Homeopathy Book Reviews

THE ALTERNATIVE – Your Family’s Guide to Wellness First Aid and Common Conditions

The Alternative – Your Family’s Guide To Wellness First Aid And Common Conditions by Elena Upton is reviewed by Rochelle Marsden. Homeopathy, TCM, Chiropractic medicine, Naturopathic medicine and Osteopathic medicine are some of the topics included.

Reviewed by Rochelle Marsden

Publisher: Creative Health Resources, LLC

Publication date:  02/24/2019

Pages: – 346

Price –  Amazon.co.uk  eBook Free from Kindle Unlimited or  £7.70 to buy.

Print version £19.46

Amazon.com    eBook $9.99

Print version $24.13

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-alternative-elena-upton/1130935380;jsessionid=A3242E2C60514E8068835E58ED427D21.prodny_store02-atgap02?ean=9780972641777 $24.99

Print      ISBN: 978-0-9726417-0-8

eBook   ISBN: 978-0-9726417-1-5

Introduction

I love that Elena states in the beginning, “The best person to heal you is you”, as this is something I believe as well. She continues by describing how she got into homeopathy and then explains the reasons why you should be looking at holistic medicine rather than conventional Western medication. Elena does approve of modern testing methods but then to proceed to find the best proven natural protocol and this is what she sets out to show the reader in this book. She also explains that this book takes us “on a journey into understanding the five most well-known and accepted methods of natural/ holistic/alternative medicine available today”. I personally would also add complementary to that mix!

The book is divided into 2 sections. They are Part 1 – The Evolution of Health Care and Part 2 – Putting it All Together.

Part 1.

Chapter 1 is entitled, “How Did We Get Here?” and is about the Flexner Report which I admit I had never heard of.  This report, commissioned in 1908 turns out to be an American report which was anti natural medicines and supported conventional drugs. There were 22 homeopathic colleges in 1900 which reduced to only 7 by 1918.

Elena begins by telling us that modern medicine began at the start of the of the 20th Century with a better understanding of hygiene. Life expectancy increased dramatically as a result, and not because of pharmaceutical drugs, as most believe. Natural medicine struggled to survive from then on as the U.S. government believed the bias written in the Flexner Report regarding natural forms of medicine. This bias has since spread around the world, since the US is the largest manufacturer of drugs.

Chapter 2 is entitled, “Exploring Natural Medicine” which includes Homeopathy, TCM, Chiropractic medicine, Naturopathic medicine and Osteopathic medicine.  This is one of my favourite parts of the book as it gives some fairly comprehensive detail on the most widely used natural medicines. The description of Osteopathy, as “hands to the body to determine the sensations of energy movements”, refers to a method that is at the origin of cranial sacral Osteopathy. A heads up is given to Ayurvedic medicine although it is not one of the natural modalities included in this book, since there are so few Ayurvedic doctors in the West.

Next there is a delightful account of how Elena first came across Homeopathy and her astonishment that the little white pillules worked. This is followed by a more detailed account of its use and discovery by Hahnemann which includes reference to the Vital Force.  There is reference to complex homeopathy and even the Banerji Protocols. Potency is discussed in some detail and dosage briefly, for acute and chronic conditions, but not constitutional prescribing, since the book is crafted as a quick reference to encourage the use of homeopathic remedies. It is suggested that initially a qualified homeopath should be consulted to start you on your way.

Acupuncture and TCM are explained in detail beginning with the 3 basic principles. Elena then continues to explain meridians and their effects on balancing the body. The point made in discussing other holistic modalities beyond Homeopathy is that each have one factor in common, “A respect for the innate nature of the body to heal itself through its own intelligence.”

Chapter 3 is called, “Advances Under the Radar” and discusses Cell Salts/ Tissue Salts, Phenolic Therapy and Trace Mineral Therapy /Oligotherapy. Again, these are discussed and described in a comprehensive manner. There were some here I had never heard of and I am pleased to have been educated. In the Phenolic Therapy section there are 3 charts which I found very difficult to view in the eBook as they were printed on the horizontal and I had to turn my laptop on edge to see them. This was a lot easier with the printed book version.

Chapter IV discusses, “Why We Are Sick and How to Prevent It”

Part 2

This starts with Chapter V – First-Aid A –Z which is proceeded by ‘Conventional Wisdom and Natural Relief.’ The First-Aid Section begins with Allergies and ends with Tick Bites. The index is wide-reaching and contains some unusual acute issues, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and marine animal stings.

Chapter VI – contains an A-Z of ‘Common Conditions’ which begins with Acid-Reflux and ends with Weight Loss. In between I found conditions such as athletes foot, candida, cholesterol, dental conditions, heavy metal toxicity, jet lag and restless leg syndrome amongst others, which you may not expect to see in a book like this. The Author has included these types of conditions since they have become more prevalent in modern society.

In both chapters the conditions are described along with their symptoms. Next comes Treatment Options. Herbal remedies and supplements are suggested for some conditions. Some even include the use of TCM and NAET, as well as including hydrogen peroxide and colloidal silver when appropriate. I personally always have these items on hand. Emergency medical response is described for some acute issues when it is suggested that 911 be called.

The keynotes for homeopathic remedies for each condition is given, which makes for easy differentiation between the remedies indicated. There are lovely infographics included throughout the book adding to the ease of remedy selection.

The last Chapter, Chapter VII, asks “What’s In Your Home Pharmacy?” This is followed by Notes, Index and About the Author.

Overall this is an easy-to-read, informative reference manual. This book especially makes for quick, easy reference as you flip through it.  The print book is a large size with a paperback cover. The paper used is a good weight and the print is clear. The chapters are well laid out with easy to read sections with larger headings in bold print.  It would be particularly useful for the lay person (especially wanting more knowledge about homeopathic protocols),  those looking for a better understanding of other forms of complementary medicine, and seasoned practitioners alike. The acute and chronic conditions included have been very well written and can serve as a great reference to be used over and over.

As an added free bonus at the front of the book and the beginning of the eBook is a link to download an extra book called the “The Alternative Continued” and gives 154 pages of “additional in-depth information.” This includes more detail on the “non-medical modalities” such as Cranial Sacral Therapy, Hypnotherapy and EFT amongst others, a mini homeopathic Materia medica containing keynotes of popular remedies and even some homeopathic cases.   The 12 Tissue/Cell salts are described with their uses and 3 cases. Keynotes of all the Bach Flower Remedies are given as well as more complete information on TCM and information about Flower Essences. There is more which I will leave you to discover when you purchase the print copy or the eBook and download this extra free brilliant resource. It is like buying 2 books in one.

About the author

Rochelle Marsden

Rochelle Marsden MSc, RSHom, MNWCH, AAMET is a member of the Hpathy team, a registered classical homeopath (Society of Homeopaths), and has run Southport Homeopathic Practice in the UK SINCE 1999. Rochelle completed a 2 year post-grad course with Dr. Ramakrishnan and another with Dr. S. Banerjea, and an intense Clinical Training in India with Dr. Ramakrishnan. She is a tutor for The British Institute for Homeopathy (BIH) and is a regional tutor for local homeopathic colleges. She is also a practitioner in meridian therapies, EFT (Cert. Advanced) and Matrix Reimprinting. Visit Rochelle at : http://www.southporthomeopathy.co.uk/

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