Nutritional Herbology - A Book Review

I wish I found this book a lot sooner!  Nutritional Herbology by Mark Pedersen is quickly becoming one of my favorite "go to" books.  It can be found on amazon and in my opinion is worth every cent!  Why do I like this book so much?

*It covers a large number of herbs

*Each herb's folk history, use, and medicinal properties are concisely and clearly discussed

*It has a nutritional profile *LOVE THIS* - I think this is my favorite part of the book. I love being able to see the vitamin and mineral content.  This is especially helpful if you are like me and do not take a standard multivitamin, but choose herbs and other supplements instead

*This book has doses for each herb...Yay!  This can be tough to find in many herbal books.

*Medicinal properties and chemical constituents are described.  This is especially helpful for the herbalist.

*Traditional formulas and herbal combinations are given, along with a description of why these herbs are combined.

*The beginning of the book has a few sections describing herbal classifications and nutrients in herbs and foods, giving lists of where the best sources can be found.

I highly recommend this book for those just starting to dabble with herbs and those who have been using herbs for a long time.  The information in this book is invaluable.

Disclaimer:  I am an affiliate for amazon.  Accessing and ordering from their site through my blog is much appreciated and helps keeps this blog going.

Book Review: Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics

One of the books I have been assigned to read for my Clinical Master Herbalist program is Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics by Dr. John McKenna.  I highly recommend this book, no matter what season of life you find yourself, and especially if you are raising children.

As a former nurse, I have seen first hand the rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria and took care of many patients suffering from this issue.  It is sobering to see the increasing numbers and more virulent strains of bacteria making their appearance.

Thankfully, there is still hope if enough of us start to make the appropriate changes in how and when we use antibiotics; and this includes dietary intake as well.  A large contributing piece to this problem is the vast amounts of antibiotics used meat and dairy production.  The other large contributing piece is the frequent distribution of antibiotics by physicians and the large number of requests from patients.

In order to make a change in this area, it is important to educate ourselves.  Dr. McKenna's book will do just that and I am sure that you will not look at antibiotics in the same light once you finish reading.

The first section of this book discusses the history, effects, use, abuse, and bacterial resistance to antibiotics.  He ends this section on a hopeful note: a more prudent use of antibiotics will result in bacterial change and lead to reduced bacterial resistance.

The next section discusses the treatment of childhood illness, with many personal experiences.  I appreciate that Dr. McKenna discusses the use of both herbal and homeopathic medicine.  I enjoy using both these sources of holistic medicine in my home and learned a lot reading through this section.

He ends the book discussing nutritional and bacterial supplements (probiotics) as well as the healthy diet.  He also writes a brief chapter about stress and it's effects on the immune system.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a tremendous amount.  I particularly liked his approach to treating childhood illnesses.  I also liked the fact that he supports antibiotic use when appropriate, but encourages a natural approach to illness first.

You can purchase this book HERE.  I am an amazon affiliate and appreciate any traffic to their site from my blog, as it helps to support my site.

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Practical Herbalism

I recently bought this book for my library.  It is becoming a quick favorite.  This would be a great purchase for those who are just beginning their herbal journey and also for those advanced in herbalism. I like this book because it is beautifully laid out, gives a brief history of herbalism and why it is not practiced in our country, defines herbal actions, and then gives a detailed description of about 46 herbs along with how to take each herb in it's various forms...WITH DOSAGES!  It is difficult to find herbal books that give specific dosages of herbs.

Here is a favorite quote from this book:

     "All across our country, in fact, there is a fresh awakening of interest in herbs and other natural remedies.  Millions of our citizens, with motives ranging from simple curiosity to absolute desperation, are also searching for alternatives for their health concerns.  Many will likewise find the answers they seek in the natural gifts of a loving Creator-gifts that have been there all along...Every corner of the inhabited earth has been gifted with these botanical and natural resources, and the variety is as boundless as Creation itself...We can nurture and use this vast apothecary with gratitude and respect, destroy it through our ignorance, or ignore and abandon it through our arrogance.  It is our choice."

(This book can be purchased on amazon - click on the amazon link on the right.)