The Complete Guide To Adaptogens From Ashwagandaha to Rhodiola, Medicinal Herbs That Transform and Heal

A Very Good Book, But Hardly Complete

The Complete Guide To Adaptogens:From Ashwagandha to Rhodiola, Medicinal Herbs That Transform and Heal by Agatha Noveille

This is a very nice full color book on Adaptogens. I will start by giving you the layout, followed by some of my thoughts on the book overall. 

The author starts by introducing the reader to the basics of Adaptogens. She provides details about which tools, supplies, skills, & basic ingredients are needed. She than follows this with different methods for extraction. This is followed by the Adaptogens Glossary or chapter one. The glossary provides details about each adaptogen starting with A for Albizia.  She provides basic information as well as the plant hardiness zone, properties, safety, & serving size. The glossary concludes with Suma.

Part two covers recipes. The first section or chapter three is for sleep.  Chapter four is to improve mood. Chapter five is to improve mental focus. Chapter six is to improve immune function. Chapter seven is to improve energy and stamina. Chapter eight is to support women's health. Chapter nine is to support men's health.  Chapter ten is to improve hair, skin, & nails.

The book concludes with a list of resources & supplies, a US/Metric conversion chart & last the index.

I've been studying herbs for many years now & always welcome books of this sort into my library. One thing I know with certainty is that I don't know a thing, no matter how much I learn. Because fertility has been the main thing on my mind for the past year or so, that will be my main focus in this review. 

As mentioned, in the beginning of the book, the author lists various adaptogens, safety, uses etc.  I was rather surprised to learn that Holy Basil is reported to have an anti-fertility effect. Holy Basil is one of my favorite herbs, yet here I am inadvertently negatively affecting my fertility. She also discusses which herbs are in the nightshade family. If you are following an anti-inflammatory diet for an autoimmune disease, you will want to avoid these herbs. She also discusses other safety issues for the various herbs, blood pressure, if it is safe for children, or during pregnancy, etc.

Overall I found chapter two to be the most informative & useful to me. However, the beginning of the book where she discusses the extraction methods, tools, etc. is also invaluable. 

If all you do is read the first two chapters, you will have all you need to know. You will understand the uses & safety for each adaptogen & you will understand how to make extractions. 

The meat of the book is the recipes which provide a fun & creative way for you to use these herbs. She includes teas & bath blends, as well as smoothies, desserts, side dishes, syrups, snacks, seasonings, & more. Because fertility has been my main interest & as mentioned my main focus, I feel the need to point out that while all of these great things are covered, the topic of fertility is not addressed. Not in chapter eight, support for women's health. Nor in chapter nine, support for men's health. No yummy recipes for nourishing the womb or helping a man have healthy sperm. When I consider how many couples are dealing with fertility issues, I find it incredibly disappointing that this topic is not addressed.

I would also like to point out that the author sometime writes very childishly. Perhaps to seem more with the times, but it comes across as unprofessional rather than witty. This is a minor thing to be sure, but it takes away from the authors credibility.

While I feel there is a lot to take from this book & feel it is worth having, calling it the complete guide seems a bit overreaching.

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