Harry Benjamin

More scans at http://flickr.com/photos/vegefoodie/sets/72157614168955227/

The book starts out well, arguing that being a healthy vegetarian means more than just omitting meat from the diet but he has something to say and he is not afraid to say about the vegetarians with a "holier than thou" attitude

"If certain vegetarians feel that the fact that they do not eat flesh foods confers on them some special moral superiority over meat-eaters, they can feel so if they wish, but it is hardly the type of attitude that will make them popular members of society. If one is a vegetarian for ethical reasons, then the fact that one is refraining from eating meat and inflicting pain on animals should be its own reward...one should not continually regard oneself as a member of a class apart, a superior caste of beings who are constantly being contaminated and polluted by contact with ordinary mortals and their repulsive dietetic habits"

After introducing the subject and listed a number of vegetarian heroes through history, he settles down to his main message which is to "advocate a fusion between Vegetarianism and real Diet Reform".

"Many orthodox vegetarians know very little or nothing about the principles of real Diet Reform"..."It is from the ranks of such folk that arises the 'starch-poisoned' type of vegetarian, with pasty face, poor physique, and that caricature of health which non-vegetarians often delight in trying to make out all vegetarians are."

Diet Reform comes from the principles of Nature Cure - a system of fasting, fresh air, sunshine, exercise and water. Many Naturopaths are also vegetarians but not all, and most avoid tea and coffee. "but many orthodox vegetarians consume tea and coffee in excessive amounts, and have a very generous attitude towards condiments, and sauces and seasonings too, to say nothing of their predilection for stodgy cheese and nut and pulse dishes, and heavy puddings and pies of all kinds, pastry, cake, etc."

Vegetarians like these are not diet reformers !

Meat eaters often argue that humans need meat to be strong and healthy. Benjamin argues that rationing meat during the Second World War in the UK and Denmark left the whole population healthier than it had been before and this weakens any argument for large quantities of meat. He supplies nutritional tables to support levels of protein available in plant matter.

Then he moves onto softer arguments. "no sensitive human being can condone such sights, smells and sounds [of an abattoir] once having experienced them". Butchers shops would "make any sensitive person wince inwardly" and onto moral corruption and contamination arguments...

"There cannot be the slightest doubt that meat-eating coarsens the body and soul of those partaking of such foods, thereby inevitably reducing their ability to perceive and appreciate the more aesthetic aspects of human existence i.e. beauty of scenery, lovely music, art, and culture and refinement of thought and feeling generally".

Not only does meat reduce the pleasures of art appreciation but it is also associated with crime ... "I sometimes wonder how far Chicago's evil reputation for crime is associated with the huge trade in the slaughtering and canning of animals goes on there."

If you are still with us, in the next chapter he has some unkind words to say about vegans and vegetarian guest houses. The former, while being the logical conclusion to vegetarianism, know little about proper dietary reform and "it seems rather ridiculous to risk sacrificing one's health simply to support a principle, which, although logical, yet is an entirely extremist viewpoint". Of the latter he wants a registration process that will close down guest houses that serve stodgy, poor food.

Finally we get onto his recommended diet of fruit for breakfast, one raw salad meal and one of conservatively cooked vegetables with a little cheese or nuts on the side. He spends some time talking about vitamins and then concludes with a very confusing paragraph about calories being unimportant because energy does not come from food but from it's vital energy.

"Our vital energy is derived from the source of life itself, and is not dependent on food intake, except that the food we eat is the means through which our vital energy expresses itself." A little too mystical for me.

The final chapter wraps things up with a list of successful vegetarian athletes, obviously updated through the editions to include Murray Rose (1956/60 Olympics) and an exceptional year for the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club in 1966… (altro)