historical and scientific perspectives on the health of canada's first ...

The Health Recovery Center, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota employs an outpatient program
with an advanced approach to alcohol addictions recovery, based on inter alia the elimination of
refined sugars <strong>and</strong> all highly processed foods, adoption of organic whole foods <strong>and</strong> high-level
vitamin-mineral supplementation. It has realized outst<strong>and</strong>ing success (both short <strong>and</strong> long term)
in its recovery program. One hundred alcoholic clients, chosen at r<strong>and</strong>om, were followed up
three <strong>and</strong> a half (3 ½) years after completing the seven week program. At discharge 85% were
free of anxiety, 94% claimed no sleep problems, 98% claimed no shakiness, 96% were free from
dizziness, <strong>and</strong> 95% were subjectively depression-free. Furthermore, at the 6-month interview
92% were abstinent from alcohol, 85% of whom had remained continually abstinent since
treatment. Some three years later, 95 of the original 100 subjects were interviewed <strong>and</strong> 74%
(1987 Mathews-Larson study) had remained abstinent. 96 See FIGURE I below for comparison
with st<strong>and</strong>ard treatment results.
Post-Treatment Alcoholics: Percentage Abstaining From Alcohol (Long Term)
FIGURE I. 97
1987 - Mathews-Larson et al
1985 - KC VA
1983 - Vallant
1980 - R<strong>and</strong>
1975 - Emrich
1962 - Gerald et al.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
2.2.7 No Habitual Tobacco Use
In Aboriginal societies the ceremonial use of the pipe was employed by a select few leaders on
special or rare occasions. The health effects of this were clearly negligible. On the other h<strong>and</strong>,
the commercialization of tobacco products has led to the habitual smoking of cigarettes, cigars
<strong>and</strong> pipes in the modern world. The smoking habit, in addition to being linked to significantly
greater lung cancer <strong>and</strong> emphysema, has also been shown to weaken the body’s entire host
defense system against pathogenic bacteria <strong>and</strong> viruses, including the impairment of macrophage
function. 98 Smoking is not only linked to cancer of the lung, <strong>and</strong> throat but also to a surprising
variety of other cancers including cancer of the: stomach; liver; colon; pancreas; kidney; bladder;
cervix; <strong>and</strong> skin. Smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease,
increasing the risk ten times or more. In fact, it is estimated to be the principal cause in 30% to
40% of all coronary heart disease deaths. Babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy <strong>and</strong>
after, are three times more likely to be victims of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than
babies of nonsmokers. 99
2.2.8 FASTING
The practice of fasting has existed as a traditional practice in virtually all indigenous cultures as a
means of attaining physiological, mental <strong>and</strong> spiritual healing. It was likely first adopted through
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