Bed rest for liver disease

Often forgotten in cases of cirrhosis of the liver is that the patient must have bed rest. He must also abstain completely from alcohol in any form. He should undergo an initial liver cleaning programme with a juice fast for seven days. Freshly extracted juices from red beets, lemon, papaya and grapes may be taken during this period. This may be followed by the fruit and milk diet for two to three weeks. In this regimen, the patient should have three meals a day, each of fresh juicy fruits and milk. The fruits may include apples, pears, grapes, grape fruit, oranges, pineapples and peaches. One litre of milk may be taken on the first day. It should be increased by 250 ml daily up to two to two and a half litres a day. The milk should be fresh and unboiled, but may be slightly warmed if desired. It should be sipped very slowly. After the fruit and milk diet, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of three basic food groups, namely (i) seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables and (iii) fruits, with emphasis on raw organically grown foods. An adequate high quality protein diet is necessary in cirrhosis. The best complete proteins for liver patients are obtained from raw goat 's milk, home-made raw cottage cheese, sprouted seeds and grains and raw nuts, especially almonds. Vegetables such as beets, squashes, bitter gourd, egg-plant, tomato, carrot, radishes and papaya are useful in this condition. All fats and oils should be excluded from the diet for several weeks. The patient should avoid all refined, processed and canned foods, sugar in any form, spices and condiments, strong tea and coffee, fried foods, all preparations cooked in ghee, oil or butter and all meats rich in fat. The use of salt should be restricted. The patient should also avoid all chemical additives in food and poisons in air, water and environment.