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Dr. Gian-Cursio:
NATURAL HYGIENE
VEGETARIAN DIET AND FOOD PLAN
'Preventing Cellulite - the Diet Solution"
INTRODUCTION
The following article for Harper's Bazaar, on March 1979, presents Dr. Cristopher Gian-Cursio's ideas on diet and nutrition .
I knew him and worked with him as one of his closest students for more than 40 years, and I can attest to the fact that, while he submitted the information in the following article under the original heading "Preventing Cellulite - the Diet Solution", it in reality was a presentation of his basic diet.
This article contains the crux of his techniques, of the foods he considered to be of the highest quality, eaten in the ideal sequence for maximum digestion, absorption, assimilation and fixation in the cells of the body - while at the same time to be correctly combined for maximum utilization.
I can personally testify to the near miracles I saw in the recoveries from nearly all kinds of illness, both in his practice and in my own.
I have also seen hygienic doctors come to Cursio for assistance with especially difficult cases.
While this article consists of only a few pages, being highly condensed, it represents more than 55 years of this brilliant nutritionist's experience as one of the greatest teachers in the field of Natural Hygiene - natural living and eating.
Stanley S. Bass, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.
11/22/99
- Find an interview with Dr. Gian-Cursio here. -
PREVENTING CELLULITE:
THE DIET SOLUTION
Those lumps and bulges that look like fat, but can't be dieted or exercised away, may be cellulite, some experts claim. More than a simple weight problem, this may be a symptom of faulty nutrition and living habits. Now, a unique food plan could be the answer to all our body's needs.
.....
EATING IN SEQUENCE
The food plan conceived by Dr. Cursio and his colleagues is not revolutionary at first glance. What is unusual is the order in which the foods are eaten
- in a logical, undeviating sequence, conforming to a "highly developed system of food combinations that must not be altered in any way."
- Called sequential or "layered" eating, the program is designed to conserve the energy used by the body for the digestion and absorption of foods - in order to maximize the energy needed for healing, repair and the elimination of wastes or toxins (the raw materials of cellulite). It also insures that no stresses or imbalances result from eating essentially incompatible foods, or overly complex ones at the wrong time.
A group of research scientists at Columbia University has found evidence that a meal is digested by the body in the exact order it is eaten - one food group at a time, regardless of its complexity or quantity. According to the theory, if you start out with a relatively concentrated food that takes a long time to break down, followed by something that takes only half the time - digestion of the second food will be delayed and it will start to ferment and decompose - losing much of its nutritional value.
In order to prevent this, the Natural Hygiene Food Plan is based on a simple rule: You generally start your meal with a freshly prepared vegetable juice, such as carrot, celery, cucumber, tomato or a combination of these. Then you follow with a blended or tossed salad - foods that are rapidly handled by the body. (Dr. Cursio prefers the semi-liquid blended salad because it is initially easier to digest, and therefore less of a body energy-consumer.) Next, you introduce a more complex food, such as a raw, unpeeled fruit, followed by a more concentrated one - nuts, cheese, or eggs, consisting of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and complicated nucleic acids. Thus, you allow your body to break down relatively "fast," simple foods first, then progress to levels of increasing difficulty - all to insure the most efficient and least wasteful assimilation of nutrients.
HOW IT WORKS
Assuming that the Natural Hygiene Food Plan succeeds in preserving energy, how does it specifically help rid the body of toxic wastes and purify the system? How does it eliminate cellulite?
"It's basically a two-fold process," Dr. Cursio explains. "First, people who follow this plan are allowed a relatively high number of calories - and yet they proceed to lose weight almost as soon as they start. Why? Though they ingest this food, they don't assimilate much of it - at least initially. They aren't fully able to incorporate these differently-derived nutrients into their cells or body mass because of their own previous, ingrained pattern of eating and metabolizing foods. Secondly, the body reacts by starting to "catabolize" or break down its old, long-held residues of accumulated wastes and low-grade tissues - and cellulite starts to disappear."
What happens after you become conditioned to the new regime? "I have seen many patients lose from 10 to 40 pounds, and then, after reaching their proper weight, they start gaining on the same or even a lesser amount of food," reports Dr. Cursio. "So we have to adjust the quantities in order to insure that they maintain their desired weight.
"From consistent and convincing clinical experience, we know that this diet results not only in weight loss, but also purifies and strengthens body tissues and our natural defenses against disease. We have repeatedly observed people with a wide range or disorders - including cellulite or diet-resistant fat - get better after strictly following this program. Skin tone improves, circulation becomes more efficient, hormonal outputs are balanced, vigor increases. As the body's vitality is enhanced and its capacities are improved, the cleansing or "detoxifying" of its tissues follows as a natural by-product - it simply happens."
Scientists can't fully explain why, but some believe it works on the principle of self-immunization: Foods themselves neither cleanse nor pollute our bodies. But rather, the proper ones eaten in a non-stressful sequence help create a highly favorable internal environment, in which the body can simply maintain or regenerate itself and correct its own imbalances.
MODERATION
Not surprisingly, "less is more" applies with particular relevance to the Natural Hygiene Food Plan. "Eat sparingly and remember that quantity is all-important," maintains Dr. Cursio, "even when you're eating only wholesome foods. Too much cheese, fruit, too many nuts can overtax your system and interfere with its proper functioning. And, obviously, so will anything alien, artificial or unwholesome."
While other anti-cellulite diets stress large quantities of protein, Dr. Cursio's program carefully limits the amount. "As a nation we consume about twice the protein we need," he points out. "Studies have shown that the overconsumption of proteins and of all foods in general can actually shorten human life. Excesses are either eliminated or stored - and both processes help deplete the body of vital energy."
As for liquids: Many diets aimed at preventing or eliminating cellulite recommend drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day in order to help "flush" out the system. Dr. Cursio believes this is an excessive amount since water is already supplied in abundance by fruits and vegetables. He advises drinking whenever you feel thirsty - the body's natural signal that we need water - but never during meals. Liquids of any kind dilute food too much and interfere with digestive enzymes and secretions. At mealtime, they can also dilate and bloat the stomach.
WHOLE FOODS
Another key principle of the Natural Hygiene Food Plan is that foods be eaten in their whole, natural state. Thus wholegrain breads and brown rice are preferable to parts of them, such as bran or wheat germ. "By isolating one component of a total food - even a superior one - you may help trigger an internal stress," says Dr. Cursio. "For example, when integrated in the whole wheat kernel, bran is an important nutritional element, but by itself it's largely an irritating factor: It's not only essentially indigestible, it also over-stimulates peristalsis and thus hastens the passage of foods through the digestive tract. As a result the vitamin and mineral content of certain foods may not have adequate time to be absorbed and assimilated. And the body must waste too much energy to neutralize the irritating bran. Far better sources of fiber - the soft, gentle, digestible hydrogels - are plentiful in vegetables and fruits."
FORBIDDEN FOODS
As in almost any diet, some foods are strictly forbidden on the Natural Hygiene Food Plan, among them, salt, pepper, sugar (except from natural sources), butter, cream, alcohol, soft drinks (including low-calorie varieties) and ice cream. Also taboo are yogurt, cottage cheese, whole milk, spinach, asparagus, onions and garlic.
Most experts agree that the overuse of salt contributes significantly to cellulite among other conditions, since it tends to cause water retention in the tissues. Thus, avoid adding salt to food, and stay away from those containing generous quantities - canned soups, smoked or processed meats, potato salads, pickles, etc.-as well as flavorings such as celery or garlic salt and the like.
Though fresh, raw spinach and asparagus are rich in vitamins and iron, they contain oxalic acid, a substance which (paradoxically) interferes with the absorption and assimilation of iron by the digestive system. Garlic and onion are undesirable because they contain mustard oil - an ingredient that disrupts the action of certain digestive enzymes. Dr. Cursio believes that yogurt is a "nutritionally overrated" food: ("The natural bacterial / fermentation process that results in yogurt actually causes it to coagulate and disintegrate its own milk protein - so we derive no real benefit from it.") He also advises adults to avoid whole milk and cottage cheese because we don't have the "necessary enzymic makeup" to curdle (digest) their form of protein. However, cheeses like ricotta and mozzarella - preferably unsalted - already contain the enzymes that essentially help "digest" them for us before we eat them.
Dr. Cursio suggests eating yolks only rather than whole eggs because the egg white contains avodin - a substance that destroys biotin, an important member of the vitamin B complex. Strictly limited are added oils and fats, since adequate amounts of these occur naturally in cheeses, egg yolks and nuts - all mainstays on the eating plan. As much as possible, oils should be cold-pressed (available in health-food stores) - without chemical additives and unaltered by heat. Always store them in a cool place to prevent them from becoming rancid.
A FLEXIBLE PROGRAM
Dr. Cursio himself treats and supervises only those who are "psychologically prepared" enough to relinquish their former eating patterns and preferences. Admittedly, they have to be either committed vegetarians or otherwise highly motivated at the outset to experience the fewest adjustment problems with this 2-week program which consists of raw fruits, dark leafy green vegetables, vegetable juices, eggs, nuts, cheese and whole grains. However, for inveterate meat eaters, such a drastic changeover may be unrealistic and unworkable - at least initially. Thus, though he himself does not recommend it, several members of Dr. Cursio's staff have designed a modified 2-week plan that may vary, depending on your state of readiness.
(Note: Consult your doctor first before following these or any other food plans.)
If you strictly follow Dr. Cursio's program, you should expect to lose weight, purify your system and solve your cellulite problem at a faster rate than if you include chicken or fresh-water fish in your daily diet. If meat is your chief source of protein, expect to achieve results at the slowest pace of all. To minimize this drawback, avoid beef and pork in favor of baby lamb and veal, both relatively low in fat and easily digestible. However, even on the modified program, every meal should include fresh fruits and vegetables; fish, poultry or meat should be eaten no more than once a day, and preferably every other day. At other times, try having a gourmet vegetarian specialty - such as a savory lentil loaf or green peppers with whole-grain rice. After awhile, predicts Dr. Cursio, your marked improvement in health and looks will be motivation for your continuing the program, and even progressing to a more disciplined regime.
NATURAL HYGIENE DIET
AND FOOD PLAN
Recipes and guidelines are given for all dishes marked with an asterisk.*
Eat foods in the exact order given.
REGULAR 14-DAY MENU PLAN
BREAKFAST
8 ozs. fresh vegetable juice*
12 ozs. blended salad*
12 ozs. fresh fruit
1 egg yolk* (boiled or poached)
etc.....
MODIFIED 14-DAY MENU PLAN
BREAKFAST
8 ozs. fresh vegetable juice
8 ozs. blended salad* (optional, but try for I week if possible)
8 ozs. fresh fruit
1 whole egg* (boiled or poached)
etc......
DAILY DIET GUIDELINES
FRESH VEGETABLE JUICE
(celery and carrots, or cucumber and tomato)
Proportions: 6 ozs. celery or cucumber juice
2 ozs. carrot or tomato juice. Use a vegetable juice extractor, if possible. Never peel vegetables: simply scrub with a brush under cold running water. Since juices are very sensitive to air, you should drink them immediately after extraction. If you do not own a juicer, you can add the celery and carrots to your day's blended salad or eat them along with your meals.
BLENDED SALAD
1 each small tomato, red or green pepper
1/2 small cucumber
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
I tsp. cold-pressed oil (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon or lime
5-6 leaves romaine lettuce
3-4 stalks celery or fresh fennel, chopped
Place cut up pieces of tomato, pepper and cucumber along with yeast, oil and lemon juice into blender. (Nutritional yeast, available in health-food stores, is particularly flavorful.) Blend until smooth and liquid. Add romaine leaves one at a time. Add celery or fennel; blend additional
2-3 minutes. (The consistency depends upon personal taste: some like it smooth and watery, others thick and crunchy.)
EGGS
Eggs should be purchased in a health-food store: You want fertilized eggs from chickens fed organic feed and not anti-biotics.
To cook: Boil or poach for a maximum of 3 to 4 minutes. Eat only the yolk. (Those on the modified plan may eat the whole egg.)
NUTS
All nuts should be in their natural state-raw and unsalted (almonds, cashews, peanuts, filberts). You may substitute nut butter (unsalted) for your daily allowance of nuts using the same weight: 2 ozs. nut butter equals 2 ozs. raw nuts.
CHEESE
Since most cheeses contain large quantities of salt you will have to choose from unsalted varieties. The finest of this type cheese - Cheddar or Muenster - is made by Kutter's Dairy, 857 Main Road, Corfu, N.Y., and can be ordered directly from them in 5-pound blocks. Call 585-599-3693, ask for Tony or Dick Kutter and say that Drs. Bass & Penepent referred you and that you want Dr. Cursio's cheese. (1-2006) Second best is unsalted, homemade mozzarrella - fresh - available at pasta and cheese stores or any shop that specializes in Italian products. Another Italian specialty, ricotta cheese, is also an excellent-tasting and nutritious choice.
If you substitute ricotta for your daily allowance, you are permitted 6 ozs. - twice the amount of hard cheese.
If you are on the modified plan and are unable to make the change to unsalted cheeses, choose from low-salt or mild varieties like Jarlsberg, Gouda, Swiss, Gruyere, Emmenthaler, Tilsit and Muenster.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables should be bought as fresh and crisp as possible and stored in a cool dark place. Do not soak them - just wash and scrub thoroughly under cold running water. Do not peel unless absolutely necessary.
To cook: Steam in just enough water so that little or no liquid is left and vegetables are crisp yet tender.
For a vegetable plate, steam 2 or more of the following: broccoli, string beans, butternut squash, acorn squash, zucchini, eggplant, green peas, snow peas, Chinese cabbage, okra, corn, carrots, cauliflower, artichokes, escarole, turnips, rutabaga, beets (roots only).
LEGUMES
These include lentils, lima beans, soybeans and chickpeas. All should be purchased from a health-food store, raw and dried, not canned, jarred or frozen.
To prepare: Soak legumes overnight in cold water.
To cook: Use 12 ozs. water for every 4 ozs. legumes (measured when dry). Bring water to a boil, add legumes, lower heat, cover pot and cook slowly (about 15 minutes) until tender.
You may want to use part of your oil allowance mixed with a bit of lemon juice and yeast to make an interesting sauce. You can even toss in tomato, red pepper or fresh fennel for new tastes. In place of legumes, you may substitute 4 ozs. brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, or 2 slices whole-grain bread or 8-12 ozs. potatoes.
OIL ALLOWANCE
Use 2 tbsps. (maximum) cold-pressed oil per day. Olive oil is recommended - peanut and corn oil are also acceptable.
Note: This is a carefully developed, fully nutritious food program. It is not necessary to take supplemental vitamins. If you follow the plan carefully, you will have all the essentials necessary to maintain health while eliminating cellulite and excess weight.
March 1979
Also read: New Concepts in Nutrition, Health and Rapid Healing of Illness - explains how certain diets help the body to save energy - and how this extra energy is automatically redirected towards healing.
At the bottom find a list of the changes Dr. Cursio was forced to make to the then (and even common today) typical vegan diet in Natural Hygiene.
Find an interview with Dr. Gian-Cursio here. After observing how the idealized vegan diet resulted in deficiencies and disease among his patients, Dr. Cursio found that it was necessary to add some eggs/dairy and remove some of the fruit.
Also see: Sequential Eating - for advanced food combining concepts - and digestion times of different foods.
Why can certain diets, e.g. raw diets, make even "incurable" diseases heal?
Read How Diseases are Cured by Herbert M. Shelton
"What does the average individual know about keeping well? Almost nothing. ----- The people and their doctors are all in the same boat together with a blind man at the helm."
How much weight-loss per day can I expect on raw juices vs. water fasting?
Read Q&A about juice fasting (juice diet), water fasting and weightloss.
How do juice and water fasting compare?
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ARTICLES
SUPERIOR HEALTH
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| My First Water Fast |
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I was startled by the statement that all colds, fevers and influenzas were nature's attempt to free the body of disease.
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| Fruit - Friend or Foe? | |
He lived on nothing but grapes - By the 32nd day, his gum was bleeding - one of his teeth fell out. He exclaimed: My God, I am detoxicating my teeth - click here
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| Symptoms to Expect when Improving Your Diet | |
This initial letdown lasts about ten days, and is followed by an increase of strength, a feeling of diminishing stress and greater well-being.
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| How Diseases are Cured |
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Dr. Shelton: - It is high time to learn about the causes of disease and of the "complications" that so frequently develop under regular care - click here
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| The Time-factor in Recovery |
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Dr. Shelton: - Why do we expect to get well in a hurry of a condition that requires a life-time for its development? - click here
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| Sequential Eating | |
Any quick digesting foods must wait till the slowest digesting foods leave the stomach - a process which can take up to 6 or 8 hours.
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| How Important is Diagnosis? | |
Once the truth of how to live is understood, the process of illness can be reversed more or less painlessly by intelligent living - click here
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| How to Live 100 Years | |
If you follow a minimal diet you can achieve super nutrition. Let's look at Luigi Cornaro, who at age 35 was weak, sick, and dying
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EMOTIONS & ENERGY
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| Causes of Addiction to Habits |
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The key which unlocks the mystery of why most habits are difficult to break lies in the understanding of the stimulation and depression mechanism.
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| How to Overcome Temptations |
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The very moment an undesirable craving has entered your consciousness, DON'T struggle with it. Absolutely REFUSE to consider its existence
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| Attentive Eating | |
A subject which can radically change a person's life in all of its aspects - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. - Attentive eating.
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| Energy in the Body |
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The lift we get from drinking coffee, or the expression of strong emotions - is the expenditure of energy, not its accumulation
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| Energy, Feeling and Thought |
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The person who feels depressed or negative most of the time is low on the energy level scale and needs to increase rest and sleep - click here
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| The Energy Principle in Healing - New Concepts |
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All healing and regeneration is in ratio to the amount of energy which is available - the more energy, the more detoxicating healing
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SUPER NUTRITION
| Three Generations of Hygienists |
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These children, the skeletal development wasn't right, the dental arches were not well-formed, teeth came in crowded
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| In Search of the Ultimate Diet |
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I put a group of mice on a fruitarian diet. But they didn't seem to be eating very much fruit, and they certainly weren't crazy about it
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| The Ideal 100% Raw Diet |
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My aim here was to try to find a diet of 100% raw foods that mice and equally humans could live on, with all the factors needed for excellent health
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| Vegetarian Diet & Food Plan |
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Dr. Cursio: - it represents more than 55 years of this brilliant nutritionist's experience as one of the greatest teachers in the field of Natural Hygiene
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SPIRITUALITY
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