by Dr. Timothy S. Trader N.D.(retired), PhD., D.D. (continued from home page) At this vulnerable juncture, she was warned that physician prescribed medical help could be withheld. Such advice may have been the reason I began life as a sick child. Suffering with severe asthma had been the main focus of my early life. I had allergic reactions to proteins, attributed to my mother's pre-natal diet. Ingesting her milk, cow, goat or soy proved to be intolerable to my developing system. Nuts, seeds, citrus proteins, peanuts and many other foods contributed to an early lifetime of suffering with allergic reactions. Allergies occur when the body is so overwhelmed that it cannot recognize useful food from inappropriate food. Asthma was also a constant threat. As a child I was in the hospital with attacks almost every week. Asthma occurs when toxic matter, expelled by the lungs, overwhelms the bronchial tubes. This traps air in the lungs which prevents the intake of fresh air. In other words, one can literally suffocate with full lungs. Although this manifested great anguish it also created an outpouring of love. My parents taught me what love is through their sacrifices and unselfishness. If one can be spoiled by love, I was. To the logical mind, one would assume that due to the allergies I had to ingredients found in most vaccinations, I would have been spared their usage from the medical establishment. Regretfully, they found ways to inject me without regard. To make matters worse, I was allergic to certain asthma medications. On one night a medication almost took my life. By the time I was a teenager I was all drugged out. By the time I was eighteen I was on the strongest asthma medication available. Its side effects changed my disposition, leaving me to feel agitated and angry. This was not the way I wanted to live! Accustomed to using prescription drugs, I felt it would be O.K. to experiment with non-prescription drugs as well. My body reacted all the more. At this time the tables turned completely. Food items I had been allergic to became safe to eat and the items deemed 'good for me' became deadly. For example; my favorite food, watermelon, closed my throat shut. My whole world turned upside-down. Imagine if all of your favorite food choices became instantly intolerable to your body. I asked the allergist if I could become a vegetarian and received a negative reply. According to him I was still allergic to most vegetarian protein sources and would not get enough for survival. In retrospect, my physicians knew so little about nutrition and protein intake back then. Eventually a large-scale investigation began. I wanted to learn how to stop my body from reacting to nearly everything I came in contact with. This led me down the allopathic medical path, a study lasting several years. Even today I occasionally find myself thinking in an allopathic manner. One day while in medical school I signed-up for what appeared to be the wrong class. As fate would have it, the course was on kinesiology or muscle testing. There I was introduced to herbs and how they can work better than prescription drugs. I dropped out of school to pursue the study of herbology and alternative medicine. I soon learned about homeopathy and a whole host of natural modalities. I was intellectually better off than before yet my health issues persisted. Eventually I achieved a degree in naturopathy with national board certification but it was not enough. Sick of being sick, it was time to find real answers because I was visiting the hospital emergency room every six months with uncontrollable asthma attacks. In my quest for healing I came upon a school where I could achieve a Ph.D. in nutrition. Appearing, as a light at the end of what had been a long tunnel, this seemed to be the last route. Though I had considerably more nutritional education in naturopathic school than medical school, I felt it was necessary to learn more. The Life Science Institute in Texas looked to be the most informative and it was. In naturopathy we learned the value of fresh fruit and veggies. In fact one of my naturopathic textbooks said, "raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds is the best diet." It continued by saying that "most people would not adhere to an exclusive diet of such and that is why herbs are necessary." I ascertained that a diet consisting of fresh raw living plant foods was highly beneficial to the body. Overall, it took six more moths of study to be thoroughly convinced that it was the right way for me to eat. At this point I had cut out all milk products and reduced meat consumption drastically. Then I took the plunge and went all 'raw'. Occasionally cooked foods filtered in but all it did was make me feel sick. In a very short time I was truly feeling the positive effects of an all-raw, plant-based diet. Within the first month and a half I had two serious asthma attacks. My studies revealed that medications would only interfere with the body's natural healing process. Hence, I ceased all medications and I haven't had another attack in nine and a half years! As an aspiring weightlifter, the four months which followed saw my body weight go from 175lbs to 131lbs and looking quite emaciated. The first six months I also experienced; low energy, family and friends badgering me, loss of many patients in my practice. Without changing a thing I started to gain again and by the end of one year's time (with some help from the local gym) I was in healthy form, better than I had ever been. My body discarded toxic matter and through the ingestion of premium nutrients derived from 'raw', built up healthier muscle. I had the greatest health of my life with no regrets! Many of the forbidden foods of my past could now be enjoyed. For example; I have watermelon most every day of its season. Gone are the days where I was allowed only one slice of orange. Now I enjoy up to ten full oranges at a sitting. The allergy experiences of my early years gave me many special advantages. I now know I can discipline my dietary habits. This is awareness no easier for me than anyone else. I understand what it is like to be addicted to foods and receive harassment for my beliefs. I learned what it really means to feel healthy, vital and mentally freed of societal chains that dictated the way life had to be. Today I am nine and a half years raw and the process just gets better. Soon to be forty years young, I feel I can keep up with most sixteen-year-olds. It took me thirty years to find the right way to live. It may take another thirty to be a pinnacle of health but I will be one super sixty-year-old guy. I send out a challenge to you the reader. If you are ready for the ultimate, you must go 'raw'. Try it for one year and I am sure you will report that it works! It may be a climb, but it will be worth it!