What Is Rheumatism: The rheumatism means a swelling. It refers to all acute or chronic illness which is characterized by pain & swelling of muscles, ligament and tendons of the joint.
Symptoms:The onset of acute types of rheumatism is characterized by fever rapid pulse with intense soreness and pain.
Causes: The chief cause of rheumatism is the poisoning of blood with acid wastes. The disease is aggravated by exposure to cold water.
Dietary Treatment: Patient should be put on short fast of orange juice and water for 3 to 5 days. Juice of orange diluted in warm water, taken every 2 hours from 8am to 8 pm. Nothing else should be taken while fasting. Bowels should be cleansed through warm water enema.
After the juice fast, patient placed on restricted diet for 14 days. In this regimen, orange or grape taken for breakfast, lunch may consist of raw salad of any vegetable and for dinner, steamed vegetable such as spinach , cabbage , carrots and cauliflower and some sweet fruit may be taken . No bread or potatoes or starchy food should be taken.
In case of chronic rheumatism, patient may be placed on all fruit diet for 4 to 5 days. In this regimen, he /she should have 3 meals a day of fresh juicy fruit such as apple, grapes, oranges, pineapple.
Rheumatism is particularly responsive to raw vegetable juice .The carrot juice combined with beet and cucumber is especially valuable.
The hot Epsom salt bath should be taken twice a week for 3 months use of chronic rheumatism and once weekly thereafter. The affected part should be bathed twice daily in hot water containing Epsom salt. Dampness and cold should be avoided.
The foods which should be avoided are meat, fish, white bread, sugar, refined food, tea, coffee, alcohol and condiments.
