Kitchen Pharmacy [antikvár]

Introduction Kitchen Pharmacy is primarily a book of self-help. We aim to describe, simply and clearly, how anyone can use widely available natural ingredients to help them to keep well, to treat minor ailments, and to assist the healing process. The book blends ideas from both Eastern and Western natural medicine, explaining them in a straightforward, practical way. It also looks at the role of our minds and emotions in our total health and how we can help the healing process by adopting a harmonious and energy-raising lifestyle. Many of us would find it useful to know what soup to give to soothe a cough or sore chest; to be able to ease a sore throat with an effective gargle made from everyday kitchen ingredients; or to bring relief to burning indigestion with the right choice of herb tea or a simple massage with essential oils. In fact it's only in the last few decades that we have got out of the habit of treating ourselves with plants and herbs and have come to rely so much on doctors. If you think about it, you'll probably find that you already use quite a few natural remedies without even realising it - lemon and honey for a sore throat, for instance, prunes for constipation, or vinegar to treat a wasp sting. Kitchen Pharmacy describes the contribution which diets and remedies prepared from the herbs and spices, grains, fruits, vegetables and flowers of the kitchen can make to health and healing. The nutritional suggestions and remedies are intended to complement, not replace, diagnosis and treatment by a medical practitioner, or other qualified healer or therapist. Any major ailment or acute condition requires prompt medical attention before you consider any type of self-treatment. Once the immediate crisis has passed, natural remedies can be highly effective as aids to long-term healing. They can also be of great benefit in helping to prevent a relatively minor ailment from developing into a more serious condition. To put these natural remedies in context, the book starts with a brief review of the history of natural healing; then looks at the Chinese view of energy and its two manifestations, yin and yang.