Lessons from the Miracle Doctors
by Jon Barron

Basic Health Publications
28812 Top of the World Drive
Laguna Beach, California 92651
www.basichealthpub.com
Hardcover; ©2008; $24.95; 407 pp.

Alternative medicine is not about replacing a pharmaceutical "silver bullet" with a natural one, nor is it about just treating symptoms. It is about taking control of one's own health. For those seeking to understand the greater context of alternative medicine, I have read no better book on the subject than Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, by Jon Barron.

Barron has an extensive background in alternative medicine that includes formulating nutritional products, and publishing and editing two publications and a website dedicated to health information. He developed the Baseline of Health Program from his work with successful healers whom he calls the "miracle doctors."

The author begins with an overview of our current medical system – one that most agree is not functioning very well. He describes the medical establishment that often sends patients on an ever-escalating quest of suppressing symptoms with pharmaceuticals and then suppressing the medication's side effects. This book offers an alternative that should lead to optimum health.

The basic principles of the Baseline of Health Program are simple. First, it is the understanding that our bodies are composed of a series of integrated systems, rather than the individual parts as targeted by mainstream medicine. Our health then, is the sum of our integrated systems and only as strong as the weakest link. Second, our bodies are designed to be healthy, and we need to be aware of what can cause damage. Third, since we cannot know all that our bodies are coping with at any given time, we must address the program in its entirety.

The program is a start-to-finish plan to clean up, restart, and maintain a healthy body. Barron takes us through each of the steps that begin with instructions to detoxify and cleanse. He starts with the colon and then moves on to the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, and blood. Throughout, we are educated about the role of the organs and how they are under assault from modern living and diet choices. If one is feeling ill or coping with a disease, it becomes clear why this is so.

Next, he discusses the four problem areas in our modern diet: fats, refined carbohydrates, bad proteins, and genetically modified foods; and the effects of irradiation and microwaves on food nutrients. Of these, readers confused by the conflicting information available may appreciate the cogent discussion of the various dietary fats.

Restarting oneself requires knowledgeable choices about the proper use of supplements, enzymes, herbs, and antioxidants. Barron recommends natural over synthetics, gives information for identifying the less-desirable supplements, and above all encourages readers to obtain as much of their nutrition from fresh foods as they can.

Barron does not dictate his recommendations; rather, he educates the reader. For example, the chapter about enzymes will enrich us with an understanding of why we need enzymes, why most of us are deficient, and what the benefits of enzyme supplements would be. We learn about the different enzymes and what to look for when selecting a formula at the store.

The healthier body is maintained through balancing hormones and enhancing the immune system. Besides using supplements, a great aspect of this effort would be to realize we are up against many new assaults on these systems through environmental exposures that can suppress immune function and chemicals that can mimic our natural hormones. Exercise and methods to handle stress will also aid in keeping balance.

Some of the main points of the Baseline of Health mentioned here may sound familiar, as individually they have been the topic of many books. But Barron has put it all together for us. He successfully captures a wealth of information, organizes it impeccably into an easy-to-follow program, and communicates in an easy-to-read manner. Taking control of our health should make us curious seekers. Jon Barron's Lessons from the Miracle Doctors is an excellent teacher.