Gerson's Therapy

[Al]

I posted a thread about nutrition a couple of weeks ago and Food Matters but only got one reply so I guess no one was particularly interested.

For my part, I will continue on my own path, I'm not interested in accepting 'drugs are the only way' any more. Everyone has to do what they think is best for themselves so I'm following a high raw diet, taking more regular exercise and doing an 'anti stress' programme in the form of Paul McKenna's book. Worth a try

MCC: I am sorry that, for some reason, I did not see your thread at the time. If I had, I surely would have left a reply. But, in fact, several other threads commented extensively on this issue, so anything I said there would have been redundant--as will this one, at least in part.

Many of us, myself included, are intensely interested in nutritional matters. And we all know about the double-edged sword of a drug-based therapy. So, of course, we all yearn for a proactive, non-pharmaceutic treatment. But I have to say that none seems to exist for our lovely disease.

I have read Dr. Fuhrman's introduction, and I have seen Food Matters, and have read of the Gerson diet. All of these take a grain (or several grains) of truth and run with it. Still, many points trouble me, insofar as dealing specifically with vasculitis is concerned. There is no question in my mind that eating well (whatever that means, in context) is good for us, and there is no question that our meds are hard on the body. The emphasis on "toxins" is, however, misplaced, and only serves as a catchword here: Anything is a "toxin" at the inappropriate level, and many things that could be called toxins are, in fact, rather useful to the body. The question becomes, then, how much of what a body in a certain condition can tolerate.

It is also true that some auto-immune diseases do incorporate diet into their treatment plans. MS is one of them; RA is, sometimes another. But the fact is that WG is not a disease is highly correlated with diet (or exercise). Those who "live well" get the disease, and its flares, as often as those who do not. Vegetarians and vegans suffer along with the omnivores. (Exercise is a bit problematic. I can find very little research about how it plays out in WG. However, in theory, a little is great, but too much can actually trigger a flare.) You can proceed as you wish; it is your body, after all.

As for stress: Yes, relieving of certain kinds of stress will help minimize the risk of flares; for one thing, it will take some of the pressure of an already compromised immune system. But humans also need some stresses. he question is, how much, and what kind. The books on stress management that I have seen do not make this differentiation.

For me, the bottom line is that, while I will continue my quest for good nutrition and such (I like stews a lot, though most recipes have too much salt for me, so I follow my own tastes), but will not rely on this for dealing with my disease. Yes, I know about those who have said, "I've had five flares, and have recovered from all of them without medication!" But, you see, that would be a terrible solution for me. My first major flare would have killed me outright. The second would have taken only my kidneys, if I got lucky. If I have a third, I would be up for organ replacement, or worse. The bottom line is that I cannot afford to have another major flare. If you can take the risk, you are welcome to your own solution. I cannot.

Al