Bøger af Jack Raso

This important book addresses the vast array of treatments and philosophies that postulate supernatural phenomena as the key to health and disease. Jack Raso combines his own personal experience with "alternative" healthcare, in-depth research on the wide variety of methodologies, and an educational background in health science and nutrition to simplify the often confusing field of "alternative" healing techniques. Raso begins with an account of his own personal odyssey from believer to skeptic, demonstrating how easily a person raised in a devoutly religious tradition accepts supernatural explanations and mystical approaches to physical ailments. Raso examines the philosophic underpinnings of "alternative" medicine as well as such techniques as hands-on healing, Qigong, and faith healing. He shows that, whatever the specific philosophy, the common denominator is a rejection of the scientific approach of modern medicine in favor of a belief in paranormal forces that influence the well-being of mind and body. The final section is a firsthand account of Raso's many revealing visits to various "alternative" medical practitioners. The book concludes with an encyclopedic glossary of "alternative" healthcare terminology that explains to the uninitiated the formidable jargon so often used by proponents of "alternative" treatments.

The staggering growth in the numbers of people who believe in New Age spiritualities and paranormal phenomena - combined with America's pervasive mania for diets, food fads, and exotic cure-alls - draws millions each year to answer the siren song of unorthodox nutrition practices. Usually based on supernatural underpinnings or the pronouncements of charismatic gurus, these diet regimes often fly in the face of well-grounded, scientific dietetics. In writing Mystical Diets, author Jack Raso, trained in scientific reasoning and a registered dietitian, offers an accessible yet authoritative tool to assist laypersons and health professionals in making sound decisions regarding the appropriateness (or inappropriateness) of a number of fringe nutritional programs. With Mr. Raso's help, these decisions can now be based not only on standards of scientific validity but the likelihood of subjective benefits as well. Mystical Diets details the history, philosophy, and manifestations of macrobiotics, Natural Hygiene, the Edgar Cayce tradition, Ayurvedic medicine, Anthroposophical medicine, the Gerson Therapy, the Matol movement, and much more. Through the generous use of quotations, proponents of the various alternative-nutrition systems, past and present, are allowed to speak for themselves. And the author's thorough discussion of the most up-to-date research into health and diet helps readers make up their own minds about foods, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and the claims made by proponents of alternative dietetics.