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HEALTH
(hainnhngi
the big
“6!!
As Glasgow marks Europe Against (‘ancer Week with an exhihition in the Forge Shopping Centre. Andrew B urnet meets Jan de Vries. a leading practitioner ol complementary medicine who regularly tackles the disease.
‘In 1924. Neyille ( 'hamherlain told his cahinet that the cancer prohlem had increased liy'c—lold since 185d and asked the goy'ernment to do something ahout it. In Wis"). it‘s still increasing. and alter all the money and all the research. we‘re really not a lot larther.‘ l)r .lari dc Vi‘ie‘s is one ol those engaged in trying to control cancer. though he say s there is still no cure as such. .'\s liurope pits its wits against cancer this w eek. Britain has the world's second—highest incidence ol the disease. and Scotland is the worst—hit area within the l'lsl.
l'npalatahle as it seems. lfdw ina (‘urrie may not haye heen too lar wrong when she rrrade her notorious criticisms ol the northern diet. "l'he reason whycaricerin Britain and Scotland especially is going riotf says de \'ries. ‘is the diet. I am conyinced ol it. 'l'he controyersy hctw‘eeii orthodox and alternatiy e medicine has always heen that diet lor orthodox medicine has ney er had any y‘aluc. 'l‘he positiye results that l haye seen lrom alternatiye cancer therapy were lrorn people w ho put diet at numher one. and l leel the Scots has to hay e a serious look at the way they liy'e. how they ahuse theirisclyes and how little attention they giye thetiiselyes in that aspect .‘
BACK LIST
Alter marrying irito a Scottish lamily oy'er twenty years ago. de Vries hcgan to inyestigate the history
olScotlaiid‘s diet. “'l'he Scots were y'er‘y lond ol porridge] he says. ' l hat was a good start. hecause oats are a wonderlul thing loryourneryous system down. this diet was simple and plain and people led themsely es yery well. \Vhat do they do today 1’ 'l hey take hacon and eggs and ham and I don‘t know what all that ruhhishl
l)e \ries sees cancer quite simply as a kind oi war. ‘iou hay e two armies in your hody lighting. .\n army ol healthy . regeneratiyc cells and an army ol degeneratiy c cells or \\ c'rc :lll liorli w ith cancer cells. htit these two armies should hay e a y ery happy halance. So a responsihility lor mankind is that we inllucnce the healthy and
they press the cholesterol
cancer cells
dcgcricr'atiye cells.
‘\\'li;lt we ticcd is li\ ely lootl'. lootl with yitamins. minerals and hasc elements in it. .\nd the more natural that lood is the hcltcr it's common sense. \Ve are lighlilig ii possihle to
go hack to organic larming; we are lighting lor the restriction oi pesticides and colourings and
additiy es. '1 hese are all products
which attack the regencratiy c cells.
‘.'\nd a cancer cell is an o\y gen—staryed cell. so it‘s ycry important to take regular. outdoor exercise to keep the heart and lungs in good order. .-\nd ol course alcohol and nicotine w ill inllucnce the degeneratiyc eells.'
'l‘he theme ol tle \ii‘ies' app. oach is preyentatiy‘e. though he has seen patients sullering ady'anced symptoms completely cured through dietary and homeopathic therapy.
I lis treatments lor eases ol cancer are descrihed iii sortie tlepth iii his hook ( luri'erqt/iil Leukaemia! .Ii/r .rl/Ieriia/ri'e.-t/i/)roac/i (Mainstream. HUS l. and are mostly ol herhal or homeopathic origin. ( )ne much tised organic mineral is the metal germanium. which has heen lourid in high concentration in the sacred spa at lourdcs.
But like most doctors. dc \'ries would preler his patients not to hceorric ill iii the “HI place. l lis chatty. uncomplicated hook is lull ol simple. homely wisdom ahout diet and lilestyle. ‘I know that some people laugh at it.' he w rites. lor example. ‘hut an extrerrrely ellectiy’e remedy to restore the Vital lorce is to eat daily a salad ol lreshly grated raw
heetroot. carrot and apple. lt is generally considered too simple to he cllcctiyc. hut please take this adyice‘.
Sad news is that the increasingly popular cliche ahout ey'er‘y‘thing heing 'had lor you‘ is almost true. .‘ylany popular loods and drinks may help cause cancer in some people. though de Vries stresses that each . indiyidual has dillerent arc-rm needs. But he does adyise lirmly against arty lorm ol pork. hacon or ham. all smoked or harhecued loods. white sugar or llour. chocolate. tea and collee.
Butter isallowcd (its high en/yme content. says de Vries. is less harmlul than the unsaturated latty acids in most margarines): so are lish. some meats and eggs in moderations. 'l'he trse olhottlcd or puriliedwaterandorganicy‘egtahles ‘
is encouraged.
In common with all ‘alternatiy c' medical practitioners. de Vries regards the patient as a whole. and places great importance on mental or spiritual well—heing. ()ne therapy he uscsis yisualisatiori. in which relaxation and concentration are used to improye mental and thus physical health. Again. the indiy'idual is at the centre ol the healing process. and is asked to take responsihlity lor it.
‘l‘here are no signs yet that cancer will ey er he entirely Lleletitetl. though ol course there hay'c heen signilicant ady'ances iii the orthodox lields olehemo- and radio—therapy. But the growth in puhlic awareness ol natural remedies and more important preyentatiy'e hehay'iour may well proye more y'aluahle in the long term.
le l'.'_t‘/ir/iitrori am] Into/matron l’oi/rt on ('a/ieer to mark the liaropea/i i'earo/t 'aneer Iii/in‘nralrmr [is on at lllle Forge. Park/teat]. (Ii/(1\ gun on
Sat /4 ()et. lit/i); ()4/ _i_t")t\’t\'33.
Jan t/e yum hooks are ai'ar/a/i/e froma/lma/orhooky/tops. I'ora
more ('onr/n'e/renyli'e selection on alternative and holistic t/iera/aey and (hers. try“ (irasmmrs. JUN (ireal Ht’slr'l'll Road. (Ii/tlseillt'llJ LVJJ.’ Nina1-.y-«(t'nn-u.35asalable/tall Xll't‘t'l, (Ii/aseuti' ii: jig/J of Holly .-tm/ Soul. 53 Hamilton l’lace. l'ft/rriharg/i, Jjoiarm.
TEN WAYS TO
I Don'toverdothe suntan skin cancer can result
with y itamins and other nutrients. and ayord
sorriethmg rl you do. it
can normally he dealt with
I Eggs l ligli in cholestrol. l \o more than two or three
rice \ltleh ol the goodness has heen relrried out oi
REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER
As supplied by the Scottish Health Education Group.
I Don't smoker )hy iotts I Don'tdrinkexcessively _\'ot sowidely known asa cause oi cancer , hilt the detrimentaleltectsol alcoholare well documented
I Keep )l‘eslt\ and sluggish heart and lungs are know ii to reduce
trome\tcnsiye exposure ol white skin to the sun's ultra-yiolet rays.
ITake care alworkllislsl on usrrighrcathingirlters and wear protectiyc clothing when working
w ith ashestos. radioacliy c niatcrialor other dangerous suhstances
I Avoid eating too muchlat .\mmal iatsandproiems can he ycry har miul.
espc .i lll\ lli large titlalilllles
I Eat plenty of lresh lruit. vegetables andhigh—libre lOOdS stimulate rhchody
78 lhcl lsl l3 :o()etohci l‘lfill
constipation.which can coritrihute tohowel
Iliworried. seeadoctor (lialigesllitlie nictahohsni may indicate incipient cancer . and
wor r y in itscli can he a contrihutory cause IWomen should havea regularsmeartestt 'cryic‘al cancer can oltcn he
prey crited ll car ly signs ltisa worthwhileordeal IWomenshouldexamine breaslsmonthlylion'i he alraidoi tindmg
.il e tlelectetl
simply. It you ignore the possihility . you are putting yoursell at risk.
TEN FOODS TO AVOID 0R CUT DOWN
From CancerAnd Leukaemia — An Alternative Approach by Jan de Vries.
I Pork. bacon. ham and sausages :\sit saysinthc ()ld lestament, meat lrom the pig is not good lot you It syery tatty.and liillot ammalacrds
olten heen prepared in ways which hreak down their nutritional content.
I Pickled toods t iriless you
need to increase acid
intake. these oller little nutritional yalue I Roast. tried. smoked or barbecuedioods'l‘hese hay e increased lat and carhoncontent. I Processed loods Many
contain harmlul additiyes.
and contain y cry little IWhitellour. sugarand
should he eaten per w eek. l .TlnanlOOdSlheseliaye
them.
IAnything wrapped in cling-lilm Somecling-tilms haye carcinogenic coatings.
I Peanuts ( 'an liarhour highly toxrcsuhstarices. .‘ylost nuts are highly nutritious. howeyer. ISweets and chocolate Neither contain much nutrition; many sweets hay e harmlulartilicial llay'ouringsand colourants; chocolat’e containsdangerous animal tats.