Product Description This comprehensive, up-to-date self-help book is a practical reference guide to drug-free remedies. Co-written by a medical doctor and a certified nutritionist, "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" provides all the information you need to design your own nutritional program for better health. It includes in-depth coverage of a wide variety of topics, and the latest research on herbal remedies. 869 pages. James & Phyllis Balch, co-authors.
ComprehensiveNovember 3, 2008 Maria 75 out of 75 found this review helpful
With over five million copies sold, this book is one of the most read texts on nutritional health. I say "text" because it measures in at a good inch and three-quarters thick. Written by a certified nutritionist and a bona-fide MD, it is neatly divided up into three parts.
Part I, a quarter-inch thick discusses the basic principles of health and nutrition. This section lists and explains the various kinds of nutrients and food supplements.
Part II, by far the biggest section of the book measuring in at an inch and a quarter, provides the reader with an A-Z listing of many common disorders (such as backache or diabetes) and what you can do about them from a nutritional point of view.
The book ends with Part III, the last quarter-inch of the book, which is devoted to traditional therapies and conventional treatments that can be used along with a nutritional support. Here you'll find info on treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, color therapy, and so on.
I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the amount of info contained in this book and I can definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good nutritional reference book to put on their shelf when questions arise. Additionally, is also might give readers ideas of other types of therapies they could try for various medical problems. Other health titles I can recommend also include The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for people who have trouble with chronic plantar fasciitis.
Prescription for Nutritional HealingOctober 12, 2008 Julia Child(Anchorage, AK) 30 out of 31 found this review helpful
I am amazed at the information available in this book. I have given copies to anyone interested in learning how to improve their overall health and well-being. This is my "Go to" book. I highly recommend this book to anyone truely interested in making positive changes in their life.
SUPER, SUPER BOOK for solving NUMEROUS health problemsNovember 17, 1999 27 out of 28 found this review helpful
Look at all the "5 Star" reviews... that says it all. I have looked, for years, for a book like this, and this one is THE BEST. For nutritional approaches to a huge array of major/minor medical problems, this is it. Written by a MD and his wife (a certified nutritional consultant) it is well researched, has suppliers of products listed,covers tons of material...my skin, bone joint problems and allergy conditions improved 200% in 4 weeks; with the books Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution and The Way Up From Down, my 15 year depressions began to disappear in a few days, and were totally gone in 5 weeks.
This book saved my lifeJanuary 27, 2002 Rene Hawes(Upland, Ca. United States) 22 out of 23 found this review helpful
In 1989, I was working Medical Intensive Care, U.C.I. Hospital. I was a widowed mother with three children in college & high school. My health was great, I loved my career and the security it gave us and my life revolved around my career and children. I worked circles around younger nurses, when I SUDDENLY became so exhausted that I couldn't push myself out of a chair. My doctor & friend, ran tests that revealed Acute Hepatitis B. Long story short, after 3 months - I remained bed ridden and my liver specialist gave me 1 to 2 month life expectancy. My life and my childrens lives had turned upside down. Out of desparation, (the medical field could not help me as the acute hepatitis became chronic), my oldest daughter bought this book. She bought all the vit., mineral, dietary supplements, etc. listed under "esential" and "very important" and started force feeding me. I felt like I was being tortured these last days of my life as I already battled nausea/vomiting/diarrhea and a type of exhaustion beyond explaination. It took all my concentration to force an eyelid open or to ask my tongue to move in order to speak. I knew she and the book were nuts but I saw the desparation in her eyes as she would beg me to swallow the beet juice, alevea juice or some capsule. Never-the-less, she continued to insist, three weeks later - I was out of the bed. Three months later I was able to work one night a week and soon a full week. 13 years later - the good news - I am health, happy, active and alive. The bad news - the Acute Hepatitis B became chronic, (which happens in a low % of cases and though I FELT like I overcame the disease, my doctor says the liver is still being destroyed. I truely believe this book saved my life. I have 30 years in the health field as a nurse, and a teacher but this is the book I most frequently use for information. It lists diseases and disorders from "Acme" to serious diseases like "Cancer". They are listed in alphebetical order, making them fast to find. First a very accurate describtion of the disease is given. Then a simple and consice list of things to use. I have bought copies for friends and families and lent my copies to many. Happy ending: Shortly after my close to death experience, I changed jobs, for fewer hours, leaving time for more activities: hiking, biking, swiming, working out, learned ballroom dancing, and I continued the recommended changes in nutritional eating. I met a wonderful man, we married, and I kept cutting back my work hours till I reluctantly retired from my wonderful position at the hospital last year because our travels, projects, hobbies and activities just didn't leave me time to work. We share an absultely fantastic lifestyle. My health is very dependent on how I eat and drink - even now. I have learned to really "listen" to my body and I can enjoy perfect health if I avoid the foods and drinks that do not leave me feeling well. Pepsi, fats in moderation and sugars are my challenge. I gave out my last copy of this book and am buying another because I fractured my ankle while hiking near our home in Southern Baja, Mexico, last week. Again, I will do EVERYTHING Dr. Balch and Phyllis Balch reccommends and heal rapidly.
*The* primary alternative medicine reference work...October 27, 2001 David Bennett(Ohio, United States) 34 out of 38 found this review helpful
"Prescription For Nutritional Healing" is perhaps the most condensed dictionary of practical alternative medicine available. The book contains so much information that it actually boggles the mind it can fit into one book. The book starts out with a large section entitled "Elements of Health." In this section, the Balch team discusses vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, herbs, natural food supplements and their history and uses. There is a helpful herb chart that lists the herb, the effective parts of the herb, most of its phytonutrients, its uses, and comments such as toxicity. This section is a primer for those who want to know a little bit about the nutrients they will be taking.
The next section, which makes up the bulk of the book, is the "Disorders" section. It goes from Abscesses to Yeast Infections, covering a host of common and rare disorders in between. For each disorder, a treatment plan is outlined by name and dose, and nutrients are grouped according to how helpful they are in treating each disorder. For instance, with regard to the common cold, Zinc lozenges are listed as "essential," while Olive Leaf extract is only listed as "helpful" (mind you, I disagree with their evaluation of olive leaf). Then they list effective herbs, followed by "recommendations." These recommendations are often common sense suggestions and additional useful information written in an easy to understand manner. Finally, there is a "consideration" section for each disease. Here the authors report on recent research and possible other helpful ideas. Many charts and tables are dispersed throughout the disease section, such as poison control center numbers, STD symptoms, pregnancy tests, and nutrient robbing chemicals and foods.
The book ends with a brief description of therapies, a glossary of terms, and a list of supplement manufacturers. Overall this is an extremely useful book, which lists virtually every alternative therapy that has been found effective in clinical and controlled studies. Some of the recommendations are based on shaky evidence, and sometimes the authors confuse certain facts (for instance they suggest cancer patients eat almonds because of their laetrile content, but sweet almonds contain no laetrile; only bitter almonds do) but nonetheless, most of their claims are backed by competent studies.
The third edition came out very soon after the second edition. This demonstrates how fast research into alternative therapies is moving. Also, the third edition integrates a lot of mainstream medicine into its pages, making it extremely helpful and useful to those who might only dabble with alternative medicine on occasion. I bought the first edition in the early 1990s, and whenever I have a basic question or get sick, I usually go to this book first. I am not a doctor, and obviously nobody should forsake his or her doctor and simply follow the suggestions in this book! Kudos to the Balch team for setting the standard and keeping up with recent research!
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