Book Review: Healthy at Home—Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions
by Pat Ellis
We find ourselves in a time when the costs of conventional health care are rising, availability is declining, and antibiotic resistance to the “superbug” has become a valid concern. This poses the question: Is it possible to take our healthcare more into our own hands, thus minimizing doctors’ office and hospital visits? Can we safely cut back on over-the-counter and prescription drugs?
A path to accomplish just that is presented in Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions, by Tieraona Low Dog, MD whose road to medicine began when she was a young child who was fascinated with plants. Her journey has included becoming an herbalist, midwife, and eventually a physician. She is a 21st-century medicine woman who has taught alongside Andrew Weil, M.D. at the University of Arizona.
In addition to her medical education, Dr. Low Dog is an expert in natural healing, herbal medicine, and home remedies. She presents broad-gauged information on proven natural remedies, easy-to-make recipes, and suggests preventions and cures for all ages. Her book contains a lifetime of experiences with healing herbs, and she presents them in a practical, easy-to-use, and engaging way.
The early chapters convey Low Dog’s belief that making one’s own medicines is an empowering experience that connects to one’s own healing, and she guides the reader through the basics. Since the importance of selecting high-quality herbs is paramount, she offers suggestions on growing, harvesting, and drying herbs such as lemon balm, peppermint, sage, and thyme from one’s own gardens (even if you are an apartment dweller). No time or green thumb?…no worries! Low Dog also includes a section on purchasing medicinal herbs.
She provides clear instructions on the preparation of tinctures, teas, honey’s salves, and more. Each recipe is accompanied by suggested uses. Thyme Cough Syrup or Marshmallow Root Infusion to relieve a cough and St. John’s Wort Tincture or Herbal Stress Relief formula to calm the nerves are just a start. Subsequent chapters present information ranging from managing infections and healing the gut to strengthening the nervous system and addressing women’s health. These discussions bring traditional and conventional medicine into sync and offer guidance about when self-care has reached its limits and medical attention is required.
As I am new to the advantages of herbal remedies, I found chapter 9 of particular interest. Here, Low Dog presents the 18 essential natural remedies every home should have on hand, their use, and preparation instructions. Low Dog includes a variety of recipes such as Arnica tinctures for sprains, strains and bruises; Licorice Relief Tincture to treat cold sores and inflammation; and Sage Honey to use as a strong antiseptic for both internal and topical use. I recently had the opportunity to test some of her suggestions and found them soothing and healing. I know this will become a valuable reference for me going forward. Hopefully you will find value there also!
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