Natural Acada

I said in this post that “ I am NOT a nutritionist, a dietitian, a dermatologist or a subject matter expert (SME) on all things natural.”  However, I did go on to state that I read a lot. I have read a lot of good books on how to live a more healthy and balanced life.

In this post, I would like to share some of these books with you. I have to warn you though, that they do not make for light reading, lol! You have to be interested in what they have to offer. What I can almost guarantee you is that the information they present can change your health and your life for the better.

Before I go on and put up pictures of the books, I want to mention that I have found that most of the advice in the new books echoes that in the old ones. What this means to me is that over the years research has not found anything fundamentally wrong with the advice given in the old books. If they had we would have been deluged with information stating that the natural way is not the best way. Naturally a few things get modified over the years. And there is some advice that changes with the times. For example, dairy appears to be more of a no-no now than it was before. Perhaps this is due to the introduction of more anti-biotics in dairy farming which passes on to human beings or due to the fact that research shows that adults produce less lactase and are unable to digest dairy products.

Lastly, it is a bit of a frustration to me that not a lot of these books have been written by Nigerian authors. Our indigenous herbs appear not to have had a lot of commercially circulated work done on them. I have found papers by academics but only one book by a “trado-medical practitioner”, whew! what a mouthful. I will start with that one:

Immense Help from Nature’s Workshop: Guidelines on How to Use Herbs to Achieve a Healthy Living, as Health is an Individual Responsibility by Elizabeth Kafaru. Unfortunately, it is not available online and at most book stores but there is a lady that I know has it for sale. Drop a line if you want her number. Elizabeth Kafaru was very popular in the ‘90s. She has passed on now, but managed to leave us some of her knowledge in this book.

The Handbook to Alternatives to Chemical Medicine by Dr. Mildred Jackson  & Dr. Terri Teague.

This is more like a reference book and one that was written many years ago but still contains a lot of relevant information. I also found it easy to read. Most of the herbs are not indigenous to Nigeria or even available here but it contains some information that is good to know.

Indian Spices & Condiments As Natural Healers by H.K. Bakhru

I find that Indian herbs and spices are well researched. They are also quite versatile serving more than one function. For example, Fenugreek which is used in cooking is also really good for addressing hair loss and some say acne as well. So you can literally raid your kitchen to improve your skin/hair. Thanks to the strong presence of Indians in Nigeria, you can find most of the herbs/spices at the indian stores in Nigeria.

The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Contemporary Medicine by Dr H.C.A Vogel

Dr. Vogel grew up in a Swiss family where herbal medicine was practiced. He shares what he learnt from his family and also what he gleaned from formal education in this book. At 600+ pages, it is packed full with information. Not just on herbs, I might add. You can learn about how to manage your weight (a few pages dedicated to this) and even how to stop bleeding. It is more a reference book than anything. I do not expect that it will be read from cover to cover.

The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin Renewed Energy and the Body You’ve Always Wanted by Kimberly Snyder

 

This book can be read from cover to cover. I started reading Kimberly Snyder’s blog years ago when she lived in a little apartment in New York and wrote from the heart. These days, her blog is still a good source of information but also acts as a vehicle for publicizing her book and other works. I cannot hate on a sister though. For years she shared lots of free, useful information on her blog (and still does).

Ms. Snyder is a clinical nutritionist and now works with many celebrities, flying with them from location to location preparing their meals while they are on set. Her book is full of information on how to change your diet in such a way that even your skin looks better. She is a raw foodist which means that she generally does not eat food that has been cooked. Cool down, all you Nigerians that are panicking over letting go of your meat for the sake of good skin…her book caters for even us carnivores, lol! Nigerians and their meat!

These books are just a drop in the bucket compared to what I have in my library. For example, I have not highlighted any of the books on Natural Hair which I have acquired since I began my journey. I have also not spoken about the many other blogs and websites I read that give me an informal insight into topics that I am interested in. There’s a lot of information of there. Just waiting for you if you are interested….

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