The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition

2 Responses to “The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition”

1. Julie Ann Dawson on July 22nd, 2010 9:36 AM

   Jill Rosemary Davies is highly qualified to write a book regarding natural healing. She holds a doctorate in herbal medicine and has often worked with various EU legislatures to insure the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines. Experienced homeopaths will find the wealth of information in her book concise, insightful, and well-organized. Davies covers not only the standard topics such as herb selection, essential oil use, and home remedies, but also touches on such items as massage therapy, breathing techniques, and detoxification.

   My concern, however, is that the book is marketed to beginners. Novices to homeopathy and natural healing may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of different topics covered. Or worse, completely turned off to the idea of natural healing as something that is far to complex and time consuming for the average person to effectively handle. While most health-conscious readers with an interest in natural healing can probably handle reading about the benefits of owning a juicer and how to select fruits and vegetables for juicing, Davies discussion of how to properly select seeds for use in a sprouter and on the need to grown your own barley might come across too extreme.

   Davies also has a tendency to slip into preaching, speaking in absolutely regarding the differences between organic and non-organic foods, the dangers of dairy, and even the toxidity of farm-raised fish. While I personally prefer organic foods, for example, I have yet to see any decisive scientific research confirming the claims Davies makes. She claims “eggs are potential causes of diseases like arthritis,” that butter “is basically rancid and has lots of free radicals,” and “all meat putrefies in the intestine and strips calcium from the body.” And she makes these statements without really offering any resources or references to lend credence to the claims (though most chapters do include related works, they aren’t really “references” in the traditional sense.)

   Moreover, it is important to note that Davies practices natural healing in Europe. this is important because herbal medicines are both more readily available in most of Europe AND they are regulated to insure quality standards. Again, while this is not an issue to experienced natural healers, it can cause confusion to novices. Davies speaks about getting this or that ingredient as if you can just pick it up at a local store (which she most likely can). But readers in the U.S. often CAN’T get the natural herbs and such easily without searching the internet for a reputable dealer or finding a large natural foods provider in their area. Again, novices can easily become frustrated trying to gather all the ingredients for various home remedies.

   Also of note is that Davies tends to suggest natural healing should be used before or instead of traditional medicine. While this is a position I agree with wholeheartedly for annoying but otherwise harmless conditions such as dandruff, acne, the common cold, etc, encouraging natural remedies for a stroke victim OVER traditional medicine highly suspect. Again, as many medical practitioners in Europe are also trained in natural healing, or are at least accepting of it and able to work together with the natural healer for an overall health plan, I think this notion poorly serves American readers. It could encourage people to self-diagnose, or try to heal themselves instead of getting early medical attention for potentially serious conditions.

   Her remedies,however, do seem to be rooted in solid homeopathic research, and do not contradict or bring into question other research I have seen. So for experienced practitioners who are skilled in the difference between what should and should not be done at home, Davies’ book is a welcomed addition to the library. Novices, however, should carefully consider whether or not they are ready to attempt some of the more advanced techniques without first consulting their doctors.

   I wish I could split my rating somehow, as I would rate this book 4 stars for experienced practitioners. But because it is geared toward novices as an introduction to natural healing, I rated only average.
   
   Rating: 3 / 5

2. Dancing Ganesha on July 22nd, 2010 9:38 AM

   I’ve ready medical and psychiatric manuals, and I can tell that the author of this book has a very good understanding, grasp, and knowledge of all types of disorders. I would highly recommend this book, it should be an essential part of any library, including your own.
   Rating: 5 / 5

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