Review: Become Younger by Norman Walker
March 1, 2010 by Akemi Gaines
Norman Walker is the pioneer of raw foods movement and this book Become Younger
Cause of premature aging # 1, malnourishment
Norman Walker maintains the main causes of premature aging — which most of us suffer — are malnourishment and poor elimination.
Cooking heat destroys the vitality of foods and changes the chemical nature of nutrients in the foods. Further, Norman Walker explains how eating starch interferes the nourishment of the cells and efficiency of elimination. The large molecule of starch is insoluble in water. So they travel in blood and lymph as solid molecule that the cells cannot utilize. Instead, they stick to the wall like a plaster. Norman Walker warns the consumption of starchy foods such as grains and beans can cause liver hardening, gall bladder stones, pimples, unnatural blood coagulation, which can lead to hemorrhoids, tumors, and cancers.
(My personal understanding of this starch problem is excessive amount of starch poses a problem. And if you are like many people, you are probably eating starch excessively. But there are personal differences in starch tolerance. Some people can process more starch than others.)
He also warns against the consumption of concentrated protein such as meat. To digest concentrated protein, the body has to work extra hard — taxing the liver, kidneys, etc. The excessive workload results in accumulation of uric acid, which eventually gets stored in the muscles. They become crystals in the muscles that cause sharp pain.
Cause of premature aging #2, poor elimination
This is really the highlight of Become Younger. Norman Walker examined thousands of colon X-rays and even conducted autopsies. The colon diagrams in the book of the actual patients are horrifying. They are distorted so badly that you would wonder how anyone can survive with a colon like that. He explains how the muscles of the colon become flabby and get weighed down by accumulated waste matter. The old waste matter that are stuck in the inner wall of the colon can be up to one inch thick, he reports.
Obviously, the colon cannot function properly with this much of impacted waste. Moreover, we absorb toxins from these old waste, so the problem is not limited to the colon (such as colon cancer and stoppage) but it can also cause seemingly-unrelated issues such as depression, nervous breakdown, kidney malfunction, vision problem, sinus problem and heart trouble.
This, Norman Walker emphasizes, can be the case even when you have “regular” bowl movements. When the passage of the colon is narrowed by accumulated old waste, people actually have more bowl movements, or even diarrhea.
Raw vegetable juice and colon cleansing to become younger
What can you do to reverse the negative impacts of poor nourishment and poor elimination?
First, start nourishing the body by taking plenty of freshly-made raw vegetable juices. He recommends 2 pints (1 litter) a day or more. Other foods you eat are best raw, too. And eliminate starch and refined sugar from your diet. Ideally, eliminate or severely limit the intake of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Two, cleanse your colon by colonics and enemas. It will take many sessions to cleanse years of accumulated waste.
Did Norman Walker become younger?
Norman Walker lived up to 99 years old, according to Wikipedia, which examines his immigration and death records. Some people want to make him into a legend of someone who lived over 100 years old, but unless he lied and successfully got away with immigration office (very unlikely because he is from England, a civilized bureaucratic nation just like USA. And I don’t see why he had to do such a thing), that is not the case.
However, I don’t think this undermines his status as the expert of healthy living. 99 years old is a respectable old age, and I like the peaceful and natural way he passed, during his sleep. He is reported to have been active until that day.
What kind of raw foodist are you?
I read a lot of raw foods blogs and noticed there are many kinds of raw foodists. Some eat salad mainly. Some are big on dehydrated foods and raw imitation foods, such as raw crackers and raw nut burgers. They are certainly raw, but after reading Become Younger, I feel that the main stay of a good raw diet is raw juices.
It is amazing how much vegetables a juice takes. To make a 16 once green juice, I put in 2 to 3 cups of greens, half a head of celery, and half of a large cucumber. Juice is a concentrated nourishment. I think a lot of nutritional deficiencies some raw foodists are experiencing are caused by their reliance on salad and dehydrated raw foods.
I was so impressed with this book that I ordered two more books by Norman Walker, Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices
What do you think of his theory of rejuvenation? Please share in the comments.
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Akemi, the body most certainly does utilise starch. Some cultures have it as their major source of calories. That starch doesn’t dissolve in water is irrelevant: there is acid in the stomach and the blood is not water either. This book is seriously wrong about this. It causes me to doubt anything else it has to say.
Hi Akemi,
I haven’t heard of Norman Walker, Thanks for sharing this.
I eat some raw foods, and have great results all around. My staple is organic Hemp seeds. The benefits are many. They are very high in protein/ essential fatty acids/omega 6 and have a delicious flavor, additionally are a great alternative for people with food allergies/vegans as they are completely allergen free.
Evan,
I think starch is the “staple” in all countries these days. We take them in such a large amount.
I did think about what you pointed out. We learned carbs are broken down to simple sugars in the digestive system. What I gather is that is the ideal condition. Some people don’t have sufficient stomach acid, and their digest enzyme level is low, too. If that is the case, what happens?
It’s totally up to each person, but if someone is having health concerns, I think it’s worth suspecting the starch. And I also think the big part of the raw food health benefit comes from naturally staying away from starch. (It’s hard to eat raw grains and beans.)
Carla,
I love hempseeds, too! I make hempshake, which I think is so much better than milkshake:
3 TB hempseeds, 1 banana, your choice of greens or fruits (such as some romain or some blueberries) Yum!
Hello Akemi, a friend of mine is a survivor of Cancer, based on raw fruits and what Norman Walker lived for. I am also a 100% uncooked raw food eater.
Drinking raw food juice is for sure healthy. But chewing the fruits in your mouth first, is even healthier and efficient for your body. Why is that? The success to health and staying healthy is a permanent detoxification process. This process starts: 1. from your mouth to your anus, 2. in your blood system and 3. in your lymphatic system. So, if you bypass the first layer of your body detoxification mechanism, means you don’t chew the fruits naturally in your mouth, your body can’t digest from the beginning this raw food. Drinking juice is surely not bad at all, but chewing is at least 10x times better. And to make the transition to the raw food diet it’s also very good. But long term we should drink only clean water. You drink the juice when you chew and eat the fruit!.
Mike,
I agree the energetic nature of foods change when they are juiced or blended. Chewing does have a role. Thank you for pointing that out.
Starch is for ironing shirts, white bread can be used for glue or paste. Grains were meant for our feathered friends and four leggeds. Starch is the main reason our population is getting fatter and aging quicker. most people who dont see the truth of raw vegan foods just dont want to give up their guilty pleasures. They’ll eat garbage in the face of death and disease. Most doctors and nutritionists are overweight and unhealthy Our mother earth produces everything we need to survive. Not man! If we just listen within.