Naturopathy Books

I'm peri-menopausal and started noticing symptoms such weight gain in my mid section, water weight in my ankles. I'd already started using natural progesterone and was having positive effects when I bought this book. The book lists benefit touchpoints with short explanations. You may want to purchase another book for more indepth information, but this one gets you on track. One surprise was that progesterone helps with TMJ. I've been suffering with it for years. When I read that part in this book, I'd already been using progesterone for a couple of weeks, I opened and closed my jaw several times and noticed no pain, no cracking. If I hadn't read about it, I would never have related it to hormones. The benefit was a major pleasant surprise.

This is a nice short book on natural progesterone creams that all woman should read!

I purchased this publication mainly to obtain information about how men might benefit from the use of natural progesterone. I was disappointed with what I received. Dr. John R. Lee just published a booklet about hormone balancing for men, and I recommend his publication as opposed to Dr. Shealy's. This booklet had some interesting information but, if you're interested in this subject, consider a book with more indepth information.

I have heart disease and hypoglycemia. I had by-pass surgery and stent surgery. This book is exclusive in articles and information in illness related subjects, necessary for enlightenment of diseases, necessary for people to learn about symptoms, causes, cures to help them understand the information contained in this book. I'm 50 years old and work every day with help from books like this.

I was having a problem sleeping at night. I would sleep for maybe two or three hours and then wake up and stay up till daylight. Since reading your book, and following your instructions, I now go to bed at 11 p.m. and sleep until 7 a.m. My daughter-in-law, who is a doctor, says that this book is awesome, and very enlightening. I am a widow and now I sleep with the book beside me at nights. Wisdom is Strength.

I was expecting more of a guide for natural remedies to common problems, but the majority of the book focuses on prescription or over-the-counter drugs, and while many common problems are discussed, there are many that are not. Very disappointing.

I borrowed this book from the library to address my ongoing medical issues, PNAR, PCOS, Diabetes,Anemia, and more. I followed the advice in the book concerning Naturopaty and supplements for my problems. I now feel better than I have in years. I have medical and prescription coverage, but the medicines the doctors gave somewhat helped with symptoms, just barely. After just one day of taking the suggested supplements for my conditions, I felt relief. No Joke. I thank god for this book, particularly it's naturopathic recommendations. I've been telling all my friends about this book.

This is a good book for superficial knowledge. It compares the different methods of treating the same disease. Could have been better.

This is an interesting book, and hard to believe.

It could use more case histories.Surely, they are available. Also, the case histories included do not seem to follow the supplement program recommended. The reasons for such deviations, when not obvious, could be detailed.

What a wonderful idea Dr. Braverman promises - "REVERSE HEART DISEASE, Naturally" with his "30- to 90-Day No-More hypertension and Heart Disease Program" in 198 pages. Who is Eric Braverman? As founder and Director of PATH Medical (the Place for achieving Total Health) in New York City he's "considered one of America's most innovative physicians" according to his publisher Basic Health.

Updating his 1996 research by adding daughter Dasha Braverman's RAINBOW DIET (choosing the right fresh colorful fruits and vegetables) the results to be expected are a "Drug-free, robust life" in one year.

So you ask - How can you do it? Well, Braverman says you can:

Lower blood pressure to 120/80 - 135/85.
Triglycerides and cholesterol to below 200 and increase HDL to above 50.
Discontinue all beta-and alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors.

Just replace with his Special Formula's number 1 to 14.

Then, Reduce Stress with Cranial Electric Stimulation (CES) by sending gentle electrical signals to the vagus nerve in your brain with his RELAX-MATE, a TENS - a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation unit, for 15-60 minutes a day to release GABA and acetylcholine in your brain because it's biofeedback like training for self control and peace of mind.

All that can help you to "break addictive food habits and destructive behaviors". Dr. Braverman defines depression "as anger turned inward" and suggests emotions "contribute to blockages in the large vessels supplying blood to the brain." New science that`s easy to follow and easy to use.

With this book anyone ought to be able to "Reverse Heart Disease -Naturally!"

Dan Kassell
3/13/05

Cecil Still's compilation of 112 medicinal plants that can be found in New Jersey is an interesting identifier with a historical look at these plants.
While no specific information is provided on growing or preparing these individual plants, Still does provide botanical descriptions, illustrations and common names for identification purposes.
Most interesting are the short historical sketches of how these plants cured, soothed, or intoxicated. The majority of historical information is based on Amerindian uses but, when appropriate, Chinese medicine is also discussed.
The introduction and section titled Medicinal Plants and their Preparation provides basic and mostly historical information on how to prepare plants for medicinal use but is in no way a guide and, in fact, Still provides many cautionary warnings both in the introduction as well as within plant descriptions, particularly when the plant has been determined to be poisonous or deadly upon consumption.
Botany and Healing is an interesting reference guide worth a look but it will not provide much practical knowledge for the herb or medicinal plant gardener.

I live in Indian Mills, a small town in the New Jersey Pine Barrens -- not far from where James Still was born. I really enjoyed reading this book. Anyone interested in herbal medicine who lives in Northeast U.S. should buy a copy and keep it for reference.

This book had some helpful information, but much of the information can be obtained through the Internet. Although, there is much conflicting information on what type of Colostrum to buy, how much to take, etc. This book doesn't push one brand, so it's helpful that way.

Colostrum is one of the most underrated substances which human beings take for granted as a "must have" for good health. As the first food for newborns, colostrum is the best immune fighting substance which babies take which affects the rest of their lives. As a nutritional supplement, colostrum has been proven to be effective in healing digestion and intestinal illnesses, pain and arthritic aches, chronic fatigue, and a host of other ailments

Beth Ley does a great job in explaining the benefits of colostrum and the text is written clearly and without scientific jargon. It is simple to read and I refer to it often.

I highly recommend this book as a must read and strongly urge all health conscious people to take colostrum on a regular basis.

I've ready medical and psychiatric manuals, and I can tell that the author of this book has a very good understanding, grasp, and knowledge of all types of disorders. I would highly recommend this book, it should be an essential part of any library, including your own.

Jill Rosemary Davies is highly qualified to write a book regarding natural healing. She holds a doctorate in herbal medicine and has often worked with various EU legislatures to insure the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines. Experienced homeopaths will find the wealth of information in her book concise, insightful, and well-organized. Davies covers not only the standard topics such as herb selection, essential oil use, and home remedies, but also touches on such items as massage therapy, breathing techniques, and detoxification.

My concern, however, is that the book is marketed to beginners. Novices to homeopathy and natural healing may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of different topics covered. Or worse, completely turned off to the idea of natural healing as something that is far to complex and time consuming for the average person to effectively handle. While most health-conscious readers with an interest in natural healing can probably handle reading about the benefits of owning a juicer and how to select fruits and vegetables for juicing, Davies discussion of how to properly select seeds for use in a sprouter and on the need to grown your own barley might come across too extreme.

Davies also has a tendency to slip into preaching, speaking in absolutely regarding the differences between organic and non-organic foods, the dangers of dairy, and even the toxidity of farm-raised fish. While I personally prefer organic foods, for example, I have yet to see any decisive scientific research confirming the claims Davies makes. She claims "eggs are potential causes of diseases like arthritis," that butter "is basically rancid and has lots of free radicals," and "all meat putrefies in the intestine and strips calcium from the body." And she makes these statements without really offering any resources or references to lend credence to the claims (though most chapters do include related works, they aren't really "references" in the traditional sense.)

Moreover, it is important to note that Davies practices natural healing in Europe. this is important because herbal medicines are both more readily available in most of Europe AND they are regulated to insure quality standards. Again, while this is not an issue to experienced natural healers, it can cause confusion to novices. Davies speaks about getting this or that ingredient as if you can just pick it up at a local store (which she most likely can). But readers in the U.S. often CAN'T get the natural herbs and such easily without searching the internet for a reputable dealer or finding a large natural foods provider in their area. Again, novices can easily become frustrated trying to gather all the ingredients for various home remedies.

Also of note is that Davies tends to suggest natural healing should be used before or instead of traditional medicine. While this is a position I agree with wholeheartedly for annoying but otherwise harmless conditions such as dandruff, acne, the common cold, etc, encouraging natural remedies for a stroke victim OVER traditional medicine highly suspect. Again, as many medical practitioners in Europe are also trained in natural healing, or are at least accepting of it and able to work together with the natural healer for an overall health plan, I think this notion poorly serves American readers. It could encourage people to self-diagnose, or try to heal themselves instead of getting early medical attention for potentially serious conditions.

Her remedies,however, do seem to be rooted in solid homeopathic research, and do not contradict or bring into question other research I have seen. So for experienced practitioners who are skilled in the difference between what should and should not be done at home, Davies' book is a welcomed addition to the library. Novices, however, should carefully consider whether or not they are ready to attempt some of the more advanced techniques without first consulting their doctors.

I wish I could split my rating somehow, as I would rate this book 4 stars for experienced practitioners. But because it is geared toward novices as an introduction to natural healing, I rated only average.

This is a new, completely revised edition of Lazarus' "Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way" except that she has chosen to write a separate book on natural cat care this time around. As with her first book which was published 15+ years ago, Lazarus did the research for this book by sending questionnaires to a number of holistic vets. As a result, we get the views and treatment approaches of a number of different vets (including Dr. Martin Goldstein, Dr. John Fudens, Dr. Carvel Tiekert, etc.). Unfortunately not all of the advice has been updated (some of it appeared in her first book), and she does not point out which recommendations were given by the vets 15 years ago and which ones are current.

The first part of the book deals with preventing disease. It starts with a chapter on the problems with commercial foods which should be interesting to those not already familiar with Ann Martin's, Dr. Goldstein's, or Dr. Pitcairn's books. Then Lazarus goes into feeding a natural diet, and this is definitely the worst part of the book, since the diet she recommends is dangerously unbalanced. It does not contain nearly enough calcium to balance out the high phosphorous levels in the meats and grains she recommends feeding. Also, a diet consisting of just 33% - 50% raw meat is not really optimal for a healthy canine. Dogs, after all, are carnivores, and our long experience with natural rearing and feeding indicates that they tend to do best on a diet that consists of 75% raw meat and bones. Unfortunately Lazarus does not really approve of feeding bones. She says that of the 10 holistic vets she questioned on this subject, 7 said not to give any bones, 2 said that only a specific type of bone was okay (e.g., ox tails), and only one vet was completely in favor of feeding bones. Feeding bones remains a controversial subject and many vets are only now coming around to the idea that bones are an important part of the canine diet (see Dr. Goldstein's recent book). Not only do they supply the calcium that is necessary to balance out the high phosphorous content of the meat, but they also supply numerous other valuable minerals and trace minerals. Most importantly perhaps, feeding soft, raw bones (stay away from those big beef femur bones as they can wear down and even break teeth and never feed cooked bones which are dangerous since they are dry and brittle and splinter easily in addition to being difficult to digest) will prevent your dogs from developing tooth or gum problems which present an enormous health hazard. Your dogs will never have to be put under to have their teeth cleaned. Our dogs have been eating raw bones (along with other foods) for almost thirty years and their health could not be any better. It's really best to skip the chapter on nutrition and go straight to the chapter on vaccinations. Lazarus covers the potential dangers of vaccinating, nosodes, making vaccination decisions, and minimizing the harmful effects of vaccines. IMO, she is a little too enthusiastic about using homeopathic nosodes instead of vaccines. Not only does it violate the principles of classical homeopathy to use nosodes as routine preventatives the same way one would use a vaccine, but it's my experience that nosodes simply aren't very effective when used in this manner in hopes of preventing the most dangerous viral diseases (i.e., parvo and distemper). This is not to say that vaccinations are always effective or that one should definitely vaccinate, but I've often seen nosodes give people a false sense of security which is not a good thing.

The second part of Lazarus' book deals with natural therapies for skeletal disease, eye problems, skin and coat problems, infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes, cystitis, parasites, kidney disorders, heart problems, etc. This is definitely the best part of the book, since it's interesting to read how holistic vets across the country treat these problems. The book also contains a nationwide directory of holistic vets which will be helpful to those looking for a holistic vet in their area.

All in all, this would have made a pretty good introduction to holistic health care for dogs if it wasn't for the terrible chapter on nutrition. That makes it suitable as an introductory book only if it's purchased along with a good book on feeding a natural diet (check out books by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Wendy Volhard, Dr. Pitcairn, and Dr. Billinghurst on this topic).

I found the previous review interesting and educational; the reviewer sounds experienced and practiced in the field of canine nutrition. I, however, was not and found Pat's overview informative. She is suggestive about topics controversial in natural dog care, but responsibly cites that it is controversial. Note that many well-written vets such as Schoen and Pitcairn recommend her book in theirs. Because little has been done in the way of vetrinary nutritional research (I am a former medical researcher), much of any of this information is largely assumptive. I thank the previous reviewer for his/her insight and congratulate Pat Lazarus in her attempt to give (as a good journalist and researcher would) a comprehensive picture with varying opinions and, as an author is licensed to do, give her opinion and deliver her experience to benefit others.

This book can be read in one day. It has clear examples and the writer lets you know that MSM is still open for debate as a remedy for pain relief. If you are not ready to consume this mineral there are suggestions that the mineral can be used on the body via lotions and creams. The book cost six bucks the price of a latte. It was worth it considering that I did not know anything about it until I went to the spa and another person mentioned it to me.

"Msm:Natural Pain Relief Remendy", by Mitchsell Mitchell, et al. I was unloading hay as a young boy in 1944, by a hayhook with rope and pulley moving the hay to the barn hayloft. While riding the hay bundle to the hayloft my left hand got entangled in the big pulley, with rope burns on three fingers to the bones, after painful first aid and the doctor's care, big yellow-sulfur-pills were given to me to take for four to five weeks. I am now 64 years old - having ask several times different doctors and drugstores for yellow-sulfur-pills, always received a blank look answer, now this magical MSM has been reborn. Thanks. Dr. Ore gave me a good sulfur supply so I took them for everyting. I still have the scars on by fingers. Great book!

I lost interest when I read that his medical license had reportedly been taken away.

Loads of information, I found it very helpful in my search for a non beta blocker treatment.