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

Janet Zand (Author), James B. LaValle (Author), Allan N. Spreen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living opens with an overview of the history, fundamentals, and uses of conventional medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupressure, diet, and nutritional supplements. The core of the book is a comprehensive listing of health ailments, from the common cold to tuberculosis. Each problem receives a clear explanation and specific advice on various approaches to treatment. Highlighted emergency treatments are included for quick reference, and readers are advised when treatment from medical professionals is necessary. The final section explains how to use the therapies prescribed previously, from locating pressure points to preparing herbal remedies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Written by a naturopath (Zand), a medical doctor (Allan Spreen), and a registered pharmacist (James B. LaValle), this book demonstrates how conventional and alternative medicine can work together to provide optimum health. The first part of the book describes different treatment modalitiesAconventional medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupressure, Bach flower remedies, aromatherapy, nutrition, and nutritional supplementsAand how they work. Part 2 provides an alphabetical listing of common health problems, ranging from athlete's foot to vertigo. Each entry includes a brief description of the ailment and treatment recommendations. The third section covers therapies and procedures, from locating acupressure points and doing breast self-examination to relaxation techniques and preparing herbal treatments. The book concludes with product information. Aside from too few illustrations, this book is flawless. Highly recommended for mid- and large-sized libraries as well as smaller libraries wishing to increase holdings in this genre.AValeria Long, Amberg Health Sciences Lib., Grand Rapids, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A particularly comprehensive, well-laid-out addition to the spate of recent guides to medical and alternative health resources. This covers conventional medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, Bach flower remedies, acupressure, aromatherapy, and therapeutic nutritional measures. Naturopath Zand (also trained in Oriental medicine and acupuncture), physician Spreen (whose particular interest is nutrition as therapy), and pharmacologist LaValle explain the history and philosophy underlying each therapeutic modality. Dr. Edward Bach's system of flower remedies originated at the turn of the century, for instance, on the theory that ``physical problems were secondary to emotional problemsthat physical illness was a manifestation of emotional imbalance.''. Then, for each of an exhaustive list of illsranging in severity from black eyes to melanomathe authors provide comprehensive suggestions for help. For instance, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases must be treated by conventional medicine with antibiotics first of all, but dietary measures will help (high fluid intake, plenty of well-cooked whole grains and fresh vegetables), calcium and magnesium supplements may help relieve achiness; and possible herbal supports include cat's claw, garlic, goldenseal, and oregano. There are appropriate cautions throughoutthese together with the wealth of possibilities make clear the need for the assistance of a knowledgeable health practitioner. Thorough and understandable, this is a useful all-purpose reference. (First printing of 100,000; $250,000 ad/promo) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Avery Trade; 1 edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895298678
• ISBN-13: 978-0895298676
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Reference

More About the Author

Janet Zand, N.D., L.Ac., is a leading practitioner of natural medicine who uses homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle modification to create an integrated approach to health. She is a widely quoted authority on natural medicine, and has formulated many popular herbal and nutritional medicines.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great all-around resource, August 30, 1999

By 

Hillari Dowdle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults (Paperback)

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.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great supplemental family health reference, January 1, 2005

By 

Michael S. Urvan (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults (Paperback)

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 particular ailment/disease. This book is not an 'herb' reference like most other books, it can be used as such because the detail is so great, but the herbal information is presented under each and every ailment - so it's organization is more like a treatment reference for ailments. This book is an excellent reference for general ailments like allergies, headaches, and other problems but I urge anyone with specific medical health problems to read this book and try some of the herbal remedies. The book also discusses Dietary and Vitamin and Minerals recommendations for each ailment/disease. This book is comprehensive and the treatment recommendations are presented in an unbiased fashion. There is also a version of this book specifically for children's ailments/diseases.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only buy one book on Natural Medicine, this is it!, January 4, 2001

By 

Vicki M. Pasterik (Mars, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults (Paperback)

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!