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Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History

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Bestselling author Dr. Josh Axe explains how to treat more than seventy diseases, lose weight, and increase vitality with traditional healing practices passed down through the ages. "Engaging, accessible and comprehensive" (Amy Myers, MD, author of  The Autoimmune Solution )

Long before the first pharmaceutical companies opened their doors in the 1850s, doctors treated people, not symptoms. And although we've become used to popping pills, Americans have finally had it with the dangerous side effects, addiction and over-prescribing—and they're desperate for an alternative.

Here's the good That alternative has been here all along in the form of ancient treatments used for eons in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Greek medicine. Ancient Remedies is the first comprehensive layman's guide that will bring together and explain to the masses the very best of these time-tested practices.

In Ancient Remedies , Dr. Axe explores the foundational concepts of ancient healing—eating right for your type and living in sync with your circadian clock. Readers will learn how traditional practitioners identified the root cause of each patient's illness, then treated it with medicinal herbs, mushrooms, CBD, essential oils, and restorative mind-body practices. What's more, they'll discover how they can use these ancient treatments themselves to cope with dozens of diseases, from ADHD to diabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and beyond.

Through engaging language and accessible explanations, Ancient Remedies teaches readers everything they need to know about getting, and staying, healthy—without toxic, costly synthetic drugs.

416 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2021

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About the author

Josh Axe

108 books199 followers
a wellness physician, popular radio show host

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82 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 98 reviews
Profile Image for Mischenko.
1,021 reviews96 followers
February 13, 2021
Traditional Chinese medicine is something I’ve always wanted to know more about, and of course I’m a Dr. Axe fan. I’ve been following him for a decade and always find his information helpful. He’s been an important part of my healing process over the years, so choosing to read this book was a no-brainer.

Ancient Remedies is jam-packed with information from essential oils to foods, but there are important sections regarding cannabinoids, emotional health, and pharmaceuticals as well. It helps with balancing the mind, body, and spirit, and seems to offer much more than other self-help books I’ve read. It’s no secret that staying optimistic is healthy for everyone, but I particularly loved parts in the book that talked about hope, love, and forgiveness. The recipes are wonderful too, and most are those that I’ll actually adopt. I was really pleased with the range of topics here.

The quiz included to help you identify your element was something I wanted to love. It wasn’t so easy for me, as I ended up somewhere in the middle and quite confused honestly. This leads into the best foods to eat, so I think I’ll have to work on figuring that out as time goes on. I also found the words ‘what’s more’ which were used repeatedly just a little distracting.

Other than those few little niggles, this book was great. I’m so happy to have received a copy for review. This is one I highly recommend.

4.5*****
Profile Image for Christina.
550 reviews208 followers
October 13, 2020
A massively helpful guide to better health by one of the leaders in the functional medicine/TCM field. I've been a fan of Dr. Axe for years now since I first became interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine. His website provides a lot of cutting edge, practical, helpful suggestions to heal numerous health conditions or to just live a better and healthier life. This book increases the helpful knowledge on his website tenfold.

In this book, Dr. Axe provides a very accessible and well-articulated background for the reader in the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and functional medicine. One of the things I love best about Dr. Axe is the way he emphasizes the role of nutrition in healing and general health. It sounds crazy to say, but does your doctor ever have in-depth conversations with you about nutrition? Almost never, right? Isn't this something ALL doctors should do? By and large they don't, and Dr. Axe fills in the gaps here with extremely useful info on diet and herbs tailored to your particular situation.

My favorite parts of the book are two sections at the end. First there is a section providing practical functional medicine, herbal and nutrition advice for over 70 conditions, from autism to fibromyalgia to stress. All of Dr. Axe's recommendations here comport with what my own naturopath has recommended over the years and this book contains even more information than my own excellent naturopath has provided. Some of his suggestions are things I am already trying courtesy of my own naturopath, so I know they work -- things like astragalus and bioflavinoids for example. But there's so much more exciting information here and herbs and nutrition ideas that I have not tried.

Another practical and excellent feature of this book is the recipes section. The book has many delicious sounding recipes targeted towards better health based on ancient nutrition principles. I am extremely excited to try these, particularly the pumpkin smoothie with collagen added, the detox shake with spinach and matcha, and the blueberry pumpkin pancakes. (Pancakes: literally what the doctor ordered.) There are also many amazing sounding recipes for soup and stew and other kinds of dinner and meals.

Side note for the skeptical: I am a very fact-based person (annoying lawyer personality quirk) and I used to think functional medicine and TCM (including acupuncture) was useless hokey-pokey or "woo." Then I got sick. When all traditional methods failed, in desperation I decided to try other stuff. The first person to help me, when all my Western doctors ran out of ideas, was an amazing Chinese functional medicine doc and a great acupuncturist. I completely get the skepticism about these kinds of treatments but without them I'd still be in a lot of pain today. If it works, it works. Most of the things mentioned here, particularly the nutrition and most of the herbs, have very little risk or downside to try and may help you as much as they have helped me.

Important note though: you should always make your doctors (both nauturopathic and Western/traditional physicians) aware of any of these remedies you are trying, and ideally discuss them with your doctors before trying. One of the best things I have done for my health is find excellent Western doctors who are also open to trying new things in functional medicine or taking my suggestions about them. Dr. Axe provides a huge wealth of knowledge that can be a great starting point to discuss with your doctors to help in crease your wellness.

Big thanks to Little, Brown, Dr. Axe, and NetGalley for this treasure trove of wellness hacks, which I have already begun to incorporate into my daily life as of today.
Profile Image for Laura (Kyahgirl).
2,170 reviews147 followers
February 7, 2024
I liked this book. It has a ton of useful and interesting info about traditional Chinese medicine and supplements and herbs that support a healthier diet. My only complaint would be that it tries to be ‘too much’. I could have done without the last couple hundred pages of recipes.
Profile Image for Kate.
1,006 reviews33 followers
March 6, 2021
I'm a bit torn on how I feel about this book. On one hand, I like the readability of this book and the organization of various illnesses, with holistic remedies. It is extremely easy to pick up and find what you are looking for. One would still want to do their due diligence and research further to make sure their are not any adverse reactions if they are pregnant, breastfeeding, have other conditions, or take other medications, but it gives a great starting point.

The issue I have is that I really can't trust the author. First of all, He overemphasizes everything to make it more of a hype. While these various remedies can synergistically work with others to create holistic health, on their own, many may not have a huge effect, especially if the person is doing things to contradict the benefit. Where it gets dangerous, is it being hyped up so much that someone takes a natural supplement and feels so good about doing that that they assume it is safe to throw caution to the wind on diet, sleep, exercise, etc. You cannot out supplement your way out of a bad diet. It's as simple as that. Hyping certain things up is also why some people are so mistrustful of alternative remedies.

Another thing that really bothered me, is that he mentioned a holistic health doctor or something knowing his wife was pregnant two weeks before she got a positive pregnancy test because of a higher heart rate. This isn't even possible. Anyone who understands the menstrual cycle should understand this and I'm concerned he has treated women for infertility and does not understand this. After ovulation, if the egg is fertilized, it travels down the fallopian tubes and 6-12 days after ovulation, implants on the uterine wall. Soon after implantation, the body starts to produce hCG, which is what pregnancy tests use to determine pregnancy. It is common for women to get a positive test from 9-14 dpo, just depending on when implantation actually occurred. Some wait and test after a missed period, so a few days after that, but again, that is still before implantation occurs, which means you can have no pregnancy symptoms because pregnancy hormones are not yet produced, because you are not yet pregnant.

Whether a women conceives or not, her progesterone increases after ovulation. This increase in progesterone causes body temperature to elevate during the luteal phase, until it drops along with progesterone, right before menstruation occurs again, if the woman is not pregnant. An increase in temperature also correlates with an increase in resting heart rate. Ask any woman with a Fitbit, there is cyclic pattern with a noticeable increase in heart rate directly after ovulation, which correlates with that increase in progesterone. I can look at my heart rate history and tell you exactly when I ovulated each month when having regular cycles. So this doctors justification for why his wife is pregnant is simply incorrect. Now, if she was a few months along, then one would expect resting heart rate to jump even more and stay elevated, but the way he states it in the book does not seem to indicate that.

My point to giving this long winded explanation is that when blatant mistruths are spoken on a particular subject, it is hard to trust the rest of what comes out of his mouth. Thankfully, at least on what to use for various ailments, he seemed to have gotten the information from a decent source, even if some claims are a bit exaggerated. It would have been a lot better had he just omitted his ramblings at the beginning and just said what each thing can be used for.
Profile Image for Donna.
4,105 reviews109 followers
August 26, 2022
This is Nonfiction/Health and it is exactly what the title says it is. There were things I liked about this one and then the opposite was true too. I've had this one for a long while. I didn't get right to it because even though I liked the title, it seemed too long for the subject....and I was afraid it was going to feel that way. Thankfully that wasn't the case at all. The narrator of the audio, even though it wasn't the author, kept it moving right along. That's always appreciated.

I liked the natural remedies the author talked about in here. That part felt useful and I wholeheartedly wish our doctors today had at least a few classes while in med school covering natural healing and the importance of diet. Now with that said, I think I shyed away from the other stuff. It seemed super fluffy and it had me wishing the author stuck to herbs and oils. So 3 stars.
265 reviews
September 8, 2021
A book full of useful information unfortunately wrapped up with misguided poppycock. There is no disputing that western medicine has major problems: over prescription of dangerous drugs, symptomatic treatment of illnesses without attempts to understand underlying causes, ignorance of the criticality of healthy eating/exercise regimens, etc. There is also no disputing that plants provide an incredible wealth of vitamins, minerals, and chemicals/drugs that can prevent and treat illnesses. Axe provides a wealth of information about the healing capabilities found in plants.
He goes astray in many areas:
1. Anecdotal evidence (one case) of "curing" for example, inability to conceive and carry to completion a baby. How was the cure affected? By reducing mental and physical stress, ingesting stress-easing herbs, and switching off a paleo diet. All sensible except that it's couched in terminology like "she was struggling in her water and earth elements."
2. Promoting the idea that "nature" holds clues for how to use food medicinally by what the thing looks like. Walnuts look like brains hence they are good for your brain. He gives many other examples. For example, a carrot. What does it look like? First you have to know that you must look at the cross-section, not the whole carrot. Then it looks like an eye. Therefore it's good for your eyes. Why? Because it's a great source of beta-carotene and lutein and beta-carotene converts to Vit A... Did you know that sweet potatoes are higher in beta-carotene, lutein, and Vit A than carrots? They are. But sweet potatoes don't look like eyes, they look like a pancreas so sweet potatoes are good for your pancreas, not your eyes. See how helpful that is?
3. Misinterpreting studies to further his agenda. To support his faith and recommendation for religion and prayer he sites a study he says showing that "a feeling of purpose is fundamental to happiness, fulfillment, passion productivity, and overall health." If you read the study and read the questionnaire that was used to judge "purpose in life", it has nothing to do with religion or spirituality.

Axe's recommendations for reducing stress, eating fresh and less processed foods, practicing gratitude, etc. are sensible. We can all benefit from that. The recipes for healthy eating look great. His need to wrap it up in pseud0 science and sell pills (oh yes, he does, just like the pharmaceutical companies, he sells his own branded supplements and recommends them) is brilliant marketing.

Profile Image for Shannon Rochester.
413 reviews34 followers
June 3, 2022
Honestly, I think I was putting something on hold at the library when I saw this book and just added it to my order...I follow this author on Instagram and he is always talking about really cool and interesting remedies for today's food woes... this was a great book full of lots of useful information. I took a lot of notes, took a lot of pictures with my phone, and we ordered quite a few essential oils...I would 100% recommend it to anyone that would like to get healthy without having to go to medical doctors...this helps before you get to that point as it addresses the root cause.
Profile Image for Jessica Denny.
42 reviews4 followers
March 27, 2021
Super practical info in the back third of the book. I cannot get on board with ALL of the “science” he treats as fact in this book, but as with all non-fiction you take what you can use and toss the rest. Some good info on which foods aggravate certain health conditions, and which supplements may help you move away from some prescriptions. Take it with a grain of salt and apply what you feel comfortable with to your diet/health regimen.
Profile Image for Patrick Taylor.
105 reviews
November 10, 2021
DNF.

I am not against alternative medicine per se, and I think there is value to looking at health holistically in terms of diet, mental health, etc. HOWEVER.

His whole thesis seems to be that big pharma is just tryna make a buck on us suckers. You know what else is a billion dollar industry? Wellness, including books like his, and it is an industry that is not regulated at all. Ibuprofen is cheaper than whatever GoodLife essential oil he's telling you to put on your knee for pain, and it is more effective.

Also, life expectancy has gone up dramatically due to modern western medicine. Our ancestors using ancient healing remedies lived much shorter lives than we did. And there was so much quackery back then.

I really lost it when he implied that for covid instead of taking a stupid vaccine we just eat healthy and burn peppermint or whatever. The idea that your natural immunity is preferable to a vaccine is not borne out by the data, and thousands of people following his advice have gotten incredibly sick or died.
March 19, 2024
So good and packed full of useful and fascinating information. I am excited to implement some of the things suggested. I'm so glad I bought a copy as I'm sure I'll be using it all the time.
Profile Image for Beth Salas.
21 reviews
March 7, 2023
Loved this book and the practicality of living a functional health lifestyle
Profile Image for Kristen Gebbia.
142 reviews6 followers
May 14, 2022
A book mostly about TCM and eating correctly for the five elements. I loved the short overviews on each wholistic aspect of the mind/body. And the five week meal plans for healing each element. Definitely a book to keep on the shelf and reference often!

Notes for remembering what I read:

Emotions not dealt with stay in your system like undigested food in the colon; the toxins are absorbed and the body made ill.

Good health habits:

Meditation
Gratitude, Bible reading, Prayer
Affirmations
Acts of kindness

Accupuncture
Cupping
Gua Sha
Chiropractic
Red light therapy

Yoga
Tai chi
Functional strength
Forest bathing
Relaxation/downtime
Digital fasting
Circadian rhythms
Grounding
Crystals
Profile Image for Nicole.
102 reviews26 followers
November 7, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a good reference book to get started with natural remedies and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). There seems to be a disconnect between the symptoms and the body in Western medicine, so I was interested in seeing the differences in the approaches. Sir William Osler said, "The person who takes medicine must recover twice; once from the disease and once from the medicine." That has been my experience.

About half of the book is dedicated to recipes and remedies for specific conditions, so it's easy to figure out where to start. I may increase my rating after trying some of the recipes.

Edit to add that I tried the beefstew recipe on pg. 305. I made a few modifications to use what I had on hand, but it was an overall good recipe. I substituted baby reds for parsnips, and I feel like the recipe would've been too soupy with only 2 parsnips versus the potatoes I used. Maybe start with less broth if you are making it as instructed. I would also suggest doing half dill/half parsley, unless you REALLY like dill.

Edit 11/6/22 to add: I really like the section in the back of the book that gives natural remedies to use for various illnesses WITH dosage information. I also increased the rating to ⭐⭐⭐⭐ because it's been so helpful.
Profile Image for Healthypedia.
218 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2023
A transformative guide that challenges conventional medicine, unveiling centuries-old healing practices for holistic well-being.

Coming from a family who had a strong belief in Western medicine, Dr. Josh Axe was taking pills for every sniffle and cough. However, his perspective began to change when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and suffered severe side effects from conventional treatments. This experience prompted him to question the prevailing notion that medication was the only path to healing.

In his quest for alternatives, he delved into centuries-old knowledge that had been largely disregarded or suppressed by the Western medical establishment. One such revelation was the use of medicinal mushrooms in cancer treatment, a practice long employed by traditional Chinese healers.

In his book Ancient Remedies,’ Dr. Axe seeks to share this valuable but often overlooked medical wisdom, recognising the urgent need for such information in today’s world.


Author’s background

Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, is a highly qualified and passionate expert in the field of natural medicine, chiropractic care, and clinical nutrition.

With a strong belief in the healing power of food, he strives to assist people in achieving wellness through dietary interventions. Dr. Axe is the proud owner of one of the world’s largest natural health websites, DrAxe.com, where he shares valuable information and resources.


What is the book about?

‘Ancient Remedies’ is a groundbreaking book that challenges the conventional Western medical approach and introduces readers to a wealth of alternative and natural therapeutics for healing various health issues.

The book is divided into four parts, each offering valuable insights into ancient healing methods and practices. In Part I, the author discusses how the modern medical system has been influenced by profit motives, leading to a focus on symptom treatment rather than addressing the root causes of illnesses. It highlights the benefits of embracing ancient remedies that prioritise healing the underlying cause of ailments. Readers are introduced to the concept of finding a diet tailored to their specific body needs, combining foods for maximum health benefits.

Part II delves into the foundational elements of whole-body healing and health, focusing on ancient spices and herbs, essential oils, healing mushrooms, and lifestyle changes like meditation and digital fasting, which can contribute to transformative healing experiences.

Part III offers an in-depth exploration of ancient knowledge on natural remedies derived from plants, flowers, mushrooms, herbs, and spices.

Finally, in Part IV, readers are treated to a collection of delicious and healthy recipes that align with the dietary advice presented in the book. By nourishing the body with wholesome nutrients from time-tested sources, the book suggests that it is possible to prevent and cure diseases while achieving optimal health and vitality.


Key takeaways from ‘Ancient Remedies’

1. A healthy diet serves as medicine

In ancient times, food and herbs were the foundation of medicine, and this wisdom is still relevant today. Maimonides, a twelfth-century Jewish physician, believed that diet should be the primary treatment for diseases. However, modern diets are far from medicinal, contributing to major health issues like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Dr. Axe cites that “A 2019 study in The Lancet analyzed the diets of people in 195 countries and found that about 11 million deaths a year are linked to poor diet – more than are caused by smoking or roadway accidents. Countries where people eat lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy oils had the lowest rates of diet-related death and disease.”

Processed foods dominate the American diet, lacking essential nutrients and promoting inflammation. To reclaim the healing power of food, we must reintroduce ancient superfoods into our diets, such as bone broth, organ meats, healthy fats, herbs and spices, mushrooms, berries, vegetables, seaweed, and super greens. These foods have been valued for their nutritional benefits throughout history and can play a vital role in protecting and restoring our health.

2. There is a herb for every purpose

In ‘Ancient Remedies,’ the author shares a personal experience of using ancient medicine to successfully treat his father’s pneumonia, challenging the conventional reliance on pharmaceuticals. The author emphasises the power of nature’s medicines, such as herbs, mushrooms, and essential oils, which have been used for millennia to restore balance in the body. In the chapter ‘The Healing Value of Herbs, Spices, and Mushrooms,’ Dr. Axe gives examples of ancient remedies that offer safe, effective, and affordable solutions to a wide range of health conditions, supporting the immune system, improving digestion, enhancing beauty, boosting energy, optimising brain function, combating candida, reducing inflammation, and detoxifying the liver.

He cites various studies to prove the effectiveness of using herbs, mushrooms and essential oils in combating disease. For example, research demonstrates that reishi mushroom raises the activity of natural killer cells, making it a powerful natural cancer remedy. Additionally, ginseng can be used to fight fatigue.

3. Nurturing the mind and spirit is crucial for optimal health

Besides covering the topic of physical health, ‘Ancient Remedies’ also raises the theme of mental health and stress. The chapter ‘Emotional and Spiritual Secrets for Breakthrough Healing’ reveals the ancient wisdom that aligning mind, body, and spirit is essential for optimal health. Modern life’s ubiquitous stress affects every aspect of our well-being, leading to various illnesses.

While traditional medicine recognises emotional and physical interconnectedness, modern Western medicine often overlooks it. Ancient practices focused on the emotional causes of disease as a priority, while Western medicine emphasises pharmaceutical treatments for physical and emotional symptoms.

The book provides helpful recommendations and techniques like meditation, affirmations, acts of kindness, and spiritual practices, practising which individuals can promote healing and emotional well-being. Acknowledging and addressing toxic emotions can prevent illness and support the body’s natural healing processes. Embracing these ancient remedies empowers individuals to achieve a balanced, healthier, and more fulfilling life.


Strengths and weaknesses, according to readers’ reviews

Strengths:
• Covers a wide range of topics, making it a highly informative resource for various aspects of natural healing and wellness.
• Offers practical functional medicine, herbal, and nutrition advice for over 70 conditions, providing readers with actionable steps to address their health concerns effectively.
• Provides real-life success stories, which validate the effectiveness of natural remedies.
• Accessible and well-articulated, making it easy for readers to understand and apply the information to their daily lives.
• Includes the collection of healthy and flavorful recipes targeted towards better health, making it easy to adopt dietary changes.

Weaknesses:
• Some medical information presented in the book is outdated.
• Excessive promotion of supplements from the author’s brand.
• The book’s connection of certain foods to specific body parts based on superficial associations, such as shapes, undermines the credibility of the information provided.


Best quotes from ‘Ancient Remedies’

“These medications we’ve all been led to believe are benign are actually quite dangerous. But you’d never know it by how frequently doctors prescribe them during outpatient visits—nearly 260 million prescriptions in 2017 alone.”

“Used for centuries in Chinese medicine, astragalus is a known anti-inflammatory, which probably accounts for the pain-relieving effects it has demonstrated in scientific studies on animals with osteoarthritis.”

“You might already know that a cup of chamomile tea before bed can calm you down and set the stage for sleep. One reason for this is that it reduces anxiety. Indeed, a study trial of chamomile in people with moderate to severe anxiety found a meaningful reduction in anxiety symptoms over eight weeks, with a response rate similar to pharmaceutical treatments for anxiety.”



Final takeaway

‘Ancient Remedies’ is a groundbreaking book that challenges the conventional approach of Western medicine. The book emphasises the power of ancient healing practices, such as medicinal mushrooms and herbs, to address the root causes of illnesses, promoting whole-body healing and health. It highlights the importance of embracing a healthy diet as medicine, with a focus on reintroducing ancient superfoods that have nourished and protected human health for ages.

Readers who should pick up ‘Ancient Remedies’ include those seeking a holistic approach to their well-being, individuals interested in exploring alternative healing methods, and those dissatisfied with the conventional pharmaceutical-based healthcare system.
Profile Image for Arminius.
206 reviews50 followers
March 12, 2021
Ancient Remedies is a great book if you are into Health like I am. Dr. Axe cured his mother from cancer by changing her diet. He had her eating avocado, salmon olive oil and vegetables. He also had her eating herbs such as ginseng, turmeric and astragalus. Dr. Axe is such a great doctor because he discovered that traditional medicine was not working and tried a new approach that did work.

In this book he lays out almost every type of disease and provides what to eat, what spices to use and what essential oils are good for fighting the disease.

He also gives a healthy recipe section. He tells you what essential oils are safe to ingest and others that are only safe to apply topically.

He goes into Chinese Ancient medicine too much I think but it was a very good and informative book on health.

Profile Image for Victor Lu.
217 reviews
September 16, 2021
I wanted to like this book more. The fundamentals of TCM weren't bad, but the author has several beliefs that were dangerously unchecked (for example, the denial of the validity of mental illness and the wholistic demonization of western medicine rather than a measured resistance to its pervasiveness). The author also did not have a very balanced approach.
Profile Image for Megan Relue.
10 reviews
March 30, 2022
This book was such an informative read. There is still much to know and learn even after reading this book; however, I will certainly be applying many of the concepts to my lifestyle and cooking many of the healthy recipes. Food is medicine folks!
Profile Image for Connie .
323 reviews6 followers
January 15, 2021
I have been following Dr. Josh Axe for a few years on his website and through his other books, so I was eager to get a sneak peek at Ancient Remedies through NetGalley. I was not disappointed at this latest offering in the field of natural health. Since this is a non-fiction book, I will separate my review comments of the content and the format of the book.

Concerning the content, I was already a big believer in natural health, and Dr. Axe delves deep into ancient theories here, mainly "Traditional Chinese Medicine," aka TCM. This way of thinking makes a lot of sense to me and also feels empowering, since the premise is that our bodies are made to heal themselves if they are maintained properly; that is a big "if." In our society of nutrient-depleted soil, processed foods, toxins, stress and poor diet, many of us have a difficult time keeping our bodies in the condition that is needed to combat the above risk factors. In this book Dr. Axe discusses how we can use some of the principles of TCM to maintain our health. One of the most powerful quotes from the book is this one that emphasizes the importance of building one's immune system rather than relying on Western medicine. "One problem with relying on a new drug or vaccine to target a virus is there will always be another virus, which requires another medication or immunization. But if you build your immune system, which is designed to fight off all manner of foreign pathogens, you will not only protect yourself from dangerous bugs, but you also reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes and other chronic conditions."

I could get on board with the strategies of improving your diet through healing foods, adding supplements and herbs, using essential oils, reducing stress and improving your emotional and spiritual well-being. I was less clear on how to make use of the ancient element theory, qi theory, yin and yang, and cold and heat. Those sections explained some background of TCM, but they were less useful to me on a practical level.

I appreciated how Dr. Axe states he is not completely against pharmaceutical drugs or Western medicine. He just believes that natural methods should be employed first instead of as a last resort, as some do now. He says, "Western medicine still dismisses these ancient remedies as 'alternative.' But it's arrogant to marginalize thousands of years of wisdom." Indeed, he cites a statistic that 80 percent of the world's population relies on herbal medicine as a primary source of treatment.

As for the format of the book, I liked how the chapters were broken into small sections with headings that made the flow clear and easy to follow. The sections that were most useful to me were the large section of recipes and the remedies for specific conditions.

I will recommend this excellent health book to readers who are interested in learning how to take charge of their own health in a natural and traditional manner.

Thanks to the publisher Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Michelle Lovato.
119 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2021
Health, wellness and ancient healing are old subjects
Posted on January 21, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator

There are some things in life for which I am grateful others are far more knowledgable than myself.
I am well aware that being a health and wellness fan is a far cry from being a doctor or other medical professional that actually knows what they are doing.
Dr. Josh Axe, in this case, would be one of those people who knows what he is doing.
I am an Axe fan. Every Health Wellness & Seniors Montana magazine I published showcased at least one tidbit of valuable information from this doctor.
I see Axe as the ‘Andrew Weil’ of this era, teaching eager students of self-help health subjects a lifetime of good health advice.
Axe’s new book, Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the most powerful Natural Medicine in History, is a masterful compilation of Axe’s long education studying the masters of medical science.
Axe is not one of those guys who throws out the usage and advancement of modern medicine like it’s the fungus growing under the toenails of health science.
“My criticism of Western medicine isn’t intended to disparage all of the modern approach,” Axe writes. “If you’re in a car accident or have a heart attack or brain aneurism or fall prey to a flesh-eating bacterial infection, there’s no better place to be than an American hospital. But if you develop a chronic, preventable illness related to poor diet, stress, age, weight gain, or lack of exercise—the kinds of problems that routinely land most of us in a doctor’s office—the pills your physician is likely to give you may not help. In fact, they’ll almost certainly create another problem that actually makes your health worse.”
For those kinds of problems, Axe suggests turning to the ancient healing methods often found in the Chinese culture. Ancient techniques and remedies, he said, is a far more efficient, effective way to go.
Ancient Healing is a very large book jam-packed with information and offers today’s reader the opportunity to tap into centuries-old health secrets that kept ancient cultures thriving throughout the ages.
Is it a future textbook? I don’t know. It’s certainly thick enough. But I do know is that in all the time I’ve spent following Axe’s work over the years, I have never once been led astray.
Axe is a savvy marketer and is well known in the natural healing industry.
Though I would not recommend this book if you are someone who has to carry your books in your backpack every day, I absolutely recommend picking up this wealth of knowledge to keep handy on your personal bookshelf.

ml@michellelovato.com BoutiqueBooks@hotmail.com
Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

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Profile Image for Cozy Reviews.
1,841 reviews5 followers
March 12, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is of my own reading experience of this book.

I am a long time supporter of using herbal and natural medicine and grew up using natural herbs and teas for healing as well as stress reduction techniques. i do not believe in taking any prescriptions from a western medical doctor as they all receive kick backs, stocks, monies and hidden benefits for prescribing drugs to their patients and have no competent education on the drugs they prescribe. Natural healing has been used by our ancestors for centuries. It has recently re gained popularity as more and more people get educated on their health and turn away from the toxicity of western medicine doctors. I was very pleased to review this book from this well known natural healing doctor.

I found this book to be a wealth of information in regard to each aspect of natural healing. It is a book you will want to refer to time and time again. While not all the information is for each reader, there is so much here to learn and benefit from. CBD is covered here, with herbs, essential oils and stress reduction techniques. Aspects of Chinese medicine are here with receipes included for the reader to explore their own natural healing. I enjoyed learning new receipes for healing . The author emphasis how important the mind body soul connection is and how utilizing each can heal and strengthen our immune system. A lot of great information to be learned here. I highly recommend this book .
Profile Image for Ginger Hudock.
260 reviews13 followers
December 1, 2020
Dr. Josh Axe is a holistic medical professional whose work I have followed for a number of years. Ancient Remedies explains a lot about Chinese medicine, which is a 5000 year old medical discipline which is being used more in the West. The explanations of this were good for a lay person. He gives a quiz for the reader to help determine which elemental type they are and what foods to eat and avoid. I found this section very interesting and the foods for my type were pretty accurate.
The book gives dietary suggestions taken from ancient medical wisdom to avoid the modern processed foods sugar, refined grains and processed oils, eat fermented foods and all natural whole foods. There are chapters on herbs, cannabis and CBD, and essential oils. These chapters are good introductions to these topics, but may not go into enough detail for people who have a deep interest in any of these topics. The best section of the book, in my opinion, is where "prescriptions" are given to heal over 70 conditions with ancient remedies. It gives food to avoid and foods to add, herbs and supplements to take, essential oils to use, and other remedies to consider. There are also a number or recipes using traditional foods.
For someone who would like a good introductory overview of traditional medicine this would be a useful book. I received a complementary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Milan Buno.
481 reviews33 followers
February 4, 2022
Už dávno vedci dokázali, že určité potraviny prospievajú konkrétnym orgánom v našom tele – liečia, posilňujú imunitu, podporujú činnosť, zbavujú toxínov ap.
Ale viete, ktoré to sú?
Ktoré prospievajú naším očiam, mozgu, kostiam, krvi, pečeni, žalúdku alebo srdcu?
Aj toto sa dozviete v knihe Staroveké liečenie, ktorú napísal vyhľadávaný odborník Dr. Josh Axe.

Je to pritom veľmi jednoduché. Samotná príroda nám poskytuje návod, ako a ktoré potraviny využiť na liečbu. Tento systém rozvinuli zdanlivo nezávisle od seba mnohé kultúry sveta od Ázie až po Stredný východ. Ide o teóriu známu ako „doktrína signatúr“ alebo „podobné pôsobí na podobné“. „Spomínaná teória vychádza z premisy, že potrava, ktorá vyzerá ako určitá časť tela, je užitočná práve pre tú časť. Povedzme mrkva. Keď ju prekrojíte naprieč, uvidíte, že pripomína oko. Dnes jestvujú množstvá štúdií, ktoré dokázali, že živiny z mrkvy, napríklad beta-karotén a luteín, zlepšujú zrak,“ vysvetľuje dr.Axe.

Ponúka množstvo praktických rád a receptov na každodenné používanie, ak túžite po prirodzených, bezpečných a účinných spôsoboch liečby a prevencie. Práve toto je zaujímavé na knihe - pripomenie, že netreba hneď siahať po liekoch plných chemikálií. Žiadne tabletky, antibiotiká, mnohé zdravotné ťažkosti sa dajú vyliečiť prírodnou cestou. Len je to možno zdĺhavejšie, niekedy treba skúšať, testovať...a to sa nám nechce v dnešnej dobe, keď máme všetko po ruke.
Chceme to hneď, tu a teraz.
A to je škoda :-(
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,010 reviews39 followers
February 5, 2021
Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History by Dr. Josh Axe
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Health, Mind & Body
Release Date: February 2, 2021

Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History by Dr. Josh Axe is a great resource in natural medicine.

This is the book I've been looking for! I have been doing tons of reading on natural healing and treating the root causes and not the symptoms for some time. I had never heard of the author before, but now, because of reading this book, I follow him on Instagram and have subscribed to his podcast!

I found this book easy to read and filled with so much information! Reading this just one time is not enough, this book deserves to be studied and used as a reference book.

In case anyone is wondering, I am predominantly water element, closely followed by earth.

I'm so grateful to Dr. Josh Axe, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for C.A. Gray.
Author 23 books478 followers
January 9, 2021
A great reference book for natural healing. The emphasis is very much on Traditional Chinese Medicine for the most part, and it was a good refresher for me as I don't use TCM in my practice, and last studied it in med school. I had forgotten how useful tongue and pulse diagnosis can be to enhance a Western diagnosis. In school we also did not at all emphasize the corresponding nutritional recommendations for TCM diagnoses -- we studied nutrition, but not from a TCM standpoint.

Dr Axe also talked quite a bit about essential oils, something we never covered when I was in school at all and have only done a little bit of my own research into them after the fact. I love having new tools in my toolbox!

Finally, the last two sections of the book are quick natural remedies for various ailments that you can try at home, and healthy recipes. I've tried several of the recipes already and liked them.

I'm excited to interview Dr Axe on my podcast, Christian Natural Health, at the end of this month in preparation for the release of this book in early Feb!
Profile Image for Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629).
734 reviews35 followers
October 3, 2023
Do you know Dr. Josh Axe? If not, you should familiarize yourself with him. He is my first source of all medical information online. It is not often I have to go to my #2 source. Dr. Axe usually has all the information I need.

This book is a two for the price of one. The first half is informational and the second part is recipes. For me, the first part was more than the price of admission. The second part, while it had some vegan recipes to feed my taste of recipes, it was not what really wowed me. The information in part one was.

The cover blurb says it all: “Secrets to healing with herbs, essential oil, CBD, and the most powerful natural medicine in history.” It is no lie. It is in here! And like most natural doctors the book will help you heal the cause not the resulting disease.

He has a way with words, meaning he uses words everybody will understand. No confusing medical jargon double speak.

I read the entire book, cover to cover, and I will be consulting it when needed. It is a fabulous resource to have in the house.
February 8, 2024

Unlock the ancient secrets of natural healing with "Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History." Delve into centuries-old wisdom and discover how traditional herbs, essential oils, and CBD can revolutionize your approach to health and wellness. This comprehensive guide offers a fascinating exploration of the most potent natural medicines throughout history, providing practical advice on integrating these remedies into modern life. Whether you're a wellness enthusiast or seeking natural alternatives for health improvement, this book is a treasure trove of insights and practical applications. Embark on a journey to harness the power of nature's most effective healers. Explore more at https://wayofleaf.co/ and elevate your wellness journey with ancient knowledge brought to life for contemporary healing.

Profile Image for Cee.
264 reviews
January 13, 2021
This book explains the whole concept of individualized health care and the use of ancient remedies like traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and the five element system. I could relate to the idea that human beings are all inherently different and so there is no one treatment, diet, etc. that helps everyone. The idea that our emotions are an integral part of both our good health and diseases resonates. The descriptions and explanations were very easy to understand. Chapter 12 lists specific remedies for over 70 conditions which is a plus. Definitely a book I would recommend to someone “new” to “alternative” medicine. But also just as relevant to those who have been on the natural health bandwagon for some time. What I liked most was having so much great information all together in one book.
Profile Image for Tara Weiss.
491 reviews5 followers
December 3, 2020
Dr. Josh Axe, a familiar advocate for natural remedies, revisits some guideposts from his previous publications but builds on them with a multicultural lens. Those familiar with the wisdom of Dr. Axe will appreciate the connections to ideas he's promoted for years. There are helpful tools for the reader to make shopping lists of their own and build an arsenal of healthful advice for using food as medicine. Additional charts and graphs and self-report quizzes make it easy to assess for yourself possible causes for ailments. While Western medicine is referenced, it is intriguing to look through the tried and true methods of the past to analyze common health problems of today. This is a tool to promote total health.
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