NATURAL HYGIENE: THE GREATEST HEALTH DISCOVERY

by Chris Beckett, special correspondent for The Best Years in Life

This article is dedicated to all health-truth seekers everywhere, in the hope that the knowledge within it will inspire
you as it did me; a system of health recovery/maintenance based on natural law, which saved my life from
Leukemia 30 years ago, just as one day……….. it may also save yours !!

Early in the 19th Century a remarkable health discovery was made that tore away the mystery that surrounded
disease, revolutionized the care of the sick, saved countless thousands from premature death (so prevalent in that
period), and was the advent of a period of physiological enlightenment for both medical and laymen alike. This
discovery, known as Natural Hygiene, and the pioneers who fought to bring its truths to light, constituted an
incredible piece of American history that involved Statesmen and World famous figures. This article is just part of
the absorbing story of the evolution of Natural Hygiene, the movement which was built around it, its struggle to
gain acceptance for principles that were based on natural law and a rudimentary understanding of the amazing but
glorious health potential it holds for humanity as a whole.

What is Natural Hygiene?

Natural Hygiene is defined as being the science and fine-art of preserving and restoring health by those substances,
agencies, and influences that have a normal relation to life, which are: pure food, pure water, sunlight, rest, sleep,
relaxation, exercise, play, warmth, family relationships, and all healthful mental influences. Hygiene is neither a
system of medicine, nor one of the healing arts, nor a system of therapeutics. It offers the client no cures, has no
cures, denies all cures, does not pretend to cure; but, it permits nature or the body to heal itself. Viewed this way,
Hygiene is not just fasting, or dieting, vegetarianism, food combining, or any one life- element of living, but a
combination of all of life’s agencies in such manner and degree as Nature can use, to realize the maximum physical
and mental healing potential of the body.

The Principles of Natural Hygiene.

The human body has basic physical, physiological, emotional and spiritual needs – about 19 have been identified -
such as proper food, sunshine, rest, sleep, exercise, water, emotional poise, gregarious social gathering etc. These
needs have to be supplied at the appropriate time in the appropriate amounts for abundantly good health to be
achieved. If this is fulfilled, the human body can manage and take care of itself, resulting in superb robust health. If
these needs are supplied either in excess or as a deficiency, or if other alien substances are consumed by the body,
sickness eventually becomes inevitable.

The human body is self-preserving, self-maintaining, and self-healing. All that is required from us is to remove the
causes of the problem, rest (go to bed) and preferably stop eating (fast), since the body will use the energy saved
from not having to digest food, for the incredibly powerful healing & cleansing processes of the body to be
initiated.

Body processes are very complex. In most cases, any medical intervention only results in further problems and
complications; so the most effective course of action is to just leave the body "intelligently alone" to handle its own
problems. Only in certain life threatening cases, or in cases of accidents, trauma etc, is it possible to do something
(via emergency, surgery etc) to help the body.
If we also listen to our body it gives us very clear signals as to what it needs and what it does not need. For
example, tiredness means it needs sleep, hunger - food, thirst - water. A coughing fit after your first smoke indicates
it does not want tobacco!! We have to heed the signals of the body at all times. Lack of, or no appetite is a clear
signal from Nature that food is not required from outside, but internal feeding or “fasting” means that you will be
feeding from your own food reserves while your body heals and cleanses. Man can live for only minutes without
air, days without water, and weeks without food. Even the thinnest of individuals have a store of food reserves from
which they can feed from in times of deprivation, disease and/or injury.
Natural Hygiene believes that adulterated Diet and improper living habits are the primary reason for sickness and
disease, but by eating a diet high in natural, whole, raw organic foods (at least 50%, preferably 80-85%) we can
avoid most illnesses. It is recommended that cooked food should be minimized and processed food avoided
altogether.

Poison habits such as smoking, drinking, and drugs also need to be eliminated.
Origins

1822: Isaac Jennings, M.D. of Fairfield, Connecticut, having practiced medicine for 20 years and being thoroughly
discouraged with the results, began to administer placebos of bread pills, starch powders, and colored water tonics
to patients, while instructing them in healthful living.

1822 - 1832: Dr. Jennings and physiologist/minister Sylvester Graham started a healing system called
"Orthopathy". During the following few decades, a group of health-conscious doctors and citizens boldly claimed
that Nature knows better than the most learned physicians. Citizens of this country were fed-up with failures and
contradictions of the then current medical practice and theory. The truths proclaimed by Jennings and Graham
found immediate and widespread acceptance. After becoming fully convinced of the correctness of his "Let-Alone
Plan," "Do-Nothing Cure," and the "No-Medicine Plan," Jennings announced his discovery to the world, but he is
misunderstood. Because of his pioneering impact Jennings is credited with being "The Father of Natural Hygiene."

1830 - 1832: For several years Graham lectured nationwide on the relationship of physiology to Hygiene and
gained a large following, especially among the common working people. In just a few years, he published "The
Graham Journal of Health and Longevity"; established the Library of the American Physiologic Society; opened the
nation's first health food stores, health book stores and health food restaurants; and founded numerous "Grahamite"
health retreats and boarding houses.

1833: Dr. Russell Thacker Trall emerged as a great mastermind of Hygienic "Hygieo Therapy", which combined the
use of all Hygienic agents into one holistic system. A brilliant thinker and articulate debater, Dr. Trall publicly
challenged the entire medical establishment on their theory and practice, always emerging as the victor.

1844: Dr. Joel Shew introduced the European system of "Hydrotherapy" to the United States, a "curing treatment"
which used little or no drugs while employing water as the main therapeutic agent. Hydropathists adopted the
Hygieo-Therapy (Natural Hygiene) dietary and exercise plan, as well as its emphasis on fresh air and sunlight.
American physicians who had lost faith in drugging but lacked belief in Hygiene adopted Hydrotherapy wholesale
as both became intertwined and indistinguishable for several years.

1830 - 1860: Scores of Hygienic homes, schools and sanitariums opened throughout the country. Dr. Harriet Austin
and James Jackson founded the largest Natural Hygiene institution in the world, "Our Home on the Hillside", with
250 beds. Seventy-five hydrotherapy (water-cure) institutions were founded. During this time, over 80 "health
papers" effectively reached the masses which coincided with an improvement in the hygienic habits of Americans.

1852: Natural Hygiene was so enthusiastically received and popularized that its practitioners outnumbered those of
allopathic, homeopathic and chiropractic medicine combined.

1853: Dr. Russell Trall founded the New York College of Hygieo-Therapy to educate competent health
practitioners. This inaugurated a new era in medical science, theory, philosophy and practice that was in variance
with prevailing allopathic doctrines of the time.

1861: Dr Trall, who had once been a practicing Hydropathist, announced a formal declaration separating
Hydrotherapy from Hygieo-Therapeutics (Natural Hygiene) by stating "water possesses no power whatsoever to
cure any disease. Nature is the remedial principle".
1862: Dr Trall delivered a landmark lecture at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. before the most
distinguished medical minds of the United States entitled "The True Healing Art, or Hygiene vs. Medication". The
lecture was widely published and circulated among the populace, and the health reform movement in America
reached its height. Ironically, in 1861, with the onset of the Civil War, national attention focused on survival, and
health reform ended.

1861 - 1865: The Civil War caused Hygienic institutions everywhere to close. The health reform movement was
halted as the war impoverished the nation. Schools and sanitariums were wrecked and the common citizen could no
longer afford Hygienic educational literature.

1864: French chemist Louis Pasteur fathered "The Science of Bacteriology" and "The Germ Theory of Disease" by
demonstrating the existence of microorganisms. It concluded that "germs" cause pathogenic change in living
cultures within laboratory experiments. With Pasteur, a new era in modem medicine was inaugurated, including
sterilization, pasteurization, vaccination, and fear of raw foods. The prevailing "germ era" helped usher in the
decline of 19th century health reform. Not only did people develop germ-phobia, but they also found complacency
in blaming their ill health on malevolent invading bacteria, rather than taking responsibility for their own poor
lifestyle choices.

1881: Clara Barton, student of Hygiene founds the American Red Cross and becomes its first president.

1900 - 1940: Dr. J. H. Tilden, after thoroughly reading 19th century Hygienic literature, became convinced that
disease need not be experienced. Tilden conducted a private practice to teach patients how to eliminate body
toxicity; he lectured widely; wrote 25 books; and widely circulated a monthly magazine both in this country and
abroad.

1909 - 1910: The infamous Flexner Report ended health-care reform in the States, as alternative schools of healing
were shutdown nationwide, under the influence of the Rockefeller and Carnegie Foundations.

1924-1940: Tilden opened and operated a Hygienic school and sanitarium in Denver, Colorado. In 1926, he
published the famous book "Toxemia Explained", which identified the primary cause of ALL disease as toxemia (a
state of internal pollution) brought on by debilitating, enervating, and unhealthful living practices. In the meantime,
medical authorities strongly opposed and condemned Tilden.

1920: Dr. Herbert M. Shelton wrote the first of 40 books in his efforts to revive Natural Hygiene. Over the next 50
years, many of Dr. Shelton's books were translated into eight languages.

1928 - 1981: Dr. Shelton's Health School operated in San Antonio, Texas and included a clinic, laboratory, and
educational program. Well over 60,000 fasts were professionally supervised. According to Shelton, "the sick get
well, the well get better, and all gain the priceless knowledge needed to stay well". Throughout his career, Shelton
was considered a threat to medicine. He is repeatedly threatened and jailed over 30 times!!

1948: The American Natural Hygiene Society was founded. Several chiropractors and laymen elected Shelton as its
first president. Annual conventions were held, and 30 chapters worldwide are established, some of which are still
active today. Current membership in the U.S., however, is below 10,000.

1939 - 1980: Shelton published the monthly magazine Hygienic Review popularizing and reviving Natural Hygiene
worldwide for 20th century thinkers. From 1934 - 1941, Shelton also wrote and published the seven volume series
entitled The Hygienic System, which became the basis for Hygienic study.

1970: At age 44, Terrance C. Fry read Shelton's book "Superior Nutrition" and became a hygienist overnight.
Within a few years, he wrote and self-published several easy-to-read booklets and books popularizing Natural
Hygiene, some of which were in contrast to Shelton's formidable text-books and manuals.
1982: T.C. Fry founded the Life Science Institute and published Healthful Living magazine with a circulation of
30,000. Fry also developed a Natural Hygiene teacher training course, a 2200 page, 111 lesson home study
curriculum. The Life Science Institute also produced audio and video cassettes on Natural Hygiene and offered
retreats and seminars to students and to the general public.

1986-1988: Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, after years of counseling, teaching and study with Life Science Institute,
wrote “Fit For Life”, the best-selling health and diet book in history. A second book “Living Health” followed.
Warner Brothers published and provided extensive national coverage through media and conferences, which
popularized Natural Hygiene for millions of Americans.

1990's: Many Hygienic organizations and practitioners continued operating educational programs, retreats,
sanitariums, and private practices, although relatively few were directed by those with "recognized" credentials.

1995 - 1997: Art Baker serving as Dean of Students of Life Science Institute enrolled nearly 1,000 students into the
Natural Hygiene correspondence program before the company veered from its Natural Hygiene roots and focused
on digestive enzyme supplements, as it was sold off to a group in Canada.

1996: Inspired by T. C. Fry's Healthful Living, David Klein published the first issue of Living Nutrition Magazine,
"The True Voice of Hygiene."

1999: Healthful Living International (HLI) is founded by a dynamic group of pure Natural Hygiene educators and
practitioners (Healthful Living Consultants) whose mission was to incorporate knowledge of total wellness of body,
mind and spirit into teaching pure true Natural Hygiene. The Healthful Living Consultants were the first
international professional association of Natural Hygiene practitioners that included licensed doctors and
professional health educators and counselors.

Differences between Natural Hygiene and Alternative Medicine

Natural Hygiene stands unique amongst all other therapies and healing sciences in that it alone insists that there is
no such thing as cure - only self-healing. All other therapies try to deal with the symptoms using this therapy or that.
Herbs, Magnets, Needles, lotions, potions, light, heat, mud etc. In Natural Hygiene there is no therapy, no treatment.
Natural hygiene does not try to treat symptoms - it is the ONLY system that insists on discovering the cause of the
disease and eliminating that cause.

Natural Hygiene and Naturopathy

Although these terms are used interchangeably, there is a World of difference between them. "Pathy" means
"disease". Naturopathy means using natural ways to deal with disease. This includes a proper diet, massage and
mud baths, water baths etc. Pure Natural Hygiene does not recognize all these treatments - only adjusting the diet,
sunbaths and air baths are recognized.

Fasting is Nature's very own method for healing.

Historical records tell us that fasting has been used as a system for health recovery for thousands of years; even
Hippocrates (the Father of Modern Medicine), Socrates, and Plato all recommended fasting for health recovery.

For most of human history, fasting has been practiced for therapeutic-healing and spiritual enlightenment, and our
current understanding of human physiology has confirmed the powerful healing effects of this ancient remedy
par excellence.

Fasting is such a powerful and therapeutic process it can help almost anyone recover from very mild to very severe
and even life-threatening health conditions.
Some of the most common ones are high blood pressure, asthma, allergies, chronic headaches, inflammatory bowel
disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), irritable bowel syndrome, adult onset diabetes, heart disease,
degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, acne, uterine fibroids, benign tumors, and systemic
lupus erythematosus, and in my own case Leukemia.

Fasting actually provides a period of concentrated physiological rest during which time the body can devote its self-
healing mechanisms to repairing and strengthening damaged organs.

The process of fasting also allows the body to cleanse cells of accumulated metabolic toxins and waste products. I
cannot do better than quote Dr Shelton who wrote:
“Life is a master drama of nutrition and drainage under the control of the nervous system. If nerve or life-energy is
abundant, the various organs of the body are well supplied and they function with due efficiency; digestion is good,
respiration is normal, circulation is maintained at a high level, secretion and excretion are adequate.

As a result, the cells are nourished, the fluids are kept sweet and clean and we have health in superabundance.
However, if our nervous batteries have been permitted to run down, if our nerve or life-energy is low, all the
functions of the body are correspondingly lowered.

Digestion is then poor, secretion and excretion lag, circulation is below par, respiration is not efficient. The fluids
and tissues of the body become sour and we have impaired health.”

Fasting restores that lost life energy, and cleanses the body of waste products that have been allowed to accumulate
over the years, through improper living habits and faulty diet.

Fasting also gives the digestive tract time to completely rest and strengthen its intestinal lining. A healthy intestinal
lining is necessary for preventing leakage of incompletely digested proteins into the bloodstream, which then offers
protection from autoimmune conditions.

A healthy digestive tract also helps to protect the blood and inner organs against the majority of environmental and
metabolic toxins.

Fasting Is NOT Starving

Dr. Felix L. Oswald, M.D. said:

"Want of appetite is not always a morbid symptom, nor even a sign of imperfect digestion. Nature may have found
it necessary to muster all the energies of our system for some special purpose, momentarily of paramount
importance.
Organic changes and repairs, teething, pleuritic eruptions, and the external elimination of bad humors (boils, etc.),
are often attended with a temporary suspension of the alimentary process. As a rule, it is always the safest plan to
give Nature her own way."

Fasting then is a nutritional state whereby we live on our own ample food reserves through a process known as
“Autolysis” until these are depleted. This can take many weeks if not a few months. Starvation begins when this
process ends, and we then begin to consume ourselves and feed on our internal organs for nourishment. Fasting
means life Starvation means death.

My Personal History And Voyage Of Health Recovery

Soon after birth in 1953 I was diagnosed with what was then referred to as “Consumption”. My first two years were
spent mostly in sleep and was awoken only for feeding. The Doctors of the time said I would eat when
hungry and there was nothing to be unduly concerned about.
The legacy of this disease left me with weakened lungs and an aversion to food, resulting in a malnourished body
and an underdeveloped physique and mental capacity.

In my middle teens I was diagnosed with Leukemia at the Boston Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire UK. Refusing to
believe this, my family sought a second opinion from the Lincoln County Hospital only 30 miles away, which
they confirmed.

My family and I agreed to the regular treatment of chemotherapy, but the prognosis was not a good one: six months
at best they said, because it was too far advanced.

Soon after treatment had begun, (which I abandoned) and entirely by chance, I came across an article on fasting in
the Daily Mail (a National UK Newspaper) written by a Leslie Kenton who was the then Beauty Editor of Harpers
& Queen Magazine.

What I read made much sense, and wrote to her personally requesting more information. She introduced me to
Natural Hygiene, and I avidly devoured everything I could on the subject, to the point today where I have quite a
large library on the subject.

I took it upon myself to undergo self-treatment and water-fasted for 25 days, (although already underweight|) and I
just went along with the wishes and signals of my body and what it was actually telling me.

I broke the fast very carefully (as advised from the literature I had bought) on organic fruit juices and then vegetable
juices. I also sunbathed moderately every day (weather permitting) sought fresh air daily and rested throughout.
Within weeks my appetite returned and I wanted to eat solid food again, consisting exclusively of organic salads
and fruits in season.

The Boston hospital had disowned my case for not following their advice, but after 9 months of this Natural
Hygienic regime I returned to the same Hospital for a follow-up investigation.

The Doctors who had overseen my case were, in their words, “shocked and amazed” at my recovery, as there was
no evidence at all from all of the tests they performed that the Leukemia had ever existed.

For the last thirty years I have been free from any disease, thanks to the life- changing premise of a health system
based on Natural Law, given to us by God and provided by Nature.

As I write and relive this experience, it has brought tears to my eyes, and I am finding it difficult to rationalize my
thoughts, but I am eternally grateful and thankful for the extra years that I have been privileged to witness, and that
would have been denied if I had followed the path of conventional medicine.

Of that, I have no doubt whatsoever. On that note, and in the words of my mentor: Yours in Health-Truth and
Medical Liberty.