Herbal Healing for Women [Hardcover]

Rosemary Gladstar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995

Gladstar interweaves folk wisdom, her own experience as an herbalist, and sound medical principles in a guide to women's health that is at once poetic, intriguing, and eminently practical.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Comprehensive and easy-to-use, Herbal Healing for Women explains how to create remedies -- including teas, tinctures, salves and ointments--for the common disorders that arise in the different cycles of a woman's life. A complete women's health-care manual, this book discusses:

• common disorders and the herbs that are effective for treating them
• how to select and store herbs
• preparation of hundreds of herbal remedies
• an alphabetical listing of herbs, including a brief description of the herb, the general medicinal usage, and when necessary, warnings about potential side effects.

It is this emphasis upon safe herbology that impressed me most about this book; for example, Gladstar very carefully distinguishes between the safe external applications of Pennyroyal herb and potentially lethal internal misuse of Pennyroyal oil. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Gladstar points out that "there's a natural affinity between women and the plant world." Her own background includes individual experience with herbs, running a school of herbalism, and managing a herbal store; and her book (which does not identify plants) illustrates many of her resultant theories, attitudes, and practices. After introducing us to herbalism and describing the preparation of remedies and aids, she turns in the next four parts of the book to the subject of women and herbs according to "moon-time" in women's lives: early maturity, the childbearing years, pregnancy and childbirth, and menopause. The strong influence of woman's relationship to the earth's annual cycle pervades the text; a particularly beautiful example occurs in the discussion of the menarche and a lunar festive tea. Gladstar does admonish seeking professional help at times and, moreover, in a practical way rather than merely as an afterthought. Several appendixes provide additional information. William Beatty --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Trade (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132138514
• ISBN-13: 978-0132138512
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,663,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for women..., October 24, 2000

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Herbal Healing for Women (Paperback)

Rosemary Gladstar has a winner with HERBAL HEALING FOR WOMEN. She begins with a simple premise--women have needs different from men. Women, cannot escape the calendar, the seasons, and nature in general. Men don't experience menses, bear children, or go through menopause. Herbs that ease the pain women know first hand can only be seen as Goddess-sends if you will.

Because men and women are different, not all the herbs that work for men will work for women--and vice versa. Unfortunately, not too many "herbalists" clearly acknowledge this in their various books. In many herbal books and manuals you have to dig to find the information specific for age and sex, but Gladstar has arranged the female part in logical categories associated with the various phases of a woman's life.

For example, Black Cohash (Cimicifuga Racemosa), Linseed oil, and Isoflavins contain phytoestrogens and are used in Europe to alleviate the symtoms of menopause. Since the side effects of some of the regularly prescribed synthetic estrogens derived from mare's urine are not only acquired in despicable ways (ask PETA) but are dangerous to your health (don't belive me? read the little piece of paper that comes with your prescription) you might consider alternatives. I have and am here to say that some of the unhappy consequences I experienced from the over-the-counter drug are a thing of the past.

As part of my Master's Degree program (I am a sociologist-demographer), I studied mortality, morbidity, and biostatistics at Georgetown University and learned how to read biomedical research. I have maintained a personal interest in, and spent the last 30 years keeping up with, medical studies about women's issues. So, I am not ignorant of the strengths and shortcomings of various drugs used to deal with women's "complaints." The bad news is this--all synthetic drugs have bad side effects. Sometimes they are worse than what ails you. Synthetics simply aren't as good as the original, and as Gladstar points out, you even have to be careful where the original is involved.

For example, the current evidence for HRT with estrogens made from mare's urine is conflicted. Unfortunately, for ages and ages, males were the only medical subjects in scientific studies. So, it will take awhile to find out just how effective and/or damaging therapies like HRT are. In the interim, my daughter's midwife recommended herbs known to women through the ages and I am taking these to deal with the symptoms of menopause.

Ms. Gladstar discusses the clinical reseach associated with each of the herbs listed in her book, including those of interest to me at this phase in my life. Thank goodness, she doesn't limit herself to research conducted in the U.S. And, unlike the European herbalists, she includes herbs known and used by American Indian women.

I have a number of favorites, many I've known about since I was a child. I will never forget discovering the cure for warts from a little classmate in 4th grade. I rushed home to tell my mother because my sister suffered from warts (all over her hands). Mom had tried everything, but this procedure worked. I tried it years later on a horse that broke out with warts all over his body--they are caused by a virus--and he survived the virus and lost all his warts. My little friend was only nine years old, and had an amazing knowledge of home remedies. Of course we know these are just old wives tales.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosemary Gladstar's Books - MUST READS, June 24, 2002

By 

M. Hubbell (Logan, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herbal Healing for Women (Paperback)

Rosemary Gladstar's "Herbal Healing for Women" is at the top of my list of 'must reads'. I've taken her herbal homestudy course and read most of her books. As an herbalist student I have shelves of herb-related books and this is one of my favorites.

Gladstar is one of the most respected herbalists today. Her books are easy to read and understand and full of helpful recipes. One problem with many herbal books is that they only mention what certain herbs are good for. Gladstar also explains how to use them and simply enough for anyone to understand.

When my very pregnant daughter mentioned that her stretched skin felt sunburned I went searching for help. I checked through all my 'woman' herbals but only this book had a suggestion. I found the recipe for "Pregnant Belly Oil" which was easy to follow. The ingredients were easily found here at home and in town. The best part of it all was it works beautifully and smells great!

This is a wonderful book to use to expand your study of herbalism. I have to admit that the review concerning peppermint encouraged me to write my own. If that review has made you re-think this book, you might want to consider that I checked through my library and found almost all my books listed peppermint to ease heartburn. Only one - "Green Pharmacy" mentioned the possiblity that peppermint caused heartburn BUT - note the BUT - it went on to say that they disagreed and suggested it was still a good herb for the problem.

Buy this book and use it! You won't be disappointed.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasure!, December 13, 2002

By 

Hadar Aviram (Albany, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Herbal Healing for Women (Paperback)

This book is a pleasure to read and a gem for every woman concerned for her health. As an acupressure practitioner I find Rosemary Gladstar's advice invaluable, and her recipes and herbal suggestions complement nicely my books on Chinese herbs. The teas, tinctures and salves are easy to make, and the explanations are clear and knowledgeable. The Materia Medica at the end of the book is extremely useful. I particularly enjoyed Ms. Goldstar's suggestions for younger women's skin problems, have made - without any problems and with common kitchen appliances - the range of facial prducts described in the book, and am enjoying them immensely. Not only are they better than any commercial brand of skin care (because they only contain the best and purest products) but one has the satisfaction of taking an active role in caring for her own health and beauty. Even if you already own several herbal books, do not miss this one. It will become your favorite!