Customers Review
Incredibly informative and reader-friendly book., May 22, 2002 - Reviewer: Jack Halstead, PhD from Tucson, AZ USA
This is an incredibly informative and reader-friendly book about a common debilitating medical condition that goes largely undiagnosed and untreated. ADRENAL FATIGUE: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome is a very empowering work cram-packed with vital information about a condition that very likely affects millions of people. Author Dr. James L. Wilson gives us both the bad news and the good news about this situation. The bad news is how this illness is devastating so many lives, how so many people are being left without hope, and why traditional (allopathic) medicine has failed to recognize or remedy this tragedy. The good news is that this condition can be diagnosed, can be treated, and that there is hope. And Wilson ought to know. With 3 doctorate and two master's degrees all from different disciplines (including Human Nutrition, Naturopathic Medicine, and Bio/Nutrition), Wilson lectures extensively to physicians and is an internationally acknowledged expert on alternative, holistic approaches to health. Supporting Wilson's claims about adrenal fatigue are his 25 years of clinical practice and a depth and breadth of research based on over 2400 scientific references. But don't be daunted by the academic and scientific pedigree of the author; this book is a very easy read'deceptively so for the quality and import of the material.
The book opens with an overview of the function of the adrenals, and how they are prone to chronic fatigue given our hyper-stressed contemporary lifestyles. This is followed by a section on how to tell if you have adrenal fatigue, which includes a questionnaire, several simple at-home diagnostic tests that you can perform yourself, as well as thorough information on the availability (and usefulness) of different laboratory tests. The heart and soul of Wilson's book (and where you get a sense of this doctor's caring 'bedside manner') is the lengthy section on the treatment of adrenal dysfunction, 'Helping Yourself Back to Health.' This is the good news section. It includes detailed information and sage advice on multiple strategies for treatment, such as lifestyle, food, food allergies and sensitivities, dietary supplements, adrenal cell extracts, and replacement hormones. This section concludes with a suggested daily program for adrenal recovery, advice on what to expect on your road back to adrenal health, a very helpful list of questions and answers, and even a trouble-shooting guide if you discover that you still need help. The final section of the book is the most scientific; it details the functions of the adrenal glands. This section (as well as the entire book) is supported by helpful'and often entertaining'illustrations.
I discovered through answering the book's questionnaire and performing two of the self-diagnostic tests that I probably do not suffer from this ailment (although I'll bet that I have numerous friends who do). I do however suffer from migraine headaches, and since much of the book addresses general wellness, I read on with great interest. Most of Dr. Wilson's information and advice on lifestyle, food, food allergies and sensitivities (for me, especially this one), and dietary supplements, is material we can all benefit from'the infirm and the healthy among us alike. For the millions of people who do suffer from adrenal fatigue, there are several aspects of the book that I imagine will be most welcome. Foremost will surely be the confirmation that yes, there is something identifiably wrong with you, and the clear beacon of hope for recovery that his program projects. Especially for those readers who are afflicted with adrenal fatigue but are not quite ready to give up on traditional western medicine, Wilson presents a very balanced picture of what you can and cannot expect from your physician, and plenty of good advice for how to negotiate the interface between traditional and alternative healthcare. Lastly, Dr. Wilson has created a website,[URL], that offers updated information and advice, including information on the availability of products and services sure to be of help to sufferers from adrenal fatigue.
Comprehensive, yet very friendly; empowering and very hopeful, this book is certain to help a lot of people. |
