[9] In the 1840s, Joel Shew was influenced by the dieting ideas of Sylvester Graham and promoted natural hygiene practices such as bathing, exercise and massage as well as the elimination of alcohol and tobacco.
[5] George H. Taylor who introduced Swedish massage to the United States in the 1860s was known to promote natural hygiene and physical culture.
Taylor believed that correct breathing and diet, gymnastics and mechanical massage could replace medical intervention and restore health.
[1] White supremacist Ben Klassen was influenced by Shelton and natural hygienic principles and promoted his own 'racial health' regimen known as Salubrious Living.
[20][21] However, Klassen emphasised there were differences between his doctrine and the natural hygiene movement as the latter did not focus on perpetuating the white race like his regimen did.
[20] Interest in natural hygiene was renewed in the 1980s following publication of Fit for Life and Living Health by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.
[1] In 1948, the American Natural Hygiene Society (ANHS) was founded by Herbert Shelton, William Esser, Gerald Benesh, Christopher Gian-Cursio, Jesse Mercer Gehman, Irving Davidson, Jack Dunn Trop and Symon Gould.
[26][28][29] A prolonged fast may cause "anemia, impairment of liver function, kidney stones, postural hypotension, mineral imbalances, and other undesirable side effects".