Morris Krok (28 April 1931 – October 2005) was a South African

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

and

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

educator.

Biography

Background Morris Krok was born in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

and brought up in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. As a young man, he started to seek solutions for his health problems and was influenced by natural healing writers of the 20th century such as

Vincent Priessnitz Vincenz Priessnitz, also written Prießnitz (sometimes in German ''Vinzenz'', in English ''Vincent'', in Czech ''Vincenc''; 4 October 1799 – 26 November 1851) was a peasant farmer in Gräfenberg, Austrian Silesia, who is generally considered ...

, Louis Kuhne,

Harry Benjamin Harry Benjamin (January 12, 1885 – August 24, 1986) was a German-American endocrinologist and sexologist, widely known for his clinical work with transgender people. Early life and career Benjamin was born in Berlin, and raised in a German ...

Arnold Ehret Arnold Ehret (July 29, 1866 October 10, 1922)Melton, Gordon J. (1990). ''New Age Encyclopedia''. Gale Research. p. 159. was a German naturopath and alternative health educator, best known for developing the Mucusless Diet Healing System. Ehre ...

Dugald Semple Dugald Patterson McDougall Semple (7 February 1884 – 19 January 1964) was a Scottish advocate of simple living and animal welfare, naturalist, prolific author, and fruitarian. He is sometimes credited with co-founding the vegan movement in 1 ...

, George R. Clements,

Walter Siegmeister Walter Isidor Siegmeister (October 5 or 6, 1903 – September 10, 1965),Brad Whitsel (2001)Walter Siegmeister's Inner-Earth Utopia ''Utopian Studies'' 12 (2): 82-102. later known as Raymond W. Bernard, was an early 20th-century American alternati ...

, Essie Honiball and Johnny Lovewisdom. He also studied

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

, occult,

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas ...

yogic Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

, spiritual and

metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

writings from the

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

. Krok migrated to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

to develop his work and writings, dedicating his life to the quest for knowledge about health,

vitality Vitality (, , ) is the capacity to live, grow, or develop. More simply it is the property of having life. The perception of vitality is regarded as a basic psychological drive and, in philosophy, a component to the will to live. As such, peopl ...

and

higher consciousness Higher consciousness is the consciousness of God or, in the words of Dawn DeVries, "the part of the human mind that is capable of transcending animal instincts". While the concept has ancient roots, it was significantly developed in German ideali ...

. A regular marathon runner, Krok died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

of the leg in 2005, blaming "his problem on his terrible diet in his youth and on cooked food temptations from family". Beliefs In the 1950s, a popular South African

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

featured a story about Krok’s belief that

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

was the ideal food for

humankind Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

. In the 1990s and 2000s, David Klein Ph.D., publisher of Living Nutrition, chronicled Krok's famous sayings including "Man will always get colds if he persists in eating large quantities of mucous forming foods in the form of starch,

dairy products Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in ...

and animal fats." and "Health is the balance between assimilation and elimination.” in the magazine. Central to Krok's thinking was that mucusless foods held the key to good health. In the article, ''A Yogic Perspective'' he describes how "To heal and avoid

illness A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

, one must alkalinize the

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

through a

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

of predominately

raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

fruits and

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

." Writings Krok wrote books on

detoxification Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

, internal purification, natural living,

self-healing Self-healing refers to the process of recovery (generally from psychological disturbances, trauma, etc.), motivated by and directed by the patient, guided often only by instinct. Such a process encounters mixed fortunes due to its amateur nature, ...

fruitarianism Fruitarianism () is a diet related to veganism that consists primarily of consuming fruits and possibly nuts and seeds, but without any animal products. Fruitarian diets are subject to criticism and health concerns. Fruitarianism may be adopted ...

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

, living foods, raw

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

physical culture Physical culture, also known as Body culture, is a health and strength training movement that originated during the 19th century in Germany, the UK and the US. Origins The physical culture movement in the United States during the 19th century ...

, hatha yoga,

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

, deep breathing, higher consciousness,

radiant energy Radiant may refer to: Computers, software, and video games * Radiant (software), a content management system * GtkRadiant, a level editor created by id Software for their games * Radiant AI, a technology developed by Bethesda Softworks for '' ...

, life extension and

vitalism Vitalism is a belief that starts from the premise that "living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than are inanimate things." Wher ...

. As well as being an author, Krok published several books by other authors including Johanna Brandt, Otto Abramowski and

Theos Bernard Theos Casimir Hamati Bernard (1908–1947) was an explorer and author, known for his work on yoga and religious studies, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism. He was the nephew of Pierre Arnold Bernard, "Oom the Omnipotent", and like him became a yo ...

, through Essence of Health Publishers. Golden Path Krok's book ''Golden Path To Rejuvenation'' described how a

non-toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...

diet and the osmotic pressure of

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...

water could detoxify and purify the

membrane A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. ...

s and tissues of the body. Krok believed that internal purification, was the direct and most effective way for a longer and youthful life. He described how not everything humans eat is used by the body, showing how accumulated wastes and toxins caused by an unnatural diet and other substances, result in illness and premature ageing. His internal purification programme was designed to help increase longevity and remain youthful. He believed internal cleansing in conjunction with

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...

foods was the 'golden path'. The book also explained the ''

vomit Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenterit ...

'' technique, a central part of the detoxification regime he endorsed. Legacy Krok was one of a series of 20th-century writers who wrote about fruitarianism, raw nutrition, fasting, detoxification, yoga and higher consciousness. His contemporaries included Brian Clement Ph.D, Dr. Douglas N. Graham, Viktoras Kulvinskas and Robert Gray. Authors who have endorsed Krok's writings in their books include John McCabe, Joe Alexander,

Gary Null Gary Michael Null (born January 6, 1945) is an American talk radio host and author who advocates pseudoscientific alternative medicine and produces a line of questionable dietary supplements. Null is hostile to evidence-based medicine and has ...

, Benito De Donno and David Wolfe.

Criticisms

Morris Krok advocated a fruitarian diet in his writings as the optimal diet and described how at stages during his life, he lived "only on fruits". It is claimed that he later advised against a diet of "only fruit" however, it was subsequently reported that Krok's diet consisted of "just fruit".

Writings

Books and booklets written by Morris Krok, many published through Essence Of Health Publishers: *Amazing New Health System: Inner Clean Way, 1978 *Amazing New Health System: Inner Clean Way, Essence of Health, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 2001, *Cream of Yoga, 1987 (booklet) *Diary Of A Health & Truth Seeker, 1967, 1969 *Diet Health And Living On Air, 1973 *El Frugivorismo de Durban, Barcelona: Cuadernos De Naturismo, , 1980 *Formula For Long Life, 1967, 1977 and 2001 (originally From The Deathbed To Boisterous Health) *From The Deathbed To Boisterous Health, 1962, 1963 *Fruit: The Food And Medicine For Man, 1961 (alternate title ''The Conquest Of Disease'') *Fruit: The Food And Medicine For Man, Connecticut: O'mangod, 1967 *Golden Path To Rejuvenation: Life’s Most Important Knowledge, 1964 *Hatha Yoga In Its Moods Multivarious, 1959 *Hatha Yoga: The Vibrant Science Of Life, 1975 *Health, Diet, and Living on Air (1964) *Health Truths Eternal, 1964 *Health Truths Eternal (booklet) *Metaphysical Diary, 1960s *Mystic Story (booklet) *The Greater Miracle of Life, 1964 *The Kindred Soul: Teachings Of Eternal Truth, 1968 *Pathway To Truth, 1974 *Raw Juice Therapy & Self-Help, 1967 *Science of Natural Healing (booklet), 1961 *Soul Knowledge, 1960s (formerly Revelations Of The New Age) *The Conquest Of Disease, 1961 *The Fog Lifts - autobiography (unpublished)

Essence Of Health publications

*Fast Way To Health - Frank Mccoy *Fruitarian Diet & Physical Rejuvenation - Otto Abramowski *Fruitarian System Of Healing - Otto Abramowski, 1976 *Fruitarianism: Compassionate Way To Transform Health - Hannah Hurnard *Garden Of The Lord - Hannah Hurnard *Gardening Without Digging - Albert Guest, 1973 *Hatha Yoga - Theos Bernard, 2001, *Heaven Lies Within Us - Theos Bernard, 2002, *I Live On Fruit - Essie Honiball, 2002 *My Healing Secret *The Physiological Enigma of Woman: The Mystery Of Menstruation - Raymond Bernard *Prenatal Origin Of Genius - Raymond W. Bernard, (Foreword and Edited by Morris Krok), 1962 *The Grape Cure - Joanna Brandt *Yoga Gave Me Superior Health (Heaven Lies Within Us) - Theos Bernard *Yoga System Of Health - Yogi Vithaldas

Books cited by Morris Krok

*Autogbiography Of A Yogi - Paramhansa Yogananda *Doctor’s Disease And Health - Cyril Scott *Everybody’s Guide To Nature Cure - Harry Benjamin *Folk Medicine - DeForest Clinton Jarvis *Game Of Life - Florence Shinn *Hatha Yoga - Theos Benard *Healing By Water - T. Hartley Hennessy *Heaven Lies Within Us - Theos Bernard *Mucusless Diet Healing System - Arnold Ehret *Nature The Healer - Vera Richter *New Science Of Healing - Louis Kuhn *A Plea for The Order of the Golden Age - H. J. Williams *Pacifying Panicking People - *Provoker - John Toby *Raw Eating - Aterhov T. Hovannessian *Science Of Breath - Yogi Ramacharaka *Sunfood Way To Health - Dugald Semple *Why Grow Old - Tony Officer *Why slim - Khaled Hasan *Street pocker - Kaleemi

References

External links

Vibrance/Living Nutrition Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krok, Morris 1931 births 2005 deaths South African nutritionists Raw foodists Pseudoscientific diet advocates 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers