MomCat Reviews: The 24-Hour Pharmacist

I'm not one to buy into alternative medicine. For one, I know that the supplement/health industry is not regulated by a national agency, and that makes me nervous. But, quite frankly, when you are already having to take betwen 9 and 11 pills per day (including your normal multivitamin), well you just avoid putting anything else in a pill form in your mouth.

I hate taking pills for my Type II diabetes and my thyroid condition. I have hired a trainer and killed myself for many months only to discover that even when my body fat goes down, my weight on the scales does not! (Leave it to me to be some sort of freak of nature!)

So, when I picked up the book I was sent to review, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, I was highly skeptical. Was this just going to be lists of all the many drugs I could take, but definitely would not thanks to my already medicated self?

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. When I looked at the sizable book, the 300 plus pages overwhelmed me. And, then I opened the cover and read a few of chapter titles: Overcoming Fatigue; Straight from the Heart; Frazzled, Frustrated and Freaked Out; A Nation of Insomniacs; and Monthly Madness. And, then I couldn't put the book down.

You could not pick a book that describes more of my health concerns and issues. And, what is more, as I began to read I found the author's tone and wording so easy to take in--even when I was reading about complex things such as food additives and sleep apnea medications.

What I like most, is that the book is organized in such a way that it makes it very easy to pick it up and read whatever section interests you and then put it down. No need to read it cover to cover. It truly is a great reference too to have at your fingertips.

Among the things that I learned, was one very important one regarding my diabetic medications and how I need to start taking C0Q10. For a long time, I have read various diabetic message board where people are discussing taking Coenzyme Q10, but I never knew why it was important. Now, I know that the drugs I take for elevated cholesterol (an unfortunate side-effect of diabetes), can actually HARM my heart by depleting it of valuable nutrients. With heart disease rampant in my family, this not something I can afford to do at all.

Of all the book reviews I have done this past year, I can safely say this is the book that I would buy for my family, my closest friends, and really just about anyone. And, I probably will be doing that this year, actually. And, this book is also one that will stay out in my bedroom and I will revisit many times as I learn the inside track to better health.