Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner was a Swiss doctor and nutritional reformer. He coined the term “whole food” and is considered the “inventor” of today's muesli. The “apple diet dish” developed for the treatment of his patients was called “Bircher-Muesli” (mus = porridge) and was representative of his nutritional philosophy:
Bircher-Benner firmly believed that cooking causes food to lose quality. He was also convinced of the value of a varied diet as well as the importance of using table salt, flour, animal fat, sugar and alcohol sparingly. As a consequence, Bircher-Benner recommended a “complete” diet with a raw food content of 70 %.
