Smart Medicine for Healthier Living: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments

by James B. LaValle and Janet Zand

Book Overview

Written by a medical doctor, a naturopath, and a registered pharmacist, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living is a complete A-to-Z guide to the most common disorders and their treatments, using both alternative care and conventional medicine. Comprehensive and easy-to-follow, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living is divided into three parts. Part one explains the full spectrum of approaches used to effectively treat common health problems. It provides...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895298678
• ISBN13: 9780895298676
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 3.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.3" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

This is my family medical reference book

Of all the medical books that I have read over the years, this is by far the best book I have seen. It explains the treatment options for all sides, Conventional Medicine, Dietary, Vitamins and Minerals recommendations, Herbal Treatment, Homeopathy, Accupressure, and Prevention. It is a pretty large, thick book with average sized text and little wasted space. It has a great deal of information and they do an excellent job of presenting the information. Most other books seriously fail in one of several areas: Accuracy and depth of information, ability to present the information in an easily understandable form, and ability to present the information in an applicable form. Many other books fail to mention herbs or vitamins that I know to have benefit for a particular ailment, while mentioning other herbs or vitamins that in my experience have little or no effect on an ailment. This book is the most accurate book I have yet to see, based on my own experience with herbs and vitamins, and online research. This book has an excelent organization, it presents the information as 'treatments' for each ailment or disease. The book breaks down each of the treatment options in their own subsections underneath each ailment or disease. By ailment or disease I mean it covers not only allergies, heartburn, insomnia, and stress, but it also lists Diabetes, Cirrhosis, HIV, Meningitis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Hepatitis, and Rosacea among many other diseases. For each and every ailment or disease, it typically has a half-page general overview of each disease (what the disease is, how it works), and then it has the treatment sections (Conventional Medicine, Dietary/Vitamins, Herbal Treatment, and Homeopathy and Accupressure, etc). The information presented in each of the sections is very understandable (you do not need a PHD to understand it). I have been using herbs for different ailments for years, and I based my usage of particular herbs on information that I found scattered among many different books or references. I found the herbal treatment information in this book to be very complete. In my experience, most books tend to mention a few of the 'best' herbs for a particular ailment and ignore the rest. This book lists very nearly ALL the applicable herbs and vitamins for any particular ailment, and for each herb it usually gives a quick explanation of WHY and HOW the herb works to help that particular ailment. You may find that a particular herb helps you for a particular ailment, whereas others may not. I believe it's important to list all of the herbal remedies that have been known to help a particular ailment, so that you can try for yourself to find what works. Each herb has its own paragraph and dosage recommendation under each treatment. If garlic is listed under one ailment, it is still listed under other ailments, but they do not 'copy and paste' the paragraphs - each time care is taken to explain what mechanism the herb has for helping that particula

If you only buy one book on Natural Medicine, this is it!

We have both this book and the Healthier Child book. They are now dog eared from being used so much. Very well written in a format that is easy to use. I recommend this to everyone. It has saved us a lot of money on doctor visits!

Great all-around resource

I'm a fan of books about health, and have quite a large collection. This has quickly become one of my favorites, due to its well-balanced combination of traditional (allopathic) and alternative medical advice. It's unique in this way-most other health books are either all alternative, or all traditional (despite the fact that the majority of Americans are combining the two approaches). I consider this book an information integrator that helps me see all our choices for health and wellness, to weigh the merits of very different approaches and make informed decisions. It will be under the Christmas tree for many of my friends and loved ones this year.

This Book Is A "Must-Own"

This book is superior to all other nutrition books I have read. It addresses the most modern health issues, the newest scientific studies, and the "hottest" nutrition crazes in a clear and concise manner. Other books tend to ignore these topics or are simply too outdated to rely on. If you're interested in health (which everyone should be) then this book will be your bible.

Dr. Zand has done it again!

Dr. Zand has done it again!! Dr. Zand, a naturopath, has teamed up with Allan Spreen, an MD, and James LaValle, a pharmacist, to offer the bridge between conventional western medicine and natural medicine that so many of us are eager to cross. Incredibly thorough, amazingly concise, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living delivers valuable information in an open, thoughtful manner that is encouraging for the beginner as well mentally stimulating for veteran students and users of complimentary medicine. In the first segment of this three-part book, the authors give a "nuts and bolts" description of various natural and conventional healing modalities, such as conventional drug therapy, aromatherapy, nutrition and acupressure, just to name a few. Part two offers an extensive list of common health problems, listed alphabetically, along with the ideal drug, herbal, nutritional, and homeopathic remedies to treat each complaint. Part three discusses how to apply different therapies and procedures, both natural and conventional, such as administering an acupressure treatment, or taking your temperature. This book is as easy to use as it is informative and engaging. It is simply a must for every one who wants to create a healthier life!