The life of Greer Garson, like many women, was a complex tapestry woven with threads of personal experiences, professional endeavors, and the ever-present influence of the past. Examining her life, alongside broader discussions of diet, lifestyle, and the haunting nature of memory, offers a multifaceted perspective on well-being and resilience.
The Allure of the Past and the Importance of Letting Go
Many find comfort in stories about women, houses, and ghosts. This fascination stems from the secrets they hold. Every home tries to shelter the secrets of the woman who lived there once, in the same way that the woman once upon a time loved the house. The past, like a ghostly presence, can linger, observing and haunting us. The veil between what’s seen in the world and what’s hidden is its thinnest on the supernatural plane. And the intuitive and open heart can be gifted with an understanding of what’s gone before in our lives and be encouraged to let go and move on.
The Anglo-Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen believed that the truly scary supernatural story “lies in their being just, just out of the true.” Just out of the frame of life, lingering, observing you. Haunting. Remembering.
However, clinging to the past can hinder personal growth. As Caroline Myss suggests, when we resist moving on from situations that stunt our soul’s growth, a "celestial clock" begins ticking, compelling us to confront change.
The Complexities of Loss and the Courage to Begin Again
Loss is an inevitable part of life, and the way we cope with it shapes our future.The salt was from her tears. Only in a house where one has learnt to be lonely does one have this solicitude for things,” Elizabeth Bowen confessed in her masterpiece The Death of the Heart (1938). One’s relation to them, the daily seeing or touching, begins to become love, and to lay one open to pain.” Bowen struggled her entire life to keep her family’s old Irish home Bowen’s Court; she had a nervous breakdown over unpaid bills in the 1950s. After she “recovered” she lectured and taught in the States to keep it going. Finally, she was forced to sell and then lived to see her beloved home torn down and razed to the ground. She spent the rest of her life living in hotels or with friends.
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If you have to let go, move on and begin again, you’ve come to the right friend, who’s learned that loving and losing are both sides of our ghost stories: the Here and After.When I look at the courageous women who have gone before me-I call them my Swell Dames-they offer me a hand to help and guide me as I begin again. I feel such a deep connection with these women with a past because, as Bowen said, their ghosts are “just out of being true.”
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney: Garson's Crack at the Part
Then finally, Greer Garson got her crack at the part in a version that shifted the play from the interwar years to the turn of the twentieth century and even changed the title. The early talkie - Norma Shearer in The Last of Mrs. The Art Deco confection - Joan Crawford in The Last of Mrs.
Diet and Cancer Prevention
Scientists with the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund analyzed >7000 scientific studies and produced recommendations to lower the risk of developing cancer (1, 2). Their recommendations were the following: be as lean as possible without becoming underweight; be physically active at least 30 minutes every day; avoid sugary drinks and processed foods high in sugar or fat; eat mostly plant foods-vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes; limit red meats and processed meats; limit alcoholic drinks to no more than two a day for men and one a day for women; limit salt intake; and meet nutritional needs through diet rather than supplements. Additionally, new mothers were encouraged to breast-feed their infants exclusively for 6 months, and cancer survivors were encouraged to follow the recommendations for cancer prevention. The panels also emphasized the importance of not smoking or using tobacco products. In their 1997 report, the panels linked fat only to uterine cancer. Now the authors indicate that fat plays a role not only in uterine cancer, but also in pancreatic, colorectal, renal, esophageal, and postmenopausal breast cancer. The scientists observed that every 1.7 ounces of processed meat consumed a day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%. The committee advised limiting cooked red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) to ≤18 ounces a week. Alcohol consumption was linked to an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, breast, colon, and liver. Prentice and colleagues (3) showed that a diet of ≤20% of calories from fat reduces the incidence of ovarian cancer. Cancer occurrence was analyzed in 48,835 postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative.
The Gerson Therapy: An Alternative Approach
The Gerson therapy is a nutritional system that involves a specialized diet, raw juices, detoxification, and supplements. Some people believe it may help prevent or treat cancer. Aside from conventional cancer treatments, there are some natural and alternative therapies, like Gerson therapy, that some people believe to be an effective way to prevent or treat cancer. However, many experts question the safety and efficacy of the Gerson therapy. It’s advisable to discuss proper treatment with a healthcare professional before committing to this diet. Using unapproved alternative treatment methods can lead to dangerous side effects and may worsen your health.
The Gerson therapy - also called the Gerson therapy diet - is a natural alternative treatment system that claims to “activate the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself.” It was developed in the early 1900s by Dr. Max B. Gerson, who used it to relieve his migraine. Later, Gerson used this therapy to treat diseases like tuberculosis and cancer. Gerson believed that cancers and other chronic diseases are the result of changes in your metabolism that happen when toxic substances accumulate in your body. The Gerson therapy aims to restore your health by removing toxins and increasing immunity.
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In 1978, his daughter Charlotte Gerson established the Gerson Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides education and training in the Gerson therapy. Gerson practitioners are medical doctors or people with a medical, clinical, or naturopathic background who have successfully completed the Gerson practitioner training program.
Components of the Gerson Therapy
The Gerson therapy is divided into three key components - diet, supplements, and detoxification.
Diet
The Gerson therapy diet is entirely vegetarian and extremely low in sodium, fats, and proteins, as Dr. Gerson believed that this type of diet helps treat diseases. Anyone on this diet is asked to consume approximately 15-20 pounds (7-9 kg) of organic produce per day. This is said to help “flood the body with nutrients.” Most of that produce is used to make raw juices. Dieters are asked to drink up to one 8-ounce (240-ml) glass of raw juice per hour - up to 13 times per day. Juices must be made using a Gerson-recommended two-step juicer that first grinds the vegetables into a pulp, then extracts the juice by squeezing it under high pressure.
Supplements
Because the diet is loaded with nutrients, its supplements are not meant to provide more nutrients. Instead, they’re intended to support your cells’ metabolic processes. Potassium supplements are a key part of the Gerson therapy. Dr. Gerson believed that diseased cells contained too much sodium and too little potassium. Once his participants started the Gerson therapy diet - which is high in potassium and low in sodium - their cells would reportedly shrink, which Gerson believed to be a sign of recovery.
Detoxification
According to the Gerson Institute, the combined effect of the diet and supplements releases toxins from your body’s tissues. Thus, your liver - which is the main organ that processes toxins - would be working harder than usual. To support your liver, the Gerson therapy incorporates coffee enemas that allegedly widen your liver’s bile duct so that it easily releases toxins.
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Foods to Consume and Avoid on the Gerson Therapy
The Gerson therapy bans foods that are high in protein, sodium, and fat. Additionally, you cannot eat foods with certain compounds that the Institute claims interfere with the healing process. Foods in the Gerson therapy should be prepared without:
- salt
- spices
- oils
- aluminum cooking utensils or pans
Spices and fruit - such as pineapples and berries - are often prohibited because they contain aromatic acids, a plant compound. Dr. Gerson believed that aromatic acids interfered with the healing process. However, this is currently determined on a case-by-case basis. The Gerson therapy mandates an organic, plant-based diet. You may be encouraged to consume:
- Fruits: all fresh fruits except berries and pineapple, which harbor aromatic acids
- Dried fruits (stewed or pre-soaked only): peaches, dates, figs, apricots, prunes, and raisins - all unsulphured
- Vegetables: all except mushrooms, hot peppers, carrot greens, radish greens, mustard greens, and raw spinach (cooked spinach is fine)
- Lentils: allowed only at certain times if you’re in good health
- Grains: rye bread (unsalted, non-fat), brown rice (if prescribed), and oatmeal
- Dairy: only non-fat, plain, organic yogurt - and only after six weeks
- Spices (in small amounts): allspice, anise, bay leaves, coriander, dill, fennel, mace, marjoram, rosemary, sage, saffron, sorrel, summer savory, thyme, and tarragon
- Condiments: vinegar - either wine or apple cider
- Fats: flaxseed oil - only if prescribed
- Beverages: freshly pressed juices (as prescribed), caffeine-free herbal teas
In addition to the above foods, certain items are permitted occasionally:
- Bananas: typically half a banana per week
- Breads: only whole wheat rye (unsalted, non-fat) - generally 1-2 slices per day
- Quinoa: usually once a week
- Yams and sweet potatoes: typically once a week (regular potatoes are unrestricted)
- Popcorn: air-popped, usually as a holiday treat only - a few times per year
- Sweeteners: maple syrup (grade A dark color - formerly grade B), honey, brown sugar, or unrefined blackstrap molasses - 1-2 teaspoons (15-30 ml) of any per day, maximum
Potential Benefits of the Gerson Therapy
Although no comprehensive studies exist on the health attributes of the Gerson therapy, it may provide some benefits - largely thanks to its nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.
- Higher in many nutrients: Plant-based diets tend to provide more fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than typical Western diets high in processed foods.
- May reduce your risk of heart disease: Diets high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
- May improve kidney function: Plant-based diets may protect against kidney disease and kidney stones.
- May help relieve constipation: The Gerson therapy and other plant-based diets are high in fiber, which may help relieve constipation and keep your digestive system healthy.
Risks and Downsides of the Gerson Therapy
The Gerson therapy has several serious risks and downsides.
- flu-like symptoms
- foul odor with perspiration
- loss of appetite
- fever
- tumor pain
- cold sores or fever blisters
- dizziness or weakness
- diarrhea, vomiting, or intestinal cramping
Coffee enemas can also lead to electrolyte imbalance. This imbalance can cause serious issues like dehydration, infections, and seizures.