A life should not simply be reduced to numbers and dates – especially not that of the Pioneer in Natural Health, Alfred Vogel.  The fascinating life history of Alfred Vogel is made up of a wealth of knowledge about the way in which Nature works, numerous journeys to all continents and many successful publications.*

Alfred Vogel grew up in Aesch in Basel (Switzerland) and even in early childhood became familiar with medicinal plants and their mode of action through his father and his grandparents.  Phytotherapy and the desire to help his fellow men became his life’s work, which he pursued passionately into old age.*

Alfred Vogel managed an herb and health store in Basel at the age of 21. Almost immediately he began to advise his customers on the power of Nature as well as on healthy nutrition and lifestyle through lectures and his own publications. He began to prepare remedies himself and to sell them to his customers. Even then Alfred Vogel was convinced that a life in harmony with Nature means eating as naturally and as healthily as possible.*

In the 1930s he relocated from Basel to Teufen in Appenzell. There he further developed his skills as a herb gatherer and improved the remedies he made for himself. In Teufen he made the crucial discovery that the mode of action of fresh plants was fundamentally better than that of dried ones. From then on Alfred Vogel manufactured his herbal remedies from freshly harvested plants whenever possible.*

In 1963, at an age when others think of retirement, he founded Bioforce AG in Switzerland. Today Bioforce AG is one of the most prominent manufacturers of herbal remedies in many European countries, Canada, USA and Australia.*

Throughout his life Alfred Vogel was a passionate traveler. Being a Phytotherapist and naturopath, he was full of curiosity: all plants and herbs of the Earth were of interest to him. He took every opportunity to visit foreign countries and cultures.*

From the 1950s, Alfred Vogel travelled throughout numerous countries on all continents. His special interest lay in primitive peoples with a close relationship to Nature. His experiences with the people of the prairie and the primeval forest showed him that the skillful management and support of Nature can often do more than the alleged skill of man. For example, when he was with the Native American Sioux in the USA he discovered the immune active plant Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), which became the symbol for the A.Vogel brand.*

Alfred Vogel maintained that complete effectiveness was only contained in fresh plants. Observation and many conversations with his patients backed up his theory that preparations made from fresh plants have a better and broader effect than those made from dried plants. For this reason, A.Vogel herbal remedies are as fresh as Nature.*

The plants for A.Vogel’s fresh plant remedies are prepared within 24 hours of harvesting. This principle applies to organically grown plants as well as to those that have been gathered from the wild. Numerous analytical examinations and in-vitro tests (laboratory tests) confirm that A.Vogel fresh plant preparations have several advantages over conventional products made from dried plants. They have a higher concentration of active ingredients, a wider spectrum of effects, better stability and higher activity in cell culture tests.*

For every individual product that you as a customer use for your health, A. Vogel guarantees you the complete effect of fresh herbal plants. A very few plants, which will not grow in the Swiss climate, have to be used in their dried state in the absence of suitable alternatives.*

1. Nature and the Quality of Life
To find the true quality of life, live as far as possible in harmony with the creator and nature and be aware of nature's powers. Enabling people to adopt the struggle for natural harmony as their own aim in life, is a rewarding task.

2. Health Care
Foresight is the source of health and happiness. The decision to adopt a natural balanced diet and to heed the body's own signals must be taken freely and deliberately. Health, like illness, does not affect particular organs in isolation, but is closely connected with our attitude towards life, our circumstances and our lifestyle.

3. It's Up To You
Knowing how nutrition and health are linked makes it easier for us to realize the vital fact that the responsibility for our well-being lies in our own hands, and not in those of the health authorities. The physician or therapist is like a mountain guide. He leads and shows the way, but he does not carry the patients. They have to make their way themselves. We must learn to take responsibility for our own health.

4. Balance as a Principle Of Life
Follow nature's example and try to find the balance between tension and relaxation, between activity and rest, between intellectual and physical activity. Illness and suffering are caused by imbalance and disharmony, in whatever areas of our life they may occur.

5. Respect and Sympathy
To live according to the principles of nature is much more than a technique. It requires an inner attitude which is typified by a deep understanding of, as well as respect and sympathy for, creation.

If we wish to oppose violence, be it against man, the environment or animals, then we have to learn to respect Life as something sacred. To allow animals, which are part of creation, to suffer in man's experiments, is cruel and irreconcilable with an attitude of respect towards nature.

6. The Urge To Heal Is A Law Of Nature
After years of illness, many people have recovered their health thanks to a rigorous change in their way of life and with the help of natural medicine. Natural holistic medicine does not combat symptoms, but seeks to eliminate the causes of the illness.

7. The Holistic Principle
Every substance contained in a plant has purpose and significance. They complement each other and act as a whole. It is important to grow seeds in healthy soil without using pesticides, and to process the plants for medicinal purposes gently and without using substances that are poisonous or environmentally unfriendly. Wherever reasonably possible, fresh plants should be used.

8. The Power Of Love
In all our strivinglet love be our guide, for it is the greatest power in the universe.

"When we become ill a good 80% of the condition can be put down to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the body’s needs. Faith in medicine and medicine alone cannot give us back our health when we are unwell – we must return to a natural way of life since the majority of our illnesses are caused by unhealthy lifestyle and nutrition."
-A. Vogel

These words are taken from Alfred Vogel’s book Die Nahrung als Heilfaktor (Nutrition as a Healing Factor) which appeared in 1935.  The Pioneer of Natural Health was convinced that a life in harmony with nature meant eating as naturally and as healthily as possible.  If you only eat unadulterated foodstuffs there is no need to worry whether you are getting too many or too few vitamins.  He used to say that nature provides us with everything we need for a healthy mind and a healthy body.  Here are Alfred Vogel’s ten principles of nutrition:

1.  You are what you eat! Eating should be pleasurable and good for the health. Food should be organic and as fresh and natural as possible – then it will taste good and also be healthy. 

2.  Basically, make sure you eat foodstuffs that are as natural as possible as well as being rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fats in the form of good vegetable oils and fish, which contain omega fatty acids, are recommended. 

3.  Eat slowly and chew well (well chewed is half digested). Eat light meals in the evening – vegetable dishes, salads, thin soups and fresh fruit.

4.  Food should be fresh and well prepared (not cooked in fat) to retain valuable nutrients. Hot dishes lose of lot of nutrients in the process of cooking. They should never be reheated. Ready made or pre-cooked products should be avoided; when this is not possible, check the vitamin and mineral content and opt for something such as frozen or canned peas.

5.  Get into the habit of going for a walk after meals. This is good for both respiration and digestion.

6.  Set aside fasting days. Single, or if possible, regular days set aside as juice only, fruit only, sauerkraut or rice only days can be beneficial to the gut.

7.  Drink less coffee and alcohol. Give up nicotine. These substances tend to irritate organs such as the stomach and intestines.

8.  Make meals more appetizing by using herbs, sprouts, shoots, garlic, grated horseradish and lemon juice. Eating should be a pleasurable experience. 

9.  Eat in moderation. Alfred Vogel believed that we could reduce the amount we eat by 40% to 50% and still get all the nourishment we need.

10.  Alfred Vogel himself lived mainly as a vegetarian and ate a naturally alkaline, wholefood diet with a high proportion of raw food just as people living in harmony with nature still do today. 

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