Fat distribution is now regarded as of equal or greater importance to total fat as a health risk and new techniques of measuring fat distribution have recently been developed. Abdominal fat has been regarded as one of the key indicators and measures of this include waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and the Gonidty or C-Index. Visceral fat, which in the future is likely to prove to be the most powerful predictor of disease, can only be measured in vivo, or in live organisms, through the imaging machines discussed below. How-ever, estimates can be made from techniques that measure abdominal fat including WHR, and the C-index, and more recently using techniques to measure sagittal diameter (SAD), or a measure of abdominal thickness known as the abdominal diameter index (ADI).

Conicity Index (C-Index). The C-Index was developed by Dr Radolfo Valdez and colleagues from Pennsylvania State University in an attempt to combine the best aspects of BMI with WHR or body fat distribution. The C-Index quantifies fat shapes as lying between two extremes; the first a cyclinder, i.e. very lean, and the second, bi-conical.

So far the C-Index has had only limited validatory research carried out on it, some suggesting it may not add significandy to other anthropometric measures. However, variations to this in the future may offer promise for a more sensitive measure.

The C-Index requires measures of height, weight and waist circumference and the following formula:

C = abdominal girth (at umbilicus) in metres/0.109/weight (kg)/height(m)

The range of scores is from 1.00 to 1.73 but, as yet there are no normative figures for comparison. People scoring towards the low end i.e 1.00, are closer to the ideal than those scoring towards the high end i.e. 1.73. The validity of the measure is so far unknown, although reliability and sensitivity could be expected to be quite high.

*65\186\4*

The body contains a system of special glands called the endocrines. These are scattered throughout the body, from the head to the pelvis. They produce important chemicals called hormones. All play a vital part in keeping the body healthy. If too little or too much hormone is produced, then symptoms develop.

Some of these conditions are fairly common, whilst others are rare and will never be seen by the average parent. Some are readily and successfully treated, whilst others are extremely difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to successfully treat.

Many children with symptoms may be referred by family doctors to special centres, usually located in large hospitals, where special investigations may be carried out to help decide the diagnosis; also, facilities are available there to treat the patients. As some of these conditions may continue for a long time, getting linked to a major centre is often the best idea. So, if your family doctor finds your child’s symptoms puzzling and suggests referral to a centre of this nature, go along with this suggestion. In the long run it will be to everyone’s advantage, child and parent, and for the doctor also, who wants the best for the patient.

The endocrine glands that will be discussed here include the pituitary gland, in the brain, which stimulates the activity of other endocrine glands. In the neck are the thyroid gland and the parathyroid glands, located near the back of the thyroids.

The pancreas is situated in the abdominal cavity and is responsible for diabetes, if diseased. The gonads are the sex organs (ovaries in females, testes in males), and these are responsible for some conditions which need care and attention. The adrenal glands are small organs sitting on top of the kidneys; disorders of these are rare but serious.

Phenylketonuria (P.K.U.) is not really related to the endocrines but is included in this section. It is an inherited disease which can now be detected at birth and readily and successfully treated. Early detection of P.K.U. in Australian babies in the past few years is one of the major forward steps in neo-natal care. The results are now strikingly successful—once, a missed diagnosis was responsible for serious forms of mental retardation which could be lifelong.

*89\87\2*

Rubella is a common, simple infectious disease which is widespread amongst children. It is produced by a virus, and the symptoms are a fine skin rash and swelling and tenderness of the glands around the neck. It spreads from person to person by droplet infection (the germs cling to microscopic drops coughed, breathed or sneezed into the air by an infected person).

The time from infection until the onset of symptoms (the incubation period) is usually between two and three weeks. There is a lapse of a few days (the prodromal period) from the start of symptoms until the typical rash sets in. During this time there are minor symptoms: the child may feel slightly off-colour and notice that the glands in the neck are a bit tender. Frequently, especially in younger children, these may be completely overlooked.

Finally the rash appears. This is usually a faint, very fine stippling that starts on the face and rapidly spreads on to the trunk and limbs. Within two to three days, and often sooner, it vanishes. Occasionally the temperature is raised, but generally this is only mild. In some instances, especially in epidemics, there may not even be a noticeable rash, just the glandular swelling. In some epidemics, as many as 40 per cent of cases may be rash-free. In some cases, a fine rash may be present but last only a few hours.

The chief concern of rubella is the amazing capacity of the virus to cross the maternal-placental barriers in pregnant women. This is vitally important during the first trimester (first three months); during this time, vital organs are developing in the foetus. The virus can interfere with their normal development, and cause serious and severe congenital abnormalities in the baby. These will vary according to the time of infection. But the heart, eyes, ears and brain may be adversely affected. This can cause blindness, deafness (in varying degrees up to total deafness), mental retardation and major heart defects. The liver and spleen may be affected, interfering with the blood system of the infant. Rubella infection occurring during the first month of pregnancy may incur a 50 per cent chance of serious defects. This falls to a 10 per cent risk by the third month.

So great are the potential hazards that rubella during early pregnancy is now a well-established indication for a legal termination of the pregnancy should the mother desire this. In fact, the majority of obstetricians would now specifically recommend it.

Treatment

Generally little or no treatment is necessary. If symptoms are present which cause discomfort, they may be treated symptomatically, along the same lines as for ordinary measles. Rest, fluids, simple adequate foods, analgesics and antipyretics (mixtures for relieving pain and reducing temperatures) are occasionally required, but these are usually minimal.

If there is rubella in the home, it is important that warning be given to any women known to be pregnant who have recently visited the family. It is important that pregnant women keep away from the infected person. Being highly infectious, the risks of contracting the disease are high, especially if the woman has not previously had rubella or has not been immunized. If contact has been made, she should contact her own obstetrician without delay. Special tests are available that will indicate her own degree of protection against rubella, and appropriate steps may then be taken.

Rubella vaccination is readily available at present in this and most Western countries. This is usually given to schoolgirls in the 12-14 age group. Every girl should be vaccinated. One single injection is all that is required.

*40\87\2*

Professor John Yudkin of the University of London, England, one of the world’s leading nutritionists, has given a hard blow to the theory that the amount of fat in a diet is connected with heart disease. Dr. Yudkin has demonstrated by his studies of two groups of heart patients in a London hospital in 1964 that the excessive consumption of sugar, not of fat, is the prime cause of the epidemic increase of heart disease in civilized countries. Quoting studies made by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, he has shown that sugar consumption has increased in countries with the highest prevalence of heart disease even faster than has fat consumption. In 1966 he and his associates repeated the studies under rigid scientific control and came to the same conclusion: “the person taking a lot of sugar has a greatly increased chance of developing myocardial infarction.”

One of the greatest authorities on the sugar vis-a-vis heart topic is M. O. Bruker, M.D., medical director at Eben-Ezers Hospital in Lemgo, Germany. For several decades he has conducted extensive studies on thousands of patients to determine the effect of sugar on their health. He has become convinced that the excessive consumption of white sugar is a major causative factor not only in arteriosclerosis and heart disease, but also in such diseases as caries, digestive disorders, liver and gallbladder diseases, obesity, and even cancer.

Findings of an American physician, Benjamin P. Sandler, M.D., are corroborative to the findings of many European doctors on sugar and heart disease. He also believes that sugar and starches in the diet, not fat, are responsible for the great increase in heart disease. He claims that heart attacks are caused by an oxygen deficiency in the tissues—which is caused by low blood sugar—which is caused by over-consumption of sugar and starches.

*83\58\2*

After her last baby was born, Mrs. Andersson didn’t seem to be able to recover her strength. She was always tired and listless. She could hardly lift her hands. Then came the pain in her arms and hands which led to a visit to a doctor and a dreadful diagnosis-rheumatoid arthritis!

The doctor prescribed drugs and ordered her to stay in bed with warm packs around the affected joints. The warm packs seemed to relieve the pain in the hands, but now it moved to the elbows and the shoulders. Then her legs and feet started to ache. The drugs relieved the pain, but as soon as she was without the pills, the pain returned with increased strength.

After four weeks in bed with increasing disability and pain, which became more and mote unbearable, she was sent by her doctor to Spenshults Rheumatic Hospital, one of the most modern medical rheumatic clinics in Sweden. She stayed there six weeks. She didn’t receive many treatments except drugs and rest in bed, plus a typical hospital diet, mostly meat, coffee and desserts.

She felt a little better when she returned home, but soon the stiffness and pain reappeared. She was unable to take care of her home and children. She felt discouraged and hopeless.

One day, her nurse brought her a magazine with an article on the Brandal Clinic and biological medicine. After she had finished reading it, she immediately went to the telephone and made a reservation.

She went to Brandal on October 20, 1957. Her condition on arrival was very bad. She could not go up the stairs to her room. She could not dress or undress herself. She was helpless and felt terrible pain with the slightest movement.

The program of treatments at Brandal started with the traditional fast on vegetable broth and carrot juice. Among the other treatments were alternating hot and cold showers, a dry brush massage, and enemas morning and evening. “After one week of fasting I felt so much better that I wanted to continue,” said Mrs. Andersson. After the first week she could go up and down the stairs and take short walks outside.

After 20 days of fasting, and one week on a special lacto-vege-tarian diet, as described earlier in this chapter, and other biological treatments at Brandal, Mrs. Andersson returned to her home—completely free from her arthritis.

While having a check-up five years later, Mrs. Andersson said, “I am as healthy as anyone could wish to be. I don’t remember feeling so well and being so limber and flexible since I was a young girl.”

*76\58\2*

There are many different forms of arthritis. The most common types are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Together they are responsible for over 90 percent of all the cases of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is usually believed to be the result of “wear and tear” on the joints during a long life. It usually affects people past middle age. It is characterized by degenerative processes in the joints, softening and erosion of the cartilage enlargement of the affected joints. The weight-bearing joints are usually affected first, but any joint of the body is vulunerable to osteoarthritis.

The most serious form of arthritis is, however, rheumatoid arthritis. It is an extremely painful and crippling disease which affects people of all ages, but particularly young adults who are in their most active and productive period of life. Women are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis three time as often as men. Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts with an inflammation of the synovial membrane which’ eventually leads to deposits in the joints, bone degeneration, deformity, and a subsequent invalidity if proper treatments are not instituted in time.

*68\58\2*

In the limited space of one chapter it would be impossible to give all the facts and answers related to the vast and complicated subject of raw juice therapy. I hope, however, that this presentation will serve as a stimulus to use raw juices, this time-proven biological remedy, in the treatment of many disorders where orthodox medical treatments are helpless.

In the case of serious conditions, such as diabetes, low blood pressure, acute conditions and serious infections, etc., it would be advisable to undertake raw juice therapy under expert professional control.

In chronic and less serious conditions, and particularly when used as a prophylactic measure, raw juice therapy can be safely undertaken on your own. The most effective therapeutic way to use raw juices is in conjunction with fasting. Follow the instructions carefully, especially the instructions regarding the breaking of the fast.

In addition to their pure medicinal property in the treatment of practically any disease, raw juices have an extraordinary revitalizing effect on all the vital organs of the body. The miraculous rejuvenating property of a raw juice diet is well known by all beauty farms and rejuvenating clinics, where raw juices are used extensively. The magic beautifying, “youthifying” and rejuvenating effect of raw juices is due to their cleansing and detoxifying properly. Raw juices purify the blood and all the tissues of the body, neutralize the waste products of metabolism, and help in building new tissues. They are indeed rightfully called “the internal bath of health and youth.”

*59\58\2*

In addition to the high-protein diet fallacy there are many other protein fads and fallacies, such as:

1.    ”You should eat lots of proteins every day!” The fact is that

your body can exist without any food, and, consequently, without

any protein, for weeks and months, as, for example, in the case of

complete therapeutic fasting. (See Chapter 2.) And this not only is

not harmful but has evident health benefits. It is a general observation that the protein level of the blood (serum albumin reading) of

fasting patients remains constant and normal during the whole fasting period, in spite of the fact that no protein is consumed. The reason for this is that proteins in your body are in the so-called dynamic

state: that means that they are constantly changed from one stage to

another, being decomposed and resynthesized from blood plasma

amino acids. (This phenomenon, which is so little understood as yet,

may help solve some of the protein cult mystery.) Thus, the body is

using and re-using the same proteins again and again where they are

needed.

This proves that you do not need to eat high-protein meals every day, although your body does need protein each day. You will improve your health by eating a low-protein vegetable and fruit diet several days a week. And you can do it safely and without worrying about “where do I get my proteins?”

2.    ”You need meat for proteins!” The most commonly asked

question when meat-eaters talk with vegetarians or lacto-vegetarians

is a “but where do you get your proteins?”

The answer is that since proteins are such vital and important nutritive substances, our Creator in his infinite wisdom has made them a part of virtually every natural food available to man. Every plant, every vegetable, every fruit, every seed or nut contains some protein. It is practically impossible to eat a natural food without eating some protein. The fact is that it is virtually impossible to get too few proteins on any diet, unless you are on a starvation diet. But it is not only possible, but very likely that you will develop a serious deficiency of vitamins and vital substances on the one-sided diet of meat, potatoes and bread so common in the United States. A meatless diet of raw fruits and vegetables, potatoes, whole bread, milk and cheese, nuts and beans will not only supply all the proteins you need, but is also rich in all the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes essential for optimum health.

The protein quality in some of the vegetables sources is even superior to the meat protein, as in the case of protein from soybeans, some nuts (cashews, almonds), potatoes and green vegetables. You may not know it, but plain old potatoes are a good source of complete proteins. You have been made to believe that potatoes are a pure starch food, but they contain large amounts of complete proteins, biologically comparable to the protein in eggs.1 In some experiments, men lived three to six years with potatoes as the only protein source and maintained excellent health and performed hard work. In the average German diet, ten percent of the daily protein requirement is derived from potatoes.

Much recent research shows that your body’s protein requirement is lowered if the protein is obtained from raw vegetable sources. Professor Eimer in Germany showed that athletes, switched from 100 grams of animal proteins a day to 50 grams of raw vegetable proteins, grew stronger and improved their records. Also a Japanese researcher, Dr. M. Kuratsune, has demonstrated that 22-30 grams of raw vegetable protein a day were sufficient to keep him and his wife in good health.

The foremost scientific authority on nutrition today is the International Society for Research on Nutrition and Vital Substances. Their recommendation in regard to protein reads: “The conception of the classical and late-classical nutrition theory that animal proteins are more valuable than plant proteins, can no longer be accepted. Today we know that the order of rank of proteins is generally dependent on their amino-gram and not on their origin.” They also state: “Each plant protein contains all the exogenous-essential amino acids.”

3. “Only complete proteins can satisfy your protein needs.” This is another common but fallacious statement made in support of “complete” meat proteins. Such foods as soybeans, sesame seeds, many nuts, millet, potatoes, and green vegetables all contain complete proteins, as good or better than meat proteins, without meat’s undesirable side effects.

Furthermore, it is a proven physiological fact that several foods with incomplete proteins will complement one another if eaten at the same time, and thus render their total protein biologically complete. For example: although wheat protein is lacking in some of the essential amino acids, a cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread will be a complete protein meal, with the cheese complementing the wheat and supplying the missing amino acids. Beans and tortillas, eaten with some vegetables, also make a complete protein meal, although beans and corn are not complete separately. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that protein, which is derived in proportion up to two-thirds from plant origin, adequately supplies all the protein needed for normal growth and sustenance of health.

Thus the notion that only foods with all the essential amino acids can satisfy your protein-need is fallacious.

4. “You need animal proteins for strength!” This fallacy will be difficult to disprove, because steak lovers just love to think that meat gives them strength. The truth is, however, exactly the opposite. And this is proven in scientific experiments over and over again.

Professor Irving Fisher made comparative studies of meat-eating Yale athletes with non-meat-eating vegetarians, doctors and assistants from the Battle Creek Sanatorium. The following tests were given to two groups. First, the men were to hold their arms outstretched as long as possible. Only two of the meat-eaters reached 15 minutes, while 22 of the 32 vegetarians were able to achieve this. None of the meat-eaters, but 15 vegetarians, reached a half-hour. Nine of these reached one hour, four two hours, and one three hours and 20 minutes. The second test was deep knee bends. Only a few of the meat-eaters were able to make more than 300-400 knee bends. One vegetarian made 1,800, one 2,400, and one 5,000. Dr. Fisher concluded that the protein content in the diet was responsible for the difference in endurance and stamina. In his continuous experiments, he further lowered the protein intake of the persons under study and noticed that a 20 percent reduction in protein increased their endurance 33 percent.

Even studies made by Dr. R. Chittenden of Yale University have shown that endurance increases with a lower protein intake. His experiments with professors, students, soldiers and athletes proved that muscle strength and endurance reaches its peak on about one-third of the usual protein intake. His explanation of this phenomenon was that the protein metabolism results in the higher blood content of uric acid, urea, and purines, and that these have a toxic, paralyzing effect on muscles and nerves. This may explain the observation made by westerners in Hong Kong harbour, where the little Chinese coolies carry 200-pound rice bags all day long, eating nothing but rice and vegetables. Asked why don’t they eat meat, one of them said, “If I ate meat I would not be able to carry these bags all day long.” The great Australian swimming champion, Murray Rose, Olympic Gold Medal winner for several years, has never tasted meat in his life—he has been a 100 percent vegetarian since birth. Most of the Japanese endurance swimmers eat little or no meat. You may also remember Horace Braby, a young South African athlete who won over all his meat-eating competitors on a meatless diet; or the remarkable victories of New Zealander John Marshall in 1956 in the long-distance swimming contest; or Bill Pickering “who crossed the English Channel and on his arrival was able to run up the beach”— all on diets without meat but rich in raw vegetable foods.

*50\58\2*

In contrast to most health systems which are limited in scope and which one-sidedly stress certain health-promoting factors—diet, exercise, yoga, baths, etc., (all important and vital factors, of course) —the Waerland system is a complete health system which takes all the factors related to man’s physical and emotional health into consideration. It is a health system based on an idea of “wholeness,” which embraces all health factors, both of the mind and the body.

Waerland himself has expressed his philosophy in a nutshell in the following sentence:

We do not deal with disease—only with mistakes in our way of living; eliminate the mistakes and the diseases will disappear of their own accord.

Waerland’s advice to the members of the healing professions was not to cure a disease, but to cure a sick body. And the sick body can be cured not by seeking to get rid of the symptoms by means of drugs, but by correcting man’s faulty living habits and restoring his original biological rhythm of working and living. Thus the Waerland health system incorporates the following health-promoting factors:

Natural, health-giving foods.

Plenty of fresh air day and night, and sufficient exposure to sun.

Sufficient physical work and exercise.

A clean body through baths and dry brushing.

Efficient bowel elimination through a lacto-vegetarian diet and plenty of raw vegetables and fruits.

Positive mental attitude based on belief in man’s divinely designed calling as a human being.

Those who are in good health will be able to prevent ill health and disease by following this total health program. To those who are suffering ill health, the application of these health-restoring factors will bring them back into harmony with their natural environment, “eliminate the mistakes in their way of living” and restore and build their health.

“Man’s health is his birthright,” says Are Waerland. Man brought disease upon himself by disobeying the God-given laws of nature. Eliminate the mistakes in your way of living and attune yourself with the laws of health and all diseases will disappear.

*42\58\2*

If they didn’t, it would be unlikely that over three million people in West Germany alone would visit spas every year, year after year.

I have talked to doctors in Bad Pyrmont and their reaction to my question was something like this:

The modern inquiry into balneology and the medicinal value of mineral waters is recent and as yet incomplete. But what is already known indicates that mineral waters do indeed have curative powers. And they should, inasmuch as disordered mineral metabolism and biochemical derangement are at the root of many diseases. But what is even more important is the fact that these waters here in Bad Pyrmont have been used for healing purposes’ for almost two thousand years; and millions of sick people have been benefited by them—patients and doctors see examples of it every day!

I have asked some patients for the reasons for coming to Bad Pyrmont, and here are a few of the answers I received:

“I have high blood pressure,” said a stout, executive-looking gentleman. “Medication does not help me at all. Also, I have a weight problem. So my doctors advised me to come here. I come each summer and take the water cure for six weeks. In that time my blood pressure usually goes down to normal and I lose some weight. By the next spring my blood pressure probably will go up again, so I’ll make another visit here. These mineral waters keep me alive!”

“I have been suffering from arthritis for three years,” said a young-looking blonde lady of approximately 30. “I am staying at the sanatorium here and taking a cure under my doctor’s supervision. I have been fasting three weeks and drinking mineral waters. I have also taken many different kinds of baths and water treatments. My arthritis is almost gone. All the pain disappeared after the first week here. I hardly could bend my knees before; now I walk all day long without any discomfort.”

I stopped a little girl of about seven, who was on the way to the bath appointment with her mother. “My girl had a disfiguring eczema for several months. Our doctor didn’t know the cause of it and was unable to help her with drugs, so he sent us here. Now she has been taking baths, packs, and drinking cures for six weeks and her eczema is almost gone. Only a very few small spots are left on her elbows.”

On a bench in the beautiful spa park I talked to a group of elderly people, the patients at the state-operated rehabilitation clinic for heart diseases. They all had long records of cardiac insufficiency, circulatory problems and blood pressure disorders. They were sent there by their medical insurance government each year to improve their health and particularly to improve their heart condition. They all assured me that they felt “so much better” after staying one month at their clinic and taking all the recommended water cures.

*34\58\2*