Good Medicine

I recently finished Good Medicine by Carol Roberts, MD. I must confess this was a tough read for me.

I read the back cover of this book and I was really excited. Here it is...

"Attain a Healthier You-Naturally-With this Breakthrough and Doctor-Proven Guide Filled with the latest thinking on traditional, holistic and alternative care, Good Medicine: A Return to Common Sense represents a sea change in approaching illness and attaining optimal health. This authoritative and easy-to-understand book from renowned Dr. Carol L. Roberts offers a new perspective on how human beings are put together, integrating the physical body and the spirit within. Comprehensive chapters on nutrition, digestion, toxins, heart health and even sex make it easy to customize your own wellness plan.

You'll learn:

-How to break the habit of foods that can literally kill you, and replace them with nutrient-rich superfoods (it's easier than you think)

-Why your digestive system is the gateway to optimal health, and how to give it a preventive tune-up

-The man-made toxins that are causing millions to suffer from diseases like asthma and liver damage, and how to get them out of your life

-Secrets to boosting energy and sexual performance that don't require an expensive prescription

-Straight talk on vitamins-what works, why, and how much you should (or shouldn't) be taking

-Why spirituality is as important as traditional medicine, and how to implement the right balance in your own wellness goals

If you're tired of being sick, tired of taking expensive drugs-or just plain tired-this book will show you how to shape your well being with proven, practical techniques."

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I'm not sure how to break the bad foods. The chapter entitled, "What Should I Eat, Doctor?" we are told to eat whole foods, fresh and organic foods, drink lots of water and eat the right fats, among a few other things. This is really not anything new, or anything I don't already know, for that matter. She ends the chapter by saying, in bold print, this is an evolutions, not a revolution...but I found no clear idea of how to break the habit

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The section on the digestive system was very informative and helpful in my understand of how it plays a part in keeping me healthy and there were suggestions of supplements that help along with the amounts needed. As far as the toxins and how to get them out of your life, again I think it fell short. She talked about fasting, colonics and chelation therapy. The last of these three is a "procedure invented to treat sailors who were poisoned by lead based paints used on battleships. The procedure involves the administration....of a synthetic amino acid with several chemical binding sites...This quality allows the chelating agent to pull the metals out of storage in the bones, liver, kidneys, of the brain..." (pg108-109) The author states, "A simple safe treatment like chelation therapy could make major heart surgery a thing of the past, reduce the incidence of stroke, and prevent and treat one of the underlying causes of cancer and dementia - metal toxicity"; however the American Heart Association found no scientific evidence to demonstrate any benefit from this form of therapy and states that the FDA has not approved it for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

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The positives were that most chapters Dr. Roberts gives us some suggested readings and I did come away with some good suggestions for supplements. The negatives were she suggested some treatments and tests that would not be covered by insurance and could be expensive. An example if having your hair tested for chemicals in your body. Sounds like a great idea and I would love to do it, I just don't have $100 to $230 to do it.

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I am all for alternative medicine, I do believe doctors treat symptoms and not problems, i do believe the medical profession has turned from treating patients to making money, I am just not sold on a lot of what was in this book. That said, I did glean some good things and this book did receive 5 stars for 13 out of the 15 reviews at Amazon.

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I give this a 3 out of 5.