process	by	grinding	your	food	into	small
particles	and	coating	them	thoroughly	with	the	digestive	enzymes	in	your	saliva. There	is	an	old	saying:	“Drink	what	you	eat	and	eat	what	you	drink.”	Solid
food	should	be	chewed	thoroughly	enough	that	it	becomes	liquid	before	youswallow	it;	liquid	foods	(such	as	juices	and	soups)	should	be	“chewed”	so	that
the	enzymes	in	your	saliva	have	time	to	work	on	them. Nutrition	starts	in	your
mind	and	in	your	mouth. Eat	your	food	with	the	intent	to	nourish	your	body,
rather	than	merely	to	fill	the	void	in	your	stomach. Rethink	“Acid	Indigestion”
After	leaving	the	mouth,	the	chewed,	enzyme-coated	food	moves	to	the
stomach	and	triggers	the	release	of	hydrochloric	acid	and	other	digestive
chemicals	that	further	break	down	the	food	before	it	moves	into	the	small
intestine. In	fact,	until	sufficient	hydrochloric	acid	is	present	and	food
breakdown	takes	place,	food	does	not	leave	the	stomach. If	undigested	food	sits
in	the	stomach	too	long,	it	forms	toxins	and	poisons	you. Adequate	hydrochloric
acid	is	critical	in	the	digestive	process. People	often	think	that	indigestion	is	caused	by	“too	much	acid”—commonly
called	“acid	indigestion.”	While	in	some	rare	cases	this	diagnosis	is	valid,	the
overwhelming	majority	of	acid	symptoms	originate	from	the	opposite	problem—
too	little	hydrochloric	acid. As	a	result,	the	food	does	not	digest	properly	and
remains	in	the	stomach	too	long,	whereupon	the	food	rots	and	becomes	acidic. Rotting	food,	not	excessive	digestive	acids,	causes	an	acid	burn	feeling. Deliberately	taking	antacid	tablets	before	you	eat,	to	prevent	acid	indigestion,	is
not	a	good	idea. It	only	makes	a	bad	situation	worse. The	best	remedies	for	acid
indigestion	are	to	pay	attention	to	basic	food	combining	principles	and	to	chew
your	food	well. Supplementing	with	digestive	enzymes	also	can	be	helpful. (Note:	Supplementing	with	hydrochloric	acid	tablets	is	also	possible,	but	this
much	more	aggressive	measure	requires	education	and	careful	monitoring.) Most	absorption	of	nutrients	takes	place	in	the	small	intestine. By	the	time	it
reaches	the	small	intestine,	food	must	have	undergone	proper	digestion. The
small	intestine	extracts	nutrients	from	the	food	and	they	enter	the	bloodstream. Waste	products	move	along	to	the	large	intestine	where	they	are	excreted	from
the	body. Food	not	properly	processed	by	the	time	it	reaches	the	small	intestine	creates	a
host	of	problems. Poorly	digested,	putrefying,	fermenting	and	rotting	food
particles	in	the	intestines	create	vast	amounts	of	toxins. Undigested	food
molecules	can	pass	through	the	intestinal	walls	and	move	directly	into	the
bloodstream. In	the	bloodstream	the	body	recognizes	these	food	molecules	as
foreign. The	immune	system	may	attack	them. This	response	resembles	a	classic
food	allergy;	poor	digestion	of	a	food	can	cause	you	to	become	allergic	to	it.Worse,	each	allergic	reaction	damages	the	intestinal	tissue	and	makes	it	more
permeable,	perpetuating	the	problem. An	increasing	number	of	food	allergies
and	numerous	other	health	problems	may	result. These	ongoing	allergic
reactions	can	overtax	and	exhaust	the	immune	system,	making	you	vulnerable	to
low-grade,	chronic	infections,	such	as	chronic	sinus	infections. Provided	the	digestive	process	goes	well	in	the	intestines,	allowing	the	proper
nutrients	to	enter	the	bloodstream,	those	nutrients	must	still	go	to	the	proper	cells
and	then	inside	those	cells. This	activity	often	requires	separate	“transporter
nutrients”	(certain	amino	acids,	for	example)	that	also	come	from	your	diet. In
other	words,	nutrients	are	used	for	many	purposes,	including	delivery	of	other
nutrients. This	is	one	example	of	how	nutrients	work	together	in	tandem,	and
why	you	cannot	afford	to	miss	a	single	one. Once	the	necessary	nutrients	have
arrived	at	the	target	cells,	they	still	need	to	pass	through	the	cell	membranes. If
the	membrane	is	not	constructed	properly	(as	described	in	the	fats	and	oils
section	of	the	Big	Four),	new	problems	arise. Nutrients	can	have	a	difficult	time
being	transported	through	cell	membranes	constructed	from	“bad”	fats	and	oils
(hydrogenated	oils,	refined	supermarket	oils,	deep-fried	foods	and	excessive
saturated	fats). The	final	step	in	proper	digestion	is	the	elimination	of	waste	products,	which
must	be	eliminated	as	quickly	and	efficiently	as	possible. Otherwise,	toxins	may
reabsorb	back	into	the	body. The	best	ways	to	improve	bowel	function	are	to	eat
sufficient	fiber,	follow	proper	food	combining	and	chew	food	well. If	you	select
a	food	with	good	fiber	content	and	then	cook	it,	however,	you	may	be	short-
changing	yourself. Some	of	the	fibrous	structure	of	food	can	be	lost	in	the
cooking	process,	so	be	sure	not	to	overcook. Many	people	find	it	uncomfortable,	even	embarrassing,	to	talk	about	their
body’s	waste	products. Being	comfortable	with	these	natural	processes	is
important	because	one	of	the	simplest	ways	to	measure	the	health	of	your
digestive	system	is	to	be	aware	of	your	bowel	movements	and	to	note	the	quality
of	your	stools,	in	terms	of	frequency,	texture	and	odor. Most	Americans	are	constipated;	many	have	a	bowel	movement	only	every
other	day	or	think	that	one	movement	per	day	is	ideal. Not	true. If	you	do	not
have	frequent,	efficient	elimination,	then	food	wastes	remain	in	your	intestines,
where	they	putrefy	and	poison	you. Optimal	is	two	or	three	bowel	movements	a
day—one,	at	the	very	least. Loose	stools	or	exceptionally	dense	stools	are
reflections	of	serious	problems,	especially	if	they	persist. Well-formed	and
floating	is	a	good	rule	of	thumb. Excessive	gases	(stomach	or	intestinal)	or	stool
odor	also	may	indicate	digestive	trouble. Be	aware	of	your	elimination	process,and	if	you	have	a	problem,	take	steps	to	remedy	it	by	following	the	guidelines	in
this	chapter. Choosing	the	Right	
Dietary	Supplements
Eating	good	foods	and	digesting	them	well	may	not	be	sufficient	to	make	sure
your	cells	receive	all	the	nutrients	they	need	every	day. Supplementing	your	diet
with	high-quality	vitamin,	mineral	and	essential	fatty	acid	supplements	is	also
important. Supplements	have	become	a	necessity	in	our	society	for	two	reasons:	First,	the
supply	of	nutrients	is	down. Intensive	commercial	farming,	depleted	soils	and
food	processing	have	reduced	the	nutritional	content	of	our	food	so	dramatically
that	our	diets	no	longer	contain	the	nutrients	required	by	our	cells	to	maintain
good	health. Second,	our	need	for	certain	nutrients	is	up	because	of	the	effects	of
environmental	pollution,	which	puts	extra	stress	on	the	body. Responding	to	this
stress	uses	up	essential	nutrients,	in	particular	antioxidants,	such	as	vitamins	A,
C	and	E.	With	the	supply	of	nutrients	down	and	the	need	for	nutrients	up,	is	it
any	wonder	that	three	out	of	four	Americans	have	a	diagnosable	chronic	disease? Supplementation	is	necessary	to	bridge	the	gap	between	what	we	need	and	what
comes	from	our	diet. Most	physicians	(who,	on	average,	receive	only	two	and	a	half	hours	of
nutritional	training	during	four	years	of	medical	school)	often	tell	you	that
supplements	are	not	necessary—	that	they	make	little	more	than	expensive	urine. The	position	often	taken	by	physicians	is	that	you	can	get	all	the	nutrition	you
need	to	maintain	health	by	eating	a	balanced	diet	of	commercially	produced
foods. You	know	by	now	that	this	claim	is	absolutely	false. Numerous	studies	have	shown	that	virtually	all	Americans	are	not	receiving
the	recommended	amounts	of	nutrients	on	a	daily	basis. Many	nutritional
researchers	(myself	included)	believe	that,	in	our	modern	world,	obtaining	the
nutrients	we	need	from	diet	alone,	even	if	we	eat	good	foods,	is	impossible. Over
the	last	quarter	century,	research	has	established	that	a	huge	gap	exists	between
the	small	amounts	of	nutrients	required	for	preventing	overt	nutritional-
deficiency	diseases	and	the	large	amounts	of	nutrients	required	to	maintain
optimal	health	and	fortify	our	bodies	against	disease	in	general. Dietary
supplements	help	fill	the	gaps	in	your	nutrition,	especially	in	those	nutrients	for
which	you,	as	an	individual,	may	have	a	particularly	high	need. One	final	note:Supplements	are	not	an	invitation	to	eat	a	poor	diet;	they	are	to	be	used	in
addition	to	healthy	foods. Countless	people	have	been	cured	of	chronic	health	problems	by	the	addition
of	dietary	supplements. Consider	Albert,	a	man	who	sought	my	advice	several
years	ago. Albert	had	been	suffering	from	serious,	“untreatable”	depression	for
almost	a	decade. He	had	exhausted	his	resources	going	to	hospitals,	clinics	and
physicians,	but	nothing	had	helped. His	life	was	a	living	hell,	and	he	was
suicidal. At	our	first	meeting	I	learned	that	he	subsisted	on	a	meager	diet	consisting
mostly	of	processed	foods	and	that	he	was	addicted	to	sugar. I	suggested	that	he
eliminate	sugar	and	incorporate	fresh,	raw	fruits	and	vegetables	into	his	diet. I
recommended	a	supplement	program	of	specific	vitamins	and	essential	fatty
acids. Albert	was	skeptical	that	these	seemingly	simple	suggestions	would	make
any	real	difference,	considering	how	many	“expert	doctors”	he	had	already	seen. In	less	than	a	week	after	starting	the	diet	and	supplement	program,	Albert	called
to	say	that	he	felt	as	if	a	great	burden	had	been	lifted	from	him. He	was	no
longer	feeling	suicidal. In	all	of	his	years	of	treatment	for	clinical	depression,	I
was	the	first	person	who	had	suggested	that	poor	nutrition	could	be	the	cause. In
fact,	poor	nutrition	is	the	leading	cause	of	depression	(and	almost	every	other
disease). Although	Albert	had	been	taking	nutritional	supplements	before	he	saw	me,
he	had	been	taking	the	wrong	kinds	of	supplements	(those	with	low	bioactivity,
which	means	they	were	in	a	form	that	the	body	could	not	easily	absorb	or	use). Ultimately,	bioactivity	is	critical	to	whether	supplements	will	be	effective	or	not. When	institutions	like	the	Centers	for	Disease	and	Control	and	Prevention	and
the	National	Academy	of	Sciences	have	performed	large-scale	population
studies	to	measure	the	benefits	of	taking	supplements,	they	have	failed	to	find
any	benefits	because	most	people	are	taking	poor-quality	supplements. Quality	is	everything—in	supplements,	as	well	as	food. For	Albert,	quality
supplements	(with	high	bioactivity	at	the	cellular	level)	made	all	the	difference. Having	been	a	technical	consultant	to	vitamin	companies,	I	can	tell	you	that	of
all	the	vitamin	products	on	the	market	today,	few	actually	do	much	good. An	investigative	report	aired	on	NBC’s	
Today	
show	in	1990	determined	that
36	percent	of	the	multivitamin	brands	tested	did	not	dissolve	soon	enough	to	be
absorbed	and	be	of	use	to	the	body. In	fact,	some	never	dissolved	at	all! These
failures	included	only	the	most	popular	brands. The	numbers	of	failing	brands
would	have	been	far	higher	had	all	the	minor	brands	been	measured. NBC’s
testing	also	allowed	a	generous	one-hour	for	the	pills	to	dissolve. Using	a	moreconservative	(and	appropriate)	time	of	forty-five	minutes	would	have	made
almost	half	the	tested	brands	fail. Almost	half	of	all	vitamin	brands	are	not	going
to	do	your	body	any	good,	yet	these	are	what	most	people	use. One	reason	that
these	brands	fail	is	because	they	are	filled	with	additives,	which	can	constitute
up	to	half	of	the	volume	of	the	pill. These	additives	are	used	as	fillers,	binders,
lubricants,	colors	and	preservatives,	but	they	can	cause	real	problems—not	only
interfering	with	the	pills’	ability	to	dissolve	and	with	nutrient	absorption,	but
also	introducing	many	harmful	contaminants	and	allergens	into	your	body. Most	vitamins	marketed	today	are	synthetics	and	often	contain	petroleum
residues	from	their	manufacture. Some	of	these	synthetic	molecules	are
fundamentally	different	from	natural	vitamins,	which	affects	the	ability	of	your
body	to	utilize	them. For	example,	synthetic	vitamin	E	is	far	less	biologically
active	than	vitamin	E	derived	from	natural	sources. Synthetic	beta-carotene
actually	can	cause	a	deficiency	of	other	carotenes. Nutritional	supplements	are	available	at	different	levels	of	quality	and	price
because	of	the	variety	of	manufacturing	processes	used	to	create	them. Each
brand	exhibits	different	properties	and	bioactivities. Trying	to	select	a	vitamin
brand	can	be	a	bewildering	experience. I	found	that	comparing	two	different
brands	with	exactly	the	same	list	of	ingredients	was	not	even	possible,	because
how	these	ingredients	are	made	is	just	as	important	as	what	is	printed	on	the
label. Unless	you	are	a	chemist	or	you	know	exactly	how	the	supplement	was
made	(and	how	the	body	metabolizes	nutrients),	distinguishing	the	difference
between	two	seemingly	identical	products	is	almost	impossible. The	initial
quality,	chemical	form,	age	of	the	ingredients,	how	they	were	handled	(whether
or	not	they	were	exposed	to	moisture,	heat,	light	and	oxygen	during	their	storage
or	manufacture),	and	what	other	chemicals	they	are	combined	with	in	the
formula	has	everything	to	do	with	the	bioactivity	of	the	final	supplement. When	I	was	recovering	from	my	chemical	hypersensitivity,	I	was	unable	to
take	most	vitamins	because	of	their	chemical	contaminants. Vitamin
supplements	were	critically	important	in	my	recovery	process,	but	first	I	had	to
find	pills	that	were	pure,	biologically	active	and	uncontaminated. The
contaminants	in	most	pills	(that	were	making	me	sick)	also	tax	the	health	of
people	who	are	healthy,	even	if	they	are	not	aware	of	it. Seeking	manufacturers	who	use	quality	ingredients	along	with	good
manufacturing	practices	is	vitally	important. Most	of	the	supplements	on	the
market	today	are	not	worthwhile,	as	many	do	not	contain	what	is	professed	on
the	labels,	and	many	are	even	toxic—contaminated	by	substances	such	as	heavy
metals,	solvent	residues,	pesticides,	artificial	colors	and	allergens. Thesupplement	market	is	unregulated;	you	simply	cannot	trust	vitamin	pills	unless
you	know	how	they	are	made. Even	the	best-selling	brands	of	vitamins	are	not
something	I	would	take	myself	or	recommend	to	others. Although	you	cannot	always	trust	labels,	I	have	developed	some	convenient
rules	of	thumb	that	help	me	to	quickly	evaluate	the	quality	of	vitamin
supplements. First,	check	to	see	if	cheap	ingredients	can	be	recognized	on	the
label. Cheap	ingredients	usually	suggest	that	the	remainder	of	the	product	is	not
of	high	quality. Does	cost	matter? Yes,	because	it	costs	more	to	purchase	pure
ingredients	that	are	in	the	more	bioactive	forms. For	example,	calcium	carbonate
is	an	ingredient	used	in	many	mineral	formulas,	supposedly	to	supply	calcium,
and	it	does	to	a	certain	degree,	but	very	inefficiently. Compounds	such	as
calcium	citrate,	calcium	fumarate,	or	calcium	malate	are	far	more	biologically
active	and	are	much	better	choices. However,	they	are	much	more	expensive. The	uneducated	consumer	seeking	a	calcium	supplement	will	usually	choose	a
formula	based	on	price	or	appearance	or	how	much	calcium	it	contains	rather
than	chemical	composition	and	bioactivity. Paying	attention	to	the	chemical	composition	of	the	nutrients	is	more
important. Some	chemical	forms	are	better	than	others	because	of	their	superior
bioavailability. The	poor	ones	should	be	avoided. Below	are	some	guidelines	for
choosing	the	quality	of	mineral	supplements:
Poor
Acceptable
Optimal
Bioactivity
Bioactivity
Bioactivity
Carbonate
Aminoate
Ascorbate
(e.g.,	calcium	carbonate)
Chelate
Citrate
Oxide
Gluconate
Fumarate
(e.g.,	magnesium	oxide)
	
Malate
Sulfate
	
Picolinate
Phosphate
	
Succinate
	
	
Tartrate
Now	look	at	the	vitamins. The	easiest	way	is	to	check	the	B	vitamins,
specifically	vitamins	B
2	
and	B
6
. In	a	high-quality	formula,	vitamin	B
2
(riboflavin)	will	also	be	accompanied	by	its	more	expensive	and	bioactive	form:
riboflavin	5-phosphate. Similarly,	with	vitamin	B
6	
(pyridoxine	hydrochloride)	a
high-quality	formula	will	also	contain	the	more	expensive	and	bioactive	form:
pyridoxol	5-phosphate. No	foolproof	way	exists	to	check	out	a	vitamin	product	without	knowing
exactly	what	is	going	into	the	product:	how	old	the	ingredients	are;	how	they
have	been	shipped,	handled	and	stored;	and	how	pure	they	are. But	taking	those
steps	that	you	can	do	on	your	own	will	bring	you	closer	to	buying	an	effectiveproduct. (Vitamin	products	I	have	selected	for	my	own	use	can	be	found	in
appendix	C.)
Tasty	Choices
The	choices	you	face	as	you	select	a	diet	each	day	rests	on	a	combination	of
the	nutritional	content	of	the	foods	balanced	against	your	own	personal	tastes. Taste	is	acquired	and	is	based	largely	on	what	we	are	familiar	with. A	new	taste
can	be	acquired	simply	by	eating	something	new	for	a	few	weeks. I	found	that	I
lost	my	taste	for	a	lot	of	the	less	desirable	foods	I	used	to	enjoy. While	taste	and
pleasure	in	eating	are	important	(and	even	psychologically	beneficial),	plenty	of
healthy	foods	are	pleasurable	to	eat. Our	productive,	fast-paced,	modern	lifestyles,	combined	with	misinformation
about	nutrition,	can	make	the	right	choices	difficult	to	identify. These	lifestyles
create	a	demand	for	processed,	prepared,	speedy	“convenience	foods,”
regardless	of	economic	status	or	educational	level. More	parents	than	ever	are
working	to	support	their	families,	while	fewer	and	fewer	are	staying	at	home	to
tend	gardens	or	prepare	wholesome	meals. Many	of	us	no	longer	even	eat	at
home. We	eat	in	cafeterias,	restaurants	and	fast-food	chains	where	processed
foods	are	the	norm. The	food	we	ate	yesterday	is	still	affecting	us	today,	and	the	food	we	eat	at
our	next	meal	will	affect	our	awareness,	energy	level,	ability	to	think,	learn	and
remember	as	well	as	our	mood	and	behavior. What	we	eat	in	a	week	or	a	month
or	a	year	determines	our	biological	makeup	and	our	health,	as	well	as	the	health
of	our	children	and	grandchildren. You	must	always	remember	that	the	biological	reason	for	eating	is	to	supply
your	cells	with	the	nutrients	they	need	on	a	daily	basis. Becoming	healthy	and
staying	well	with	a	diet	of	processed	foods	laced	with	sugar	and	processed	oils	is
impossible. You	are	what	you	eat;	your	life	and	health	depend	on	the	foods	you
choose. You	face	these	choices	at	every	meal	you	eat	for	the	rest	of	your	life,	so
embrace	it! You	now	know	how	to	choose	the	good	from	the	bad. Avoid	the	Big
Four,	eat	“real”	living	food	as	nature	provides	and	take	high-quality
supplements. To	move	yourself	in	the	right	direction	on	the	nutritional	pathway,
start	now	to	give	your	cells	all	the	nutrients	they	need,	every	day,	and	they	will
thank	you	with	the	gift	of	good	health.6
T
HE	
T
OXIN	
P
ATHWAY
“[O]ur	health	is	threatened	not	only	by	individual
chemicals	—deadly	or	toxic—but	even	more	by	the	overall
chemical	load	that	the	human	organism	now	has	to	sustain.”
Joseph	D.	Beasley,	M.D.,	Ph.D. The	Kellogg	Report
O
ur	bodies	are	under	attack	every	day—from	without	and	from	within. We
face	more	toxic	chemicals	and	man-made	poisons	in	our	lives	than	ever	before. We	are	weakened	by	chronic	stress,	lack	of	exercise,	allergies	and	eating	the
wrong	foods	in	the	wrong	ways. In	these	ways,	we	often	sabotage	our	own
defense	systems	and	invite	the	toxic	enemy	inside. If	the	enemy	overpowers	us,
we	fall—often	without	recognizing	our	attackers. Toxicity—from	toxins	taken	into	our	bodies	from	the	outside	or	those	created
inside	our	bodies—is	one	of	two	reasons	that	cells	malfunction;	remember,
toxicity	is	one	of	the	two	causes	of	disease. To	prevent	or	to	reverse	disease,	we
must	limit	our	exposure	to	toxins	and	we	must	give	our	bodies	what	they	need	to
detoxify	themselves. Fortunately,	most	of	this	process	is	within	our	control. Unfortunately,	the	invaders	are	everywhere—especially	in	our	own	homes—and
often	they	are	hard	to	find. A	Living	Hell
By	the	time	I	received	the	telephone	call	from	a	man	who	identified	himself	as
David,	his	body	was	losing	its	battle	against	an	enemy	he	could	not	identify. “I
have	no	idea	who	you	are	or	why	I	am	calling	you,”	David	said,	“but	I	am	going
to	kill	myself.”
My	mind	racing	and	my	fear	intensifying,	I	began	the	longest	telephone
conversation	of	my	life—four	and	a	half	hours	of	David’s	life	story,	now	a
nightmare. Before	the	onset	of	his	problems,	David	had	been	a	partner	in	a	top
New	York	City	advertising	firm. He	earned	a	seven-figure	income	and	lived	in	a
posh	community;	his	wife	was	a	socialite,	and	his	children	attended	private
schools. Life	was	good—until	he	began	to	experience	weakness	and	fatigue. David	went	to	see	his	physician,	who	did	many	thousands	of	dollars	worth	of
testing,	only	to	pronounce	David	to	be	in	perfect	health. The	doctor’s	onlysuggestion	was	that	David	was	working	too	hard	and	that	he	should	take	a
vacation. So,	David	and	his	wife	rented	a	house	in	Hawaii	and	stayed	there	for
two	months. The	vacation	did	not	help,	and	David	gradually	felt	worse. He	developed
serious	allergies	as	well	as	neurological	and	psychological	problems,	so	he
consulted	more	doctors. A	wealthy	man,	David	went	to	the	best	doctors	money
could	buy;	they,	too,	could	find	nothing	wrong,	so	they	referred	him	to	a
psychiatrist. Physicians	often	assume	that	if	they	do	not	understand	what	is
wrong,	their	ignorance	is	not	at	fault,	but	rather	the	patient	is	imagining	the
problem. David’s	psychiatrist	was	equally	baffled,	and	he	referred	David	back	to
his	physicians. All	the	while,	David’s	fatigue	and	allergic	symptoms	worsened;	he	became
unable	to	continue	working	and	had	to	resign	from	his	firm. Finally,	David	was
referred	to	a	clinical	ecologist,	a	physician	who	specializes	in	environmentally
caused	diseases. This	doctor	diagnosed	David	as	suffering	from	multiple
allergies,	chronic	fatigue	syndrome	and	chemical	hypersensitivity	syndrome. He
said	David	was	too	chemically	sensitive	to	continue	living	in	the	highly	polluted
New	York	area	and	suggested	he	move	where	air	quality	was	better. David
uprooted	his	family	and	moved	to	an	isolated	ranch	outside	of	Santa	Fe,	New
Mexico. David’s	problems	continued	to	worsen;	he	became	dangerously	depressed	and
irritable,	and	he	had	frequent	outbursts	of	anger. David	had	descended	into	an
unending	nightmare,	and	he	had	taken	his	family	with	him. The	combined
impact	of	the	move	and	the	isolation,	coupled	with	David’s	frequent	outbursts	of
anger	and	his	worsening	depression,	was	too	much	for	David’s	wife. She	left
him	and	she	took	the	children	with	her. Everything	that	David	had	ever	cared	about	was	gone. He	was	depressed,
isolated	and	alone. He	became	suicidal. At	that	point,	at	the	advice	of	a	friend,
he	called	me. From	the	moment	David	called,	I	knew	(in	a	general	way)	what	his	problem
was.
Never_be_sick_again_.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        In	
Diet	for	a	New	America,
John	Robbins	described	their	typical	diet:
[S]awdust	laced	with	ammonia	and	feathers,	shredded	newspaper	(complete
with	all	the	colors	of	toxic	ink	from	the	Sunday	comics	and	advertising
circulars),	“plastic	hay,”	processed	sewage,	inedible	tallow	and	grease,
poultry	litter,	cement	dust,	and	cardboard	scraps,	not	to	mention	the
insecticides,	antibiotics	and	hormones. Artificial	flavors	and	aromas	are
added	to	trick	the	poor	animals	into	eating	this	stuff. The	animals	are	not	the	only	ones	tricked. The	consumer	is	“tricked”	into
buying	these	make-believe	foods	and	into	thinking	that	they	contain	the	nutrients
required	to	support	healthy	life. Dr. Joseph	Beasley	in	
The	Kellogg	Report	
wrote
that	shortchanging	nutrients	over	a	period	of	time	“is	bound	to	involve	human
illness,	particularly	chronic	conditions	such	as	today’s	high-technology	medicine
can’t	seem	to	get	a	handle	on. ”	Again	and	again,	well-meaning	parents	go	to	the
store	thinking	they	are	feeding	their	families	fresh,	wholesome	foods,	only	to	be
fooled	by	the	multitude	of	offerings	of	deficient,	make-believe	food	products. Carl	Pfeiffer,	Ph. D. ,	M.
Sawdust laced with ammonia and feathers, shredded newspaper, processed sewage, inedible tallow and grease, poultry litter, cement dust, and cardboard scraps.
What are some of the unnatural and unhealthy foods that John Robbins described in his book "In Diet for a New America"?
Poor nutrition and the consumption of unhealthy, processed foods.
What is the main cause of the problems that people face today, according to the author?
Eating a diet that provides all the necessary nutrients and avoiding processed and unhealthy foods.
What is the key to optimal health, according to the author?
The industry's focus on producing large quantities of food, which leads to the loss of nutrients and the use of toxic chemicals, ultimately causing widespread disease and disability.
What is the main issue with the food industry, according to the author?
Eat a diet rich in whole, organic, and unprocessed foods, avoid processed foods, and consider taking high-quality supplements.
What is the author's advice for maintaining health and well-being?