Healing with Whole Foods, Third Edition

I was vegetarian from the time I was 12 to 21 and then off and on after. In the past year I have found that despite supplements and additions of b12 and iron in my diet I was suffering from all the symptoms of b12 and iron deficiency. My moods had never been very stable, my periods always came with much PMS. We were looking into whether or not I was bipolar. I looked into many options, Naturopathic medicine, herbalism, aromatherapy, shamanism, western medicine, psychiatry, yoga and then I found this book. After reading it I came to the hard conclusion that I would try eating meat. It was never a choice I felt comfortable with but faced with my life's collapse and feeling that diet and exercise was a stronger medication than any mental health medication I tried it. I immediately felt the effects. The exhaustion, the mood swings, went away. Months later the PMS went away. A few more adjustments to my diet including eliminating eggs and nuts, which I found created too much excess.. and my anger, my irritation dissolved. Leaving me with a much more peaceful life, a more peaceful mind. This was from me reading a book, not talking to a doctor. This book is comprehensive, and easy to use so much so that I could change my life. It was as if Paul Pitchford was sitting in the room talking with me. A couple of times reading the sections that related to me and I had a workable plan. Putting the plan into action I immediately saw my life transform. So please don't put your health and body into a stereotype. This book helped me transform my life! I want to share it with you because each person is unique in what is best for them. Sometimes people are telling you to do this or that because it will make you healthy; raw food, vegetarianism; or because it is good for the earth, veganism.That if you are sick you should take this medication or accept a label for what is wrong with you. When in reality if you change the foundation of your life through diet and exercise until you find what is right for you.. your life and the way you think can transform. But you are unique. This book recommends a vegetarian diet, but empasis is put on finding what works for you. There is a disease and illness guide, sections of vitamins and minerals and what that looks like for your body in excess and deficiency. Combining Chinese medicine and nutrition you have all the tools you need to look at yourself critically, to heal, to grow, to thrive.

If I could give this book 10,000 stars I would. This book is absolutely incredible! Some points: - This book is HUGE!! 750 pages full of information (I was surprised I didn't have to pay much more for it -- for the amount of info this books contains, I would have easily expected to pay at least twice what it costs!) - Amazingly well-written! - Takes no sides, gives you the facts in a clear, concise way - Complete with theories of Chinese Medicine and descriptions of disease patterns and how to cure them - Very up-to-date -- this book is not just about old remedies -- it discusses all the issues of the "modern westerner" - Very well organized with an incredible index that you can use to find absolutely anything - Lists more foods than you probably know of, as well as the characteristics and therapeutic uses of each - Provides numerous recipes (though it's not meant to be a cookbook, I was surprised to find that it not only describes the foods, it tells you how to *use* them, how to *prepare* them, and even how to store them!) If you are looking for a guide to foods that is modern and up-to-date, yet helds to the traditional premises, this is it! This book made me think about what I've been eating and drinking (and I don't mean alcohol -- you'll find some eye-opening truths here about the water you drink, as well as what the meat, poultry, and eggs go through before they get to your fridge.) This book made me become a vegan. This book made me purify my water before I drink it. This book made me a conscious citizen of the planet! But don't worry -- there is NO preaching! If you are intent on eating meat -- fine! All the suggestions in this book provide for carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and everyone in between! It simply tells you te facts and allows you to think for yourself. Thank you, Paul Pitchford, for putting together such an incredible book -- it's an immense achievment!

I recently began researching acupuncture and Chinese medicine generally, and there is no doubt you are what you eat. I do not precisely, let alone completely understand, by a long shot, what damp and cold and heat, etc. mean, but the more I read, the more I understand the interconnection among the organ systems and their interacting energies. The index is very thorough, and integrates information regarding symptoms and systems and foods and the five seasons approach. There are lots of recipes, which I will try. I wanted to feel better, and from this book I learned quickly to eat lighter and less by expanding new highly nutritious foods in my diet. There are diet recommendations and cleanse recommendations. There are easy to read charts that incorporate a lot of information. I got started on this after 12 acupuncture treatments, and wanting to understand how acupuncture can be so effective. Then I started reading Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies, which led to this book. It is a great basic encyclopedia for maintaining a healthy balance in body and spirit that I would not want to be without, as well as a text for deeper understanding how the body and emotions are intertwined. A superb reference book.

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford is an amazing book. It is amazing for the depth that it goes into in how asian traditions combined with modern medicine can be used in making you healthier by what you choose to eat. This book is well over 600 pages, and while it is thick, he does a wonderful job of boiling down this vast amount of information and will help you to customize a diet that works well for you. Since reading this book I have made many changes to my diet, and I feel better. Much of this book contains very sound traditional ideas on diet and exercise, but I like where it dives into why Asian practice is different and what the theories are on what will make you feel better. So often in western medicine we are given cookie cutter diets that are perscribed to everyone, and this book really helps you develop a more customized approach. I like that this book will ask you questions and go over a variety of symptoms then explain why your body may behave like it does, and then the author will help you make changes that will help with these symptoms and help you heal your body. Generally none of the approaches are too extreme, but rather small choices you can make that will help make a difference. My only complaint with this book is that it really advocates leaving out the dairy and meat out of your diet. Personally, for me, this isn't a choice I want to make at this time. I do choose to limit red meat intake, and ensure that the quality of protien I get is high, and I sometimes eat vegetarian, but not always. If you are interested in a wholistic approach that teaches something other than low fat diet, check this book out. This is an amazing read and if it can help you with even one or two minor health issues this is worth the price of the book just on the fact you don't have to reach into a medicine cabinet and try to cure yourself.

Arrived on time. Great recipe book for library. Great remedy book for ailments. Great price.

This is a true resource and treasure trove of information - I reach for it again and again. If you care about health and nutrition, don't skip it!

This book is an amazing study. I have to say, please don't read it thinking you are going to cure any body of cancer, or some serious disease. The book suggests specific diets that may help alleviate some health effects but not cure them. The point is to learn how different foods help our body with certain problems and to learn more about certain diets. It's a worthy study and I learned a lot about nutrition and health conditions reading it, but I don't believe it will do anything other than help our bodies deal with alignments.

One of my friends is a nurse-midwife who teaches herbology and Traditional Chinese Medicine to health professionals. She has an extensive library, but this book always drew my attention because it was the most worn-out volume on her shelves. When she told me how much she consults it both as a practitioner and as a mother of a large, healthy household, I invested in my own copy. Now, after several years of enjoying it, I can honestly say that if I only had one health/cook book in my library, it would be this one. Thanks to the author's expertise, clear organization, and engaging style, you can curl up with it the way you would with a good novel and immerse yourself in its pages. But instead of blindly devouring junk food as you read, you'll be thinking about how to create more mindfully-crafted meals. It's a cookbook, too -- a good one. The chapter on seasonal food preparation is downright inspiring, and one of my favorite discoveries was the inner "digestive clock" -- how different seasons and times of day affect the various organs of the body. We own many books on herbology and TCM, but this one is more comprehensive, better annotated, and better written than any of the others. Buying it was definitely worth the investment.