Nutrition

The Twelve Ways diet is naturally high in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, micro-nutrients,  low in fats, and rich in fluids. Juicing fresh vegetables is an essential component of our regime. We follow a strict Gerson Diet protocol.  The Gerson Therapy is not successful if its dietary guidelines are mixed with those from other treatments.  While the Gerson diet is similar to, and has served as the foundation for many other nutritional healing programs, its guidelines activate specific biochemical processes that promote healing in a unique way.

The following is a typical daily diet for a Twelve Ways patient at the center:

• Fresh, raw carrot and green juices prepared from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
• Three full plant-based meals, freshly prepared from organically grown fruits, vegetables and potatoes. A typical meal will include salad, cooked vegetables, vegetable soup and juice.
• Fresh fruit and herbal tea available at all hours for snacking, in addition to the regular diet.
• All foods are fresh, organic, seasonal, and locally grown if possible.  Nothing comes from a can or bottle.

Twelve Ways General Diet Guidelines

Vegetables: Eat as many servings of vegetables as you would like. There are no limits. Eat as much raw as possible.

Asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, chives, collards, dark leafy lettuce, eggplant, endive, escarole, garlic, kale, green and red peppers, leeks, lettuce, peppers, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, sprouts, squash (all), turnips, tomatoes, watercress.

Bread and Other Grains: You may have one slice daily of whole 100% rye bread. These may be found in the freezer section of your health food store. You must avoid all refined grain products such as white flour and white rice.  Rice cakes are allowed if free from other ingredients or additives. Brown or wild rice are allowed on an occasional basis.

Dairy Products: You may have plain organic non-fat yogurt twice weekly. The yogurt should have active cultures and contain no sugar or added chemicals. Churned buttermilk without additives may be used as a protein source when protein is added back into the diet between the 6th and 12th week. You may use small amounts of organic vanilla and Stevia if you wish.

Juices:  Ten to thirteen  glasses of fresh organic juice daily as prescribed. Juices may include carrot, green apple and the "core" of the protocol, the green leaf vegetable juice: escarole, lettuce, chard, endive, red cabbage, beet tops, green pepper, watercress, and parsley. One glass of orange or grapefruit juice is allowed as a convenience to start the day.  Wheatgrass may be used but not in place of the recommended juices.

Eggs and Other Proteins: Eggs are NOT permitted, especially for those with hormonally linked cancers.  Protein foods such as meats, sea foods, and other animal proteins; beans, nuts and seeds; soy or other legume-based food products; all protein powders and supplementation, including barley or algae based powders are prohibited.

One of the most important main-stays of the Gerson-style diet was the use of neonatal calf liver.  Due to unreliable farming practices and limited access to pure veal liver, the program now uses desiccated liver glandular capsules in its place.

Beverages: Vegetable juices are the basis of the liquids, but some herbal teas may be consumed.

Water: Do not drink water with your meals.

Oils and Fats:  Flaxseed oil is the only recommended oil on the program. Corn oil, olive oil, canola oil, and all other vegetable oils are off limits.  This includes butter, cheese, all margarines or oil based spreads, coconuts and avocados, nut butters, and any other source of dietary fat.  To remove toxins, which lie in the adipose tissue of the body, a strict no-fat diet needs to be adhered to.

Seasonings: Herbs and spices are allowed. Make sure you use only allspice, anise, bay leaves, coriander, dill, fennel, mace, marjoram, rosemary, sage, saffron, tarragon, thyme, sorrel, summer savory, chives, onions, garlic, and parsley.  Organic seasonings should be used when possible.  Salt should be avoided in all forms including table salt, sea salt, Epsom salts, baking soda, soy sauce, Bragg's Aminos, and anything with the word "sodium" on the label. 

No Poultry or Game Birds: No poultry on this diet. Besides the obvious fat issue, there are microbes that some research has linked to cancer.

No Red Meat: Beef, lamb, buffalo, elk, pork or other meat are not allowed.

No Seafood: Salmon, shellfish, tuna, shark and all ocean fish should be avoided.

Sweetener: Stevia or small amounts of organic honey or maple syrup can be used (up to 2 tsps. per day). Do not use Nutra-Sweet or any synthetic sweeteners such as Splenda, Saccharin, or sugar.

Fruit: Enjoy a variety of organic fruit such as peaches, apples, tangerines, apricots, pears, papaya and the rest.  Avoid pineapple and berries due to the aromatic acids which inhibit digestion.

Eat as much fresh organic products as possible: Eat as much raw as you want or cook your vegetables the Gerson-style in its own juices at low temperatures.  Instructions can be found in the recipe section of the Gerson Handbook. Use only clean filtered water. Never drink or use chlorinated or fluoridated water. Avoid fluoride toothpaste. Buy and use natural hair products. Never use hair dyes.

Do not eat anything that is not on this list unless you discuss it with our office. Anyone with candida or yeast overgrowth should consider eliminating carrot juice and all sweeteners and fruit. This will be discussed individually.

No canned or frozen processed foods. Avoid alcohol.

It is essential you follow the diet, detox and supplement protocol outlined for you. Use only the supplements sent to you from The Twelve Ways Healing Center and do not use substitutions from other companies.

SUPER POWER JUICES

 Twelve Ways Basic Strengthener and Cleanser 

Put the following in a juicer:   

           Organic carrots (8-10)      

        Organic beet (1/2 medium size)      

        Organic daikon (1/2 to 1 whole large root)   

                         Organic burdock (1 large root)      

        Organic celery (3-4 stalks)             

Organic parsley         

      Organic greens (kale, chard, spinach)       

    Juice of a half of a lemon

Drink a small amount, holding it in your mouth for awhile before each swallow.  For cancer patients, it has been recommended drinking 8 oz. of some kind of fresh vegetable juice three times a day.  For the rest of us, add vegetables our body needs, or we like, and investigate our experience.  Try smaller amounts at first, and increase amounts gradually. May be kept in refrigerator, in closed glass container for a day.  Food eaten within 24 hours of being prepared is especially healing.

 Twelve Ways Calming and Good-sleep Juice

Put the following in a juicer:

4 stalks organic celery

2 organic GREEN apples

6-8 carrots (optional)

½ small beet (optional, keeps apples from turning brown)

Drink a cup of this at bedtime, or any time you need to unwind.  Investigate your experience.  See what foods work for you, and which ones you may metabolize best.

Hippocrates Potassium Broth

 The Hippocrates Soup helps to cleanse the kidneys.

For one person use a 4-quart pot, assemble the following thoroughly washed vegetables, then cover with purified water:

One medium celery knob or 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped

garlic cloves as desired

2 medium sliced or cubed onions

2 sliced or cubed potatoes

2 medium tomatoes, cut in half or cubed

Do not peel any of these special soup vegetables; just wash and scrub them well and cut them coarsely; simmer them slowly for 2 hours.   Keep no longer than 2 days.  Warm up as much as needed each time. The soup may be eaten as a broth after discarding the vegetables, or it may be processed in a Cuisinart and eaten thick as a cream soup.