The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health: Dr. Rau's Diet for Whole Body Healing (Hardcover)

by Thomas Rau (Author), Susan Wyler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Now in paperback: a world-renowned physician shares the secrets that draw international clients to his clinic.

For almost 50 years, people have traveled to the Paracelsus Clinic in the Swiss Alps. There, Dr. Thomas Rau’s unique diet rejuvenates his clients, while preventing and curing illness. Lauded as “the Mozart of medicine,” Dr. Rau is the world’s foremost practitioner of biological medicine. At last, he reveals his unique Swiss health plan— a proven program based on the latest medical research that will:

• Purify the body
• Regulate pH balance
• Strengthen the immune system
• Encourage healing
• Prevent illness
• Help readers feel young and energetic—in body and mind

Proven effective time and again, Dr. Rau’s program can reduce or even eliminate a lifetime of toxins, alleviate chronic conditions like allergies, arthritis, and diabetes, and promote weight loss and overall well-being. With Dr. Rau’s Swiss program, everyone can begin to enjoy the numerous health benefits of the Swiss Secret. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Dr. Thomas Rau, M.D. is the Chief Medical Director of the Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland, and founder of Paracelsus Biological Medicine. A first of its kind in Switzerland, the Paracelsus Clinic is widely recognized as a center of excellence for natural medicine. Dr. Rau is considered a leading expert in Enderlein therapy, Darkfield Microscopy, and Biologic tumor treatments. Dr. Rau's articles are widely published and he lectures internationally.

Susan Wyler has worked as a culinary professional for over 30 years, including time as the Food Editor of Food & Wine magazine, and the Senior Culinary Editor at John Wiley & Sons. She is the author of seven cookbooks, many of which have been nominated for various awards and written up as best cookbooks of the season in the New York Times. Today, Wyler works as a culinary publishing consultant and cookbook packager. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425213935
• ISBN-13: 978-0425213933
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, May 31, 2007

By	Katwoman "Truth Seeker" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Although I believe Dr. Rau's philosophy about the direct connection between nutrition and health, I find this diet to be very difficult to stick with and very extreme for an average, healthy person.

It is similar in philosophy to a Macrobiotic diet but the influence is European cuisine as opposed to Asian cuisine. It prohibits the intake of sugar, caffeine, processed foods, alcohol and animal protien, while greatly increasing your vegetable and grain intake. I've done the Macrobiotic diet and I experienced increased energy, vitality, better sleep, better mood, etc. Dr. Rau claims that this is what you'll experience with his diet . However, when I did the detox, I experienced headaches, nausea, and a general feeling of illness the duration of the diet and I feel it was due to the total lack of caloric intake. I do think cleansing the body is a good thing and fasting for one or two days can be beneficial. However, I do not feel his detox diet is a healthy approach for healthy people. His claims are that you will feel better and better as the days go on but that was not my experience. In my opinion, no diet that limits your caloric intake to a few hundred calories a day is good for the body. Nothing extreme is good for the body and his detox is way too extreme.

If you do decide to get this book, some things you should know:

The recipes for the three week plan and the one week intensive detox require a lot of cooking and preparation. Because it is based on the regimen done at his clinic/spa in Switzerland where meals are prepared for you, it's difficult for a regular person's lifestyle and schedule. You would basically have to take a week off from work to start the diet and that is unrealistic for most people. I also found more than a few inconsistensies: Dr. Rau opposes any dairy from cows, but some recipes call for cream and butter! Some of the ingredients are very difficult to come by. One day's meal required chestnuts and since I started the diet in Spring, they weren't available and he offers no substitution. Dr. Rau isn't thorough in his explanation of preparing some of the recipes because one recipe on the restrictive detox, he requires you to prepare a corn chowder, but doesn't explain how you are supposed to prepare the leeks in the recipe since you aren't supposed to saute anything. Dr. Rau suggests that hunger would not be a problem because of the food intake. Well that isn't true. I was very hungry all the time because of the limited caloric intake. Dr. Rau is adamant about following the diet to a tee so these inconsistensies were frustrating and it left me pretty doubtful about his claims and philosophies. I felt like he and his publisher were in a rush to publish the book and get it out and I also got the impression that it was more to promote his clinic/spa in Switzerland.

Would I suggest this book? Unfortunately, no.

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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Answer to today's medical crisis and to disease., June 29, 2007

By	P. Costello (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a practicing neurosurgeon in the USA, trained as a traditional allopathic doctor at an Ivy League school with the addition of a PhD to my MD degree, yet I didn't understand the true origin of our ill or aging body and it's 'diseased states', nor did I learn the answer as to finally preventing these states, until I studied with Dr. Rau. You won't need pills to treat illness or fatigue once you've learned how to cleanse your body of it's toxins and rebuild it the natural and healthy way. I urge you to read this user friendly version of Dr. Rau's God given insight and hard learned approach to becoming healthy (via true healing) and ultimately preventing illness.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr Rau's Diet, April 16, 2007

By	Robert Stark "Artist" (Northeastern PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love to eat and love to cook, enjoying a meal is important at least three times every day. At almost 70 health is a concern, even though I'm in excellent condition and able to maintain my weight and frequent exercise.

Dr. Rau is focused on good food and nutrition. His recipes are easy to follow, inventive, and very appetizing. Some are old favorites and others are new combinations of textures and flavors. A lot of what he says has to do with the quality of life, eating organic fresh vegetables and fruits is a no-brainer. Perhaps we need to be reminded about the many toxic ingredients we regularly put into our bodies and see the many alternatives available to us.

His Swiss Detox diet appears to be a way to establish a personal and individual basis related to one's own body. He addresses allergies, our immune systems, how different foods affect our body and how we can recognize their effects. The factual basis of his work is both scientific and intriguing.
What interests me most are the food choices in his diets, tremendous variety and a rich palette, an opportunity to both eat well and enjoy new recipes. He also recognizes we have a sweet tooth and delicious deserts are included.