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Welcome to the
Health Food History Library

~ A Public Resource ~

This website and its archives is intended to preserve the legacy, stories, and history of the health and natural foods movement- with its eccentrics, fanatics, and visionaries.

Information is the empowering tool that allows us to make healthy choices to protect ourselves, our families and loved ones. Healthfoodhistory.org is designed to remind and rekindle our awareness of the controversies, conspiracies, and challenges faced by the pioneering men and women of the past- legacies that continue to inspire and empower people today.

Walden
1854
Henry David Thoreau
One of the all time great American classics on individualism, simple living, and integrity.
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Healthy Lifestyle
healthy-lifestyle
Hippies and the Counterculture
hippies-and-the-counterculture
History
history
The Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism
1860
Russell, T. Trall, M.D.
Russell Trall, M.D., lays out the physiological and medical arguments for a vegetarian diet- in 1860!
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
History
history
Counsels on Diet and Foods
1863
Ellen G. White
Co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventists and her dietary advice for a healthy and spiritual life.
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Healthy Lifestyle
healthy-lifestyle
History
history
Origins and Early Writings
origins-and-early-writings
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
1875
Mary Baker Eddy
Eddy was the founder of Christian Science and spiritual healing.
Religions, Beliefs, Cults
religions-beliefs-cults
Medical Essays
1889
Oliver Wendell Holmes, M.D.
Essays on medicine by the prominent 19th century writer and physician.
History
history
General Health
general-health
How Nature Cures Comprising A New System of Hygiene; Also the Natural Food of Man
1892
Emmet Densmore
An early advocate of eating according to natural principles- vegetarian and mostly raw and unprocessed.
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Bread From Stones
1894
Julius Hensel, Ph.D.
A pioneering work from the 19th century German agricultural chemist who advocated using powdered rock dust to remineralize soil as a natural fertilizer.
Organic Agriculture
organic-agriculture
The No-Breakfast Plan and Fasting Cure
1900
Edward Hooker Dewey, M.D.
A book on fasting and intermittent fasting from 1900.
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy
1900
James Tyler Kent, M.D.
Classic book on homeopathic principles by the leading homeopath of his time.
Homeopathy
homeopathy
The Secret of Long Life, Or, How to Live in three Centuries
1901
Ezekiel Dodge Diamond
A pioneer who recommended nutritional and lifestyle advice for a long life- he lived to be 118!
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica with New Remedies
1904
James Tyler Kent, M.D.
Kent's definitive materia medica.
Homeopathy
homeopathy
The Jungle
1906
Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair exposes the horrific conditions of the meatpacking industry, sparking reforms in food safety and labor practices- written in 1906!
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
History
history
Origins and Early Writings
origins-and-early-writings
The Life of Mary Baker Eddy
1907
Sibyl Wilbur
Biography of the founder of the Christian Science movement.
Biography
biography
Rational Fasting…for Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Rejuvenation,
1910
Arnold Ehret
Arnold Ehret wrote several enduring classics on fasting and diet including this one.
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Starving America
1912
Alfred W. McCann
A very early advocate for regulation and oversight of a poorly or unregulated food industry. Published in 1912.
Dangers of Mainstream Foods and Toxins
dangers-of-mainstream-foods-and-toxins
Vitality Supreme
1915
Bernarr Macfadden
The book is a guide to Macfadden’s philosophy of natural living, emphasizing exercise, diet, fasting, and self-discipline as the keys to health, strength, and personal vitality.
No categories found.
Manhood and Marriage
1916
Bernarr Macfadden
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
The Science of Eating
1918
Alfred W. McCann
An early advocate for eating mostly unprocessed, whole foods and avoiding processed foods.
Healthy Lifestyle
healthy-lifestyle
General nutrition
general-nutrition
Fasting and Man’s Correct Diet
1921
R.B. Pearson
Pearson emphasized raw foods and a hygienic diet in addition to periodic fasting for health.
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Nature Cure
1921
H. Lindlahr
Lindlahr advocated for preventive care and natural therapies in the early decades of the twentieth century.
General nutrition
general-nutrition
Healthy Lifestyle
healthy-lifestyle
Mucusless Diet Healing System
1922
Arnold Ehret
Another of Ehret's classics.
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Arnold Ehret’s Story of My Life
1922
Arnold Ehret
Ehret's brief autobiography
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
The Fasting Cure
1923
Upton Sinclair
Sinclair's book on fasting, from 1923 by the famous author
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
The Natural Diet of Man
1923
J.H. Kellogg, M.D.
Kellogg's manifesto recommending a vegetarian diet and avoidance of processed foods.
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
History
history
Medical diets
medical-diets
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Rational Diet: An Advanced Treatise on the Food Question
1923
Otto Carque
An early proponent of raw foods and vegetarian diet. 1923.
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Raw Foods and Juices
raw-foods-and-juices