Many people are surprised when they consult me to find out how in depth I go in my investigation of their eating habits, and food preferences. I do go in depth, because I feel that the way people eat, in addition to being important to their health, gives valuable clues as to what remedy they need. If the food preferences are marked, thirty percent of the weight of the prescription can ride on them.

A few weeks ago, I saw a nine year old girl who was brought to me by her mother for bedwetting and recurrent urinary tract infections that were extremely painful. While her mother was filling out the intake form I asked her daughter to tell me what she liked to eat, and in her first sentence she revealed the remedy that she needed, which was confirmed by the rest of the case.

She told me that she craved macaroni and cheese, fruit, jello bowls with fruit in them that have a zingy taste, and that she liked to munch on ice. She also loved sushi, ate five apples per day and loved oranges and tangerines. Craving fruit, particularly oranges and apples, and munching on ice are keynote symptoms for Medorrhinum, which is the remedy I prescribed to her.

If I have to decide between two remedies, which seem to be equally indicated, I look to the food preferences to verify which way to go, because the food likes and dislikes are so characteristic of an individual, and are often very difficult to influence.

Food preferences are so important that I would hesitate to make a prescription of Calcarea carbonica to an individual who did not have a craving for eggs, or Pulsatilla to a client who was not aggravated by rich creamy foods.

The food cravings and eating habits can point the way to the indicated remedy, and when these have changed after receiving the remedy, they can point the way to the second prescription. An example of this would be a client who initially craved chocolate, berries, and smoked meats (Carcinosin food cravings), no longer desires these food items, but now wants coka cola, oranges and popsicles. This would be an indication to me that the underlying Medorrhinum layer has now surfaced and needs to be addressed with a new prescription.

Dietary recommendations: I have learned that just telling people what to eat and how to make their diets healthier does not often work, unless the individual is very highly motivated to make the changes. Most people who drink soft drinks know that they are not good for them, yet they are powerless to overcome this habit. A dose of Medorrhinum can help modify this food craving.

Clients who have an aversion to fruit, even though they know they should be having several servings each day, cannot make this switch until they have received their Carcinosin, Pulsatilla or Phosphorous (it can be other remedies as well). After the indicated remedy the client starts eating better, which correspondingly helps their health improve).

If I know the range of foods people can tolerate, I can help them make healthier choices within that range. For example if a client craves juice, I can recommend that they drink fruit juices without high fructose corn syrup.

If I see instances where the client is obviously poorly nourished because of a very limited diet range, I can make reasonable recommendations to increase the variety of foods that they eat.

Eating Disorders: Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulemia can also be helped with homeopathy. For the last year and a half, I have been treating a beautiful woman in her forties, who suffered from anorexia when she was in high school, and who still occasionally take laxatives if she hears voices in her head telling her that she is fat. Soon after she took a dose of Carcinosin, she re-experienced the intensity of the anorexia symptoms she had in high school. She was able to overcome the urge to purge herself with a strong effort of will. She realized, "I am the cake. I want to value myself." These fat voices became very quiet after the initial aggravation, and didn't resurface till a year and a half later when it was time for her to repeat her remedy.

On Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: I do not have a dogmatic opinion as to whether it is preferable to be a strict vegetarian or vegan, or eat a mixed diet. From my own experience, and the experience of many people around me, I have seen that it is possible to be healthy and eat a well-rounded diet with or without meat products.

Some people feel they cannot survive without meat, and actually date the onset of their illnesses to when they stopped eating meat. These people should definitely put meat back in their diets for the sake of their health. Other people feel that their health improved dramatically when they switched to a Vegan or vegetarian diet. The lesson from all this is that there is no one way that will fit everybody.

I have been eating a vegetarian diet myself for several years, and I make sure that I eat foods that will give me the protein I am no longer getting from meat. I try to have the following foods in my diet each day:

Brown rice (much more nutritious than white rice). High in B vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Legumes or beans are high in protein, fat and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Tofu and soy products are also high in protein, B vitamins, and many minerals, including iron,
sodium and potassium
Several portions of fruit
Leafy green vegetables
A wide variety of vegetables.
Nuts and dried fruits.

I am not Vegan, so I do eat eggs and dairy products, though there are excellent Vegan substitutes for these on the market, with a wide variety of milks made from soy, rice, oats, almonds and other things. Again I want to stress that there is no one diet that is good for everyone. There are many people who cannot tolerate legumes, and others who cannot tolerate any fish, wheat, sugar, and so forth. People have to search for what diet works for them.

Food Allergies: I have a lot of clients who come to me with a very narrow food tolerance range, and highly sensitive bodies, where a slight dietary error can make them miserable for days. I had one client who was severely aggravated from oily foods, dairy, and combining foods. After a couple of years of homeopathic treatment the range of foods he was able to eat increased greatly, and his reactions when he ate the wrong foods, became much milder and shorter. He now feels he is in good health.

A good book on nutrition which I recommend is Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. It is a very comprehensive resource book with lots of valuable information.

Spring 2003