Margaret Hills was a nurse who developed an acid-free dietary approach to arthritis after she developed Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and then Osteoarthritis (OA). Hills was 21 and undertaking nurse training when she was diagnosed with RA. She spent the next five months in hospital before being sent home to convalesce. Because her heart had been badly affected by the disease, she advised to give up nursing and avoid the activities she loved - dancing and cycling.
However, she decided that she wanted to enjoy life, so she ignored the advice and resumed her favourite activities. She soon lost the excess weight she had gained whilst in hospital and despite also having developed OA, she was allowed to resume her nursing training. She completed her training and married, but continued to suffer from the pain of OA. After 16 years and six children, she suffered another RA attack, which left her crippled. The only treatment available to her, apart from aspirin, was a new 'wonder drug' that her doctor deemed to be unsafe, so she began to research 'natural cures' and went to develop her own treatment.
From her research, Hills concluded that both OA and RA were caused by an excess of uric acid in the body, caused by a poor diet. Her treatment aimed to remove excess uric acid from her body and provide nutrients to help in the burning up of the acids, as well as preventing any further build-up. It included taking one dessert spoon of cider vinegar and one teaspoon of honey in water three times a day and one teaspoon of black molasses three times daily. She also took vitamin, mineral and protein supplements every day and did regular, gentle exercise. Three times a week she took a bath containing three cups of Epsom salts.
In addition, she followed a healthy, 'acid-free' diet that was low in salt and animal fats and excluded alcohol, citrus fruits, tomatoes, processed meats (such as ham, bacon and sausages) and refined foods like white sugar, white bread, cakes and biscuits. Instead, she based her diet on whole grains, fish, cottage cheese, lamb (including the liver and heart), poultry, fresh vegetables and non-citrus fruits. 'Allowed' drinks included apple juice, weak tea, decaffeinated coffee and the occasional Guiness. She also consciously avoided stress as mush as possible.
In her book, Treating Arthritis the Drug Free Way, Hills reported that within 12 months, the treatment had rid her of 'all signs of arthritis' and that she remained pain free. In 1982, she opened a private clinic in Kenilworth, Walwickshire, so that she could treat arthritis sufferers using her holistic methods.
