The most consistent and experienced Natural Hygienist in Russia is
Alexander Chuprun. For 20 years he suffered from chronic diseases and could not imagine his life without clinics and doctors. Transition to raw diet helped him overcome all
ailments and become healthy. Already in 70-s Alexander Chuprun began to revive naturist movement educating people about the advantages of raw diet and natural lifestyle. Indeed, Russian
physicians were familiar with raw diet treatment and its advantages. Some doctors used these methods in clinics. For example, M.I. Pevzner, one of the founders of soviet dietology, claims in his book, written by a number of authors and republished many times, that there is a long list of ailments where exceptionally raw diet is prescribed (Fundamentals of therapeutic nutrition, Moscow, 1949). These ailments include gout, urine acid diathesis, obesity, diabetes, skin diseases, heart diseases and diseases of nervous system, especially functional neurosis, hyperthyroidism, migraine of uncertain origin and neurasthenia caused by psychogenic factors. Raw food has positive influence on epilepsy treatment because such food is poor in
salt...
However, for some reasons raw food treatment was almost forgotten in the former Soviet Union.
Inspired by works of Engels, people preferred to believe that human brain couldn't properly function without meat. During after-war period the production of meat, diary and grain
foods increased and Russians devoured them trying to make up for hungry years. It resulted in a rapid increase of ailments of all sorts. Promoters of traditional "full-value" diet have done an
excellent job to justify their carnivore habits and force out
naturists' arguments. It was not hard since it perfectly coincided with what soviet ideologists wrote about future diet of the nation.
The first scientist, who broke this vicious cycle, was
J.S. Nikolaev, a Moscow professor who began to cure his patients with fasting and developed his own method of "fasting diet
therapy" , also called "therapeutic fasting".
Following Nikolaev 's study Alexander Chuprun moved further: he promotes
true Natural Hygiene. He says: "Our main goal is to provide filtered "ecologically pure" information about Natural Hygiene
- the science of health and longevity. We promote true Naturopathy without those distortions that are inevitably introduced by reformist naturopaths and practical medicine that uses some methods of "pure" Natural
Hygiene not accepting its theory, which is incompatible with orthodox medicine theory. It already happened in
the case of therapeutic fasting"
Is it possible to introduce and promote true Natural Hygiene in
Russia? Actually, in some points it is much easier than, for
example, in the United States or Europe. The most astonishing
thing about Russia is that its people still have a link to nature.
Many Russians have their own small gardens from where they get
fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Another big advantage is
Russian nature itself. Huge forest resources provide people with
high quality food. It has been counted that one hectare of forest
is more productive (4-5 times!) than one hectare of cultivated
fields. In fact, it doesn't worth it to clear forests, even if
they are sold abroad... actually, for ridiculous money. And many
Russians still take advantage of forests where they collect wild
fruits, berries, mushrooms, nuts and herbs. And these foods are
basic components of raw diet. Some still dry fruits and herbs for
winter. Some still know secrets how to preserve raw fruits
and vegetables and enjoy them all winter long. This useful
practice shouldn't be forgotten since it is important for naturist
not to depend on modern supermarkets with imported bananas and
avocados. It is obvious that local wild plants have more
nutritional value than imported "live" food.
So, raw foodism in Russia is not a utopia. In fact there is a
good theoretical basis developed by scientists and practicing
Natural Hygienists. There is a big demand among Russians for
improving their health and living conditions supported by the
recent tendency to turn back to nature. What is needed is educating
people providing the latest scientific information about
advantages of natural living diet. Academic Amosov, a famous
promoter of natural lifestyle in Russia, used to say: "we should
bring healthy lifestyle into fashion".
Anna Lastochkina, 2004
