Battling disease by going natural

CEBU, Philippines - With the constant barrage of new diseases plaguing the planet, people are beginning to look into age old wisdom on protecting themselves and in combating these virtually new diseases. The introduction of new vaccines to combat these infant yet deadly diseases seems to be powerless, not to mention expensive.

Dr. Tom Wu, a US-based world renowned doctor of Oriental and Western alternative medicine, expressed his doubts on the efficiency of the medicines and vaccines being promoted against new diseases, saying that scientists would need time to study the new strain in order to develop a vaccine. However, he is positive that nature has the answer to this health dilemma.

Dr. Tom and wife Janet, who is also a licensed naturopathic doctor in the US, came to Cebu last month to talk to members of the Rotary Club of Cebu West at Cebu Country Club in Banilad. He was invited by Rotary President Jimmy Lao, who is one of Cebu’s active proponents of alternative medicine.

At the age of 30, Dr. Tom was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. This prompted him to turn to God’s word for guidance, where he found out that the original diet that God intended for humans is plant-based. He followed a diet of fruits and vegetables and survived the cancer.

“We have to live with a purpose,” Dr. Tom said. “My goal is, if God gives me one extra day I will help one extra person.”

With this goal, Dr. Tom travels with his wife all over the world to give talks on the natural diet and the many health benefits that one would get from following this diet.

Forget how you used to eat.

Dr. Tom’s cure-all formula is simple: right eating, and this is not just the food that we put in our mouth, but also the way we eat them.

“Forget the way you eat before,” he said.

His advice is for us to eat fiber first before eating anything else, and by fiber he meant fruits. “This will drain the food you eat,” Dr. Tom said. “Eat sour first then sweet. Then raw vegetables before cooked vegetables. The proportion is two-thirds raw vegetable with one-third fruit.” Half-cooked vegetables would make do, should your stomach be unable to process raw vegetables.

As if on cue, Dr. Janet started distributing health drinks with C-lium fiber. They, however, are not endorsing any product, but they use that which they find effective like White Flower Medicine Oil which they use in their medical missions to Africa.

Pineapple

Dr. Tom said that fruits should be eaten first, especially that which contains fiber. He said that pineapples, eaten with the core, is a good source of fiber and vitamin C, as such is better than mango and watermelon. He said that the core of the pineapple has natural stem cells, which is good for rejuvenation and healing of damaged tissues.

Pineapples also have enzymes which eat away the polyps that usually would coat the intestines. These enzymes are helpful in cleansing the colon. For skin diseases, pineapples can also be helpful. Simply grind the whole fruit (washed and cleaned well with the sharp parts removed) with the peel and then apply it to the infected area for 30 to 45 minutes. He said this is useful for patients with psoriasis.

Bananas

He revealed that the Filipinos’ love for bananas is actually not healthy as bananas encourage the production of mucus. “You eat too much, so people have a lot of mucus,” he said.

He recognizes the benefit that bananas have on hypertension, however, he said that there are also other fruits and vegetables that are just as good as the banana. He said kiwis have more potassium content that bananas, and should kiwis be not available, apples are also a good source of potassium.

Broccoli

Broccoli, according to Dr. Tom, is good for men as this reduces the chances for prostate cancer. Ladies would also benefit from broccoli because the vegetable would also help prevent breast cancer. He said that broccoli should, however, be eaten raw or slightly blanched.

Dr. Tom said that he once had a patient with second stage breast cancer. His prescription was to eat broccoli and in four months, the tumor was gone, with no trace of it whatsoever.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, on the other hand are kind of double standard. Dr. Tom said that when the first settlers in the Americas landed they were offered by the native Indians to eat, and they feasted on a strange fruit which is what we now know as the tomato. Some, however, ate green tomato which is rich in solamin, a compound that causes arthritis. These settlers became sick the next day, but those who ate the ripe fruit became strong. Dr. Tom said that the lycopene in ripe tomatoes contributes in strengthening the heart. He said that if eaten six times a day, tomatoes would also help prevent breast cancer and remove polyps from the uterus. He advices for the seeds to also be eaten with the fruit, and not to throw it away as the seeds also contain a lot of nutrients.

Meat and the new food pyramid

Dr. Tom revealed that meat increases the chances of cancer. Because of this, he advises for meat to consist only five percent of one’s diet. He said 60 percent should be vegetables, another ten percent for fruits, ten percent for grains like rice and wheat, ten percent beans like soya and mongo, and the last five percent for nuts and seeds. Dr. Tom added that nuts should be eaten raw, not roasted or toasted because heating the nuts would cause for it to release toxins that would encourage tumor-growth.

“Almonds are excellent for Filipinos because if eaten raw, this would help heal allergies and asthma,” said Dr. Tom.

Anti-swine flu formula

For the most recent health threat, the A(H1N1) virus, formerly known as swine flu, Dr. Tom prescribes a concoction of cilantro, ginger and garlic. He said that two glasses of this mixture taken with food everyday would strengthen one’s immune system. Dr. Tom said that this concoction can also be used as a salad dressing.

“Your body is a money-making machine, but to do that, you must change your diet,” Dr. Tom urged.

Dr. Tom and wife Janet runs the Wellness Selfcare Center in San Carlos, California.