| >> Author links diet to pain relief |
|
Harvey Diamond is the ambassador of fresh fruit. He talks about fruit the way some people talk about chocolate. The Siesta Key resident co-authored "Fit For Life," considered a food-combining bible, in 1985. Twelve million copies have sold in 33 languages since then. In the book, Diamond suggests eating fruit exclusively until noon every day. After that, he says don't mix proteins and starches (meat and potatoes) in the same meal. He believes that correctly combined food reduces pressure on the digestive process and takes strain off the body's lymph system, also called the body's garbage collector. "We are under an illusion that we can eat whatever we want any time, no matter what combination," he said. "It isn't true." At first, Diamond's philosophy drew criticism from doctors and the American Dietetic Association. But that has waned, he said. The book still sells 100,000 copies a year. Now Diamond has applied his experiences with his own health problems - exposure to Agent Orange - to a new book, "Living Without Pain." He focuses on arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus and chronic fatigue, and suggests ways to overcome them naturally. Diamond reckons he should be dead by now. He suffers from peripheral neuropathy, which has wasted his hand and arm muscles and made it difficult to pick up a glass of water. The condition makes him vulnerable to falls, and he walks with a limp. "It's thanks to the information I've studied for 35 years and put into practice that I'm here today," he said at his south Siesta Key home on Heron Lagoon, a bird sanctuary. Diamond lives with his son, Beau Diamond, and two Bengal cats named Khensu and Raja. All live the "Fit For Life" way. The cats eat grass-fed beef that Diamond gets from the local health food store. And they never mix it with starch. Perhaps it's the proliferation of birds outside that has made the cats expert at opening doors. Diamond has to Velcro the exterior doors shut. When Diamond retuned from the Vietnam War in 1967, he thought he'd made it home safely. He was overweight and doing the hippie thing, including waist-length hair and LSD. Then he met a natural hygienist who became his mentor. "It was just one of those cosmic arrangements," Diamond said. "I found it or it found me." By 1986, Diamond was doing the talk-show circuit with then-wife and co-author Marilyn. They had a New York Times best-seller, and were on "The Merv Griffin Show" eight times. It was then that Diamond began to lose muscle mass between his thumbs and forefingers, a tip-off that he had been exposed to Agent Orange. He joined a support group of several hundred fellow victims. "They're all dead," he said. "From the onset of deterioration, you have five years." So why is Diamond still alive? Motivated people tend to deal with their illnesses better, said Carmen Alvarez, program director and licensed mental health counselor at the National Pain Institute, 3501 Cortez Road. The institute uses an interdisciplinary approach to chronic pain, with psychological services, physical therapy, biofeedback and vocational rehabilitation. "I think he's somebody with a good psychological will to live," Alvarez said. The United States leads the world in diseases of affluence, according to Diamond's research. Degenerative conditions like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and obesity are compounded by not understanding how the lymph system works. "Pain is by design," he said. "When more waste is being generated than being eliminated, the body alerts you with pain." Running to the drug store for a bottle of pills deadens the pain but doesn't get to the problem. He suggests at least a 50-50 split of living versus dead food. Living food means raw - enzymes haven't been cooked out of it. Linda Graham considers Diamond a mentor. She met him 13 years ago when she and her husband started cleaning his home. They own Graham's Janitorial Inc. Graham read "Fit For Life" and it was the beginning of a new career for her. Now a personal trainer, she gives each new client a copy of "Fit For Life" when they sign up at her business, Fit & Firm Fitness Studio, at 4216 20th St. West in Bradenton. The book has value, Graham said, because it contributes to overall health. "It's not a diet," she said. "It's not like he's a miracle worker. He's just suggesting a way to live life to the fullest. You do it for life." Far from being a saint, Diamond confesses to being a food junkie. He loves chocolate cake, pizza and lasagna. He eats anything and everything. Just not all the time. The pain institute's Alvarez said she doubts diet alone can lead to a life without pain. People with chronic pain also need stress management skills, good sleep hygiene and exercise. Fibromyalgia patients especially need to be on an anti-depressant and sleep medication, she said. "Diet is a very important piece," Alvarez said. "I don't think diet alone is enough." Diamond agrees. Exercise and mental health play a part. "Diet is one cog in the wheel," he said. For Beau Diamond, growing up in an environment of healthy eaters has been a blessing. A currency trader, Beau, 27, said he never felt deprived as a child. He went trick-or-treating and enjoyed organizing his bounty into neat piles. "To me, candy was fruit," he said. "I realized that candy was basically crap." Diamond still gets thank-you letters from readers, estimating a total of 600,000 since "Fit For Life" came out. He had to hire four full-time employees to open and sort mail and tried to answer letters personally. "Your books have kept me sane through all the diet crazes this past decade," wrote one satisfied customer on Diamond's Web site. "Thank you for your work and research. No more 'flash pasteurized' anything for me."
|