Case Studies

6. Case Studies

6.1 Case Study—Alex M.

When he first came to our attention, Alex M. had just celebrated his 51st birthday. His immediate problem was obesity coupled with a sense of more-or-less constant fatigue. He was also disturbed about the rather sudden appearance of a circular band of very visible capillaries which underscored the rib cage in the abdominal area.

Alex was a difficult patient to work with. A professional man, highly intelligent, comfortably placed financially, he was confident of his own expertise in certain scientific disciplines, including biology and chemistry. Reluctantly, therefore, he conceded that perhaps there were some areas of healing of which he had less knowledge than he had previously thought. But he was, at least, willing to listen and to learn.

As time went on Alex gradually adapted well to a Hygienic diet. He began to exercise and even occasionally worked out at a spa. He was able to reduce his weight from about 225 pounds down to a slim, trim 173 pounds and admitted to having the vitality of a man at least 20 years his junior.

Alex was very proud of his accomplishments, and with good reason, because adapting to Hygienic living had meant a complete turnaround both in his thinking and in his habits. The gourmet eating of his past had to be replaced by an abstemious well-chosen-and-combined 80% raw food intake. Sheer willpower enabled him to give up salt, meat and bread. Giving up sweets proved to be a major obstacle but we overcame it by permitting him one very unhygienic indulgence once a week namely, a huge hot fudge sundae complete with real whipped cream! How Alex looked forward to Fridays. This was HIS day!

But, you know, this strange technique worked! It wasn’t too long before Alex confided that those hot fudge sundaes didn’t seem to taste too good anymore; in fact, they kept him awake all night with his stomach and bowels growling and churning. So, on his own, Alex decided not to give in to his pathogenic desire for hot fudge sundaes and other processed health-destroying sweets.

However, fasting was another matter. In spite of reading the literature on the subject and also in spite of his acceptance of the fact that natural methods had already worked what amounted to a miracle of healing in his case, he still refused to consider fasting as something he should do. The capillary ring, so noticeable on his skin under the rib cage, and other symptoms which seemed to indicate the probable existence of a deranged liver, continued to concern him but not to the extent that he would consent to a fast as a possible means of restoring better living function and perhaps even doing away with his disfiguring ring.

Alex’s refusal to fast lasted for almost six years. We saw him from time to time. He kept on his program. In fact, he told us that he had finally converted to eating just two meals a day, one of these being a fruit meal and the other a vegetable salad. When we saw him, we could scarcely reconcile his appearance with that of the obese “problem child” we had first encountered. Alex had become quite a Hygienist, but he had still not fasted, not even for a single day in all those years.

Then it happened! Alex began to lose weight. The pounds began to roll off him like water off a duck’s back. He couldn’t stop losing weight. He came to us almost in a panic. We back-tracked. We again explained to Alex about housebuilding; about how nature will first tear down the old before building the new and better house. We once again reminded him that nature will have its way, all in due time.

We reminded him of some of the previously-learned facts about fasting and postulated the thought that if he had fasted originally, this might all have been over long ago in short order and that he would have long ago had his brand new house.

This concept made good sense to Alex, but would he fast now? Again the answer was a negative one. Alex would still not fast. He decided to eat nuts and sweet fruits in abundance, to begin weight-lifting in earnest now. That would do it. Of that he was confident.

About three months later, Alex was back. His body had refused to give in to his desires, his wishes, his dictates. Nature would have none of the nuts or sweet fruits, it seemed. He hadn’t gained a pound! Instead, there had been a new and highly-disconcerting development: Alex’s back, sides and rib cage had burst forth in blossoms! He was literally covered with hive-like lesions, some the size of a small saucer. They itched and itched, unbearably so. At times, he could neither sit nor stand still in comfort.

He was able to sleep but fitfully. Alex had reached the end of his resistance. Alex consented to fast, but he would do it his way.

He first fasted for 24 hours. He waited a month and then fasted for 36 hours. The blossoms continued to annoy. So, Alex decided to try a three-day fast and found that the itching had lessened considerably and the lesions had grown smaller. There, seemed to be some healed areas in the midst of the larger lesions. Our client was pleased with himself. So, a week later, he began another fast, one of five days duration. At the end of this longer fast, the lesions had completely healed. Even the capillary ring appeared much less noticeable.

Then it was that Alex confided to us that actually fasting wasn’t too bad after all. He thought he might even try it again sometime!

Alex’ case study demonstrates that some clients will be most reluctant, due to their previous negative programming, even to consider undergoing a fast. We never know at the outset what we may encounter when we begin to talk about this subject of fasting. Many clients will not fast until compelled, like Alex, by unexpected developments, to do so. However, let us point out that, in spite of his reluctance to fast, during the intervening years, Alex had become much more knowledgeable about the subject of fasting and about what to expect during the fasting experience. In other words, he finally had become so knowledgeable about fasting that when he began to fast he was mentally prepared for whatever uncomfortable symptoms might appear and fully confident of the fact that fasting would bring to him only salubrious results. It was his knowledge that cast the dice, so to speak, in favor of performance.

His former fears, although unfounded, yet real, had long since evaporated to be replaced by willingness, albeit reluctant, to follow nature’s way of dealing with physical, mental and even spiritual problems and concerns.

The lesson for Hygienists to learn from this case is that of the need to have patience, not to give up, even though, at first, a client may refuse absolutely even to consider the fast as a probable methodology in his own very special case. Every change for the better will produce curative changes within a sick body, even though they be small and, for the time at least, unnoticed. In the end, small changes all add up and eventually produce major health benefits. Just so, the constant repetition of a thought, an idea, a concept, even about fasting, will leave its imprint and may eventually do away with surface acceptance and change it to cognitive acceptance. Cognitive acceptance is usually followed, in time, by correct and positive performance. In the final analysis, therefore, through knowledge, even the reluctant client may conclude that his or her own return to health may be hastened if s/he does undertake to fast. S/he may then even follow through and take action.

6.2 Case Study—Gladys G.

Gladys G. provides another example of delayed fasting, but for a different reason. Gladys became a private student about two years ago after having been referred to us by another client. At first, she took our course in applied nutrition and then decided that she could benefit from private consultations.

Gladys was fully aware of the fact that she was seriously ill, suffering as she was from a weakened heart, at 5′ 4″ she weighed only 85 pounds. She had also almost reached the point of complete exhaustion. Her general appearance showed a woman whose whole constitution was gravely debilitated. Full recovery seemed very problematical, so much so that we even hesitated to undertake her reeducation in the ways of natural healing.

However, we agreed to do what we could. Obviously, our client was too debilitated to go on a prolonged fast at this time. There were also other family considerations which made fasting impossible, at least for the time being.

Gladys was inclined to be a “symptom-searcher,” a trait characteristic it seems of many highly-debilitated people and especially if they are inclined to be somewhat neurotic. At each consultation, Gladys would come armed with a long written list of day-by-day minor aches and pains. Not one would be missed! For example, if her left eyelid happened to be somewhat itchy, or puffy, that fact would go down on Gladys’ report.

However, there was one thing that worked for us as we began to teach Gladys about Natural Hygiene.

Since she had originally come to our attention upon the recommendation of a fellow church member in whom she had complete trust (in fact, her minister), she was inclined to take everything we said as “gospel,” no matter how strange, at times, our words must have sounded to her. Thus it was that she followed instructions religiously.

Gladys faithfully took her mid-day rests, performed all suggested beginning exercises, attended to her regular sunbathing and was especially careful in formulating all her meals according to our instructions. Additionally, she studied her assigned lessons every day.

This client’s progress was slow, but steady. Even her friends began to compliment her upon how well she was beginning to look even though she remained quite thin.

But still Gladys was reluctant to fast, her immediate family being extremely hostile to this idea because they thought her too thin, although in all other ways they were extremely loving and supportive. However, we continued to talk about the possible benefits accruing to fasting. From time to time, during our consultations, we would bring up the subject and hand our client a case study to take home with her to read and think about.

A whole year and a half went by. One day she came all smiles and revealed that for the entire preceding week, she had been able to manage very well on just two meals a day. Gladys was very proud of this accomplishment, so we began to write on our blackboard, for her to visualize all the several “successes” she had achieved since we first met. They included:

1. Eating well-combined foods.
2. Eating better-quality food, much of it organically grown and up to 80% of this eaten raw.
3. Exercising more now than formerly.
4. Foregoing all snacking, all “junk” foods.
5. Adopting—and adapting to—a frugivorian diet, eschewing all animal flesh and all animal-derived products.
6. Rarely eating bread or any other type of cereal.
7. Avoiding all legumes, except those she sprouted.
8. Rarely, if ever, eating anything grown under ground.
9. Socializing more than she had been doing.
10. And now, adopting the Two-Meal-per-Day Plan.

Gladys beamed as we examined the list, a fact which inspired us to make her even more aware of how her newly-acquired lifestyle had been instrumental in bringing her many major health benefits as well as important personal health-promoting changes which would bear fruit in future years. With her active cooperation, we began to list them on her blackboard:

1. For six months now she had not taken a single dose of medication.
2. She was now able to sleep all night long, something she had not been able to do for many a year.
3. She was no longer symptom-searching because she understood that symptoms were the evidence of on-going healing within.
4. Her nervousness had been considerably reduced. Even her family, loving as they were, found her easier to get along with.
5. All signs of edema were gone.
6. She rarely coughed up mucus now, except for some slight amount when she got up in the morning.
7. She was now involved in many church projects and making a full contribution in that work where once she had been compelled to sit on the sidelines and watch.
8. She had developed a natural-looking nice pink color, this replacing her former wan and pale look.
9. She no longer had recourse to such “crutches” as vitamins, minerals and other supplements.
10. She no longer drank tea, coffee, or soft drinks of any kind; just pure distilled water.
11. Obviously, Gladys had recovered a considerable measure of her lost health.

The time was ripe. We suggested to our client that having made such wonderful progress through her initial timid steps into Natural Hygiene that now perhaps was the ideal time to take a bold new step: why not fast for just 24 hours one day every week? We wrote on the blackboard: “A beginning fast—24 Hours—from one evening meal to the next evening meal. I CAN DO IT!”

Buoyed up by her successes, Gladys agreed to try. And try she did, for when she came back after a six-week interval, she reported that “it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be!”

Probably the biggest surprise of all to this client and to her family was the fact that she had gained two more pounds, and this on but two meals a day with one day each week lived without her eating any food whatsoever.

Our client’s family was at a loss as how to explain this miracle. Our client herself was so enthusiastic at this point, that we knew it was time for her to set a new goal: for the next month, she was to fast now for 36 hours once every week. Gladys eagerly complied and fully met the challenge. For the next six months our client followed this fasting schedule, fasting for 36 hours each and every week. As a result of her total fasting experience, she achieved some remarkable health improvements:

1. All heart palpitations and spasms were done away with. She reported that she no longer was able even to feel her heart beating when she lay on her left side at night.
2. No digestive disturbances of major import. In fact, she reported that her stomach felt “at peace.”
3. There are no visible signs of edema where on first visit, her legs had resembled the so-called “piano legs” we so often observe in obese people (and remember that Gladys was emaciated at that time with the edema embarrassingly noticeable).
4. She rarely even has to clear her throat now. When she first began her timid way into Natural Hygiene, she had a severe bronchial condition.
5. She now weighs about 94 pounds and feels confident that she will now continue to gain until her weight becomes normalized. But even this small weight gain represented a 10% improvement.
6. She is full of smiles now. Her former distressed and worried look has entirely disappeared. She knows that, at long last, she has brought herself in tune with nature’s ways and that they will not let her down.
7. Her vitality continues to astound not only herself but all those who knew her “back when.”

However, in spite of all the above remarkable improvements, this client has agreed to continue on her present regimen until such time as her family agrees that she would benefit from a longer fast. Because she has made such splendid progress, all of us anticipate that the presently ongoing family opposition will soon melt away and it will not be too long before this lovely woman will be on her way to an even longer fast. This is a determined woman in many ways, and a highly-intelligent one, too. Remember that she accomplished all of these short fasts while surrounded by the anxious worried countenances of her devoted, but unschooled, husband, children, brothers and sisters. We are fully confident that one of these days, in the not-too-distant future, Gladys will call to tell us that she has done it: she will have, at that point, taken her first three-day fast!

In this case study, we see vividly illustrated how family opposition can retard a client’s adapting to a fast. However, this did not stop the learning process. It did not stop our client from moving forward because the knowledge spurred her on to performing in small, hesitant, but fruitful ways. The initial forays into the fasting experience were taken without apprehension on her part. She knew fully what to expect and so was prepared. The results were as anticipated.

6.3 Case Study—Dr. J., a Ph.D.

Doctor Joe weighed some 295 pounds on first visit. He was a graduate of many colleges and universities, a man of diverse talents. He had been directed to us, as is usual with most clients, by a former student. He said he had been looking for someone with whom “he could feel compatible.” He felt we might satisfy his requirements!

Because of his intellectual bent, we immediately started Joe on a study program. We made no specific recommendations as to either his eating habits or his lifestyle, just assigned him a certain number of pages to be covered within a certain time frame. When he had completed each assignment, we discussed and analyzed what Joe had read. Being skilled in speed reading, our client turned out to be a voracious student, gobbling up the information as fast as he received the materials. Therefore, it was necessary to reassign, from time to time, certain studies whenever we felt he had skimmed over them too rapidly for full cerebral acceptance of concepts.

While Joe had started out basically as a skeptic, he began to see that the principles and practices espoused by Hygienists were both intellectually acceptable and scientifically sound. He began to study the physiology of the digestive system and to pore over anatomy books. But, even though several months had passed, during which time we had made helpful suggestions as to the ways and means whereby our student might change his lifestyle and reap certain benefits thereby, he had not, as yet, made his personal commitment.

Finally, however, he did. He decided to shift into a more sensible health program, made an appointment with us and requested that we set up a regimen precisely tailored according to his specifications! Since this was, of course, a very unusual procedure, we delved a little deeper.

It seems that Joe had decided that for him to make an immediate changeover into a strictly Hygienic regimen would be too trying. He would, therefore, take 1 12 years to achieve his goal, at which time he would weigh in at 210 pounds, be muscularly fit and superbly healthy!

We cautioned Joe that, because of his obesity and several previously diagnosed conditions, including a slight hypertension, digestive troubles, and some liver impairment, that he might not fully achieve his goal in such a short time without having recourse to a fasting program. Joe, however, was convinced that, for him, all things were, indeed, possible.

Joe was a gourmand, delighting in exotic foods. But, in spite of his obesity, his grossly-inadequate eating habits and his health impairments, our client was an extremely vital man. He possessed many good habits. He was happily married with a wife who was so supportive of his efforts that she immediately agreed to join in the adventure. Since he was semi-retired, age 62, and she was also a woman of leisure, they decided to devote all their efforts to accomplishing the goals Joe had set out for himself.

Therefore, at the outset, we designed a tentative regimen for both to follow. Initially, they were to give up all processed, canned and frozen foods. All sugared goodies were immediately taken off Joe’s favorite foods list. Instead of having meat of some animal-derived product three and more times a day, as had been their custom, their intake of this kind of “food” was to be limited to one serving daily.

A walking schedule of 30 minutes per day was set up, plus stretching and flexibility exercises for morning “wake-up.” Neither Joe nor Julia, his wife, had previously followed any particular exercise program; in fact, both had lived extremely sedentary existences.

Because of his obesity, Joe was to take two rinse-downs daily under the shower and this without fail. (We remind our students that most obese people have a pronounced body odor due to the fact that fat so often serves as a storage vault for toxins.) Both of these students were encouraged to forego their intense studying now in favor of more exposure to fresh air and the great outdoors. They talked things over and agreed that one month would be the correct interval to overcome their first hurdle; that this would be acceptable risk-taking. No further changes in their routines were put forth by us at this time.

In 30 days, Joe and Julia made their report in person. Every suggestion had been followed precisely, except for one. They had decided to review all their studies thus far and had set aside 15 minutes each. morning for this purpose. (We have several couples who have since adopted this same routine and have found it amazingly helpful.) Joe reported that he had lost only about three or four pounds but both said they felt much improved and were sleeping better.

Our couple decided that Phase Two should now begin and that this, too, would be adhered to for one month. It was agreed that they would now reduce their coffee intake to one cup per meal from their customary two or three, and to drink it now without sugar. They would consume no other beverages except distilled water. Salt would be restricted also and used now only on their meat allowance which was to be reduced at this time to only four times a week. We mutually agreed that these steps as outlined would prove helpful. Additionally, they were to extend their walking now from 30 minutes to one hour daily. On leaving they were given an assignment: they were to read Dr. Shelton’s book, Fasting Can Save Your Life! They promised to do so.

Before the month was up, Joe and Julia telephoned to make an earlier appointment. They were excited about fasting. Joe had lost a full ten pounds, the first time he had really been able to accomplish such a weight loss without “starving” himself, as he put it. While not yet mentally prepared to fast, they both wanted to get on with their program. A fast? Well, that was another matter. That would require considerably more study and personal evaluation.

So, we made some new assignments. They were to study all about food combining and to plan their daily food intake according to a three-meals-per-day format and to keep a daily record of their food intake for purposes of review by us.

The formats suggested were:

1. First Meal – A variety of like fruits (up to three different, but compatible, kinds; plus celery.
2. Second Meal – A large salad with either a baked or steamed potato, or baked brown rice.
3. Third Meal – Medium Salad
   Steamed green vegetable(s)
   Protein

For the protein meal, they were to restrict their flesh intake now to but two servings a week approximately three ounces of either lean lamb or poultry. One day per week, they could have either coddled or poached eggs or cottage cheese. The remaining four days of the week they were to serve their choice of any of the following: one whole medium avocado, four ounces of their choice of pecans, walnuts, almonds or Brazil nuts; or two tablespoonsful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

As a learning experience for them, we requested that they keep a food diary which we could review together. They agreed that this might prove helpful.

It is not necessary at this point to tell how Joe and Julia progressed each month and precisely what changes were made other than to say that within eight months, they were eating only two meals per day, Joe had reduced to about 250 pounds and both he and his wife were well pleased with their progress. Neither had experienced any undue healing crises although Julia had suffered from an uncomfortable itching sensation for a period of a few weeks.

Thus it was that Joe and Julia agreed it was now time for them to begin to fast, but they would do it on their own and would not go to a fasting institution, this in spite of our recommendation that they would be better served by doing so.

Shortly they successfully accomplished their first three-day fast. Julia reported that on the third day she had fainted and had immediately taken some fruit juice and thus did not quite complete her fast. Once this was accomplished and behind them, they agreed that they were ready to proceed on their own and advised us that they would report in to us every three months.

And so they did, most faithfully. They progressed from three to five days and then to seven. Julia fasted for seven days first. Then they took turns. As one fasted, the other stood by, ready to step in should the need arise. However, all went exceedingly well. Joe amazed us all with how well he stood up during these weeks. He had so much vitality, as a matter of fact, that while fasting five days he was able to work in his garden for hours on end, even though he had been advised it would be far better for him to conserve his valuable energy reserves for the healing effort.

At the end of 18 months, Joe weighed 205 pounds. He had reached his pre-set goal, but he now realized that his original ideas about himself and how nature works had been somewhat in error and that it would now just be a matter of time until his own self dictated what his normal weight should be. Both he and Julia looked at least 10 years younger than when they first began this new adventure into the fasting experience. They were now confirmed Hygienists and were fasting 36 hours every week.

We have presented this case study to illustrate that sometimes we will have clients who are determined, for one reason or another, to “go their own way,” to some extent. While they may lean on the practitioner in some matters since they do respect, to a certain degree his/her judgment, background and experience, they still have such explicit confidence in their own intelligence always to make correct choices, that they become somewhat difficult to work with. As practitioners, we must recognize that highly-intelligent individuals are somewhat locked in their egos; they are often difficult to work with. We have a choice to make: 1. To dismiss them as beyond our ability to cope, or 2. To help them as best we can through education and thus minimize their errors.

If we choose the latter course, one we personally prefer since such persons represent a real challenge, then we must guide carefully and have patience and understanding. Generally speaking, their innate intelligence and willingness to learn will lead them to make more correct choices than otherwise. And making incorrect choices, as any experienced Hygienist can testify, can be a great learning experience!

6.4 Case Study—Susie and Bill

In relating clients’ case studies, we rarely use correct names. All matters discussed between the client and the practitioner should remain private. However, the people are real even though their identity remains their own private space. Their problems were their own as were their solutions and results—all were very real. We can all learn from their experiences, from their triumphs and from their rare defeats.

Susie and Bill are to be commended. They have diligently worked and their bodies have accomplished an amazing return from severe long-established chronic conditions to a superb state of health. They have accomplished this, too, without the continued guidance of a Hygienist except for an occasional consultation plus periodic telephone counseling sessions.

Susie, like so many other women in their middle sixties, suffered from a painful arthritic condition which had caused her to retire early from her work as a dress designer. Bill had a rather severe skin ailment which had bothered him from time to time for many years: a type of granuloma. Susie and her husband had been on medications of various kind for many years.

With this couple, the wife was the leader. She insisted that Dr. Robert do a bionutritional blood test analysis and profile for each of them. She next began to take a class in Applied Nutrition and was soon followed in this effort by her husband. It was not long before Bill became just as devoted to health-building as Susie.

Their first initial changes were made in meal planning. Bill began to garden. When possible they drove to ranches in and around the Tucson area to pick fruit and obtain fresh vegetables which they did not grow themselves.

Susie bravely took the first 24-hour fast. Bill held back, a bit reluctant to take this “drastic” step. Next, came the 36-hour fast, then a series of three-day fasts. Susie took them all in her stride and began to notice small improvements. Inspired by Susie’s example and her improvement, Bill finally began his own fasting schedule. He really was brave: he began by skipping breakfast! But, it wasn’t too long before they were both taking turns, fasting from three to five days. They carefully monitored one another while fasting, recording temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse according to a rigid schedule:

1. On arising
2. At noon
3. At bedtime

The first five-day fast was taken by Susie and she found it more trying than her previous shorter fasts in that, on the fifth day, she experienced so much pain that she broke the fast abruptly and while still in pain. As a consequence of this error, she found it extremely difficult to regain the
weight she had lost both during and subsequent to the fast. She reported that she also felt very tired at times, much moreso than she had felt before.

About six months ago Bill fasted for five days and just recently reported that he was, at that moment, on the third day of his second five-day fast.

This couple have been on a Hygienic program now for over four years. Needless to say, both have accrued much benefit from their learning experience. Susie has made a complete recovery from her arthritis. Her vitality is simply amazing, the admiration of all her friends and relatives. Bill’s skin ailment is well under control now but he is not completely free of lesions. He weighs a trim 135 pounds. Both look extremely well and happy.

They are both well-pleased with what following a sound Hygienic program coupled with periodic short fasts has accomplished for them and are only too happy to share their experiences with others whenever we schedule a lecture or have a potluck. They are very caring people and demonstrate it in their smiles and willingness to give the gift of health to others. They are unstinting in their praise, too, for the ones who, from time to time, guided them during their transition. Recently we were their guests for dinner.

While at the restaurant, we chanced to meet another nonHygienic couple whom we know. With a beaming smile, following introductions, Bill said, “These people have given me 20 more years to live and enjoy my life!”

It is results like these that we practitioners can impart to hesitant clients. In and of themselves they can be a learning experience with great value. Additionally, the method, the steps taken by Bill and Susie may prove useful to other individuals and/or couples from time to time. With Bill, remember he started by missing his first breakfast!

6.5 Case Study—Ethel

Ethel, like so many of our students, began her Hygienic debut as a student in one of our public courses. Rather quickly, realizing her need, she became a private student.

Ethel was afflicted with many ailments, including extreme nervousness (she was almost hysterical), rheumatic involvements, skin problems, constipation, adrenal insufficiency, digestive troubles including passage of enormous quantities of gas; additionally, she was extremely depressed and enervated. There were also family troubles which were emotionally quite trying and no doubt these had contributed in a major way to her rather neurotic state. At times Ethel just didn’t appear to be a participant in the real world, but lived instead in a closed society of her own making.

In her middle 40s, Ethel had been on a medical merry-go-round for over 20 years. She had had it all! However, fortunately, she had escaped surgical intervention, possibly because for the last 12 years she had been under the care of an elderly chiropractic physician who dutifully kept her “propped up” with hormones and vitamins and other supplements and did not insist on her seeing a medical doctor. While debilitated to the extreme and somewhat confused, we felt she had sufficient vitality on which to build and, in the end, this conclusion was verified by the happy results which, in due course, followed.

This particular woman began her fast in the late summer. For the better part of a year she had been under our care. She had gradually been introduced to a program which included improved nutrition, exercise and all the other Biodynamics of Life as and when they could be utilized, including having been, from time to time, schooled in the art of fasting.

Our client first began with a series of 24-hour fasts. She then went on the Transition Diet for a period of two weeks. Our students will recall that this regimen combines juices with two fruit meals per day. She rapidly advanced to three-day fasts, all of which were extremely well-tolerated by her.

During this time Ethel’s condition had steadily improved until the time came when we felt she was in a
condition to warrant a longer fast at an institution under expert guidance. Ethel, fully realizing the fact that she had improved steadily under some simple Hygienic care after a fruitless search for improved health for over 20 years, was eager for this new adventure. Arrangements were made for her to fast at Dr. Shelton’s Health School and off she went.

We had asked this particular client to keep a diary. We were especially eager for her to do so because of her long history of being on various medications, including cortisone, various antibiotics, and hormones. She had also taken much aspirin and other pain killers and had been on megavitamin “therapy” for the last 12 years. No medication or supplements of any kind had been taken during the previous six months.

We recount her experience in her own words because they give us a rather vivid account of what can happen during a longer fast and especially when drugs have been taken for many years, but it also demonstrates how this one woman, well-fortified with knowledge about fasting, was able to go on in spite of all that happened during and subsequent to her initial longer fast.

6.6 Ethel’s Diary

First Day – Ate my last meal at noon.

Day Two – My case history was taken.

Day Three – The second day of my total fast. I am starting to feel very weak. My chest feels very heavy. I can hardly breathe. The lymphatic glands under and down my arm ache terribly and my left knee has been aching all night. In fact, I had to apply heat to it all night. I’m awfully hungry.

Day Four – Unable to sleep. Too much pain. Pain in my knees, my chest, my hips and lower back. I crawled out of bed, got a blanket and wrapped it around me and huddled under a pile of other covers. I also had a heating pad and hot water bottles all around me. Chills, pain and more chills. I’m really hungry now but don’t much fancy eating anything. Just too much pain.

Day Five – I ached all over, all day. No sleep. Same program as last night. Hurt too much to write any more.

Day Six – Ached all night again. Only got an hour of sleep. Don’t feel hunger at all today. Sat up most of today. My legs don’t ache quite so much when I sit up. In bed, I can hardly stand them.

Day Seven – Went to lobby. Slept really well last night. Awoke about 4 a.m. Legs at it again, ached. Sat outside a while today and then took a steam bath for about 30 minutes. That made me feel very weak. Went to bed and stayed there all afternoon. When I woke up, I found my stomach all covered with spots. Surprisingly enough, I felt real good this morning.

Day Eight – Golly, am I weak! Still have rash. I had a nose bleed this morning, too. Only got up twice today. Knees and hips real painful. Heating pad helps some, but not much.

Day Nine – Feel pretty good, but awfully weak. Sat outside some in the sun. For the past three days, these pimples have been itching and I have had nose bleeds off and on, too.

Day Ten – Feel fine. Sat in the sun for almost a half hour. And then in shade for several hours. Good day!

Day Eleven – Woke up with sore gums. They got little bumps all over them. Sore throat, too, and a fever sore on my lip. Can’t control the gas. It seems to come out through the vagina and rectum both. Sometimes it just piles up in me and its hard to expel it. Pimples on ray stomach again and now on my legs. My lips are very sore.

Day Twelve – The eleventh day of my fast. I feel very weary, very tired. Pimples are all over my stomach and now in the vaginal area. Some of them are forming pus heads, but we haven’t seen any pus. Received a thorough examination today, which really relieved my mind.

Day Thirteen – Had my first bowel movement and it was very odoriferous. More breaking out on my legs. I am so awfully weak. I could hardly make it back to the bed after that trip to the bathroom. And then I kept turning and tossing. My stomach is aching just awful. Did manage to crawl out of bed to fix a hot water bottle. No one else around. After that I fell asleep. I slept until after 4 and then I sat up a while but had to go back to bed again. So terribly, terribly weak.

Day Fourteen – I have been fasting now for thirteen days.
I am so tired. My chest still hurts bad.

Day Fifteen – Day 14 of my fast. Very weak and tired. Haven’t had to use any blankets now for the last two or three days. No real pain today. Just very, very weak.

Day Sixteen – Broke my fast.

As the student can see, this fast was concluded before the return of hunger and even before her tongue had cleared or she had experienced any return of vitality. She remained for another week at the School. She knew she should have remained longer to permit a fuller recovery but, for financial reasons, she had to return home.

However, she immediately called us and, under our guidance, she carefully followed a prescribed regimen which emphasized rest. She adopted a greatly restricted all-raw-food diet which consisted of two mono fruit meals plus one salad meal composed of four vegetables, two of which were lettuce and sprouts. Every two months, she fasted for seven days and after six months, she undertook to fast for ten days and this on her own.

It might prove of interest to our students to observe what happened in the days immediately following her return from Shelton’s School.

Day 1. Before I got through with my lunch, I had a bowel movement that filled the commode. I was
sick at the stomach for the rest of the day. Dr. McCarter told me to stay in bed and rest.

Day 20. Swollen feet. Bad sinus trouble.

Day 21. Feet still swollen. Nauseous. Had watermelon for supper.  Still have those pimples on my stomach. Dr. McCarter tells me to be patient, that they’ll soon heal.

Day 22. Swollen feet yet. Pimples on stomach and legs again. My eyes just feel sick and I have diarrhea.

Day 23. Feel pretty good today.

Day 24. Feel pretty well.

Day 27. Didn’t feel at all well tonight. Ate a lot of melon. Too much, I guess.

Day 28. Been feeling well, at least better, up until today. Felt “icky” after my noon meal of lettuce and nuts. Had BM three or four times during the last four days. Feel terrible tonight. Had some more watermelon.

Day 29. Slept outside for almost 3 hours. My arm hurt.
Stomach ached. Had to use the hot water bottle
again.

Day 30. Didn’t feel well all day.

Day 31. Fasted. Didn’t know what else to do. Dr. McCarter said it was okay. Slept two hours.
Weak. Finally had BM. Felt better.

Day 32. Stomach hurt all day.

Day 33. Stomach fells better. Didn’t eat this morning.
Had avocado, alfalfa sprouts and tomato for lunch. For dinner, the same. Did eat a few nuts
later on.

Day 34. Stomach feels better. Light lunch. Just nuts this evening. Felt quite well today.

Six Days Later. Fasted for three days. Stayed in bed. Not too bad.

First day after the 3-day fast. Felt good.

Second day after the 3-day fast. Felt great! Better than I
have felt for the last 20 years. Just absolutely GREAT!

Ethel continued to make so much progress that even her friends began to comment on how well she was looking. Her complexion became radiantly “alive.” Her voice, which had been high pitched, developed more quality and depth to it. She had a sparkle about her that was entirely missing before she began to fast.

Much of the follow-up discomfort this woman experienced might well have been avoided if she had been able to continue her original fast at least until all her pain had disappeared and, better yet, of course until the return of hunger. As it was, only a partial cleansing of a highly-toxic body took place and this, too, while the poisons were still in flux, but, as we have seen, in spite of all her pain and discomfort, this woman had been so well-prepared for her fast, that she persisted and continued her Hygienic transition. Within the year, she was back at Shelton’s and fasted for another 14 days, this time with little or no discomfort.

How does this client feel about fasting? She has continued to fast one day every week, three days once a month and, every two months, she fasts for five days. In fact, we have to put the reins on her to keep her from fasting too frequently. She “checks in” every three months at which time we evaluate her experiences and her progress. Instead of sledriding down hill as she had been doing all those previous years, she is now confident that she is on the right path, using nature’s own methods and tools. She has become radiantly beautiful and, if it were not for her still existing family disorientation, she would be at peace, not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually. Under great odds this woman has accomplished a small miracle. She has successfully confronted her Self, has weeded out all the worms of doubt and, with deep conviction, has removed herself not only from the bondage of the current mass hysteria but also from her previous addiction to her own pet beliefs. She knows with a certainty that is unshakeable that she is one with nature and thus fears nothing that nature has to offer. She has learned the laws of life and they are serving her well.

6.7 Case Study—Rachel—Her Story

We will let Rachel tell her own experience with fasting. She tells it so much better than we could ever do because she tells it from her heart. When this was written, Rachel was in her late sixties. In her own words, this is Rachel’s story:

“My name is Rachel. I have been asked to speak about my experience with fasting and its benefits on the body. And I’ll tell you how I learned about the Shelton School of Health where health is built, not bought.”

“I’ll start by telling you how it all began. In early January of 1979, I started bleeding from the uterus, and hoping that it would go away. After it stopped for a while, I did nothing. In February, a friend asked me if I’d like to attend some nutrition classes given by Dr. Elizabeth McCarter, and after finding out the fee, I said, ‘I can’t possibly afford it!’ My friend, however, told me that the first class was free, and said, ‘Why don’t you go?’ So, I agreed.

“At this class I was convinced of all the things I was doing wrong for my body and, after attending all the sessions, I was convinced that this was money well spent.

“While Dr. McCarter spoke she also told us about Dr. Shelton’s book which she carries with her in these sessions, and how she recovered her own health some fifteen years ago by following the rules outlined in his book. She had learned about the importance of fasting and its help in building the body back to health. (Editor’s note: It was actually considerably later that we learned about Dr. Shelton and about fasting, but it was about this time that we began our search for healing.)

“At one of the classes my bleeding had again started, and I asked Dr. McCarter what I should do, and she said, ‘Fast and rest.’ I went home, missed one meal and my husband, Al, wouldn’t hear of any more of that. My bleeding stopped again, until the first of May, when it started again. I knew I had to find out if something was the matter, so after three doctors from May 11th to the 14th, I was to have a DNC on Thursday, May 17.

“On the 19th, the doctor called to tell me, ‘You have cancer! We’ll set a date for an hysterectomy as soon as you have an IVP, lower GI, and X rays of the bladder, chest, etc’ ‘The works,’ as he put it.

“Again I called Dr. McCarter and told her I didn’t want to go through all of this as I had had two major surgeries in the past and problems with both. Since her talk in class I had been wanting to cleanse my body by fasting, but never thought I’d ever have to do it, but I could see now was the time to consider it. So, I sought the Lord’s guidance in prayers. These are the very words that flashed in my mind:

‘Abide in Me.’ ‘Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.’ And ‘I will purify you, I will cleanse you, I will make you white as snow.’ I was so thrilled and surprised as I had wanted my body cleansed, and felt this was my answer from God.

“On Tuesday night I finally told Al about my condition. He was shocked and wanted me to have the surgery. Instead, I presented him with three alternatives since I felt this was my body; that I, too, should have a choice. I told him about Tijuana and the laetrile therapy, and about Dr. Shelton’s School of Health in San Antonio, Texas. The third choice was simply to continue to lie around and rot.

“Al said, ‘Not Tijuana!’ And thus it was, our choice was to lead me to Texas.

“I called Dr. Vetrano at the school to see if they could accept me and, when she heard about my problem she advised me not to have the X rays and all the rest but to ‘come as soon as you can.’ We set the date for the third day after that. So, I cashed in all my stocks so as not to worry my husband with anything. I had enough to buy my plane ticket, a few travelers’ checks and to cover my stay at the School.

“On my arrival I felt strange. Here I was alone, in a strange town, and down in spirit because of all the opposition from so many people including most of my family, something which hurt me more than my condition. Besides never having fasted in my whole life, I can truthfully say that I was really frightened.

“… Feeling the way I did, I told one of the doctors there that I wasn’t sure this is what I wanted and, in fact, I called some friends who lived in San Antonio to come for me. While I waited, however, two ladies who had finished fasting talked to me about it and said, ‘Since you have come so far and it will do you so much good, you ought to stay.’ My worried friends arrived and I asked them to sit down
with me to talk about it. They listened quietly and when I had finished, I told them I felt much better about it all and would stay. It frightens me now to think that, in a split second, I could have thrown down the drain all I had set out to do for my body, and this experience alone was a worthwhile lesson for me. I thank the Lord again for helping me and keeping me there.

“I was not to begin fasting for two more days, so I decided .until then to interview the patients and get some information I wanted. When you fast, you are to remain quiet, talk little, walk slowly, etc. Let me tell you about some of the people I interviewed that day.

“One lady, only 25 years of age, showed me a small lump on her hand which she said had been as big as an English walnut, and after fasting 27 days, this was all the remained. She stayed two weeks longer and all of it had vanished. She left one week before me and returned the following Friday night to bring me a bouquet of flowers from the florist.

“Another lady, I’d say in her forties, who was in a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy, the wife of an M.D., who came against her husband’s will to fast and had finished seven days of fasting. Soon after I came she had discarded her braces and was walking. She was so excited, as all of us were, when she told us she hadn’t walked in years. She called her husband and he didn’t believe her. She was so thrilled with the results of the fasting that she was on her second seven-day fast when I left.

“One man and his wife had just finished a 30-day fast. Five years ago they had been there. He is an M.D. They found cancer in his lungs and had scheduled surgery. He heard about the School and decided to try it. They also fasted 30 days and rested 30 days, went back home for more X rays and his lungs had cleared.

“An older man from Puerto Rico has been coming to the school since 1954. As I talked to him I could see the small print in the book he was reading—and without glasses, too.

“A lady in her seventies, her son an M.D. in Texas. She lives in New York but also has a home in Germany. She came against her son’s wishes because she had doctored with five physicians for years with fungus in her ears, under her nails, and her heart bothered her. She wasn’t worried too much about her nails, just so she could get some relief for her ears. Well, in seven days of fasting, her ears and nails both cleared up. And she also had had hemorrhoids ever since her son had been born. She sunned these daily in the Solarium and she said that they, too, had dried up. She will go home a happy person.

“One of my roommates was a young girl, very stout who had fasted 27 days. She lost fifty pounds, and she had also had a yeast infection—whatever that is—and it had also left her. When she returned home, she called to see how I was. Everyone at the School was so nice, just like a big happy family, all there for one purpose, to get their health back.

A man in his late 60s drove all the way from Indiana. One day I was sitting in the lobby while fasting and he came up the steps two at a time. I commented, ‘You can tell you are not fasting.’ He said, ‘Oh, Yes! I still have another week to go for my 30th day!’ He stayed until the day I left.

“I could go on and on. About 100 people from all over the world were here. My fast was fourteen days and I felt that I should have gone on to at least 21 for nature had not told me to quit: my tongue was still coated and my throat in back didn’t tell me I was hungry but the lump in my breast the doctor wanted to take out when I had the DNC had disappeared.

“We had so many young people there fasting, which made me happy that they are learning so early in life how important your health is. In the lectures we learned what to expect during fasting, which made it easier for us. I had no problems since I gave up coffee after Dr. Elizabeth’s classes and I took no drugs. Your body will smell, your mouth will fill with a salty, bitter saliva; your legs and parts of your body will ache, a backlash from those drugs in your past; the urine will darken, and many other things might happen. But, it will all be for good. You will have to shower more often and brush your teeth. You will not be given drugs, enemas, pills, coffee, liquor, cigarettes, cooked food, milk—nothing except pure water, pure fruits, vegetables, and nuts—raw—the last three only after you have finished fasting. You are to remain the same time longer as the time taken to fast, in order for you to recover properly. This is important, I found out.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if all the surgeons who have patients ready for an operation would say to them, ‘Go home and fast for fourteen days and if you still need surgery, then we will operate.’ Just think of how many would not need that surgery! For, by fasting, you rid your body of the toxins that are causing your problem in the first place, and when surgery takes place, your organs are removed, but you still have the poisons to cause more problems, for still more organs to be removed. Besides all that, you will be given more drugs and shots and pills and hard telling what else which also adds to your problem.

Some of the churches, not mine, are building their own hospitals. Wouldn’t it be nice if these were used as Schools of Health, like Dr. Shelton’s, where we might go and cleanse our bodies, and keep our organs? I purchased Dr. Shelton’s tapes. I’d like all of you to hear them. He tells it like it is. (Wonderful to use at group meetings—the Authors.) “This is the way I feel about sickness:

1. Seek God’s guidance first.
2. Fast. This is mentioned so much in the Bible.
3. Eat the fruits, vegetables and nuts just as He gave them to us—raw. If only we will do this, we will live a healthy life.

We have let Rachel tell her own story because it demonstrates so well some of the points we have made in this lesson and in our lesson on the elderly. Not all, of course, but most of our clients are at least of middle-age, most are older. They bear the imprinting of all their past days, months and years. They all, even the very young, come to the practitioner with their private hidden fears. Prior to their seeking Hygienic counseling, many have been engaged for years in a life-and-death balancing act, trying this, that and the other “cure.” Many, if not all, have had significant psychological problems, chief among which have been depression and varying mood swings. Many of their friends and relatives to whom they look for support respond negatively, even to the point where they judge them to be crazy. It becomes the job of the practitioner to show them they are not.

Few practicing healers, regardless of in what discipline they may work, comprehend that long-term illness of itself has a devastating effect on the emotional well-being. Multiple stresses arise and they certainly do not go away when first the client enters a Hygienist’s office. In fact, they may well multiply. Suddenly, they are offered hope to replace despair; action to replace inaction. All this can be stressful, too.

All this can be especially true when it comes to fasting. Just as Rachel indicated, thinking about the possibility of not eating is a totally new experience. Such a thought can actually terrify timid individuals. But, have our students taken note of how Rachel’s fears were quieted by hearing other people talk about their experiences with fasting? What she heard broke through the psychological barrier and prepared her mentally and emotionally. In fact, she went so far as to anticipate the benefits accruing to her by fasting. She began to build up positive mental images of future wellness, these in and of themselves, being conducive to good results.

Clients must be prepared by the practitioner to accept fasting as something which will specifically help them. Rachel was prepared before she went to Shelton’s School, but she retained hidden fears. Clients can be helped across inner barriers by individual testimonies like Rachel’s (it was given by her at one of our group meetings), by classes such as the ones Rachel attended, these being offered to the public for a fee. We hope our students noticed that the first class was offered FREE! Case studies such as we have cited often prove very helpful in acquainting clients with what fasting has to offer and, of course, Hygienic literature offers a wide range of these.

And, did our students observe how varied the fasters were in Rachel’s account? How different were their problems but, in every instance, through fasting, they obtained favorable results. Did our students also note that many, like Rachel, encountered family resistance which they had to overcome? And did our students observe that the fasters received emotional support and guidance from other fasters? These are among the many valuable lessons we can learn from Rachel’s account.

We kept in touch with Rachel for a year or so but have now lost contact with her. We know that she periodically continued to fast on her own and became an enthusiastic supporter of the Natural Hygiene way of life.

Rachel was prepared to accept fasting as an opportunity for her to recover her own higher level of health, rather than a means of depriving her and placing her life at risk. Our society wants instant “cures,” of which there are none. They are fascinated by the magic of a heart transplant, for example, and fail to look beyond the implant to the years of worry, concern and always-present fear of sudden death from rejection by Self. It takes someone very special to take the steps that Rachel took to overcome the psychological buzz-sawing to which our people are constantly subjected on all sides. It also takes someone very special to guide troubled clients into and through a successful fast. This is what Rachel did and this is how she did it:

1. Being frightened by a personal physical problem, she took a course in Natural Hygiene; others seek solutions elsewhere.
2. During her class sessions, she learned how to eat, and how to live so that the precise needs of her body would be met.
3. She learned about the Toxemia Theory and about the seven steps in the evolution of pathology.
4. She learned about fasting and decided she loved herself enough to try this method of body cleansing.
5. She decided to make a change, to desert orthodoxy: the proposed surgery, the X rays, the drugs, in favor of Nature’s own way of cleansing—self-autolysis; she decided to fast.
6. She began to plan. Step by step she made the necessary arrangements, prepared her family, got her finances, together, etc.
7. She began to work her plan.
8. She persevered and was successful. Her life, like so many others who have preceded her, is no longer being lived in the shadows of fear. That can be the priceless reward of teaching our clients all about fasting.