Total Body Cleanse advice (for very unhealthy father)

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I thought I would come on here and ask for some advice, because you

all know so much more than I do.

 

My dad recently asked me to look up information for him on colon,

liver, kidney, gall bladder, candida, and total body cleanse. This

was quite a shock to me, because he is NOT health conscious - until

I heard that he was reading a book and it was mentioned that these

help with diabetes.

 

Could anyone suggest to me any good total body cleanses that cover

all the above areas? I have a number of things to keep in mind (I

know it's a lot, but it will help).

 

1. My dad is a meat eater of the worst kind. Hot dogs, bologna,

bacon and eggs for breakfast. You get the picture. This will never

change - believe me, I've tried.

 

2. He has diabetes, is overweight, and had a heart attack and a

triple bypass two years ago. He is also a smoker.

 

3. He is on a very limited income, so expensive cleanses are

unfortunately not an option.

 

4. Something like the Master Cleanse won't work because he isn't

willing (or ready) to do something that radical (or anything that

limits food intake).

 

I know - I can't believe that he's still alive either! His eating

habits are atrocious. I've gone over all of this with him before -

eating raw is unthinkable for him, as he thinks I'm insane just

because I've given up meat! I can't even talk to him about it, so

I'm just happy for even something as small as a cleanse. (I'm

trying not to think about the fact that a cleanse won't make any

long term differences when he doesn't change his lifestyle).

 

Can anyone offer any cleanse advice for someone like him who isn't

ready for anything too drastic? I want to encourage him for even

taking this tiny step.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

 

Jen

[Guest guest]

Sheesh, Jen. I doubt anything will help him until he's ready to give up his

unhealthy lifestyle.

 

My kneejerk comment would be " go raw " , but that would mean going vegan. Also he

needs to exercise.

 

There's no magic bullet that's going to help him until he helps himself. A

cleanse will only work while he's on it and if he goes back to his old habits

it's pretty much for naught.

 

Ask him what he's willing to change for health? If he says nothing, I'd drop

the subject and wait until he asks again.

 

Don't know how old he is, but my mother's generation (she was born in 1918)

expected the medical profession to " fix " them once they became ill. The idea of

taking responsibility for your own health never crossed her mind, nor of my

father.

 

Dad died 15 years ago of colon cancer at 66 and mom died 10 years ago of liver

failure and she never had a drink in her life! Her liver did not metabolize

animal fats (meat, milk, eggs, etc...).

 

When he gets desperate then maybe you'll be able to help him, but until

then......................

 

Sorry, Shari

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jen,

 

If you can find a copy of the China Study for him to read, it may help

him make some better choices. It is a lot more main stream than what

most of the people here practice but its recommendations are a lot

healthier than you Dad is eating right now.

 

Also, any chance you could convince him to eat a little more raw, e.g.

some fruit and a green salad everyday. It probably won't reverse his

problems but might help a little. Seems to me that a cleanse isn't

going to do much good if he just continues the same patterns.

 

Tammy

On Apr 9, 2006, at 8:19 PM, SV wrote:

 

> Sheesh, Jen.  I doubt anything will help him until he's ready to give

> up his unhealthy lifestyle. 

>

> My kneejerk comment would be " go raw " , but that would mean going

> vegan.  Also he needs to exercise.

>

> There's no magic bullet that's going to help him until he helps

> himself.  A cleanse will only work while he's on it and if he goes

> back to his old habits it's pretty  much for naught.

>

> Ask him what he's willing to change for health?  If he says nothing,

> I'd drop the subject and wait until he asks again.

>

> Don't know how old he is, but my mother's generation (she was born in

> 1918) expected the medical profession to " fix " them once they became

> ill.  The idea of taking responsibility for your own health never

> crossed her mind, nor of my father.

>

> Dad died 15 years ago of colon cancer at 66 and mom died 10 years ago

> of liver failure and she never had a drink in her life!  Her liver did

> not metabolize animal fats (meat, milk, eggs, etc...).

>

> When he gets desperate then maybe you'll be able to help him, but

> until then......................

>

> Sorry, Shari

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the thoughts Shari...

 

The problem is, he'll never give up meat, or even contemplate going

raw. It's just non-negotiable for him.

 

I guess I'm just hoping for a cleanse that will give him even a

small reprieve, as short as it may be...

 

I guess it's hard for people who are even remotely health-conscious

to understand how someone can be so stubborn, and in such denial. I

know it just drives me crazy! But there's nothing I can do about

it. So I want to help him in this small way if I can. I just don't

even know where to begin with cleanses that would be appropriate for

someone like him.

 

He will never be desperate enough while he's alive to become even

vegetarian. He will die before he would admit he needs to do that.

(as an aside, just last week when he told me I was " paranoid " for no

longer eating meat, he told me the classic line " my uncle Albert ate

meat every day and lived to be 105! " ). Yep, there's no point in

trying to persuade him otherwise.

 

I'm actually afraid if I discuss the vegetarian/raw thing with him

any further, it will severely strain our relationship. I really

want to avoid doing that...

 

P.S. He's 57.

 

rawfood , " SV " <shavig wrote:

>

> Sheesh, Jen. I doubt anything will help him until he's ready to

give up his unhealthy lifestyle.

>

> My kneejerk comment would be " go raw " , but that would mean going

vegan. Also he needs to exercise.

>

> There's no magic bullet that's going to help him until he helps

himself. A cleanse will only work while he's on it and if he goes

back to his old habits it's pretty much for naught.

>

> Ask him what he's willing to change for health? If he says

nothing, I'd drop the subject and wait until he asks again.

>

> Don't know how old he is, but my mother's generation (she was born

in 1918) expected the medical profession to " fix " them once they

became ill. The idea of taking responsibility for your own health

never crossed her mind, nor of my father.

>

> Dad died 15 years ago of colon cancer at 66 and mom died 10 years

ago of liver failure and she never had a drink in her life! Her

liver did not metabolize animal fats (meat, milk, eggs, etc...).

>

> When he gets desperate then maybe you'll be able to help him, but

until then......................

>

> Sorry, Shari

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Tammy! I wasn't sure how extreme The China Study is, although

it's certainly on my list for MY reading. I have read Diet for a

New America and loved it, but I know that it's way too extreme for

him - he wouldn't get through the first chapter (not that he's much

of a reader anyway). It's worth a try though - thanks!

 

The salads is a good point - they do eat a small amount of salad

every day I believe, but I'll talk to my mom about incorporating

some more raw foods into their daily diet.

 

Yes, I told him that a cleanse won't do anything good if he doesn't

stay " clean " after, but he wouldn't listen. In the book he's

reading - Kevin Trudeau's Natural Cures " They " Don't want you to

Know - it says the cleanses can help, so that's what he wants to

do. He's so stubborn - and he really won't change, so for him the

cleanse is the solution.

 

Urgh! He drives me crazy.

 

 

rawfood , paddlerwoman wrote:

>

> Jen,

>

> If you can find a copy of the China Study for him to read, it may

help

> him make some better choices. It is a lot more main stream than

what

> most of the people here practice but its recommendations are a lot

> healthier than you Dad is eating right now.

>

> Also, any chance you could convince him to eat a little more raw,

e.g.

> some fruit and a green salad everyday. It probably won't reverse

his

> problems but might help a little. Seems to me that a cleanse isn't

> going to do much good if he just continues the same patterns.

>

> Tammy

> On Apr 9, 2006, at 8:19 PM, SV wrote:

>

> > Sheesh, Jen.  I doubt anything will help him until he's ready

to give

> > up his unhealthy lifestyle. 

> >

> > My kneejerk comment would be " go raw " , but that would mean

going

> > vegan.  Also he needs to exercise.

> >

> > There's no magic bullet that's going to help him until he helps

> > himself.  A cleanse will only work while he's on it and if he

goes

> > back to his old habits it's pretty  much for naught.

> >

> > Ask him what he's willing to change for health?  If he says

nothing,

> > I'd drop the subject and wait until he asks again.

> >

> > Don't know how old he is, but my mother's generation (she was

born in

> > 1918) expected the medical profession to " fix " them once they

became

> > ill.  The idea of taking responsibility for your own health

never

> > crossed her mind, nor of my father.

> >

> > Dad died 15 years ago of colon cancer at 66 and mom died 10

years ago

> > of liver failure and she never had a drink in her life!  Her

liver did

> > not metabolize animal fats (meat, milk, eggs, etc...).

> >

> > When he gets desperate then maybe you'll be able to help him,

but

> > until then......................

> >

> > Sorry, Shari

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

AWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! He's only 57!!!??? I'm 56, my husband is 62 and we are on NO

medications, have not had ANY in the 25 years we've been married. The only

trips to the doctor were for a strained back (him) and a broken arm (me). And

then we healed in 1/3 the time they had anticipated.

 

Oh, I am so very sorry for him and understand your concern and frustration.

There's so much to see and do out there. I was running up the steps at the

library saying " thank you " with each step because I had seen a woman I went to

high school with so large she had to park in the handicapped space and ride the

elevator.

 

My heart goes out to you. I remember how frustrating it was to try and get mom

to see what meat and milk were doing to her. I remember her sitting on the

couch with my vegetarian cookbooks saying " I can't do this, I can't eat this, I

can't, I can't, I can't........ " Makes me cry to this day that I couldn't

convince her. I was not credible in her eyes, I was the weird-o of the family.

Still am, but I'm also the healthiest.

 

Maybe reading " Diet for a New America " might help? By John Robbins (he walked

away from the Baskin & Robbins forturne.) I know that turned my husband's head

around! The other thing that might work is to just get him to cut down on the

size of the meat portion. I know when we went vegetarian it was the way the

plate looked that threw me for a while. Most other cultures the meat is a

sidedish and not a maindish. Someone else suggested asking him to just try to

eat more fruit. " An apple a day........ " is pretty true.

 

This subject comes up all the time, but this is the first time I've been hit

between the eyes with the kid asking for a parent who is my age! I still don't

feel like I'm 56. I work with high school (I just went back to work last

October!) kids and can keep up with them. My 21 y.o.daughter has told me that

" you & dad have a healthy look. You glow. In a room of people, you and dad

stand out because you look young and healthy. " Makes me feel great. We went

skiing twice this week! And she gave out before I did (just barely!).

 

Anyway, if you want to " talk " off list, feel free to email me.

shavig

 

You have my full attention and sympathies - Shari