Reading well: learn how to take charge of your health

Better Nutrition, April, 2003 by Barbara Hey

"You live and learn. Or you don't live long." Or so wrote Stranger in a Strange Land science fiction author Robert Heinlein, who lived well into his 80s. He had a point about the life-enhancing potential of acquiring knowledge--one that may explain why many health food retailers stock an array of books in their inventories.

Whether the topic is body, mind or spirit, these books provide information that can help you understand your own health and make informed decisions. "We carry books so our customers will always have access to information about alternative medicine or other health-related topics," says Alex Ragland of Crystal Lake Health Food Store in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

From East Coast to West, we asked BN retailers around the country which books they like best--and which are the most popular with their customers. The titles vary by store, and they run the gamut from reference works to cookbooks, disease prevention to illness treatment, children's health to intuitive healing.

So the next time you're walking the aisles of your local natural products store, take a moment to check out the bookshelves. Here are a few recommendations to get you started.

special picks

How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine by Michael Murray (Riverhead Books, $25.95). Here's a fact to consider: Only 15 percent of cancers are genetic in origin. The remaining 85 percent are influenced by diet, lifestyle and environment, according to the author. A naturopathic physician, author Murray has culled the best information from some 10,000 cancer studies to give solid advice on ways to increase your chances of having a healthy life. And, he says, the most powerful preventives are on the shelves of your natural foods store. His suggestions include five to ten daily servings from a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, omega-3 oils found in fish and these "extras": a high-potency vitamin and mineral supplement--one that contains a balance of antioxidants--a greens drink and a probiotic. The book also features sections on the prevention and treatment of the most common cancers: breast, colon and prostate.

Dr. Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing: 5 Steps to Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Wellness by Judith Orloff, MD (Three Rivers Press, $7.95). Orloff, both a psychiatrist and a medical intuitive, brings a potent mix of traditional knowledge and alternative wisdom to staying well physically, mentally and spiritually. She explains how intuition can provide essential tools for maintaining health. With a forward by Dean Ornish.

Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Embrace Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself by Andrew Weil, MD (Ballantine Books, $7.95). Dr. Weil gives an overview of the body's enormous power to heal itself, and how various remedies can either support or interfere with the process.

reference classics

Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand (Avery Putnam Penguin, $23.95). This perennial favorite contains well-researched, thorough information on how to keep kids healthy. Zand discusses prevention, symptoms and treatments for common childhood illnesses, and includes suggestions for conventional treatments, dietary guidelines, nutritional supplements, herbal treatments, homeopathy, acupressure and Bach flower remedies.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs <5 Food Supplements by James F. Balch, MD, and Phyllis A. Balch, CNC (Avery Putnam Penguin, $23.95). This wellspring of clearly presented information on illness and treatment is now in its third edition.

eating well

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig (New Trends Publishing, $25.00). An interesting treatise that attempts to clear up misconceptions about healthy diets. The discussion is far ranging, from how food is grown and prepared to how it's assessed for its health-promoting value. The book also covers what we should eat and what we should avoid, as well as featuring historical facts, cooking tips and recipes.

The Sunfood Diet Success System: 36 Lessons in Health Transformation by David Wolfe (Maul Brothers, $29.95). A book that offers information about incorporating a raw food diet into your life, The Sunfood Diet describes in no uncertain terms why the author believes eating raw will renew and revolutionize your health.

women's health

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by John R. Lee, MD (Warner Books, $14.95). Lee is a recognized authority on the role of progesterone in easing the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Christiane Northrop, MD (Bantam Books, $18.95). This classic guide is clearly written--as are all of Northrup's books-and packed with information on all areas of women's health.

Knowledge, in all these cases, is indeed power. And it's fun too!