Naturopathy Books

This comprehensive book helped me get the necessary information to start a home-based business in medical magnets, to give me the information to sell the products and to be informed myself. A must read in alternative medical treatments.

These authors take the reader through a journey in time as well as history to set a foundation for the use of permanent magnets. Included are case studies, testimonials, wild assumptions, and generalities. This reader felt like he was being conned by a very poor salesman. Some of the information may have been correct in it's original context. However, the authors chose to present only part of the information in a general format and discount other research which may have contrary information. This is a scary book, it has been a major seller and propaganda machine for companies and individuals to promote sales of magnetic products at the risk of the individual. This book has provided two sets of information for this reader. First is that medical degrees and bibliographical citations do not always make a credible book. Second, is this book provides a list of possible references with actual research information. I do not feel that all of the information contained in this book is wrong, just misleading, incomplete and distorted. A more complete analysis with both indications and contraindications for use can be found in "Magnetism and its effects on the living system". by Davis and Rawls.

Believe what you want. If you choose to use chemincals rather than your own body to heal itself, that's your choice. I like to stay away from chemicals (i.e. medication). So, this book has helped me in my search for better health.

I used to think magnetic and far infrared stuff was black magic until I read this book. I read this book because medicine did not help.

The concepts in this book are very simple. God created a planet with what we need to live healthily, magnetic engergy being one element. Then we surround ourselves with concrete and metal that blocks the natural engergies, and with electrical appliances that confuses our naturally frequencies, no wonder our health problems increase by leaps and bounds.

It's really all about energy. You eat to get energy, right? Well. OK, I do anyway. But it takes energy to digest food. So, get some instant energy so that your body can use it instantly to protect itself. The magnets have helped me so much I won't live without them now.

The book also mentions the benefits of far infrared. You will need to read "Reverse Aging" by Sang Whang to understand the benefits of that.

I wish I can find a doctor that knows when to apply magnetics, when to prescribe alkaline diet, and when to call for surgery -- combining every form of rememdy appropriately, instead of just prescribing chemicals.

Our family and friends have been using products described in this book for almost seven years. There is absolutely no doubt this age-old technology works! I like the simple straight forward approach the author used in explaining the history, applications, and theories on how these products work. We all use products every day, ie fax machines, cellular phones etc. that we don't understand exactly how they work....but they safely get the results we are looking for, and that's what counts. A very enlightening, informative book for anyone desiring a simple, safe, effective, and economical way to deal with some of the discomforts of life.

Although we still don't know exactly how magnets work on the human body, we do know that 1) they do work, and 2) they can't hurt. This book does an absolutely fabulous job of enlightening chronic pain sufferers of an alternative, non-invasive, completely safe, effective method of relieving pain. Tell anyone who suffers from discomfort to read this book

This is another excellent book from Joseph Pizzorno. I purchased my first edition in 1997 and this book still has a prominent place on my book shelf. I refer to it often. The information is timeless and true. This isn't a "fad" or "flash in the pan" way to look at your own health and wellness but a very clear, concise, understandable way to maintain a healthy body. I would strongly suggest that anyone interested in understanding their body consider purchasing this book.

There is a curious 'mixed-bag' of reviews for 'Total Wellness' here, but I would ask those of you 'sitting on the fence' to at least observe that of the 6 reviews here (at the time of writing this), five of them give a full 5-stars and only one bucks this trend. That ratio, at the very least, surely speaks volumes. I feel it important to address this, not because I have any desire to enter into debate, but simply because I'd consider it very sad indeed if anyone passed this book by, simply because of a single, decidedly-negative, review. Anyone doing so would be missing out on a very positive book with a great deal to offer from a health-promoting standpoint and that, after all, was the author's primary aim.

While I respect everyone's right to express their opinions (and Amazon's policy to support free speech, with regard to reviews of products they sell), I consider Mr. Cullen's statement, "I regard naturopathy as 'an unethical pseudoscience'", in his review for this book, to be unsubstantiated. Orthodox Science may be a wonderful thing in many regards but, as a distinct discipline in the Western world, is perhaps only about 400years old. Furthermore, it has fragmented itself into specialities which means that forming a complete picture of something as mind-bogglingly complex as the interactions of foods and herbs on human physiology is nigh-on impossible, no matter how many microscopes you throw at the research effort. Consequently, even with the best will in the world, it is self-evidently incomplete. That Science has not YET confirmed (OR refuted) the findings of a tradition spanning literally thousands of years, and based on careful, repeated, and intricate, DIRECT observation of nature, is surely not sufficient justification to proclaim it 'pseudoscience', unless I misunderstood and this was intended as a compliment. The works of Einstein could just as easily have been labelled pseudoscience, profoundly theoretically-based as they were, up until the point where science did begin to find physical (and highly-bewildering) evidence supporting his theories. Although I support the standpoint of caution with regard to things that are considered unproven, it nonetheless seems to be a characteristic of humankind to proclaim everything nonsense until it is 'proven' correct, at which point it is proclaimed as 'obvious'. I would also question by what yardstick something is considered to be unproven. If, by unproven (which I take to be the intimation of the 'pseudoscience' remark), one means unproven by half a millenium of orthodox Science, then, well, perhaps, but only by that particular yardstick. I consider several thousand years of observation of consistent cause-and-effect to be as much proof as anyone could hope for, irrespective of whether a microscope or electronic measuring device was involved in the proceedings. Indeed, consistent observation of cause-and-effect, over a period of several thousand years (and thus with many thousands of samples) might very well be considered to be use of scientific methodology, even though it was not necessarily in a controlled environment, under double-blind research circumstances.

Quite what may be considered unethical about naturopathy, a tradition almost as old as mankind itself, I cannot imagine, although, of course, ANY tradition is open to abuse or incompetency, through no fault of its own. Even alopathic medicine, which, ~albeit-inadvertently~, has a shocking safety record, by virtue of incorrectly prescribed or administered drugs, or secondary complications arising therefrom, can nonetheless be considered to have a legitimate place in the healing arts, easy though it would be for someone to claim IT as 'unethical pseudoscience'. Surely, though none are 100% perfect, each and every healing modality has its place and has something positive to offer? I am an adherent of naturopathic principles but I still see my alopathic doctor from time to time, despite the tendency for alopathy to often focus upon suppression of symptoms rather than examination of underlying natural causes (to say nothing of the pharmaceutical industry's apparent attempts to apply commercial persuasion to those in alopathic practice).

Personally, I found Pizzorno's 'Total Wellness' to be an engaging and very informative book, with a very forthright approach to explaining underlying mechanisms of health and disease. There are many excellent books on the subject of naturopathic healing in the general marketplace (e.g. Dr. Bernard Jensen's, Ralph Golan's 'Optimal Wellness' etc.) but few really get 'under the hood' in the way that this book seeks to do and it is for this reason that I consider my purchase of this book to have been very worthwhile.

As always, not an outright replacement for the advice of a doctor (of whatever modality), on a firsthand basis, but an excellent and informative book on a subject the general public would do well to become better acquainted with.

I highly recommend this book and would also recommend prospective purchasers to add the aforementioned 'Optimal Wellness', by Ralph Golan, to their shopping cart, alongside Pizzorno's text. Between the two of them, they offer a very clear and accessible understanding of naturopathic principles and empower readers to take more control over their healthcare rather than passively submitting themselves to the oft-unchallenged will of the alopathic medical 'industry'. I'd also like to remind anyone seeking to improve their health naturally that exercises such as Yoga or Qigong can also be PROFOUNDLY beneficial as an adjunct to naturopathic principles, and it is CRITICALLY important never to focus on any single aspect of healing, to the detriment of others. The body needs movement every bit as much as it needs correct diet etc.


If you are trying to make changes in your life and begin a healthier way of living, then I would recommend, in addition to the naturopathic books, the following:


One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way (Dr. Robert Maurer) This diminutive little book (also available as a CD course) explains how to make changes to your life without slipping back into old behaviour patterns. A great key to moving your life forwards.



As far as Yoga is concerned, an excellent way to begin a sustainable practice that won't bore or intimidate you would be to learn 'The 5 Tibetan Rites' - see:

The Five Tibetans: Five Dynamic Exercises for Health, Energy, and Personal Power (Christopher S. Kilham)

or:


Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth: Book 2 (Peter Kelder)


Alternatively, another simple but excellent Yoga practice is 'Surya Namaskara' - see:

Surya Namaskara (Swami Satyananda Saraswati)


Do not underestimate how profoundly-beneficial The 5 Tibetan Rites and Surya Namaskara can be. Neither of them is intimidating to learn and neither of them takes long to do (as little as 10 minutes, if you choose).

Also highly health-promoting is the practise of Qigong, and one of the best places to start is with The 8 Pieces of Brocade, a classic sequence of moves, with heritage at least 1000 years old. YMAA produce some astonishingly clear, detailed, and generous instructional DVDs and they offer one on the 8 Pieces:


Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade (YMAA) DVD (Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming)


Both Yoga & Qigong are profoundly relaxing and serve to gently tone tendons & musculature, increase bone density, and (perhaps most important for all, as far as healthful vitality is concerned) massage the internal organs, thus aiding removal of stored toxins and improving organ function. The lymphatic system is also stimulated and cleared of long-standing toxic deposits.

ALL of the above items are available right here on Amazon.

You don't need to do yoga AND Qigong (though they are compatible and doing both would work superbly). My advice is choose which you like the look of and practise a little every day, without trying to do too much (Dr. Robert Maurer's Kaizen book will tell you why!). Also, avoid the temptation to be distracted by the multitude of other exercise options - this is a common tactic of the mind to avoid change and keep you on an intellectual chase rather than get down to actually forming a regular physical exercise practice. Just reading about a thousand different exercises will never improve your health - it is in the physical DOING that real physical results are achieved. Learn to take time to relax, to appreciate your blessings with a heart-felt feeling-tone, to truly love yourself (not in a narcisistic manner!) and to nurture your own wellbeing. It is amazing how much motivation can spring from learning to do these things.

In just the same manner as naturopathy, the above exercise systems are time-proven, refined over a period of hundreds of years, with known benefits on human physiology and health. They are the distilled wisdom of generations, not some re-hash for commercial purposes by the latest media celebrity. Yoga, in particular has been re-hashed a thousand times, in the past couple of decades, with no benefit except to the bank balances of those doing the re-hashing. Stick to the original practices - they've lasted for generations for a very good reason - they WORK.

The key to success, be it with exercise, diet, or any other positive life changes, is that you need to keep it simple, clear, focused and not too demanding. That way, it won't be a chore and after a few weeks you'll realise it has become a positive habit and you are feeling better for it. Add that to the naturopathic principles you have learned from Pizzorno's and Golan's books and you'll be in the top percentage of health in next to no time!

...Just remember - IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU ACTUALLY *DO* IT!

This book abundantly illustrates the central naturopathic belief 'amalgam' -- that health and disease are due to, and are managed through manipulation of, 'a teleological vital force spirit' -- per: "our self-healing abilities -- the life-force within each of us, which naturopathic physicians call the vis medicatrix naturae [...] this teleological force, the healer within [p.333]"; "our vital force, the vis medicatrix naturae [p.003]"; "vis medicatrix naturae(life-force) [p.026]"; "life force(or spirit)[p.024]." Naturopaths, and particularly Pizzorno(this book's author), claim these "natural medicine" tenets are "science-based," "scientific," "science" etc.: e.g., in his 'self-label' as "one of the world's leading authorities on science-based natural medicine." But -- and here's the punch line, I guess -- teleology, supernaturalism-spiritism, and vitalism are actually scientifically-ejected / scientifically-unsupported, whether regarded separately or if conflated / amalgamated into the 'sectarian medical system' known as naturopathy / naturopathic medicine. Thus, my low rating of this book -- I regard naturopathy as 'an unethical pseudoscience.'

this book is an excellent resource. Well written, logical and easy to understand. Documentation of various methods of supporting the body's own healing capacity is quite interesting and a real relief from the approach taking by the conventional medical model which tends to ignore the inherent healing capabilties of the body and in many cases works against them (knowingly and unknowingly). I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is a real winner ! Anyone who reads it will come away with something which will enhance their health.

Pizzorno has a gift for writing about medicine. He seamlessly shifts between general concepts and specific, illustrative examples. This book is simply amazing. Its the best book I have ever read on natural medicine. Its not a collection of recipes for how to use supplements; its a clear, understandable explanation of why and how they work. If you want to understand why natural medicine works, read this book.

I first read this book in 1987, when it was initially published. I'd picked it up in a bookstore on Fifth Avenue (that's how well I remember the occasion, 16 years later), started to read, and couldn't put it down. So I bought what for me then was an expensive book and finished it that night.

It was difficult to know who to admire more after after I'd completed it, Ron Schmid, who so lucidly and modestly outlined the accomplishments of Weston Price (really, the centerpiece of the book), or Price himself, an extraordinary man whose self-supported, worldwide investigations of the food traditions of native cultures were nothing less than revolutionary in what they implied for how most of us eat--and live--today. In any case, I felt oddly moved by this book--a strange thing to say considering its subject--as if some real portion of an invaluable truth had been exposed to me.

Three years later, I used this book to develop an eating plan for my pregnant wife, including cod liver oil every day and a lot of fish and raw milk cheeses (the closest we could come, even in Manhattan, to any raw milk products). With all of that, our son decided to wait two weeks beyond his due date to make his appearance--21 1/2'' long and weighing over nine pounds--with the obstetrician remarking that my wife's placenta was twice the normal weight, in fact was the largest she'd seen in all her years of delivering children. I don't know whether either fact can be attributed to the diet my wife had followed, but the important thing is that our son turned out to be very bright, healthy, and the owner of a sweet temperament (our first clue of that being that he was effectively sleeping through the night when he was two weeks old)--qualities that this book suggest are not at all unusual when pregnant women follow traditional diets.

So, for me this book has some sort of talismanic power, the kind I associate with other profound life-transforming (or -generating) reading experiences. In that sense, I'm not particularly interested in challenging ANY part of it, as some others here have done, because I feel its general, encompassing theme is so strong and effectively expressed by the writer, and because, as far as I know, Schmid was a trailblazer in introducing (and explicating so clearly) Weston Price's work to the general reading public. I will add, though, that anyone interested in this book, should and even must buy a copy of Sally Fallon and Mary Enig's Nourishing Traditions, which extends Schmid's (and Price's) generalities into the American kitchen. It's as much a treasure as Schmid's book, as the two together, like Jack Sprat and his wife, cover everything (including how to think about fat), from principles to practicalities, that you might need to build new lives out of ancient practices.

I am a Registered Dietitian that uses a holistic approach to nutrition and I feel this book is a valuable addition to any nutritionists library. Lacks a bit of detail in research areas, but is a good branch of the Weston Price tree.

Awesome book on the principles of traditional healing foods. This is a great addition for anyone who wants to learn true nutrition and about the great discoveries by Weston. A Price. I highly recommend it!

This book can be a companion book to other books recommended by the Weston Price Organization. It is more or less an "encyclopaedic" type style to traditonal foods information using the Weston Price book as a guideline, but going into a more of an updated, and practical style.

There is a lot information that I found useful, such as the grading of salmon (which I never knew about), or getting calcium from eggshells to name just a few. However, he does not tell you how much calcium you are getting by eating eggshells. Also, I could never grind it to a powder in a blender as he said. I had better results with just a mortar and pestle.

On saturated fats, try as I might, I cannot find anything he has to say against the use of saturated fats as criticized by Fallon or Brynes. (Perhaps they have become somewhat fanatical about Price's diet). He is, however, against the modern way of raising animals which he believes is not the same as our ancestors. He points out that a lot of animal's mouths are being used as convenient garbage dumps, and proceeds to name all the types of garbage being eaten, that's right, garbage! This may alter the fat content, metabolism, ratios, etc., to a state that may not be healthy for you or the animals fed on such a diet. I agree on this point wholeheartedly! But, in no way do I see him telling us in the meantime to eat vegetables only and avoid all animal products! Properly raised animals that is.

There is also an explanation of the death rate of earliers years of how long Americans live are skewed. I never quite understood this, as I read about it in other books but there is no explanation how they concluded this, but he gives it here and it's so simple to understand! This should tip you off that this book is fairly lucid and logically written and I highly recommend it for a better overall view and guide to the Weston Price diet.

Schmid's book was the first one I read on the work of Weston A. Price and Francis Pottenger. It is a very good overview of the subject of Tradtional diets. If you are wondering what "Traditional diets" are, they are simply the way people ate before big business took over food production, and made shelf life and profit margin more important than the nutritional quality of food.

Price was a dentist who embarked on a decade long research project in the late 1930s to find the healthiest people on Earth and study what they ate and how they ate it. His studies ranged all over the world, covering all different races. Schmid has done a good job of giving an overview of Price's findings.

The only issues I have with this book are that Schmid falls for the cholesterol scam in discussing heart disease, and that he also falls for the idea that the term "life expectancy" as used in statistics means the average age of death. (page 66) It doesn't. Life Expectancy as an arithmetic average would be reasonably close to the median age of death in a perfect Bell curve population sample, but such perfect samples only exist on paper, not in reality. The median age of death, that is the age by which half of the population died, was 57 in 1900. This means that half the population lived to be 57 or older. Kind of different than saying the average age of death was 45-50. In 2000, the median age of death was only 78, so there hasn't been as much gain as we are led to believe. Neither figure addresses the health or quality of life of people at those ages, either. A minor point in the grand scheme of this book. His discussion of life expectancy differences for those 40 and over on the rest of the page is still very much true and sets the record straight on the PR hype we are given about our current state of health.

For more in-depth information on fats and cholesterol, I recommend Mary Enig's book, Know Your Fats.

This is a great book, and will open your eyes to a better way to eat and improve your health. I heartily recommend it.

Interesting and informative book. I plan to buy some more from the same author as the various topics are fascinating and clearly illustrated.

Kudos to Mary Summer Rain! A very informative guide...Excellant read, easy to comprehend. Will walk with you down the path...a true friend. Recommended to all who need inspiration, or want to learn from a very wise soul. Loved it.

I had purchased this book a few years back in hopes of finding an "easy fix" for my chronic psorasis. I guess, at the time, I was not ready for extensive information easily "reminded" and provided to me on many more subjects. About three months ago I re-discovered the book amongst others in my attic. Once I begun reading from the beginning I could not put it down! Summer Rain's accounts of the visionary No Eyes were so touching and real. Has there been a time in your life when you were sitting quitely in the woods, amongst the stars and feel the wind calling? Did you feel safe, as if your finally "home"? If you've ever wondered why you love fresh veggies from your own garden or thoroughly enjoy long serene walks of solitude in the winderness then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! While speeding our man made information super highway of technology, we have taken for granted the enormous world that still exists. We've grown so accustom to our electronic accomidations that we forget to embrace the beauty of natural simplicty. The "real time" connections we make should not be exclusively fiber optic but more importantly with our senses and each other, right? In other words, take time to smell the roses and while your there, read this book. You won't be disappointed!

This is a great book to start out with if you're just getting into natural living or starting along the Red Road and want to learn more on how to do it or if you know a little about it and want to learn still more. Mary's smooth narraitive on No-Eye's lessons keeps you interested throughout the entire book. From front to back it's inclusive in knowledge, technique and wisdom. I've indexed my copy of this book with tabs on much used pages and carry it with me everywhere for quick reference. I use the dream interpretation section when I wake up. It goes grocery shopping with me. When friends and family call on me with emotional or physical problems, it's always there as reference to speed their healing... Folks, I could go on and on about this book, but I think you get the idea. Just get the book!

Having read several of her books based on No-Eyes, I had to read this one... I was slightly disappointed as it missed the familiarity that was felt in the No-Eyes books. However, for those who are looking for charts on dream interpretation, or some basic herbals, this is a good reference book. Based on its reference value, I find it great. However, if you are looking for the familiarity she shares in her other books, you too will be disappointed.

If you suffer from sinus problems, such as myself, this is a great book to read. I have used one of the products, Oregacyn that Dr. Ingram recommends for sinusitis. It has helped greatly reduce the number of sinus infections that I have and has helped clear ones that start. I have allergies to pollen, trees, dust, etc. and this is the only supplement that I have ever taken that clears my sinus problems, so that I do not have to take antibiotics.

I highly recommend this book. Dr. Ingram covers all sorts of other respiratory ailments too.

Having just read the review of July 8, 2005 relating to a press release from 2003, it boosts my trust of Dr. Ingram's very informative books. The American Medical Association would like to see Dr. Ingram and many others like him "go away". We're sort of at the crossroads right now where our liberty to buy natural products (such as Oil of Oregano and Oregacyn, etc.) could be taken away, and we would need a prescription to purchase such items.

Cancer is a multi-billion dollar business in this country. Could that be why the AMA is fighting so hard to get the natural food industry under their thumb? I wish I had known about Oil of Oregano, Oregacyn and Juice of Oregano 8 years ago when my sister learned she had lung cancer. She died 8 months later.

Oil of Oregano has pulled me through sinus problems and colds and a weakness that tends towards respiratory problems. His books with suggested solutions are priceless. Thanks to Dr. Ingram for the sacrifices he has had to make to get this valuable information to us. He is to be honored.

I have read many books and tried many things, but this is it! A great book and I follow it. It has saved me! I used to get so many respiratory illnesses, and now I do not. It did take a little bit for my immune system to get on board but it did. Thank you Cass Ingram!! I have purchased the whole line of p73 and the juice. It was and is the best money I have spent!! I have told anyone who will listen. My doctor even wrote it down himself and wants to give it a try. That says it all.

I have had asthma for over 20 years. I have used recommendations from this book with much success. This is the best book I have ever seen on the respiratory system - and I have been looking for good books on it for 20 years!

I love this book!!!!! It is extremely informative and has helped our family's health problems immensely. I love the Oregano products recommended in this book. They WORK!!!! My child's asthma has completely disappeared, and my chronic sinus infections are gone. No more antibiotics every few weeks for me because of sinus infections. I can't tell you how relieved I am as a mother, to no longer have to worry about my child having a full blown asthma attack and needing nebulizer treatments every few hours every time he has a cold. Dr. Ingram is a hero to our family.

The book itself is very informative for me because my son suffers from allergies. I was however dissapointed because the page numbers went from 1-31, 82-101, 1-31. This must have been a printing mistake! This is the kind of book you would want to look up something in the index and then find the page number but you can't do it!!!!

I read this book the same time my son (who is suffering from atopic eczema) started a therapy with a naturopath. To my amazement did she the exact same things recommended by the author. And even better I knew what she was doing, because I had read the book myself. After 6 years of frustration, seeing my son suffering from eczema, countless, sleepless nights comforting my son, we finally seeing improvement. It took 4 months of drastic diet changes and 4 visits with the naturopath and my son is almost symptom free. we never got that far. Who ever is affected by allergy - indirectly (as parent or caregiver) or directly - should read this book. It is easy to read (even for me - english is not my native language) and to understand. It changes the way of thinking, of why we are getting sick and that we are responsible ourselfs for the things we put in our mouth we often call food! Good luck.

This has to be the most informative, yet easy-reading health book in existence. The author has excellent credentials and is obviously very well educated. Being sick for 23 years, this book has filled in many missing pieces to the great puzzle of my condition -- something 20-odd doctors have been absolutely no help with. If you have ANY chronic health problem or just don't feel as good as you'd like to, READ THIS BOOK! It gives you valuable information on a broad spectrum of interrelated topics and then concludes with a distinct plan of action. It kindled hope for me that I can regain my health and have a life for the first time since age 17.

Allergies:Disease in Disguise has changed my life. The author has written first a clear definition of what allergy is, and then given a plan of action to over come it. In the last few years, I have suffered from a widening array of allergies and was miserable much of the time while taking allergy medication. After following the authors directions for recovery for 4 weeks, I am recovering! I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to make some perhaps significant changes in diet.

So many people are closed minded to the possible side effects of eating cooked and processed foods.I found the book entertaining and informative, with logical, easy to understand explanations. I just wish I could do something to help people to learn how to improve their health. I think a person's health is the most important part of life. What can you do when you're ill all of the time? This book and a few others I've read lately inspired me to change my diet signifigantly, and whenever my instructor asks me to write a paper, I usually write about a health concern that I'm interested in. It also makes me feel good that the truth is being revealed, you just have to go in pursuit of it.

Dr. Cooke does both cellular and clinical research on how to keep our endothelium and thus our blood vessels throughout our body and brain healthy and elastic. In his clinic Dr. Cooke helps those with cardiovascular disease improve their health, strength and vitality.

His research is compelling, his suggestions are being used daily in his clinic, and the recipes are tasty and offer a useful start towards a healthier diet. Who knew argenine was important!

Peggy Henderson

The title of this book struck me as a bit of hyperbole, since most people think of "cure" in the sense of disease eradication. I guess that goal might be achieved in some cases by strict adherence to Dr. Cooke's guidelines, but I think the term the term "cure" in the title is better understood in the sense of "treatment for a disease". Dr. Cooke himself tells you that a clinically available test for endothelial dysfunction is still not available. It therefore seems premature to suggest that these guidelines have proven to be a real "cure" in the sense most people use that word. However, I certainly don't doubt those who say that following Dr. Cooke's advice has resulted in their feeling much better. In fact, I intend to try his two weeks of menus and diet guidelines to see if it helps me. I settled on a "four stars" for this book because first, most of the material in its 310 pages is a re-hash of information that's already available elsewhere - for example, the benefits of fruits and vegetables, fiber, soy, fish oil, various supplements, aerobic exercise; and the dangers of elevated homocystein or low HDL etc. These recommendations could be found in virtually any recent book or website aiming to educate people about preventing or treating heart disease,although Dr. Cooke (and Ms. Zimmer) do a good job of bringing these topics together and explaining how they help with one's endothelium. Second, the diet recommendations include two weeks of menus and recipes, which is alright - but I think a more practical approach is to give readers a more detailed analysis of foods they should or should not eat, and explain why. For example, Dr. Atkins (whatever else you think of him) lists foods according to whether they should be consumed frequently, moderately, or rarely. A person can then plan their own menus without trying to follow a cookbook. You may not have, for example, easy access year around to fresh bunches of watercress and arugula, or edamame. (In fairness, most of the ingredients in Dr. Cooke's recipes are commonly available). I would prefer to consult a list of many foods and see whether consuming one was likely to be of benefit or was likely to be harmful. I could then take the foods that are available, or most appealing, to me and plan my consumption accordingly. If you haven't already purchased other books which explain the advantages of a Mediterranean diet, exercise, weight loss, good and bad fats, and supplements like l-arginine and fish oil, then this book will provide information you may find revealing and helpful. The information about the role of the endothelium and nitric oxide will also be interesting to anybody dealing with heart disease and other problems related to a diseased endothelium (such as erectile dysfunction). And who knows, maybe you will be "cured".

This is an excellent book on the workings of the heart.
It explains how a healthy endotheliam releases its own nitro.
Small amounts of L-arginine potentiate nitric oxide. This process
increases blood flow and reverses heart disease. The nitric
oxide relaxes blood vessels and facilitates blood flow.
The endothelium is known to potentiate the increase in blood
flow. This book will help to formulate an optimal strategy
to deal with impediments to blood flow and nutritional issues
which are at the periphery of heart health issues. It would be
an excellent addition to the medicinal personal health library.

Dr. Cooke is the world's number one expert on the nutritional supplement l-arginine and its antagonist, asymetric dimethylarginine. It's a mouthful, but among the keys to cardiovascular health. Dr. Cooke speaks with the authority of someone who has performed a huge amount of the "bench" research himself. If you're interested in knowing about the most powerful tools available to prevent heart attack and control cardiovascular risk, Dr. Cooke's book is a crucial addition to your library.

As a practicing cardiologist who aims to achieve shrinkage of coronary plaque in patients, we've applied Dr. Cooke's concepts with great success.

William Davis, MD author of Track Your Plaque

My sister bought me this book, right after I had some heart palpitations and was admitted to a hospital. I read the book THREE times! Dr. Cooke verifies what I already know and believe and gave me many more additional insights as well.

But does it work? I applied Dr. Cooke's principles and after only six weeks I saw major results, confirmed by my cardiologist, as well as with blood tests.

Needless to say I bought 15 copies of the book and gave one to each of my family as presents. I will also buy more for my best friends.

This book truly saved my life.

This book provided a general background about the heart, cholesterol and high blood pressure. I found the book did not provide me with any information that is already available for free from the Americn Heart Association. Several heart-wise recipes were included. The most helpful thing I noted was to eat an apple a day....

This book is a wonderful book. I had been taking blood pressure medication since I was 50 now I am 74. The doctor took me off my medication about 6 mos. ago. I seem 100% better. I walk and eat right. At first, I was afraid to quit the medicine. The doctor said, "you don't need it" - using the garlic is wonders. My blood pressure stays somewhat lower now than when I was taking the medicine. I cannot believe it myself.

I'm 81 years old plus for the last 10 years I've been very sensitive to Blood Pressure Medicines, besides all the reactions to the drugs it didn't lower my BP. Most of the time it was 200/106. I was so miserable all the time, I asked my doctor if I could stop them. After many more tries with several kinds of BP meds. He agreed to stop them. It was then that I got the book on how to lower your BP without drugs. Today my BP is 140/80 and I feel alive again. The information in the book is very clear and understandable. There's so much to learn in the book. It explains it all so well.

Must read if you have clogged arteries.I had tests done and needed a new heart.This book has provided me with very useful information.

I recommend the book very highly...this book has been quite an eye opener for me. I feel much better now and look forward to getting off the pills for my blood pressure soon.

This book does the job of explaining WHAT our bodies need and WHY these Ten are the most important. Balch has helped us by picking the Ten Natural Remedies that are the most important ones. That way we can keep our focus a little better. Taking too many supplements throughout the day can get a little overwhelming. There are also combinations aimed at covering these areas of need. A site where my family has had great satisfaction in both service and product choices/quality is PapaNature. I feel the same way about praising them as I do about praising the work of the Balches. They also have additional documentation that exactly parallels Balch's topics in this great book.

I have spent the last two years of my life changing from a drugs/medicine/surgery patient, to a take-hold-of-my-own-life "doctor", arming myself with more information than I learned in all my years of schooling. Dr. Balch is right on - need I say more?

For anyone who is tired of having medical information doled out by a resistant medical hierarchy, here is some straightforward information to get you on the path to wellness. To reduce this book to a commentary about "grass clippings" (wheat barley grass), as a previous reviewer did, is a real injustice. Dr. Balch mentions the truly cutting edge information about numerous therapies unknown to most of us,including oxygen healing therapies like ozone treatments as one of the "10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your Life."

Very quietly, even conventional MD's are using hyperbaric oxygen chambers and other oxygen-related treatments to treat patients with the so-called "flesh eating bacteria." Why? Because ozone and many other oxygen therapies are the ONLY treatments known to "kill the bugs, not the body." In other words, where antibiotics fail to destroy these "killer bugs," and severely damage the immune system, ozone re-invigorates the body by giving oxygen on the cellular level. Don't take my word for it; do a search some time on PubMed or some other medical search engine and see what you come up with!

Medical quackery? HA! Within the next decade, the Mayo Clinic and the rest of the shrines we have built to the bloated medical bureacracy will ALL be using innovative natural cures like the ones Dr. Balch recommends in this very readable book.

His first book, "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" has sold in excess of 4 million copies. "10 Natural Remedies That Can Save Your Life," especially at the amazingly low Amazon.com price is a steal.

This is a great book, especially for those not familiar with the world of natural remedies.

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. It is really wonderful, and I have already started taking a few of the supplements the author suggests. I say "a few" because I found that the author could have done a much better job expressing/analyzing his ideas (that's why the four stars). For example, I am under 25, and there are a few things which left me in question as to whether I should start using them or not. If you are not sure of something, like me, you should see the book with your doctor and then proceed. If the author could expand a little bit more on his ideas, it would make the perfect book.

This book is rather indept concerning just one of the remedies,
and I know that it would be a valuable asset to others as well
as myself.

Thank You.

I'm a pharmacist who believes every physician interested in an easy to use, up to date overview of this emerging market needs this book.VERY pleased with it!

As a user of herbal remedies, I found this book extremely informative. One of the most objective books I've seen on using herbs and natural supplements. Scientific research is included with each herb/supplement that has undergone laboratory testing. Both positive and negative aspects are included along with traditional uses, safe doses, a rating of 1-5, and warnings when applicable. With too many people jumping on the herbal bandwagon and forgetting that natural doesn't necessarily mean safe especially when mixed with other medications, this book is a "must have". Although I've had good results with some of the herbs that have not undergone stringent testing and, therefore didn't receive a high rating, this book is a great guide especially for the beginner.

In the growing movement for U.S. consumers to take charge of their health, we now have a resource to help us become knowledgeable and informed consumers of medical services. That resource is the 700-plus page reference, American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines, by Andrea Peirce. It is a giant work - lots of pages of organized research written for layperson and health-care professional. It is a smorgasbord of data about dietary supplements. And like most smorgasbords, you can expect it will take some time for consumers and health-care professionals to digest its content and to develop the habit of consulting it. The health-care professions can help by recommending that their members become familiar with the book. Perhaps professional associations can buy large numbers of the reference book and make them available to their members at a discount. What is certain is that the Practical Guide to Natural Medicines is a godsend for consumers, like me, who are looking for guidance. And that guidance is provided throughout the book. It begins with the shout-out by the National Professional Society of Pharmacist's executive vice president urging consumers to include your pharmacist in your medical recovery team. Pass on records, including medicines, to your druggist. In the introduction, noted physician-researcher Andrew Weil brings an inquiring mind of a superb teacher who continues to explore the boundaries of the frontier we often call natural medicines. Weil declares: "This guide to natural remedies is an excellent addition to the information available on the subject. It is comprehensive, clear, well researched, and useful." After examining dozens of entries, I am convinced that Weil's assessment of Andrea Peirce's work is correct. The author is a reliable researcher who has done her homework, consulting leading authorities and reviewing clinical studies. She even cites important natural remedy findings from the federal agency in Germany, where herbal medicines are tested and regulated by the government. And if this work helps us make wise health-care decisions and increase the efficacy of health-care providers, then may the saints be praised.

I was given this book as a gift and was delighted! The information about herbs and other supplements was complete, well written, and useful. As a professional herbalist, I would highly recommend this book for both health care professionals and laypeople. It is an excellent clinical resource that provides up to date clinical information on studies of efficacy as well as drug interaction and contraindications. My only complaint is that some of the translations of Chinese herb names was done incorrectly (although I hope this will be rectified by the next printing).

Overall an excellet book!

Don't believe the rave reviews...She omits quite a few prominent dietary supplements (e.g., phosphatidyl serine), and the entries are pretty superficial from a pharmacologic standpoint, especially for a book from the APA. For example, 1) she mentions that Ginger is used for arthritic inflammation, but never says why it is credible for that purpose (it is a significant COX-2 inhibitor, a la Vioxx or Celebrex), 2) she omits that the primary modern use of Elder is as an anti-viral (she doesn't mention the substantial lab work on its mode of anti-infection action or list the well-known Israeli clinical trial as an anti-flu drug, 3) she erroneously equates grape seed and pine bark extracts as sources of antioxidant OPCs (the former is substantially more potent). And, she offers almost no info on the pros and cons of differing product forms, which can have very different effects and potencies (e.g., ground plant vs. standardized extract).
Laypeople and even professionals are much better off with The Natural Health Bible (Stephen Bratman, MD), Michael Murray's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicines, and similar works by Saul Hendler, MD and Dennis McKenna, PhD (the titles escape me).