hThe following list and brief biographies represent the top heroes of the 19th and 20th century who best represented natural health and often withstood adversity from those self-interested forces that have been destroying the nation's health. These heroes have contributed to my own knowledge base. I have personally read most of their work and respect their contribution to health. There lies an underlying common philosophy that recognizes the wonder and innate intelligence within God's creation. As we learn more and closely review unbiased science, we discover how these heroes contributed to our knowledge of natural health. They are in no particular ranking. Some of these people may have different beliefs than mine, but they were important in establishing a health consciousness and a belief that we have control over our health on a number of different levels, to include our attitude, beliefs, and lifestyle habits. The overarching themes governing all natural health lie in the continued discoveries that the body adapts to environmental stresses, that it was designed to live in harmony with the natural environment, and that healing comes from within. Our best defense from illness comes from a strong immune system, a resistant free flow of energy, solids and fluids, and a nurturing of our tissues from natural plant based foods rich in essential and non-essential phytochemicals, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins.
Dr. Royal Lee: This dentist popularized and invented the whole food supplement. His research and knowledge challenged the status quo. Today, there still does not exist any knowledge base or research that surpasses his influence on nutritional health.
Dr. Bernard Jensen: Chiropractor and ND who was a very prolific author on health. He is best known for advocating colon health and his conviction to whole food nutrition and supplementation.
Dr. John R. Christopher: 1909-1983 He introduced the importance of herbs in American modern culture. He formulated many herbal formulas and wrote many books. School of Natural Healing.
Dr. Robert Martin: orthopedist and chiropractor who popularized the importance of posture on health and joint and spinal health. He introduced reverse gravity into the modern era. He best introduced the philosophy that should govern all spinal therapies.
Jack LaLanne: 1914-2011 (96) TV celebrity and health advocate trained as a chiropractor. No other person has communicated the importance of exercise as did Jack LaLanne by so effectively promoting himself through events and modern media. He performed amazing feats of endurance as promotions. He popularized body building and started the health fitness center concept. He credits Paul Bragg for saving his life. "If man made it, don't eat it" Even into his 90's he was on TV promoting the value of juicing.
Dr. Edward Howell popularized and researched the value of enzymes and their importance into metabolic activities in the body. His discoveries led to understanding the importance of eating raw foods that are enzyme rich. Most fail to understand this even today.
Dr. Wilfrid Shute and Dr. Evan Shute: medical doctors who founded a very successful clinic using natural Vitamin E. They were advocates for nutrition and heart health.
Dr. T. Colin Campbell: authored The China Study and subsequent foundation. He best shows the correlation between food and overcoming cancer. His research led him to advocate vegetarianism. There exists no more influencing book and research than produced by Dr. Campbell to link the importance of foods to disease.
Dr. B.J. Palmer: The man who created the science and profession of chiropractic. If he had not expanded the school into areas of research and the use of tools with supportive therapies, chiropractic may have gone the way of homeopathy. Chiropractic first used x rays. He was a marketing genius and also wrote volumes on the philosophy of chiropractic. Without strong governing principles, it could also have faltered. He adhered to a belief that the body has an innate intelligence.
Dr. John Grostic: The leading innovator of the low force upper cervical Chiropractic movement. He is responsible for NUCCA, Atlas Orthogonal, and numerous low force upper techniques that lead the way for more specific adjustments and for the recognition of "top down" chiropractic and all the power that it implies with internal communication
Dr. Herbert Shelton: The modern era founder of Natural Hygiene. He was a prolific author who advocates fasting and food combining.
Dr. Norman Walker: He is the father of juicing vegetables. He also promoted the importance of colon health.
Paul Bragg: 1895-1976 Self educated health advocate. advised athletes and celebrities. California and health industry were the invention of Paul Bragg. Exercise and weight lifting were important contributions to his legacy. We think of him and organic apple cider vinegar and amino acids.
Michio Kushi: popularized the Macrobiotic diet. famous for communicating oriental health to the Western diet and its diseases studies in PH and the alkaline diet
Johanna Budwig 1908-2003 German biochemist who popularized healthy fats in the diet. Flaxseed oil advocate. published books on healthy fats. Contributed to promoting the importance of diet in fighting cancer.
Adelle Davis: 1904-1974 prolific author and health advocate. In the 60's and 70's she identified processed foods, fats and sugar as contributing to health problems. Today these are widely accepted beliefs. She published cookbooks.
Dr. Hal Huggins the dentist most responsible for outing the dental industry and its practices of using mercury. We knew him well and did a radio interview with him in his final days.
Dr. Benjamin Feingold: 1899-1982 This medical doctor Identified the importance of nutrition and environmental toxic stresses on health and behavior. Foods and non-foods in our diet contribute to behavior problems and addictions. His Feingold Association of the United States still provides literature, support, and education on his discoveries. This is still a very good website for information on diet and behavior. At one time, few MD's attributed behavior problems with food allergies and toxic food.
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj: This politically persecuted Iranian medical doctor educated in England has written several amazing books on the importance of water. There exists no more important study and advocacy on water intake and health.
Hanna Kroger: German nurse and health advocate. She had a health ministry in Colorado. She communicates well advocating the importance of detoxification and parasite elimination.
Dr. Robert Mendelsohn: The medical doctor first criticizing vaccinations. Published a popular book drawing attention to the negative effects of vaccinations and the how medicine has abused women and children.
Claude Bernard: 19th century French physiologist credited with homeostasis. Well established scientist and icon who clearly identified man as independently self healing. When one says that it is not the pathogen but rather an unhealthy terrain that causes disease, they are referring to Bernard making this philosophical connection.
Antoine Bechamp: 19th century scientist and physician who is famous for being a critic of Pasteur's germ theory. Later it is said that Pasteur changed his belief and recognized that Bechamp was right that it was the terrain and not the germ. It is much of what Bechamp believed and discovered that is the basis for alternative medicine. He could be called the philosophical father of alternative medicine
Otto Warburg: 1883-1970 German scientist and Nobel Prize winner. His discoveries regarding cancer shows a relationship with PH and sugar metabolism. He became a critic of fellow scientists and others. He became a health advocate and lent credibility to the importance on nutrition in fighting disease.
Linus Pauling: Twice a Nobel Prize winning scientist who coined orthomolecular. He popularized mega doses of Vitamin C. He formed a foundation which continues to promote nutrition as imperative to fighting disease. His work in organic chemistry lead to the discoveries in DNA by Crick and Watson.
Dr. A.T. Still: 1828-1914 This civil war medical doctor is famous for founding osteopathy and his own school in Kirksville, MO in 1892. He wrote on the importance of physical medicine to improve on organ and organ system health. He was very critical of using toxic medicines. He was concerned about hygiene during surgery. Osteopathy maintained its independence into the 20th century. Osteopathy like chiropractic survived the medical assault on being able to practice. Osteopathy philosophy adhered to the belief that the body had within it what was necessary to heal itself. As a result, he worked with chiropractors in the earlier years and many chiropractors became osteopaths, as well as osteopaths becoming chiropractors. The distance between the Palmer College and the Kirksville College was travelled by these new physicians who formed in rebellion to medical practices, as they shared similar beliefs. Today D.O. share little with chiropractors except some still make full body adjustments and provide IV chelation treatments.
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg 1852-1943. This very eccentric medical doctor from Michigan popularized the Health retreat. He popularized vegetarianism and exercise. He believed in the importance of colon health and healthy foods. He was a member of Seventh Day Adventist church which continues to promote healthy lifestyles as part of their ministry. "We are literally poisoning ourselves into illness when the bowel evacuation is deficient."
Edgar Cayce: psychic and spiritualist who wrote on natural cures and health. He had a great influence on many leading figures of his era. He is called the father of holistic medicine and vitalistic philosophy.
Jason Winters 1930-2004: speaker and adventurer who became a health advocate following his belief that using oriental herbs rid him of major disease. Winter's special tea and other products are associated with his influence of health. He was the founder of The Federation of Integrated Medicine. His enthusiasm and personality popularized the health movement.
Sir W. Arbuthnot Lane: MD advocate of colon health. Famous for his book, The Prevention of Diseases Peculiar to Civilization written in 1929. He had many secular and humanistic beliefs regarding human development which influenced his convictions. He was at the time a leading plastic surgeon.
Elie Metchnikoff 1845-1916: Russian scientist and winner of Nobel Prize. Noted for advocating colon health. Finding relationship between colon health and disease.
J. I. Rodale 1898-1971: started a large health publishing company. Rodale is the largest independent publisher of health information. His son, Robert 1930-1990, followed his legacy which is managed by Maria Rodale 1962-. Senior was acutely interested in organic farming and first to be influential in its growth in the United States. Today, organic farming provides for the only alternative to industrialized, dead, GMOs, and similar lifeless and nutrient defunk farming practices that are the shame of the universities who influenced agriculture over the last several generations and mega-farming to include Monsanto and others to control all food into the hands of a few. Standard Process, one of our suppliers, raises most of its food on its own organic farm in Wisconsin demonstrating the importance of control over its sources and the use of whole organic foods to produce a supplement in the tradition of Dr. Royal Lee.
Albert Howard 1873-1947: English botanist who started the modern organic farming movement.
Ann Wigmore 1909=1994 founder of what became the Hippocrates Institute where raw food and nutrition are used to promote health. She is considered the "mother of living foods." She popularized the consumption of wheat grass and sprouting.
Arnold Ehret 1866-1922 German health educator. He was part of the early vegetarian movement in Europe just prior to WWI. He moved to America prior to the war. He is the founder of vitalism. He wrote the Mucusless Diet Healing System. He was another early advocate of colon cleansing. He had a great influence on many later health leaders.