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

Dr. Rau has written an excellent, easily understandable book on how to create health and/or recover from illness. His common sense approach, with simply stated yet complete explanations, made it so much easier to follow his program than others I've tried. For instance, I never knew that eating onions has the effect of making the lymphatic system sluggish! I have found it easier to adjust my dietary habits because I have information about how the foods I used to eat were affecting my health. I've been ill with Lyme disease for a couple of years and felt horrid--extreme fatigue, pain, neurological symptoms, aphasia, etc; following Dr. Rau's program for just a few weeks has made an enormous difference in how I feel. I have energy, something I haven't been able to claim for a very long time, and I just feel BETTER. Knowing now that a high percentage of the immune system is in the gut, eating to heal it makes total sense. What a difference! I never thought I'd be eating oatmeal with raw apples and a tablespoon of flax seed oil and enjoy it, but it's very tasty and gives a wonderful, sustained energy throughout the morning. Recipes I've tried have been very, very good. But the best part is the result---feeling great after years of illness. This book should be a bestseller. Buy it!

This book is a good diet for people with digestive problems. I would not recommend going on the Intensive Diet/Liver Detox immediately. Also, excercise should be moderate. I would recommend doing the regular diet first, which most will find challenging to stay on, but it is worth it. I have done diets like this before - a raw food diet in a 3 week program (I found too restrictive) and a cleansing food sensitivity diet with a homeopathic doctor (very expensive). This diet is similar and it work if you don’t cheat. I recommend “easing” into it by starting to cut down on coffee, sugar, gluten and meat and see how you feel. I don’t think this diet could be harmful to anyone, but it is best to ease into it.

I am into my third week of Dr Rau's amazing cleansing diet and I may never return to my old ways.It was hard for me to give up coffee and I was hungry occasionally during the first week. But it seems like a small price to pay for the energy and vitality that have come back into my body. I am sleeping thru the night for the first time in years, the pains and gas in my gut are gone, my mood is consistently positive and stable, the inflammation in my knees and other hot spots have gone down and I just feel great!I appreciate his clear explanations of the logic of the diet, the easy to follow meal plans and the delicious and varied recipes. Perhaps the best aspect of this diet is that it requires you to prepare and eat three healthy organic meals a day which I realize I have not been in the habit of doing. I think it makes a huge difference in maintaining a steady blood sugar level. And he even helps you to transition to a maintenance diet that allows for slips and indulgences. As I said, I may never go back to the dark side.

I found this book disappointing except for the cookbook section that was the best part of the book. Otherwise, the book has contradictions and old information. I found very little that was new.The author says "nutrition is the vital key that determines the condition of the body's internal environment." Later he says the body is so complex it cannot be measured with one variable. This is one of the statements that seem contradictory.In his theory he says traditional medicine sees "health as a war that pits your body against outsider invaders (eg:, germs, viruses, and other pathogens." ." This is similar to the germ theory or single cause theory that has long been out of vogue in health and medicine. He then says "we believe the body is in balance with itself and with the physical world in which it exists. Illness arises when the equilibrium is breached." This is similar to the Multicausation theory that conceptualizes health and illness as processes in which factors in man, the agent, and environment interact to cause health or illness and in which interventions can take place at various points in the process to strengthen man, reduce the strength of the agent of disease or disability, and to make the environment less favorable for a forceful impact between the host and agent. Man is healthy when these are in balance. This theory is not new but has been around during most of my 55 years of practice. .In addition, his application of the theory has a narrower focus in that it ignores the influence of the mental and spiritual aspects of health, of relationships, and of politics. These have all be shown to have an affect on health and illness in current research and are identified and well documented in Healthy Holistic Aging: A Blueprint for Success.The diet discussed in the book is also not new and is, in fact, very similar to the diet prescribed for me 31 years ago when I was diagnosed with lung cancer. It is also similar to diets currently advocated by other authors such as in the cardiovascular diet that is also used for weight loss called the South Beach Diet that maintains and improves health. and the diets advocated by Edgar Cayce back in the 1930's for keeping the body alkaline to maintain health. In addition, the liver cleanser described has been around for many years and can be found in books on alternative health.Carl O. Helvie, R.N., Dr.P.H.. Author of Healthy Holistic Aging: A Blueprint for Success

Very good read, the insight as to nutritional does and don'ts was an aha moment. Even if you do not do the detox, I think a lot of people can benefit from the knowledge presented in this book. There are many great recipes as well to help with meal planing. I would give this as a gift to those who are struggling with health issues of any sort. It is putting me back on track!

Rau does not propose a quick fix solution but a holistic solution to health and preventing disease, including cancer. It consists of an outline of principles and tips followed by a series of recipes. He focuses particularly on diet and the premise that Western diets typically consist of an excess of acid forming simple carbohydrates (sugars) and proteins (such as from meat) and a deficit of fibre, complex carbs, minerals and vitamins (available in vegetables) and quality unrefined omega rich oils. Dr Rau runs an integrative medicine clinic in Switzerland (ie integrating orthodox and alternative medicine) that is one of the leading clinics of its type in the world.

Ein sehr interessantes, informatives, gut verständliches und praxistaugliches Buch über "gesunde Ernährung".Vieles davon war mir schon bekannt, da ich mich schon lange für dieses Thema interessiere ... aber auch ich konnte noch einiges dazulernen und vor allem Zusammenhänge zwischen "Fehler" in der Vergangenheit (v.a. Kindheit) und späteren Erkrankungen erkennen. Sehr empfehlenswert!!

I have been to the Paracelsus clinic that is run by Dr. Rau. Perhaps that gives me a greater appreciation for this book although I can't imagine anyone not finding it extremely beneficial. It's clearly written, with current useful information. Rather than promoting a fad diet, Dr. Rau gives ways to change eating habits, clear out the internal metabolic debris and live energetically. The detox plan is great and the recipes are a help in guiding one into making healthy choices in their diet.

This is a very good book for all people struggling with long term illnesses or for those who want to adopt a super healthy lifestyle. It is based on the work of Dr. ran and his team at the Paracelsus clinic in switzerland and offers a real alternative to conventional medecine for people affected by serious chronic medical conditions. the approach is nevertheless very scientific and well documented. It also contains recipes and meal ideas as well as detox guidelines. I have no affiliation with the clinic.