Customer Reviews

Food Is Your Best Medicine

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I'm happy to see that this enduring classic is still in print. I wrote about nutrition for the health magazines for years, had all kinds of information at my fingertips, but when it came to my own health, this little book offered the most effective answers. I still go back to the Bieler diet when I need to lose weight, increase my energy, or avoid health problems that seem to be looming on the horizon. A friend of mine was a patient of Dr. Bieler's in the late '60s and reported that the good doctor was healthy, strong, radiant, virile, and working a full schedule into his eighties; apparently he took his own advice. Bieler did his research at about the same time that penicillin was introduced, so his work never got the recognition it deserved. Now, decades later, the public realizes that the so-called miracle drugs have frightening consequences. Bieler shows how to keep your body healthy and free of disease and offers dietary solutions to many ailments. Basics for everyone: No salt, sugar, honey. Have "Bieler Soup" daily: zucchini, green beans, parsley, celery cut up and simmered. These most alkaline veggies balance your system. Read the book for details.

Dr. Bieler's book is a must read for anyone interested in maximizing their health. This book teaches a holistic path of how the body uses food and how food can heal or destroy the body. I came across this book after suffering through my teenage years with chronic fatigue and severe athritis. This book explained why I was suffering and how to reverse my condition. After 1 month on the Bieler path, I found my symptoms improved 50%. Now, after 9 months, I feel like a completely new person. THIS BOOK IS MY BIBLE OF HEALTH. READ IT.

Dr. Bieler's book totally changed my life and outlook regarding the power and importance of proper nutrition as a cure to maintain optimum health and that drugs are merely harmful chemicals that can damage our internal organs. The sad truth today is that society is conditioned to rely too heavily on medication, even though they are warned yet still cannot follow this SIMPLE philosophy. Their time will come when they will face a lot of health degenerative challenges which all thanks are owed to killer drugs regardless of dosage (be it penicillin, insulin injection, or Tylenol etc). This is the book that everyone should read if they wish to live a healthier, longer life. I give credit to Dr. Bieler who lived ahead of his time. His wisdom and knowledge is evident as this book is written in a very straightforward style for readers to understand. How much this book holds your interest will depend how much you care about your own health. We only have one body (health) in a lifetime. It is worth your investment and money in your own pocket.

You can always tell really good information that has been found through the true science of research, study and actual use. It withstands the decades of fad diets and medical phases. That is what is offered in this book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK if you are sick of the non-sense that we are fed everyday through media and orthadox medicine. We are supposedly the most medically advanced species on the earth yet we are the sickest. This book shows us that what is considered normal and healthy in our society, really isn't. It gives great information on the link between diet and disease. It was a relief to read a health book that doesn't rant and rave about how to build the immune system (the current fad in alternative medicine). Obviously building the immune system is not the only key to preventing disease. If everyone followed the advise in this book, companys that prey on our bad health would go out of business.

I have been studying nutrition, organic vs. conventional; vegetarianism vs. omnivorism, etc., etc. for years and years. This book is what I call a foundation text. It is a must.

If you are wondering why you've never heard of this book, it's because the pharmaceutical industry and medical profession are not making any money off of Dr. Bieler's recommendations. The style of the writing may also make people think that this book is oversimplified or not valid, based on unscientific methods or dated terminology. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Everything is based on empirical evidence that Dr. Bieler quantified and validated. With very straightforward methods, Dr. Bieler leads his patients through recovery, allowing their bodies to heal themselves. This book is by far the most important testimonial to the secret of health that the food/pharma/med industries do not want you to know about. Dr. Bieler was a pioneer before his time, probably scorned by his peers, and yet he had the key to health and longevity that industry wishes they could market. If you are opposed to the corporate control of your access to information, limitations on the availability of decent and affordable health care or are just plain tired of the propaganda and blatant lies that are perpetuated to make windfall profits at the expense of your health, then you need to read this book.

Mr. Bieler used to prescribe drugs just like any other doctor, until his own health broke down. He then started researching the relationship between food and health and healed himself and patients in the worst shape which were sent to him, by (natural) food alone. The book gives one understanding about how Nature intended the body to be fed. With this understanding one will know how to use food as one's best medicine and become or remain healthy. Everyone on this planet owns a body; I consider this book as Book One for every body-owner!

I bought this book to give to a friend. I so want people to know of his wonderful work in healing. I was a patient of Dr. Bieler's for many years. I am now 85 years old. I know the outstanding work the good doctor did. He cured my sister of ovarian cancer in the 4th stage by diet. A very large promionent hospital gave her 6 months to live. His diets were different for each patient. I think the book explains the human body so well, if one reads it carefully. To know him was to love him. A genius of a man, dedicated to helping mankind.

The late, great physician Henry G. Bieler, M.D., author of FOOD IS YOUR BEST MEDICINE (1965) and savior of many a "lost cause" medical condition, has written a book for the ages recalling humanity to a simpler, more natural, wiser and ultimately happier style of eating and living. I am taking the liberty to share something important not only from this great book, but as a patient of his from long ago.

Dr. Bieler felt that when sick, people should allow Mother Nature a "chemical rest" from the daily work of digestion, as well as the traditional prescription for physical rest. To achieve this, he suggested withholding other foods for two or three days maximum (unless supervised by a physician). During this time, one should not only fast on water, but prepare and drink "Dr. Bieler's Broth" ---- a simple mixture of steamed zucchini (Italian squash) and green beans blended thoroughly with raw lettuce and celery. (If available: parsley can be added to good effect.) This provides the liver, the "master chemist" of the body, abundant nutrients to detoxify the system and better fight germs, while neutralizing the "starvation acids" of fasting.

In addition to promoting the wonderful health benefits of these particular foods on a daily basis, and fresh food generally, he held a STRONG opinion against cheese.

When asked about which proteins to eat, he caught me by surprise with some blunt professional advice: "Whatever you do, don't eat cheese!"

Taken sharply aback (since I had read his book and knew nothing of this), I pointedly asked him: "Why not?"

"Cheese is a decayed food!" he pronounced. "If you eat decayed food, you'll have a decayed body!"

"Dr. Bieler!" I cried. If that was so important, why didn't you put this in your book?"

Voicing great pain, he answered: "The publisher wouldn't let me!"

Eventually I learned what we should all recognize as obvious: That cheese is the result of sweet, fresh milk (one of Nature's best foods) that has been deliberately infected with bacteria(s) and allowed to get older, and older, and in some cases, really old! Details of process and outcome depend on the variety of bacteria and other variables. In all cases, however, the bacterial WASTE PRODUCTS GET MORE AND MORE CONCENTRATED IN THE MIXTURE WE EVENTUALLY END UP EATING! Common sense and experience alike tell us the mixture also gets smellier and smellier over time. Unfortunately, industry and popular eating habits override our natural instincts and teach us to consume and even relish this corrupted, harmful toxic stuff.

Bottom line: In the case of cheese, at least, we should "listen" more carefully to our noses and rational intelligence, trusting them over our taste buds, popular culture and advertising. We should avoid cheese of all varieties -- but especially the more foul-smelling ones in preference to the original products from Nature: fresh milk and delicious, mild, sweet cream and unsalted butter. (The latter is best kept frozen until shortly before eating, according to the good doctor.)

Generally, we should take a skeptical view of what drug companies and the cheese industry and advertisers are serving up in the name of "convenient" and "delicious." We should respect our "magnificent human bodies" enough to ingest only fresh and natural foods, and avoid over-cooking, over-spicing, and over-aging. We should aspire to truly glowing health and harmony with Nature among our highest ideals.

I want to recommend Dr. Bieler's classic book FOOD IS YOUR BEST MEDICINE to all individuals interested in their bodies, good health, and happiness.

I've read many diet/health related books over the years - everything from Weston Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration to Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. In my opinion, Food Is Your Best Medicine by Henry G Bieler is the best health and diet related book I've yet come across. The book was published in 1966 and has some older medical language in it and includes some body/individual type classifications based on a few of the major endocrine glands of the body. The doctor states from the beginning that he believes germs are generally not the cause of disease but are merely a side effect of disease brought on by a toxic body environment caused by an improper diet.

What is great about this book is that he really goes into great detail on how the body can become sick from eating improper foods. He doesn't mess around. He explains how the body will pass on duties meant for one organ to another if the original organ is compromised and how this is not an ideal situation. He stresses that we are all individuals and that there really is no such thing as the perfect diet for everyone... as well, we are all in different states of health and conditions so there may be different needs. He does offer a few general ideas and opinions on diet based on his own studies and experiences with many patients.

He believes that fats/oils and starches cooked together is a particularly bad combination that can yield a defective cholesterol. He also thinks over cooked meat creates altered proteins that the body has a great deal of difficulty digesting and putting to use. He recommends rare beef or lamb over thoroughly cooked chicken or pork for example (He didn't eat meat himself as it disagreed with his digestion). He also prefers raw milk over pasteurized milk however he is not against small amounts of pasteurized milk being used. He believes babies should be breastfed.

He believes ice cream in particular is especially unhealthy because of its altered milk proteins due to it being frozen and points to an interesting study done which seems to incriminate sweets and, in particular, ice cream, in the polio epidemic. He is also against the use of stimulants (coffee, tea) in general and excessive table salt. He feels quality protein is important but deadly in excess. He is a fan of short term fasting to help regain health and using vegetable broths to help heal the liver and pancreas and other organs.

He was not against the consumption of small/moderate amounts of starches like potatoes or grains nor even against the use of pure cane sugar in small amounts. Again though, certain patients may do better with less of this.

I think what I really like about this book is that it's almost like what he recommends is a "best of" of all the various "diets" you've ever read (and in my case, things that seem particularly true) about... vegan, low carb etc. He has a very to the point style of writing that never comes off as preachy or dogmatic or "dramatic". He doesn't dumb the information down or write like what he knows is beyond the readers understanding.

He doesn't demonize any food group ... his issues are more with the way many foods are processed (and the quantities they are taken in) and this includes fats, proteins and carbs and how this affects the body. He is very realistic in what he suggests and his view and ideas really seem informed by scientific study and common sense. I plan on trying many of his suggestions.