Max, otherwise known as Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner (1867 - XXX) was a Swiss physician and a nutritional pioneer. After graduating from medical school and starting his medical practice, Max developed a case of jaundice. After successfully self-treating his jaundice with a diet of raw apples, Max became increasingly convinced of the power of living foods in self-healing.
1904 brought the opening of Max's Vital Force Sanatorium (Healing Center). The term "Vital Force" was derived from the German lifestyle reform movement which postulated that people are designed to flourish when they live their lives by living in harmony with nature. Max's Vital Force Healing Center drew patients from many countries and included princes, top businessmen, authors and musicians.
Max was considered a radical. Instead of recommending the standard diet of meat and white bread, Max recommended fruits, vegetables, nuts, physical exercise, active gardening work and a regular bedtime of 9 pm. Max's holistic ideas stood in stark contrast to the dietary practices of the time which only valued the protein and calorie content, instead of looking at the full nutritional value. According to Max, food was more than just a means to satiate hunger, it could and should be used to improve health. Max recommended 50% raw meals containing little or no meat, whole grain bread, fruits and veggies.
Inspired by shepherds who served him muesli during a Swiss Alps mountain climbing trip, Max created a unique muesli cereal for his clinic patients (known in Switzerland specifically as Bircher Müsli). Max's Muesli is actually quite different than today's commercially marketed muesli. Typically, muesli is a combination of raw grains (oats, millet or wheat), dried fruits, nuts, seeds, often sweetened with a touch of honey. Muesli is often served with milk, yogurt and fresh fruit.
There are many recipes online that claim to be "the original". Here's a link to one published on the Lifestyle Food website.
