13. Questions & Answers

Why do some Hygienic professionals continue to utilize egg yolks and cheese?

It is a question of accepting a compromise solution to a difficult problem. Dr. Vetrano says (Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review, January 1975, p. 116), "Most individuals have a difficult time adjusting to eating only nuts for protein and take an insufficient amount of protein at first." She is, of course, referring to people who are endeavoring to adjust to the Hygienic food program. She suggests adding green vegetables to the diet, since they contain small amounts of protein of high biological value.
Dr. Vetrano also says (Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review, November 1974, p. 55), "The strict vegetarian diet is best for most people. There are occasional sick people with gastrointestinal problems who must temporarily be placed on milk (milk products—clabber or cheese), if they cannot take a fast of sufficient length for complete healing."
When Hygienic professionals suggest the use of egg yolks or cheese, it is usually with the hope and intention of providing supplementary protein to those individuals who are not yet able to accept, digest or assimilate an adequate supply of protein from the plant kingdom.

Did the American Indians have a source of animal milk?

No. Indian children were usually weaned at about four years of age, and never again had milk. Cows were introduced into New England in 1624, but were seldom used for their milk at that time. "Cows were seldom milked at this time, being raised principally for their hides, secondarily for meat, and only incidentally for milk." (Social Forces in American History, A.M. Simons), (quoted by Dr. Shelton, Volume II, p. 172)

What is the difference between Natural Hygiene and veganism?

A strictly Natural Hygiene food program is a vegan diet—that is, foods from the plant kingdom only. However, in actual practice, it is my impression that those who are known as vegans usually use grains (including whole grain bread) to a greater extent than do Natural Hygienists, and use more cooked food.

Is there any Hygienic objection to the use of prepared soya milk fortified with Vitamin B-12?

Prepared soya milk is a manufactured product, quite far removed from the soy bean as it grows. The Vitamin B-12 used in this product is "synthetic" and non-animal, though it is made by the same bacterial process as occurs in the bodies of humans and other total-vegetarian animals. If you have misgivings about having enough Vitamin B-12, the product mentioned would be less objectionable than the Vitamin B-12 from animal sources (liver extract).
However, Dr. Vetrano firmly believes that it is not necessary to use such artificial methods. She has repeatedly seen Vitamin B-12 problems disappear due to fasting and a Hygienic program of living and eating.

What is the purpose of emulsifiers in foods? Food additives worry me, and I don't really understand most of them.

To emulsify is to convert unmiscible substances into intimate mixtures (as oil and water). Emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners are the substances that make cream seem thick, keep the oil and vinegar in salad dressings from separating, and generally give a smooth, uniform texture to bread, bakery products, ice cream, puddings, shortenings. As Dr. Michael F. Jacobson points out in his book, Eater's Digest, some manufacturers use a recipe that automatically produces a food with satisfying texture and consistency. Other manufacturers of the same products rely on the above group of additives to cover up the fact that inferior ingredients or poor manufacturing practices make their product watery, lumpy or crystalline."
Hygienists need not be concerned about additives if they use whole plant foods, mostly raw, and avoid packaged foods.
Eating May Be Dangerous to Your Health, by Dr. Jacqueline Verrett and Jean Carper, gives details about various other additives in foods, and says that "there is overwhelming evidence that chemicals in foods can cause readily noticeable structural defects in the newborn, such twisted spines, shortened limbs, incomplete skulls, absence of eyes, cleft palates, web feet."