Natural Cures For Dummies®

      Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

      Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

      Published simultaneously in Canada

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      Library of Congress Control Number: 2014954669

      ISBN 978-1-119-03022-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-03017-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-03019-5

      Foreword

      I learned firsthand about the power of natural cures when a hit-and-run driver struck my then-16-year-old son Grant in September 2012. Among his injuries were a torn aorta, spinal fractures, skull fractures, and bleeding throughout his brain. As Grant lay in a coma, doctors offered a grim prognosis; they told us they could do nothing and advised us to let Grant go.

      Western medicine provides numerous valuable contributions, but it often fails to see the bigger picture for healing and health. That’s where some of my closest friends – progressive doctors, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals – selflessly provided their expertise to help heal Grant.

      Bucking the status quo and implementing natural cures played a huge role in keeping Grant alive when doctors argued we had no hope. Eventually, he emerged from his coma and began to speak, every word becoming nothing short of a miracle. Grant not only survived; today he thrives. If I could glean a bright spot during that challenging time other than to never lose hope, I would emphasize how providing the right nutrients and other modifications can radically heal your body. That’s where Natural Cures For Dummies comes in.

      In this user-friendly reference, Dr. Scott J. Banks couples cutting-edge information about symptoms and root causes with science-supported, safe “prescriptions” – healing foods, natural supplements, and lifestyle modifications – that, unlike pharmaceutical drugs or potentially invasive therapies, assist rather than work against your body’s natural ability to heal. Consider this comprehensive, expert-curated book your go-to guide to naturally heal numerous conditions that leave you tired, sick, overweight, and aging prematurely. Natural Cures For Dummies will empower you to take control and provide your body the nutrients it requires for healing and abundant health.

      Introduction

      Modern medicine has made amazing strides toward combating infectious diseases and improving the quality of human life. Sanitation has nearly rid humans in developed countries of exposure to a host of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and nasty parasites. Vaccines have virtually eliminated many fatal or crippling diseases and have held many others at bay. Advances in medical imaging now enable doctors to look inside the body without opening it up. Anesthesia allows for pain-free surgeries. And through the miracles of modern medicine, many people have had their hearing and sight restored, limbs replaced with robotic prosthetics, and are even walking around with artificial hearts.

      Yet something is missing. The steady decline of infectious diseases is matched with a comparable rise in chronic illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, autism, cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, heart disease, obesity, and osteoporosis. And the best that modern medicine can offer in fighting this rising epidemic is a whack-a-mole approach of treating symptoms with powerful prescription medications and surgeries that then trigger other illnesses that have other symptoms that must then be treated. Over time, many patients end up on a half dozen medications (or more), and they still feel lousy.

      Natural medicine takes a different approach. Instead of treating symptoms or even illnesses, natural medicine focuses on identifying and treating underlying causes: nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, inefficiency in digestion and absorption of nutrients, the presence of heavy metals and other toxins, food allergies and sensitivities, structural imbalances, and dysregulation of the immune system, to mention a few. Natural medicine not only cures illness, but it also optimizes wellness.

      About This Book

      Fed up with conventional medical treatments? Welcome to Natural Cures For Dummies, your key to curing illness and optimizing wellness through nutrition, supplements, herbs, lifestyle changes, and other nonconventional treatments that harness the body’s powerful self-defense and self-healing mechanisms.

      Organized in an easy-to-access format and presented in plain English, this book introduces you to natural cures and takes you on a tour of common natural cures treatment approaches, including aromatherapy, Ayurveda, functional medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy. In addition, you’ll find guidance on dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to instantly improve your health. I also provide natural prevention and cures for over 170 common ailments, explaining which nutrients, supplements, herbs, and other treatments are most effective in addressing the underlying causes of these ailments.

      You’ll also find appendixes that cover vitamins and minerals, nutritional supplements, natural hormones, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and essential oils. These vital references can be used time and