The Encyclopedia of Fruitarianism and Rational LivingC. Philip Reichard, EditorTHANK YOU TO:
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This encyclopedia contains, basically, two kinds of discussions: ones concerned with what we humans put into our bodies and ones concerned with how we interact with one another and with the other life-forms on this planet.
Some of the entries are devoted to looking at what humans put into their bodies. Nutrition, historically, has been a matter of conjecture. Humans have always eaten what has been available. But there has never been sufficient, sound knowledge on the components of the foodstuffs on which we have lived.
Some of the discussions are about human behavior and our place on this planet. We believe that humans cannot successfully enter the 21st Century without information such as this in their hands. We hear, but do not yet heed the many modern voices warning us that the rebellion against Mother Earth by her Youngest Children is becoming unbearable. We may one day be orphaned. Orphans that call out for the Mother that we ourselves have abused to death.
Many of the themes presented here come out of the Social Sciences. Especially Anthropology. To uncover the truth about the proper human diet we must first come to an appreciation of where we are in the Animal Kingdom. We must then take a very close look at our prehuman ancestors.
Fruit eating is Humankind's oldest and only legitimate form of diet. Sadly, it is the least understood. Fortunately, today there are a number of good books available on the subject of Fruitarianism. Yet the majority of the general public is still unaware of Fruitarianism's message.
We are bringing together for you what may seem to be unrelated notions. We have packaged these many important topics in our own, unique way so as to throw new light on their connectedness.
For many years we have been looking everywhere for concise reference materials on the true human diet. It seems that, until now, there have been no encyclopedias of Fruitarianism, Veganism, or even mainstream Vegetarianism.
Today's human community is desperately in need of reorganization. There have been times in history when reorganization has occurred rather suddenly. One example of this is the Enlightenment. The French Philosophes of the 18th Century, and in particular the Encyclopedists, sought to share their rationalist, humanitarian, and spiritual ideas with the general public. They took a critical look at superstition, traditional knowledge, and accepted wisdom.
The compilers of the encyclopedia now in front of you have been greatly inspired by the honesty and dedication of the first Encyclopedists. We wish to continue to combat the errors of antiquity. We, too, have faith in the progress of Humankind.
The ideas presented by the first Encyclopedists were not embraced by the ruling class of their day. As a matter of fact, the writings of the Philosophes were, in large part, responsible for the American and French Revolutions. Ideas had created sweeping movements!
The creators of this encyclopedia do not expect to have their ideas met with open arms by today's so-called Health Experts. This is to be expected.
Over the last few years we have heard the faint rumblings of a Health Revolution. A Revolution of global proportions. It is our sincere hope that this collection helps to further popularize Fruitarianism and Natural Hygiene.
We hope that you will find something new on every page of this encyclopedia. We are actually rather sure that there are notions here of which you have never even dreamed. Please enjoy the adventure! We hope you will pause and meditate on things that are new to you.
We would love to hear from you! We actively invite questions, comments, criticisms, and contributions from people like you. Would you like to add your ideas to our project? Would you like to join us in building a better tomorrow? Do you have ideas or information that you are dying to share with the world?
We are looking for people to submit entries for our encyclopedia. You need not be afraid if you lack writing skills. We are not necessarily looking for expert writers. We simply want to get to know people who share our deep concern for the future of Planet Earth. You do not have to be an "Einstein" to get yourself into our collection. But we do have a few guidelines. They are:
Try to follow the system of "Sources" that we have begun. We might very well be fascinated by your notions. We might be terribly excited by your fresh insight. But we would like to have scientifically-centered entries. Please familiarize yourself with the style of writing that we have begun. Read as many of these entries as you can. Catch the spirit. Then try to stick with our format.
Please try to use up-to-date reference materials. Please try to use scientifically-minded references. Please try to avoid introducing too many speculative ideas into your discussions. Our readers may want to look up your references for further study. We prefer that you use easily accessible materials. Please try not to quote from out-of-print books.
The reason we are being so insistent is that we feel we must separate ourselves from the "herd" of the other diet systems that have come before. Many health writers do not take enough care when presenting their ideas to the public. They do not always use verifiable references. Our topics are too important not to be taken seriously!
If we like the things that you send us we will contact you. We would love nothing more than to add you to our group of contributing friends!
It is possible that we would want to recommend small changes to some of your writing. Please do not be offended if we do. Good ideas are good regardless of their presentation or English grammar. We would always contact you before printing anything.
We at Whole Truth Press want you to write, call, or email us anytime. We are always available to exchange world views with you!
Direct your inquiries to:
f95-mwi@nada.kth.seAfrica is the birthplace of the Human Family. All humans of all races can trace their origins back to the early humans in Africa millions of years ago. Some of these early Africans migrated out of Africa to settle other areas of the world. Europe, Asia, and the Americas to name a few. These early pioneers would eventually develop into the many different races of people we find today.
Paradise is usually depicted as a warm, colorful, sunlit place abundant with sweet fruits, lush, green plant life, and palm trees. These depictions are indicative of the tropical geography of most of the African continent where humans have their origin.
Africa is the cradle of humankind. Africa could be seen as a Divine Mother and, thus, humans her children. With Her sweet fruits, warm sunlight, and gentle breezes, she suckled us on her bountiful breast for eons, from our infancy until relatively recent times.
Heywood BrownThe science of agriculture was begun by early peoples around 10,000 years ago. It was a momentous occasion in human development and would bring about a revolution in the human diet and lifestyle from then on.
For the first time in their total history humans would exert a deliberate control over what they ate. At this point they could become food producers rather than food collectors. Up until this point all humans had been food foragers. They would travel in nomadic bands searching for wild foods. These foods would include wild fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Further into their development early humans would learn to hunt animals and eat their meat, hence the anthropological term Hunter-Gatherer.
Agriculture would bring about profound changes in the human diet. New foods including grains, legumes, dairy products, and domesticated animal meats would both revolutionize and demoralize the human palate.
Animal Husbandry, a sister science to Agriculture was developed alongside Agriculture during the same period. This science involves the domestication of animals for the use of their meat, milk, eggs, and labor. For the first time in history humans would have a constant supply of high-cholesterol, fat-laden meats, milk, and poultry eggs. The disastrous consequences of these early dietary changes can still be seen today.
It is important that we view Agriculture within the full context of human history. For well over 99% of the total human existence on the planet humans have been food foragers. Of that ninety-nine percent, most of the time was spent eating fruits.
Essentially, human dietary requirements have remained unchanged for millions of years. What an organism eats for over 99% of it's existence is the correct diet for that organism. In the case of human beings that is a fruit diet.
The new types of foods that Agriculture introduced (grains, legumes, and dairy) came far at the end of human development. Therefore we must view these foods as non-essential to the human diet.
Heywood BrownAhimsa is an east Indian term that relates to the principal of non-violence toward animals. This principal is an important tenant of three major religions of India: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Animals are seen as sentient beings worthy of human love and protection. Killing animals for food or any other reason is completely unthinkable to an adherent of Ahimsa. The murder of animals is seen as no different than the murder of human beings. Animals are believed to possess souls and consciousness, just as humans do. Violence toward animals will also negatively affect a person's destiny and fate. The idea that "what one reaps is what one sows" is applicable here in that the adherent of Ahimsa believes that the violence and misery experienced by a murdered animal will be metaphysically transferred to the meat-eater during his own lifetime.
Heywood BrownAvocados were first cultivated in South and Central America. The fruit was a staple in the Aztec diet. The name "Avocado" is derived from the Aztec word "ahuactl". The first Europeans to see the fruit were the Spanish Conquistadores, who invaded Mexico during the 16th century.
The avocado is a highly nutritious fruit and has a relatively high fat content. It is grown all over the world's tropical and subtropical areas. There are three basic categories of the fruit. They include the Mexican, Guatemalan, and the West Indian. Avocados have been crossbred and now come in over 500 varieties.
Heywood BrownBotanists have placed the cultivation of the Banana in the Indus Valley around 2,000 B.C. Early peoples domesticated the fruit from the wild variety during that period. Bananas were crossbred to improve their flavor and also to rid them of seeds. This selective breeding worked a little too well, as the new seedless banana could no longer reproduce itself without human intervention.
The botanical term for the banana is Musa sapientum or "fruit of the wise". However, the banana is botanically classified as an herb, not a fruit. The word "banana" is of West African origin.
There are now over 100 varieties of the cultivated Banana. They vary in size, shape, color, texture, and taste.
Bananas require 75 to 150 days to mature and must be removed from the plant to ripen properly. After fruiting, the plant is cut down, or collapses, and a new one develops from the buds on the underground stem.
During the 7th Century Islamic Arab traders were responsible for introducing the banana to the rest of the world. They took bananas throughout the Middle East and into northern Egypt. It was there, during this period, that bananas were believed to have been the original "forbidden fruit" of the Old Testament.
As for nutritional sufficiency, bananas are at the top of the list. Bananas are truly a complete food. They provide the full range of nutritional needs for humans. Six pounds of bananas will supply about 2,380 calories, which is enough for a healthy, hard-working, 150 pound male. They will also furnish about 31 grams of protein. The recommended daily allowance is about 25 grams.
The vitamin and mineral content of common bananas far exceeds the R.D.A. set for all of the various nutrients.
Heywood BrownThere is little time left for this world before the next one begins. Total honesty is what's needed now. The majority will not live on this planet soon so don't appeal to them.
The caloric intakes suggested in this Encyclopedia tend to be mimics of normal charts and studies. I am a 150 pound man and would not begin to eat so many pounds of bananas, just to shoot for some middle of the road chart drawn from a gluttonous, sick society.
Why must we persist with this "protein need" talk? The time of life when you are growing, percentage wise, the fastest, is infancy. Mother's milk has a little over 1% protein, just like fruit. And who cares, except for the slaughter houses who want you to believe you need their death machine product?
Develop the acceptable scientific sources that don't now exist. Sanction a study of Fruitarians to prove once and for all that so called "colds" and "flu" have little to do with the rats at the garbage dump and all to do with the garbage. England's 10 year study of colds and flu found hundreds of different bacteria that were found in the people that were sick but 33% had none! Show how this proved that bacteria aren't the reason for the sickness.
Introduce bacteria into healthy Fruitarians to show why without the garbage they can't live, reproduce, or get a truly healthy person sick.
Show why humans possess digestive tracts. If you can understand "optional pleasure capability" then you can envision eternal youth.
MangoMost scholars place the Dark Ages from between the fall of Rome (c.395-410) and the Norman Conquest in England (1066). This period in European history was characterized by stern religious influence on politics, barbaric invasions, poverty, a waning of democracy, the persecution of scientists, and the denial of personal expression.
Contrary to popular opinion, we are actually still living in the Dark Ages. Religious superstition still holds sway over many citizens, the sovereignty of small nations is still regularly violated, physical and mental poverty still grip the masses, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are still withheld by our political leadership, and capitalist propaganda continues to divert us from right living.
We are still looking for a Renaissance. No hope is in sight.
Rob LayDates are one of the oldest fruit cultivated my man. Around 3,000 B.C. people in the Middle East began cultivation of the Date. Dates are an important food source in the Middle East to this day.
As the fruit is perfectly suited to grow in arid conditions, Dates grow in tall palms, called Date Palms. The fruit can be eaten fresh, semi-dried, and dried.
Dates range from yellow-red to dark brown in color. The pulp is moist, soft, and sweet and contains a small, cylindrical pit.
Today Dates are chiefly grown in the Middle East, although some are grown in Spain and in California.
Heywood BrownA philosophical view that focuses on the importance of all life on earth. Deep Ecologists often describe themselves as Biocentric (all-life-centered) and are concerned with the importance and beauty of life for it's own sake. This means that the earth and all of the life it contains are a wonder regardless of whether humans are here to appreciate it.
The term "Deep Ecology" was coined in 1972 by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess who wrote "The essence of Deep Ecology is to ask deeper questions. We ask which society, which education, which form of religion is beneficial for all life on the planet as a whole." Deep Ecology has been strongly associated with the Green Movement from it's inception. The spiritual views of Deep Ecology may be found throughout the various groups involved in the Ecological Movement. Deep Ecology stresses a return to a simple life on the land and opposes industrial civilization, which it views as anti-earth, anti-human, and anti-liberty.
Deep Ecologists believe that the role of humans on Earth should be drastically reduced. The Earth and all the life on it were fine for eons before humans began to appear. Humans, with their killing technology, negligence, and blatant apathy have managed to quickly destroy many of the complex systems that have taken Mother Nature hundreds of millions of years to produce.
Deep Ecology can be seen as a true philosophy of selflessness and love for the planet and all of the life it contains.
Heywood BrownFigs are one of the earliest fruit cultivated by man. They were spread all over the eastern Mediterranean region centuries ago. They formed part of the staple diet of the ancient Greeks. Both fresh and dried figs are still widely used in the Mediterranean today.
Figs have played an important role in the mythological tales of various people throughout history. The Judeo-Christian story states that the first people, Adam and Eve, covered their nakedness with fig leaves. Later in the Biblical story the prophet Isaiah cures a man named Hezekiah by using a poultice of figs: "And Isaiah said: 'Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.'" (II Kings, 20-27)
According to Matthew 21:18-19 Jesus was hungry when he entered Jerusalem and found a fig tree bearing leaves but no fruit. He said it would never again grow fruit, and the tree withered away.
In the Buddhist story, Buddha gains enlightenment under the sacred Bo tree. It is believed that this was a fig tree. In Greek mythology the fig was held sacred to Bacchus, god of wine, and was used in many religious rituals. Bacchus was believed to have gotten fat and sluggish by eating too many figs. The fig tree is a fertility symbol throughout Africa and Asia. For the Kikuyu people of Keyna the fig is actually a part of their namesake. In their language the word "Kuyu" means "fig" and the word "mukuyu" is a fig tree.
There are now around 600 varieties of figs in shades of white, purple, green, and red. They are available year-round but their peak season is during the summer.
A 10 ounce (248 grams) string of Greek (Kalamata) figs will provide about 1,300 calories and around 12 grams of protein. Figs contain the highest sugar content of any known fruit.
Heywood BrownFor humans, food is much more than just a collection of various proteins, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates held together in a complex molecular bond. The whole is far greater than the collection of its parts.
What we eat is a reflection of who we are. Our culture, nationality, religion, and history are reflected in the foods we eat. Food represents a vital link to our past. Families around the world hold on to cherished recipes which have been handed down through the generations. For many families mealtime becomes a communion with their remote ancestors. Thus, eating reinforces and preserves the bonds within the family group both past and present.
Humans are naturally social animals. Membership within the social group is extremely important to individuals. Whether it be family, nation, race, or religion, all humans are members of a group. Throughout human history eating has been instrumental in cementing the bonds within social groups.
What we eat can also reflect our status in the societies in which we live. Throughout history affluent people have demonstrated their superiority over others by consuming highly exotic, exclusive, and expensive foods. These foods transfer to their consumers a sense of prestige and grandeur.
With the exception of Fruitarians and Natural Hygienists, people around the world engage in some form of sociocultural conformity in regards to what they eat. Even health seekers such as Vegans and Vegetarians take part in conforming to the dietary practices of the status quo. A visit to any local health food store would reveal the lengths to which these health seekers will go in order to preserve their dietary links to the dominant social group. Within these health food stores there is sold an array of "healthy substitute" foods. These foods are the "healthier" versions of those consumed by the general public.
For example, beef hamburgers are replaced by tofu burgers. Cheese pizzas are replaced by non-dairy pizzas. And pastries such as cookies, cakes, and pies are baked without wheat, white sugar, or dairy products.
This substitution process helps many health seekers retain their cultural heritage within their diets. The attraction to these "healthier substitute" foods is more attributable to how closely they resemble the foods of the larger social group than to their nutritional adequacy.
Fruitarians and Natural Hygienists operate completely outside of these socio-culturally imposed dietary practices. Through a diet of fresh, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, Fruitarians and Natural Hygienists have removed all vestiges of ethnicity, national origin, and religious denomination from their diets. They have chosen to accept the fact that humans are a single species, requiring a single diet for all its members. The Fruitarian Diet is truly a Cosmopolitan diet. It links all humans together as one global family.
Heywood BrownAn organism that is physiologically predisposed to eating fruit. A frugivore's diet is predominately fruit but may include greens, nuts, and seeds. The organism's full range of nutrient needs is supplied by this diet. Sweet fruits are of primary importance to frugivores, as they supply the most major nutrient requirement for glucose (simple fruit sugar).
All humans are frugivores, and are born with a natural instinct for wanting sweet foods.
The closest living genetic relative of humans is the Chimpanzee. Chimpanzees are a 98% genetic match to humans, and they are also frugivores.
Heywood BrownA person who chooses a diet predominating in fresh fruit. This term refers to a person who intentionally chooses a fruit-based diet. "Frugivore", on the other hand, is a classification that an organism is naturally born into. All humans are born Frugivores. However, they may choose to be a Fruitarian, vegetarian, or a meat-eater.
"Fruitarian" is a term that relates only to what a person eats. Fruitarianism is not a holistic doctrine in and of itself. For instance, a person who is only a fruitarian might engage in all sorts of negative and destructive life practices.
Fruitarianism is a sub-category of the holistic health doctrine of Natural Hygiene. All Natural Hygienists are Fruitarians. However, all Fruitarians are not Natural Hygienists.
Heywood BrownFrom the Bible/Torah:
Genesis 1:29
(God speaks to Adam & Eve) "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; TO YOU IT SHALL BE FOR MEAT".
1:30
"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I HAVE GIVEN EVERY GREEN HERB FOR MEAT" and it was so.
Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God PLANTED A GARDEN eastward in Eden, AND THERE HE PUT THE MAN WHOM HE HAD FORMED.
2:9
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, AND GOOD FOR FOOD; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
2:10
And a river went out of Eden TO WATER THE GARDEN...
2:15
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
2:15
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat..."
There are many instances of plant-based wording in other parts of the Bible. For example, the commandament to "Be fruitful, and multiply" as well as references to descendants being "the seed of" their ancestors. It is also very telling indeed that God did not make the "coats of skins" for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness until AFTER they had sinned and admitted their sin before Him. Prior to their admission of their sin, they had worn FIG LEAVES. So it follows that meat-eating and violence were natural consequences of SIN, and not a part of the original plan (Genesis 3:7 and 21). This also got them kicked out of the garden, by the way.
Lorna SnellHealth Reformism is an improvement on the very unhealthy dietary practices which most of the world is presently engaged in. However, Health Reform, like all reform, is only a surface change, and not truly complete. The late Dr. Herbert M. Shelton had the following to say about this issue: "Reform means a change of externals. Reform is thus a patchwork program and is justifiable only when the thing that is to be reformed is basically sound and worth saving."
For instance, a health reformist will exchange a beef burger for a tofu burger. He would exchange a sugar cookie for one made with fruit juice. He will use soy milk in his cereal instead of cow's milk. He might not use doctor-prescribed medicines, but opt for natural herbal cures.
The Reformist never completely abandons the idea of the pre-existing symbol. He simply changes it's surface and incorporates it into his own diet.
A trip to any local health food store would reveal the depths to which Health Reformism has sunk. There is sold in these stores the "health food" equivalents of all of the very unhealthy foods of the general public. There are microwaveable "health food" TV. dinners, canned "health food" vegetarian soups, and sugar-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free cookies, cakes, and pies.
The Reformist works under the assumption that the idea behind these foods is essentially good and that all that needs to be done is to substitute the unhealthy ingredients for allegedly healthy ones. Health Reformists are not complete in their thinking. They usually cling to unscientific and antiquated ideas about diet and health. Reformism offers allegedly healthy substitutes for foods which are unhealthy to begin with. These substitute foods are really just lesser evils, but evils none the less.
In the final analysis, we must conclude that Health Reformists are really "straddling the fence", wanting to be liked and accepted by the mainstream. Health Revolutionists, by contrast, will never enjoy such a luxury.
Heywood BrownHealth Revolution is synonymous with Fruitarianism and Natural Hygiene. All true Fruitarians and Natural Hygienists are Health Revolutionists. Health Revolution entails a complete about-face from the dietary practices of the status quo. This includes abstention from meats, dairy products, grains, legumes, and in short, all foods which require cooking.
All revolutions uproot, displace, and disorganize things temporarily. The Health Revolution of Fruitarianism is no different, in that it uproots all of the erroneous notions about diet and health that currently exist.
The late Dr. Herbert M. Shelton had the following to say regarding Health Revolution: "Revolution is a fundamental reconstruction or the replacement of an old order with an entirely new one. Revolution is imperative when the old system, like the medical system, is rotten to the core and contains virtually nothing worth saving."
Health Revolutionists are iconoclasts, as they actively seek to expose the fraudulent claims of the many current health gurus, health practices, and health products which abound in the world today. Much of this health ideology is presented with distinctly religious overtones. Complete with it's own icons of celebrated healers, healing therapies, and healing foods, it is easy to understand why people are emotionally drawn to these philosophies.
Health Revolutionists will consistently find themselves in the position of the boy who cried "The emperor wears no clothes!"Health Revolutionists are usually despised by the general public.
The Health Revolution of Fruitarianism will completely reroute the course of modern society. A considerable percentage of the economic strength of the modern industrial world is based on investments in the fraudulent food industry complex. The stock markets, futures markets, bonds markets, and more are all invested in, and are taking in, billions of dollars of profits from the deadly dietary choices of the modern world.
The Health Revolution, if large enough, will completely overturn the world economy. Most of the food industries of the world would come to a grinding halt. The meat industry, junk food industry, health food industry, and the beverage industry are only a few examples of the systems that would be completely crushed under the weight of the Health Revolution.
Heywood BrownThis famous Greek teacher was born about 460 B.C. into a medical family. Historical records indicate that he taught and traveled widely and that he lived to be over 80 years old.
Hippocrates prescribed fasting as a measure to combat illness. "Everyone has a doctor in him, we just have to help him in his work" said Hippocrates. He also said "To eat when one is sick is to feed one's sickness."
Hippocrates is famous for his authorship of over 70 treatises, in which he proposed a radical and revolutionary theory. He proposed and demonstrated the idea that illness was due to bodily malfunction rather than the whims of malevolent spirits or angry gods. With this it followed that doctors might best observe patients closely, prescribe a good diet, use gentle massage, and try to encourage the body's natural healing processes. Hippocrates' writings show that these skills of observation were accurate: "Persons who are very fat are apt to die earlier than those who are slender" he wrote, and "When sleep puts an end to delirium, it is a good symptom".
Hippocrates' second major contribution to medicine is the oath based on his teachings, that bears his name. In recognition of the ethical responsibilities of all physicians (to pass on knowledge, to do their patients no harm, to respect the patient's confidences) the Hippocratic Oath is still sworn today by medical school graduates all over the world.
Heywood BrownHumans, and all other mammals, are in the class of animals known as Endotherms ("heat from within"). With a few exceptions endotherms are also homeotherms, maintaining a quite constant internal body temperature. The primary source of heat in endotherms is the oxidation of glucose and other energy-containing molecules within the body cells. The remarkable constancy of temperature characteristic of humans and other mammals is maintained by an automatic system. The system is a thermostat in the hypothalamus which precisely measures body temperature and triggers the appropriate control mechanisms. This is an example of the process known as homeostasis in the human body.
Endotherms are characterized by layers of insulating materials such as fur, feathers, fat, and by mechanisms for disposing of excess heat such as panting in dogs and sweating in humans.
As a protection against cold temperatures the human body produces "brown fat". Brown fat cells store fats whose energy is channeled directly into heat production. Brown fat is found in newborn infants (but not in adults) and also in hibernating animals.
The human body operates within a narrow margin of temperatures. This can range anywhere from 96.6 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The commonly held belief in the normal body temperature as 98.6 degrees is probably wrong. Researchers came up with this figure about 150 years ago as the norm for healthy people. Actually, normal body temperature for an individual is a range of values that depends on the time of day, the person's age, and other factors.
The most important temperature in the body is the "core temperature". This is the deep, internal temperature inside the body. The core temperature must remain constant, as the internal organs must maintain a certain temperature in order to operate. It is the highest temperature within the human body. The liver, for instance, operates at a constant temperature of 100 degrees.
What most people experience as hot or cold relates to their skin temperature only. As it is constantly changing it is an unreliable form of measurement. When the weather is very hot our skin temperature is also hot. Likewise, when the weather is very cold, our skin temperature is also cold. However, in both instances the core temperature remains the same.
It is a common belief that the temperature of various foods will affect overall body temperature. Most people will consume hot foods when their skin temperature is cold. They will consume cold foods when their skin temperature is hot. These beliefs are not scientific. Food temperatures do not affect the core temperature, which is always constant.
A more logical solution to the discomfort we feel from changes in external temperature is to exercise some control over the temperature in our environment. When our skin temperature is hot we can take a cool shower or use a fan. When our skin temperature is cold we can wear warm clothing or increase our indoor heat to a comfortable level.
In both instances, when the skin temperature is maintained at a comfortable level we are free to enjoy the foods to which we are biologically adapted. These foods include mostly raw fruits, with some raw vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Heywood BrownAll humans are members of the same family. Humans are a single species whose scientific name is Homo sapiens ("wise man"). All humans share a common ancestry. Many anthropologists and biologists support the theory that the ancestry of all 5.384 billion humans on earth today can be traced to a female who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and who left an unmistakable signature on our DNA. This theory is known as the Genetic Eve theory.
The groups that most people call "races" are passing episodes in the ongoing evolution of humankind. What are usually thought of as racial traits are only the results of adaptation to climate and geography tens of thousands of years ago.
As humans are a single species, they require a single diet. This is a fruitarian diet, consisting mostly of raw fruits with some raw vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The notion that people should adopt different diets based on various differences such as gender, race, religion, or national origin has no scientific foundation.
Heywood BrownAnthropologists use the term Hunter-Gatherer to indicate societies characterized by a mode of subsistence that involves the hunting of animals, and or fishing, as well as gathering edible wild foods. Though these activities take place side by side, one activity may take precedence over another. For example the Eskimo hunter-gathers of Alaska traditionally relied more on hunting for their survival where as the !Kung (Bushmen) hunter-gatherers of southern Africa have relied more on gathering for theirs.
Until only around 10,000 years ago all humans were hunter-gatherers. Over 99% of human existence has been spent in this mode of living. Humans, and their hominid predecessors, spent eons foraging for their meals within their local environments. About 10,000 years ago the bulk of the human race took a wrong turn. They would develop agriculture. They developed agriculture first somewhere between what is now northern Greece and Iran. Once leisurely gatherer-hunters, they became farmers. They became obliged to accept the discipline of working to a timetable imposed by the seasons and to the needs of their animals.
The Bible makes the point when it records Adam's banishment from Eden for eating the Forbidden Fruit: "And you shall eat of the plants of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground."
Food was there for the picking in Eden, as it usually is for the world's most ancient peoples. The !Kung of Africa's Kalahari Desert, for example, can gather all they need in an average "working week" of twelve to nineteen hours. Research has shown that this group lives mainly on mongongo nuts, which give them a daily protein diet equal to 14 ounces of beef steak. Many edible fruits, plants, and animals are also abundant. The !Kung have no detectable protein or vitamin deficiencies, few chronic diseases, low mortality, and a life-span comparable to that of urban man.
Heywood BrownMangos were first cultivated in India over 2,000 years ago. The fruit is held in great esteem throughout India today. Many Hindu myths are associated with the Mango. Akbar, the Mogul emperor of India during the 16th century, so loved the Mango that he planted an orchard of 100,000 Mango trees. Buddha also had a mango grove within which he found solitude for philosophical thought. Mangos were first brought to the Western Hemisphere around 1700. The first crops were grown in Brazil.
The word "mango" comes from "man-kay" or "man-gay", a Tamil word adopted by the Portuguese in India.
Mango trees can grow to 100 feet tall and have large, shiny leaves. There are over 500 varieties of the cultivated mango. They range from very small (about the size of a plum) to very large (about the size of a cantaloupe). Mangos are grown in all tropical areas of the world, however India is the largest exporter. The fruit is available year round though their peak season is during the summer and fall.
Mangos range in color from light green to yellow or red. They have a thin skin, a sweet, fleshy pulp, and a large, flat seed.
Heywood BrownThe human indulgence in meat eating is a worldwide phenomenon. The majority of people throughout the world eat meat. The amount of meat a person might consume is dependant upon many different factors. A person's nationality, culture, religion, and financial status are but a few factors that determine what and how much meat that person will consume.
Meat consumption, it is the contention of Fruitarianism and Natural Hygiene, is non-essential and disastrous for the human species. There are many factors to support this notion. The three most important include Human Evolution, Human Physiology, and Human History. These three factors disprove even the most ardent argument for meat consumption.
The story of HUMAN EVOLUTION begins with our early primate ancestors foraging amongst the treetops in the lush, tropical forests of Africa around 64 million years ago. Over millions of years these early primates would develop into many various other primate species including monkeys, apes, hominids, and eventually humans. Their dietary requirements, however, do not change. Fruit remains the staple for millions of years.
In 1979 the New York Times reported that Dr. Alan Walker, an anthropologist from Johns Hopkins University, had made a startling discovery about early, prehuman diets. By comparing the teeth-wear patterns of two early prehuman (hominid) species, Homo Erectus ("upright man") and Australopithecus ("southern ape"), Dr. Walker found that there were some amazing differences. He found that the teeth-wear patterns of Homo Erectus were those of an omnivore, eating a varied diet of roots, nuts, fruits, shoots, and meat. The teeth-wear patterns of its predecessor, Australopithecus, were those of a frugivore, eating an exclusively fruit diet. Homo Erectus was the first hominid to use fire. This discovery might have been his encouragement for eating meat, which he could make more palatable by cooking over an open flame. Homo Erectus was the first hominid and the only primate to make meat a primary part of his diet.
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY is completely inconsistent with meat consumption. Humans do not possess any of the physiological traits that are indicative of true meat eaters (carnivores). Some of these physical traits include quadrapedalism (walking on four feet), razor-sharp teeth adapted to tearing through flesh, bone, and sinew, a highly developed sense of smell, and a short and smooth intestinal canal. Humans do not posses the instinct for stalking prey. Humans do not rise to the occasion to hunt down and pounce upon weaker animals, devouring their warm, bloody flesh in the raw.
Meat eating is not instinctual for the human species. It is a learned activity, offering no practical advantages.
HUMAN HISTORY also reveals some of the disastrous consequences of meat consumption. Homo Erectus, being the first hominid to make meat a primary part of his diet, was also the first casualty of it. Many of the fossil remains of Homo Erectus are grossly deformed, encased by layers of bony tissue up to a quarter of an inch thick.
Paleontologists have attributed this deformity to a chronic overdose of Vitamin A. Homo Erectus developed this problem by eating animal liver.
Our later ancestors would also become victims of the choice of meat in their diet. About 10,000 years ago some people would change their hunter-gatherer diets to those of settled Pastoralists. They would give up eating the meat of wild game and take up eating the meat of animals they had domesticated. The results were disastrous.
Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and a plethora of other diseases are consistent with domesticated meat consumption. For example, the meat of moose contains 1.5 grams of fat per 100 grams. Compare that to the meat of a lamb loin, which contains 32 grams of fat per 100 grams. That is over twenty times the fat content for domesticated animal meat.
Heywood BrownQuackery has probably been part of the human story since before recorded history. Undoubtedly, as long as there have been sick, suffering, and confused people searching for the answers to life's problems there have also been people who have profited from their pain through the trade in useless cures. The term "Quackery" is derived from the word "Quacksalver". The word "quack" means "to boast, brag, promote, or call attention to oneself." The word "salver" means "to soothe, alleviate, or cure".
Dr. William T. Jarvis, in his book Quackery and You, defines quackery as follows: "Quackery is the promotion of questionable health products and services (questionableness pertaining to safety and or effectiveness). People who fit such a description are quacks whether they are sincere or fraudulent, medical doctors or impostors, operating within the law or not".
One of the earliest American Quacks was a man named Dr. Elisha Perkins (1741-1799). Perkins was a Yale-educated surgeon who cofounded the Connecticut Medical Society. In 1797 he created and patented Perkins' Patent Tractors, which consisted of a pair of small metal bars. According to Perkins the bars could cure everything from gout to an aching head if used to massage the afflicted area.
Eventually Perkins was exposed, though not before he had amassed a small fortune and had even sold a pair of tractors to George Washington.
In fact, George Washington, America's first president, died as a direct result of the questionable methods employed by the quack doctors of his day. Blood-letting, blistering, and purging were cutting-edge medical practices during this era and were used liberally on President Washington during his last days. Their methods were anything but a cure and only helped to hasten President Washington's untimely demise. For many people the word "quackery" conjures up potent images of travelling hucksters peddling their Snake Oil to the extra-gullible. Indeed this was a familiar scene in early American frontier towns during the 19th century. Quack doctors would travel from town to town in covered wagons putting on their medicine shows to showcase their elixirs. Mobility was essential so that they could move on before the fraudulence of their cures was exposed. This period is often referred to by historians as "the great patent medicine era". It lasted from 1870 to around 1930.
In the modern era Quackery has taken on an even more virulent form. Quackery, like a parasitic organism, has attached itself to the growing Health Food and New Age movements in the United States. According to consumer health expert Dr. Stephen Barrett, Americans spend over $10 billion a year on various forms of quackery. Some of these forms include strange, exotic "health-foods", vitamin supplements, herbal cures, and various "healing therapies". The modern New Age quack, however, unlike his predecessors, has taken on a guise of respectability among the populace. With their own brand of home-spun pseudo-scientific double-speak these new Quacks can easily confuse even the most well-educated health seeker.
Unfortunately even the most noble health philosophies such as Fruitarianism and Raw Foodism are not immune to quack theories. Bizarre theories such as Breatharianism, Liquidarianism, and Sproutarianism have been espoused in books by authors who claim to be Raw Foodists or Fruitarians. There is even a Raw Foodist lecturer in New York City who promotes the practice of "urine therapy" in which people are encouraged to drink their own urine in an attempt to recycle their own proteinaceous wastes.
Fruitarianism and Natural Hygiene have a great role to play in the unfolding drama of Human Health. These systems have the ability to completely alter the course of human health into the 21st Century and beyond. It is imperative that Fruitarians and Natural Hygienists distance themselves, as far as possible, from Quacks and Quack theories. If they are to be taken seriously and given any degree of academic credibility, these systems must remain true to the Scientific Method.
Heywood BrownSalt is a relatively new addition to the human diet. Historians have found the earliest evidence of salt mining in Europe and have dated it to about 8,500 years ago. These salt mines (the Hallstein and Hallstatt Deposits) are located in Austria near the city of Salzburg, which, incidentally , means "city of salt".
Since the Agricultural Revolution (about 10,000 years ago) salt has been a permanent part of human history. For most of that time salt was elevated to the status of a valuable commodity. Salt's high trade value caused wars to be fought over it, empires have been founded on it and have collapsed without it, and people have sold their own children into slavery for a handful of it. The Roman writer Detrerius, in the Satyricon, authored the idiom "Not worth his salt". Roman soldiers were paid in salt rations, called "salarium", or "salt money", which is the origin of the English word "salary".
Common table salt (Sodium Chloride) is the most popular condiment in the world. Salt is an inorganic mineral compound, and thus cannot be assimilated into the human body for nutritional purposes. Salt is an absolute poison. The average American will ingest anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds of salt annually.
Salt is a protoplasmic poison and has been directly linked to human disease symptoms including hypertension, high blood pressure, edema, psychological disorders, gout, and premenstrual syndrome.
Humans have no instinctual craving for salt. It is a learned and culturally-imposed phenomenon.
The consumption of salt is consistent only with the consumption of cooked food. Humans who are consuming the foods to which they are biologically adapted would have no cravings for salt. Humans are the only primates who consume salt.
It is imperative that we view salt within the full context of human history. For well over 99% of human history salt played no part in our diet. Salt consumption is completely inconsistent with human development, as modern humans have possessed the technology to mine and extract salt only within the last 10,000 years. This period of time is a proverbial "drop in the bucket", as the story of human diet begins around 64 million years ago in the trees of the tropical rain forests of Africa.
Heywood BrownSuper Foods have been part of the human story since before recorded history. Throughout the world there are stories of Super Foods which, when consumed, would transmit magical healing qualities to their consumers. Some examples of these foods include "Ambrosia" of the ancient Greeks, "Manna from Heaven" of the ancient Hebrews, the "Golden Apple" of the ancient Norsemen, Chocolate of the Aztecs, Cow's Milk of the Hindus, and Ginseng of the Chinese.
The belief in Super Foods has existed for thousands of years and is probably well entrenched in the human Collective Unconscious. The basis of the belief in Super Foods is that they are entities in and of themselves. They are believed to be possessed by "spirits" imbued with special healing powers. The basic idea is that Super Foods "do" something: that they "act" out of their own agenda, independently of the human body.
Research has shown that all foods, when consumed, are inert substances within the human body. Foods are passive substances and cannot take action. They instead must be acted upon by the human body. The belief in Super Foods has no logical or scientific basis and should be regarded as Quackery.
Unfortunately the archaic belief in Super Foods is kept alive within the growing Health Food movement in the United States and elsewhere. There is a vast array of Super Foods available at any local health food store. Some of these "New Age" Super Foods include wheat grass juice, spirulina, brewer's yeast, blackstrap molasses, super blue-green algae, and protein powders.
These foods are unscrupulously marketed to the many unsuspecting health seekers who are searching for the "magic bullet" solution to their problems. Most of these health seekers have become disillusioned with the mainstream medical establishment. They are sincerely searching for something in which to believe. Unfortunately, Super Foods are not the answer.
The lure of Super Foods is similar to the lure of a common con game. Within this scenario the con victim is not really an innocent victim. As with all con games the con victim believes that he will get "something for nothing". Super Food pitch-men are quite aware of this vulnerability in people, and they will exploit this at any chance they get. Super Food consumers believe that their salvation lies in the consumption of exotic Super Foods. However, these people do not wish to discontinue the destructive eating and living habits which have caused their problems in the first place. It is in this way that they are attempting to get "something for nothing". Unfortunately, their attempts are in vain as health cannot be bought and sold in the market place. Health is produced only by healthy living.
Heywood BrownTomatoes originated in South America in what is now Peru. The word "tomato" is derived from the Inca word "tomaytl". This original tomato was much smaller than the varieties we see today. It was about the size of a common cherry. Tomatoes were brought from Peru northward to Mexico where the Conquistadores discovered the yellow cherry-size fruit and took it back to Spain in the early 16th century.
From Spain it went on to Naples, Italy. The Italians made it their own, calling it "Pomodoro" or "Golden Apple".
Although Italians were turning the tomato into a tasty treat by 1750, it was viewed with great suspicion by early Americans. Thomas Jefferson was friendlier to the tomato than many of his fellow countrymen. He was raising them by 1781.
The botanical name for tomato is "Lycopersicon esculentum". The tomato is a member of the Solanaceae family which includes the poisonous belladonna, black henbane, and deadly nightshade. The leaves and stems are toxic and have even been known to kill livestock.
There are now over sixty varieties of the cultivated tomato. They vary in size, shape, color, texture, and taste.
Raw tomatoes not only taste good, they're good for you. A raw tomato is about 90% water. A 3 1/2 ounce tomato has 24 calories, about 1% protein and about 4% carbohydrate. Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A, Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Vitamin C.
Heywood BrownAny of a variety of unrelated complex organic substances found variously in all foods and are essential in small amounts for the overall health and functioning of the human body. A Polish-American biochemist named Casimir Funk coined the name "Vitamine" in 1912. He believed that some chemical compounds were essential to sustain life, hence "vita" and that these belonged to the "amine" group of chemicals. He was quickly proven wrong on this second count and the final "e" was duly dropped. As to the first claim, additional research has tended to becloud the issue. This is because what is true for one organism may not be true for another. For instance, while vitamin C is essential for certain species, including humans, monkeys, and guinea pigs, other animals can get along without it, whih is why we don't have to serve orange juice to house cats.
Some of the vitamins that humans require are produced by the body itself. Sunlight is the key factor in the human body's production of Vitamin D. Exposure to adequate amounts of sunlight throughout the year is essential for the human body's production of Vitamin D and for the overall health of the body. Micro-organisms that dwell in symbiotic harmony in the digestive tracts of humans produce sufficient amounts of B-Vitamins for their host's survival.
Heywood BrownThe first vitamin pill or synthetic vitamin was Vitamin D. It was commercially manufactured in 1927 by Mead Johnson & Co., Evansville, Indiana and marketed in the spring of 1928. It was made by exposing a solution of ergosterol to ultraviolet light.
Americans spend over one billion dollars a year on vitamin supplements. These run the full range of costs. A person can expect to pay anywhere from a few dollars to over $25 for a single bottle of vitamins. Brand name, strength, ingredients, and general popularity are all factors that determine this scale of vitamin supplement costs.
Despite the popularity of vitamin supplements in the United States and elsewhere two major scientific authorities have determined them to be a hoax. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association insist that the recommended daily allowance established for vitamins can be obtained in any normal, balanced diet. The American Medical Association's Encyclopedia of Medicine states as follows: "Most people who eat a balanced diet do not need vitamin supplements. Eating a variety of foods provides adequate amounts of all vitamins."
One of the most publicized recent nutrition fads featured calcium permanganate, or B-15. The list of diseases that this super-pill allegedly helps cure reads like the table of contents of a medical textbook: heart diseases, aging, senility, diabetes, gangrene, glaucoma, alcoholism, drug addiction, hepatitis, jaundice, allergies, dermatitis, mild poisoning, neuralgia, sciatica, neuritis, and minimal damage brain dysfunction. Supporters point out that B-15 is enormously popular in the Soviet Union where it was officially sanctioned by the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences.
Among the nonbelievers are many nutritionists and the F.D.A. The F.D.A. has made seizures of the product throughout the United States and took measures in courts to have it removed from the market.
In 1989 another popular vitamin supplement, called L-tryptophan, was banned by the F.D.A. It was responsible for 36 deaths and over 600 illnesses. In her book What's Left To Eat? Sue Gebo reports the following about L-tryptophan: "In 1989 tryptophan supplements were taken off the market due to a specific disorder that developed in people who took these supplements. The blood disorder, Eosinophilic-Myalgia Syndrome, results in severe muscle and joint pain, swelling of the arms and legs, fevers, skin rashes, shortness of breath, and occasionally, death. Until L-tryptophan supplements became available, this blood disorder was extremely rare."
One of the major reasons for the popularity of vitamin supplements is the belief that the foods produced by modern agricultural methods are severely lacking in vitamin content. These modern methods do exact a severe toll upon the soils in which they are employed. However, despite the ecological problems that modern agriculture presents, there is no evidence of a significant vitamin deficit in produce resulting from the modern methods. For instance, the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin C for a healthy male is 60 milligrams. One average-size Florida orange (3 1/2 inches in diameter) peeled, contains over 50 milligrams of Vitamin C. A healthy male, eating only two oranges per day, would easily exceed his R.D.A. for Vitamin C.
The real culprit in the case of vitamin deficiency in the human diet is cooked food. Cooking a food can deplete its vitamin content by more than fifty percent.
It is interesting to note that the people who are pushing vitamin supplements are the very same people who are pushing the consumption of cooked foods. This is a clear example of "planned obsolescence." People are taking fresh produce, with 100% vitamin content, and then cooking it, only to reduce that vitamin content by more than 50%. Vitamin advocates would then encourage the public to reintroduce those very same vitamins (lost to the cooking process) into their bodies in the form of costly vitamin supplements.
In the final analysis we must remember that vitamin supplements are a 20th Century invention. For well over 99% of human existence there were no vitamin supplements. For millions of years humans procured all of their dietary needs by foraging within their local environments. It was on these foraging diets that we would make the great advances to the traits that we recognize today as fully human. These traits include the development of a large brain, bipedalism, speech, the use of fire, the use of tools, and the development of the family unit.
Heywood Brown