Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies »

JAMES F. BALCH, M.D., is one of the bestselling health book authors of all time with his coauthored landmark Prescription for Nutritional Healing, which was one of the first major books to show how food and supplements can improve health. He has made numerous appearances on TV and radio and regularly lectures around North America. Dr. Balch writes a monthly newsletter, Prescriptions for Healthy Living, which is read by 50,000 subscribers; he also has a weekly Internet radio program called Prescriptions for Healthy Living on wsradio.com.

MARK STENGLER, N.D., is a licensed naturopathic doctor, author, and lecturer with expertise in nutrition, herbal therapy, vitamin therapy, homeopathy, and integrative medicine. He serves on a medical advisory committee for the Yale University Complementary Medicine Outcomes Research Project. An associate clinical professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Stengler is in private practice in La Jolla, California.

The all-in-one natural health resource your family can trust

Dr. James Balch coauthored Prescription for Nutritional Healing, which became the first major popular guide to the healing power of foods and nutritional supplements, selling more than 8 million copies in all its editions. Now, Dr. Balch and Dr. Mark Stengler present a new natural health resource that you can't afford to be without—a comprehensive reference of natural remedies for common ailments, including:

• acne
• allergies
• arthritis
• asthma
• back pain
• cancer
• depression
• fibromyalgia
• heart disease
• hypothyroidism
• influenza
• irritable bowel syndrome
• menopause
• osteoporosis
• stroke
• Syndrome X
• varicose veins, and more—almost 200 health problems and conditions in all.

Prescription for Natural Cures provides a complete natural Rx for each condition, giving you a proven, natural, customized prescription that may include supplements, herbal medicine, homeopathy, aromatherapy, Chinese medicine, hydrotherapy, bodywork, natural hormones, and other natural cures in addition to nutritional advice. Organized by problem from A to Z, this invaluable guide features:

• The unique Super Seven Prescriptions for each condition, which provide specific and practical remedies to help heal your problem. You have never seen natural health advice as helpful, targeted, and accessible as this
• Clear, authoritative guidance on dietary changes, healing foods, nutritional supplements, and recommended tests
• Easy-to-understand discussions of the symptoms and root causes of each health problem
• Down-to-earth descriptions of each natural remedy
• A resource guide to holistic practitioners

This breakthrough book is indispensable if you want to get better—naturally

Publishers Weekly

Balch, who coauthored the bestselling Prescription for Nutritional Healing, and Stengler, a naturopathic doctor, present this hefty reference book with detailed entries for about 200 ailments, from "abscess" to "warts." Each entry offers a definition of the condition and an explanation of associated symptoms, causes and testing techniques. The authors provide treatment options for each problem, including homeopathy, hydrotherapy and "Super Seven Prescriptions" (specific remedies mostly involving dietary supplements). Although some readers may wonder why almost as many pages are devoted to "dizziness" as "cancer," the entries do provide a helpful overview of common therapeutic approaches and include journal references, though it appears only some of the recommendations are supported by published studies. Balch and Stengler review basic alternative therapies, too, such as diet and nutrition, nutritional supplements and traditional Chinese medicine. While they acknowledge that some people will require both conventional and natural treatment, their tendency to equate "natural" with "nontoxic" seems overly simplistic. Many dietary supplements, for example, can be as potent as prescription drugs and cause side effects or interact with other medications. Still, readers navigating the sprawling world of alternative medicine will find this comprehensive resource to be a helpful starting place. Agent, Jeff Herman. (Oct. 8) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.