books

A Chronological Dissertation

Dr. Norman W. Walker, D.Sc., Ph.D.

Dr. Norman W. Walker, D.Sc., Ph.D.
  • Father of Juicing
  • Father of Colon Health
  • Father of Raw Foods
  • Originator of the Food Combination Health Plan
  • Profound Researcher of Etiology of Diseases

Dr. Norman Wardhaugh Walker was born in Genoa, Italy, on the 4th January 1886, the second of six children of Lydia Maw and Robert Walker, a Baptist Minister from Scotland.

The Walker family migrated from England to America and Dr. Walker followed suit in 1910, moving to New York City. In the same year, he founded the Norwalk Laboratory of Nutritional Chemistry and Scientific Research in New York, and thus began his journey of discovering the secrets to a long and healthy life.

He married Margaret Bruce Olcott of New York on June 11, 1913. It was on November 22, 1918 that Dr. Walker became a U.S.citizen.

Later Dr. Walker moved to Long Beach, California and opened a juice bar together with a medical practitioner. By 1930 they invented several fresh juice formulas catering to specific conditions and ailments. His invention in 1930 of the ‘Norwalk Juicer’ (Triturator and Hydraulic Press) is one of his key contributions to the health of people.

It was after the San Francisco health department banned the sale of unpasteurized vegetable juices that Dr. Walker began manufacturing his juice machine. The manufacturing plant which was set up in Anaheim, California, sustained despite the steel shortage during World War II.

By the late 1940s, Dr. Walker had moved to St. George, Utah where he established a juice plant in an old cotton mill. However, when local health department regulations once again proved to be a stumbling block, he sold his share to his business partner. He then concentrated his energies on publication of a health magazine, The New Health Movement Review. For several years Dr. Walker ran a health ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona, but he eventually gave up the ranch to devote himself entirely to writing.

Other Information:

  • Dr. Walker died at his home in Verde Valley, Cottonwood, Arizona, on June 6, 1985, at the age of 99 years, five months. A photo of their (Dr Walker and his second wife Helen Ruth) joint gravestone (with "their years" now chiseled in granite) is accessible on-line at ArizonaGravestones.org. http://chetday.com/normanwalker.htm
  • Other than English, Dr. Walker also spoke fluent Italian and French.
  • He was also an artist and most or all the sketchings in his books are his work of art.
  • Those who have been a privy to his book ‘Back to Land for Self Preservation’ must have also read his poems, they are quite a delight to read.
  • Dr. Walker opened and ran a sanitarium for one year, but there is no information to indicate in which year this was.
  • Dr. Walker passed away peacefully while taking an afternoon nap, free of any disease or other ailments common to people of advanced age.

Three Life-changing Instances

In his book, Vibrant Health, Dr. Norman W. Walker cites three significant instances which altered the course of his life.

FIRST INSTANCE:

At the age of five, Dr. Walker was afflicted with a serious sickness wherein he fell into a coma. However, Dr. Walker miraculously regained consciousness. When his doctor came in the next day expecting to find a corpse, he was astounded to see the little boy alive and totally oblivious of the precarious health situation he had just survived. As a result of his near fatal experience, Dr. Walker’s parents never allowed him to physically overexert himself. This was Dr. Walker’s first tryst with death and it led to him believing in miracles.

SECOND INSTANCE:

A Promising Researcher

In his later years, Dr. Walker was involved in research which was contradictory to the acceptable practices of the scientific and medical world. His close friends and family cautioned him against the continuance of such a useless quest, and even went to the extent of questioning his sanity. They felt his effort was a pursuit in futility, as millions of dollars were already being poured into foundations and hospitals for research in medical science. However, the unethical practice of people being used as guinea pigs for experiments, did not seem right to Dr Walker. These individuals who were subjected to x-rays, vaccinations and inoculations, had become hapless victims of “accepted scientific treatments”. Dr. Walker became more determined to continue with his research, even if it meant devoting a lifetime to it.

Dr. Walker decided to experiment with those foods that were “authoritatively” regarded as the “staff of life”, the so-called beneficial foods which contained all the nutrients of good health. These foods consisted mainly of grains, flour foods, cereals and large quantities of milk. For two years he thrived on this diet, until one day he fell so sick that he was unable to get out of bed. At this point, his weight had skyrocketed from 155 lbs. to 197 lbs. Doctors did not give him more than a few weeks to live. Cirrhosis of the liver and neuritis were the grim diagnosis. But Dr. Walker refused to take any medicines or follow the doctor’s instructions.

First Encounter with Vegetarianism

Dr. Walker paid heed to the suggestions of a friend who was a strict vegetarian (eating vegetables, fruits etc. but excluding grains). He said, “If you should get sick, unable to get up, don’t under any circumstances take any drugs, they are poison. Don’t eat any food for three days, as sickness is a result of the retention of waste matter in your body. Just drink a glass of pure water every half hour or so every day, for three days and you will get well.”

Dr. Walker followed his advice and was back on his feet by the third day. On that same day, he took an enema and his elimination was “copious and putrid”. Dr. Walker grew conscious of the fact that ailments were a consequence of waste matter in the body. He realized that he had eaten everything that he liked and as a result, he had fallen sick. On the other hand, his friend whose diet consisted of raw fruits and vegetables was fit as a fiddle. Dr. Walker decided to pursue the same vegetarian diet and within six months he was teeming with energy.

The First Juices

This led Dr. Walker to do a comparative study between the value of fresh raw foods and cooked foods. While on a raw food diet, he felt energetic and had good bowel movements. On the days that he ate cooked vegetables, his physical energies, mental faculties and bowel movements were noticeably less efficient. Dr. Walker wondered what wondrous elements existed in raw vegetables that had helped him regain his health so rapidly. He decided to grate and squeeze some carrots. It was then that he discovered how much juice was present in them. Dr. Walker began experimenting with other vegetables too, and was soon drinking as much as a gallon or more of fresh raw vegetable juices every day.

Doctors had predicted that Dr. Walker would not survive for more than a few weeks, but besides having pale yellow skin, he was in fine fettle and full of vigour. Dr. Walker realized that the abundant carrot juice he had been drinking had resulted in the discoloration of his skin, which disappeared before long. This discoloration was due to the dissolving of stale bile and waste matter from the liver and gall bladder, on account of the cleansing and regeneration of these organs.

Dr. Walker was so elated with this discovery, that at his expense and under the supervision of a doctor friend who had a liberal view of his theories, juices were supplied to bedridden patients. Excellent results were witnessed with those patients who also followed a raw vegetable and fruit diet.

However, Dr. Walker placed his research of two to three years on the back burner and allowed his business interests to take precedence over everything else. Dr. Walker remarked about himself, “Such is the brevity of the memory of an ambitious young man wallowing in the paths of ‘big business’ ”. His research and results would have never been given any further importance, if it were not for the episode that followed.

Lost Sleep and Health

While he was in the city of Brussels, Dr. Walker took a photograph of “a scene of unforgettable beauty”. For a whole nine months afterwards, from seven in the evening to two or three in the morning, he spent time drawing that picture. Besides this, he went to work five times a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The lack of sleep and rest during this entire period had done him no harm, or so he thought! Three years later when Dr. Walker was actively involved in his own business, he suffered from a serious nervous breakdown. This was the second case in point that deeply impacted his life.

A doctor friend told him it would probably take nine months to a year for him to get well. In order to recuperate, he advised Dr. Walker who spoke French fluently, to pack his bags and head to the North of France.

In Brittany, Dr. Walker moved in with an elderly couple who lived on a farm. Through the week, their meals comprised of vegetables and fruits which were eaten mostly raw, while on Sundays, their menu included a rooster or a duck from their farm. Here Dr. Walker immersed himself in leisure activities and his health showed a marked improvement.

Defining Moment

One day when the old lady on the farm was peeling carrots, Dr. Walker noticed how moist they were, even though they had not yet been put in water. A thought struck him and with the lady’s permission, Dr. Walker picked some carrots from the farm, peeled and ground them. Then he strained the pulp through a clean linen dish towel and within a matter of seconds obtained his first “cupful of beautiful juice”. From then onwards, Dr. Walker drank as much carrot juice as he could in a day. This process of juicing led him to invent the Norwalk Juicer.

Eight weeks later, Dr. Walker returned to England, hale and hearty. His doctor was amazed to see how well he had recouped in such a short spell of time, and termed it as nothing short of “phenomenal”.

Dr. Walker, who had a weak and unhealthy body, was with the application of knowledge and discipline, was able to regain his health. He understood how easy it was to devitalize one’s body with inadequate sleep and rest, and become a victim of ailments.

THIRD INSTANCE:

Dr. Walker’s discovery of fresh raw vegetable and fruit juices, paved the way for building and maintaining a high degree of vibrant health that brought him boundless energy and vitality. It was also this breakthrough that led to the creation of various juice formulas as a panacea to almost every sickness that afflicts the human body. Surely juices and their combinations, which are used to treat various ailments, is one of the greatest discoveries of mankind.

His Philosophy

Ageless Pioneer

Dr. Walker lived a long, healthy and happy life. While there were others who outlived him, it was the unsurpassed quality of his health that placed him in a league of his own.

In the words of this illustrious doctor, "I can truthfully say that I am never conscious of my age. Since I reached maturity, I have never been aware of being any older, and I can say, without equivocation or mental reservation, that I feel more alive, alert, and full of enthusiasm today than I did when I was 30 years old. I still feel my best years are ahead of me. I never think of birthdays, nor do I celebrate them. Today I can truthfully say that I am enjoying vibrant health, I don't mind telling people how old I am: I AM AGELESS!"

Getting Due Recognition

As raw foods are becoming a widely acceptable and a better way of eating and living, Dr. Walker’s pioneering work in this domain is being recognized and given its due credit. Backed by 70 years of research and experience, his works are by far the most complete and scientific studies that have been produced till date.

Many of the nutritionists who came after Dr. Walker were inspired by his great works and have adapted his teachings to suit their own methodologies. Yet the completeness of Dr. Walker’s works lies in the in-depth utilization of Nature to its fullest potential. According to him, “Anything whatever that does not conform strictly to the principles of NATURE’S laws, necessarily retards our progress.” Nobody has been able to harness Nature and use it for the purpose of man’s health as intelligently as Dr. Walker did. He not just had the ability of a genius - he was one. He saw what others could not see and tread an entirely different path to achieve what others can only perceive to be miracles.

Dr. Walker’s rational approach and methods spawned a new generation of healers and followers who embraced the raw food diet. He was the springboard on which this lifestyle has grown to become a recognized and acceptable way of living.

Advertising Propaganda and Research

Every single day people are bombarded with information via various media and this daily information overload not just overwhelms, but ends up confusing them. Some sections of the media praise the value of a particular thing, while others censure it, and at other times, the same media both applaud and criticize the same thing, leaving people totally puzzled. The source of research and information becomes of vital importance. Corporates fund researches which sometimes selectively reveal only the benefits of a product and not its harmful effects. Advertisements are given in order to support and propagate this research. Never be misled by marketing and advertising campaigns and researches which are influenced by ulterior motives. We can confidently depend upon the works of Dr. Walker which have clarity and cover every aspect of health that is needed to live a vibrant life.

The ‘Definite’ Dr. Walker

The extent of Dr. Walker’s research, experience and success is reflected in the fact that he quoted only some specific discoveries of very few people. He also did not have to use words often like ‘might, may, can’, which are so often used in modern-day research, diagnosis and treatments. His answers are very lucid, simple and definite and are based on scientific logic and reasoning.

Etymology of Disease

While the world is still groping in the dark about numerous ailments or diseases and their root causes, Dr. Walker since the 1930s was able to accurately pinpoint the reasons for these degenerations and their occurrences. While billions of dollars are being spent on research even today, Dr.Walker was able to give simple yet credible answers for complicated issues such as cancers, tumours, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, paralysis, insanity, asthma etc. He also provided solutions for several other problems such as fevers, colds, cramps etc. Issues such as dizziness, backache, boils, constipation, deafness, fatigue, heartburn, itching, nervousness and sleeplessness were recognized by him as ailments which needed to be treated as importantly as any other. In fact, he found a cure for more than 160 ailments which existed during his lifetime.

Dr. Walker’s explanations are so eloquent that one might doubt the efficacy of his work, but it is based on 70 years of successful research, experience and treatment. His contributions to humanity are unfathomable. Even now his revelations pertaining to the medical and scientific field are being proved to be correct. There are very few scientists or researchers who have been instrumental in preserving and enhancing human life to such an extent as him.

Dr. Walker proclaimed, “Don’t accept these claims as the truth until you have investigated them as I have done, thoroughly, unbiased and with an open mind.”

Father of Colon Health

Dr. Walker is also the Father of Colon Health. He was the first to discover that, “every pouch or sacculation of the colon was equipped with nerve terminals originating in every part of the anatomy, with definite and specific relation to the nerves of every unit of the glandular system.” He further stated, “To the uninformed it sounds ridiculous to claim that there is a relation and co-relation between nerves in one part of the body and another remote part of the anatomy. Nevertheless this happens to be the case.” Dr Walker was also the first one to discover that a degeneration of a part of the colon which had a nerve ending relating to a particular organ, degenerated the particular nerve and ultimately led to the degeneration of the organ too. He was thus able to demonstrate that colon cleansing was one of the fundamental means of flushing out harmful toxins from the body and keeping it clean and disease-free. Those who have had the first-hand experience of taking colon irrigations have to thank Dr. Walker for making this process of internal cleansing a proper, scientific and painless one.

A Diet For Everyone

Dr Walker’s diet and lifestyle suggestions are meant for everyone whether a vegetarian, non-vegetarian, vegan, ovo-lacto vegetarian, raw foodist, a person eating cooked meals and those who follow any other pattern of eating and living. His receipes are indicative on how vegetables and fruits can be used in a variety of ways. He encouraged people to use organically grown foods and their own orignial ideas in preparing meals. He also recommended that one could use whatever grew locally and seasonally.

Knowledge for All

Dr. Walker was consistently able to cure people of ailments for which the world is still searching for remedies. He offered clear-cut explanations and cures for complicated problems. An immensely evolved person is one who can write an entire page in one line, and Dr Walker did just that. Each line in his books have so much information that it could translate into several books. He could have written books which catered solely to the medical and scientific community instead, inspired by the response he received from his followers, he wrote his books in a simple manner, making them easy for everyone to read.

It was not by chance that he was referred to as the ‘loving Dr. Walker’: he was a human being par excellence! His purpose in life was not to amass great wealth by selling his health products at exorbitant rates, but to sincerely cure people of their ailments.

Educating Children About Health

Dr. Walker was of the opinion that before children are taught their 3R’s, they should learn that the human body is the most “valuable possession” they can have in their lifetime. When they look after their body, they will realize that the natural outcome is a life filled with vitality and intelligence. Children will learn by experience that eating food that is detrimental and following a wrong lifestyle harms the body, makes them sick and ages them prematurely. When they follow healthy habits, they will grow up to be vibrant citizens with respect for all living things. They would preserve nature and care for animals, and would loathe the very thought of harming them in any way.

Life in the Country

Dr. Walker lived mostly on his farm where he grew many of his own organic foods. According to him there was no greater way of living; the tranquil and invigorating surroundings made him feel one with Nature and provided emancipation from all the worries of a modern urban life. He felt that by living and working on a farm, one does not experience the tension that arises from trying to keep up with time. Dr. Walker regarded farming as one of the finest forms of exercise, where one gets to eat the fruits of their labor.

Relevance in Today’s World

The world stands to benefit from Dr. Walker’s way of living, especially today, when millions are migrating to urban cities in search of what they feel is a better life. However, it is not long before a sense of disillusionment overpowers them and the happiness they are seeking remains an elusive dream.

Dr. Walker is an exemplary model of his own philosophy. His infinite wisdom is reflected in eight small books where he lays down guidelines for a complete way of eating and living. He has provided us knowledge on how to preserve the human mind and body in its highest capacity. Now, more than ever, when the world is being depleted of its natural resources, Dr. Walker’s simplistic life which preserved nature and the environment is worth emulating.