What is the Dr Sebi Diet? Is the Alkaline Diet Healthy? Who is Alfredo Darrington Bowman?

What is the Dr Sebi Diet? Is the Alkaline Diet Healthy? Who is Alfredo Darrington Bowman? What is the Dr Sebi Diet? Alkaline Diet & Who is Alfredo Darrington Bowman? Healthy Happy Healing
What is the Dr Sebi Alkaline Diet? ⇪ Who is Alfredo Darrington Bowman?

Dr. Sebi an African Herbalist, Dietitian, and holistic health specialist was born Alfredo Darrington Bowman in Honduras in 1933. Dr. Sebi was a self-proclaimed healer and herbalist. He was self-educated — he was not a medical doctor and held no Ph.D. However, his teachings have cured and helped hundred of thousands of people. Dr. Sebi believed the Western approach to disease to be ineffective. He held that mucus and acidity — rather bacteria and viruses, for example — caused disease.
--------------

Between new diet documentaries and Instagram influencers touting their latest favorite diet pill, there is a lot of dieting "noise" out there. And with tons of conflicting information about which diet is best, it's difficult to separate fact from fiction, even when a diet is touted by someone who seems reputable.

Take for example the Dr. Sebi Diet, the second most-search diet on Google for 2019. While many may think the program was created by a physician, Alfredo Bowman, who is the creator, was an herbalist, not a medical doctor.

Even though it's focused on eating plant-based and eliminating processed foods, which can be beneficial, the Dr. Sebi Diet is also extremely restricting, and lacks protein and certain vitamins. Before you consider trying the Dr. Sebi Diet, here's everything you need to know:

Who was Dr. Sebi?
Alfredo Bowman, referred to as Dr. Sebi, was a self-proclaimed herbalist born in Honduras. According to his website, he was self-educated, and had no formal physician training. He was not a medical doctor, nor did he hold a PhD.

He immigrated to the United States and was unsuccessfully treated for his many chronic conditions, including diabetes, asthma, impotency, and obesity. His website states that he was healed by an herbalist in Mexico, which inspired him to create his own herbal mixtures, which he called Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food.

According to Health Line, he originally stated that his herbs could cure chronic conditions such as AIDS, sickle cell anemia, and lupus. However, in 1987, he was arrested for practicing medicine without a license (although the jury acquitted him). After another lawsuit a few years later by the State of New York, Sebi agreed to stop making claims that his products could cure any diseases.

Although controversial, Sebi's list of clients reportedly included: Michael Jackson, John Travolta, and Steven Seagal.

Sebi was arrested in 2016 for money laundering. While jailed in Honduras, he contracted pneumonia and died on the way to the hospital.

What is the Dr. Sebi diet?
Sebi claimed that disease is a result of mucus and acidity in the body, and argued that diseases cannot exist in an alkaline environment. His program, which includes a very strict dietary regimen and expensive supplements, claims to detoxify the body of disease and restore alkalinity (no scientific research is available to support his claims).

Here is a brief overview of the foods he recommends on his nutritional guide:

Vegetables: Amaranth greens, avocado, bell peppers, chayote, cucumber, dandelion greens, garbanzo beans, izote, kale, lettuce (all except Iceberg), mushrooms (all except shiitake), nopales, okra, olives, onions, sea vegetables, squash, tomato (cherry and plum only), tomatillo, turnip greens, zucchini, watercress, purslane, wild arugula
Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries (all varieties, no cranberries), elderberries, cantaloupe, cherries, currants, dates, figs, grapes (seeded), limes, mango, melons (seeded), oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, prickly pears, prunes, raisins (seeded), soft jelly coconuts, soursops, tamarind
Natural herbal teas: Burdock, chamomile, elderberry, fennel, ginger, raspberry, tila
Grains: Amaranth, fonio, kamut, quinoa, rye, spelt, tef, wild rice
Nuts and seeds: Hemp seeds, raw sesame seeds, raw sesame "tahini" butter, walnuts, brazil nuts
Oils: Olive oil (do not cook), coconut oil (do not cook), grapeseed oil, sesame oil, hempseed oil, avocado oil
Seasonings and spices: Basil, bay leaf, cloves, dill, oregano, savory, sweet basil, tarragon, thyme, achiote, cayenne, onion powder, habanero, sage, pure sea salt, powdered granulated seaweed, pure agave syrup, date sugar
Some other rules of Sebi's nutritional guide include:

You are only allowed to eat food listed on Sebi's Nutritional Guide
You must drink one gallon of natural spring water daily
All animal products are prohibited, including dairy, fish, and "hybrid" foods
Alcohol is not permitted
Sebi's products must be taken one hour prior to pharmaceuticals
You must avoid wheat and only consume the "natural-growing grains" listed in Sebi's guide
No canned or seedless fruits are allowed
Microwaves are to be avoided