The Elimination Diet Step 109Names to look for on the label are “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” and
“modified vegetable starch.” MSG and these similar compounds are all
made by soaking rotten or otherwise unwanted vegetables in acid until they
turn to brown sludge; caustic soda is than added to counter the acid. The
final filth is added to what you eat from cans and packages, on the assurance
they are “safe” and even “good for you.”
Again there are lies galore: aware that most people nowadays are
suspicious of MSG, manufacturers have taken to hiding its presence with
labels that say “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG,” even
though their products contain MSG and glutamate.
All this comes together in reinforcing my firm contention which is
that you cannot trust food manufacturers. They will try to cheat and mislead
you. This is why I say on this diet plan, avoid all manufactured food. Don’t take the
risk.
What to do about drugs, remedies and medications
Avoid drugs. By drugs I mean medicines, ‘street’ drugs, remedies, cures,
tea, tobacco, coffee and vitamins. It is important to check with your doctor
before abandoning any treatment he or she may be giving you, but do be
alert to an authoritarian and unreasonable insistence that you do things his or
her way: that way hasn’t been working, or you probably wouldn’t be reading
this book. You therefore have a right to try any sensible alternative. The fact
is that very few drugs are essential or life-saving. Insulin, thyroid hormones,
epilepsy drugs, digoxin and one or two others spring to mind; the rest, such
as painkillers, tranquillizers, antihistamines, antacids, sedatives, hormone
replacements and the like are not strictly essential. Even the contraceptive
pill, which is a steroid hormone, would be best omitted if possible.
The acid test is, how long have you been taking this drug? If you
have been on it for years and are no better, it isn’t really helping. At best
it can be suppressing symptoms but not actually curing them. If you are
taking any drug without really knowing why it has been prescribed, find out.
Get your doctor to explain.
Don’t be fobbed off with the usual ‘You’re too stupid to understand’
attitude that a great many practitioners deplorably fall into (the ignorance
is usually theirs!). If he or she is unable to sensibly defend prescribing the
drug for you, don’t take it. Many drugs are useless or cause complications,
which seem not to worry the doctor but can make life unbearable for the
patient. These side effects often result in the need for another drug to treat
them, and matters can then become very complicated. I have on occasion