Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care

This is my favorite book of all time. It's the best, most thorough and fascinating book I've ever read on herbs and natural healing. It just goes way above and beyond what one would expect. If you're experiencing any health issues, chronic pain, chronic illness, inflammation, chronic fatigue, low energy, gut problems, and other symtoms and diagnoses, this is absolutely the book for you. If you're a caretaker, if you feel burned out and stressed, if you're interested in helping other people and caring for your loved ones, if you care at all about maintaining good mental, emotional and physical health for years to come, THIS IS THE BOOK. There are great herbal tea recipes for specific health issues, clear, concise descriptions, and safety warnings on all types of herbs. This book covers such a huge variety of health problems, including mental and physical issues, that I can't imagine someone not being able to relate to it. I'm totally blown away and impressed by all this thorough, carefully researched information. The beautiful pictures are helpful, showing a variety of herbs, and each page is full of helpful info, tips, advice and instructions. It feels like this book was written specifically for me and my purpose in life, to heal myself, and to help others through their life struggles. I particularly love the sections on adaptogenic herbs. I feel like everyone and anyone could greatly benefit from these naturally calming and relaxing remedies. Adaptogens are herbs that help you deal with stress by calming your nervous system and allowing you to handle problems with a cooler head and less anxiety. Every single system in the body is explained with the specific herbs and blends that assist them effectively. I feel excitement every time I open it, because I know I'm about to learn something new and absolutely relevant. I look through, read, and highlight the pages every single day. Then I share my newfound knowledge. "Body into Balance" is the perfect source for people to begin their journey of self-discovery, self-help, herbal teas, and DIY herbal remedies. If everyone could read this book, I honestly think the world could be much healthier, more aware, and more empathetic than it is now. The book covers every possible health topic and offers realistic solutions for people of all ages and situations. Maria Noel Groves did an incredible job writing this book and I commend her for her ability to connect with and help heal so many people everywhere. I personally wish to thank her for her obvious compassion, knowledge, experience, and willingness to support others. Like i said- Best health book ever.

Excellent read, highly recommend all of her books if you’re interested in herbs she’s very knowledgeable.

A very well thought-out book that would make a wonderful addition to any herbal library. The book is organized by body systems, and each chapter includes a brief introduction that outlines what the system does, as well as lifestyle and diet actions to take to support the system. The chapter then moves on to talk about herbs with particular affinities for the system, their other uses, any safety/use concerns, and dosages. Each chapter also includes more specific approaches for certain ailments, definitions of different herbal actions and groups (nervines, analgesics, etc.), recipes, and some absolutely GORGEOUS photos. Various herbal preparation methods are also covered towards the end of the book. The practical approach taken in this book is something I really appreciated as well. The author acknowledges that "Western" medicine is on occasion more appropriate for acute problems, and that not every herb will work for everybody. I also appreciate the authors attention to the ecological status of some of the herbs and that she offered alternatives for herbs that are over-harvested. This book is easily my favorite of my herbal library and I only wish that, with as much as I've been using this book, I had had the foresight to get the hardcover instead of the softcover.

Outstanding addition to anyone's library. While the initial attraction to this book was the focus on using herbs to improve health, there is much more to it. Ms. Groves wants us to truly listen to our bodies and understand what is needed to feel our best. She educates the reader on how to address imbalances in our systems, but also helps us to dig deeper into the sources of the symptoms and to identify the true issues that cause them. The book also includes a thorough section on remedy making, with clear instructions on ways to use herbs in the form of teas, tinctures, oils, balms, and salves. For those interested in using herbs for body care and beauty, there are great recommendations for herbs to use in creams, lotions, and other skin care products. There are even lovely suggestions and instructions for using these healthy herbs in culinary treats such as sodas, cordials, vinegars, and bon-bons(!) that are so tasty that the health benefit is almost an afterthought. (Yes, I've tried those bon-bons and was quite impressed.) This is a book that you can definitely dip into for a specific topic, but really draws you in to read through as a whole. The author has a conversational style that presents a lot of detailed information in an approachable format. I am very pleased to add this book to my collection, and would highly recommend it as a thorough resource for anyone interested in learning more about how herbs can be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

good reading

Anyone, no matter how much medical knowledge they have, can pick up this book and get helpful practical information on how to work with herbs. It is truly written to help people be their own healers, but is detailed enough to be a great resource for clinical herbalists.

I checked this book out at my local Library a few times before finally buying it. Full of fabulous, helpful, information. A joy to read and learn from. I highly recommend to anyone learning to heal and enjoy good health in as natural of a manner as possible.

Excellent quality book. Well written with great information. The Book is made with high-quality paper.

This really taught me how to take care of my body in such a healthy holistic type of way.

One of the best herbal Medicine books available. And I have tons of them to compare to.

Beautiful designed and illustrated book and very well written and infornative in the use of herbs and many other things such as roots and spices and herbal treatments it a great book :) love how it's designed into specific sections and subjects also helps you even if your on medications what to not take while on them :)

Great book! Very informative