Personal experience shows in this book,  Monday, 30 July 2007 Gloria Gilbère is a traditional naturopath, homeopath and doctor of natural health and is an internationally known author and speaker.

In this book she defines what she calls 'invisible illnesses'. These are the illnesses that visitors to this website will be very familiar with and include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, leaky gut syndrome, and multiple chemical sensitivity. The term 'invisible illnesses' is very apt, how many times have people told you that you like fine? I can't count the number of times I have heard that phrase!

Being a natural health practitioner, the author uses the bulk of the book to discuss the various natural therapies that can be used to manage invisible illnesses and set the patient on the road to recovery. Chapters focus on various specific issues that must be addressed for healing to occur. These include gut problems and the gut-brain connection, reducing the toxic load on the body, improving immune system health, and improving emotional wellbeing.

The book recommends various therapies that can address these and other issues. Therapies include diet modification and nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies, and colonic irrigation.

What sets this book apart from others in a similar vein is that Gloria Gilbère has suffered from invisible illnesses herself and managed to regain her health through the natural methods she now recommends to others. It's clear that she understands what readers are going through with these conditions as her compassion and empathy is clear throughout.

This book is an invaluable resource by an author whose own renewed health is proof of the effectiveness of the treatments described.

 You are not alone in your struggle with MCS,  Friday, 27 July 2007 This book is written by a Seattle counselor living with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). She presents her interviews with 32 people coping with this life- impacting syndrome in different regions of the US and Canada.

Each interview is accompanied by pictures which adds to the impact of the individual's personal story. In one interview a sufferer's spouse adds his perspective which offers important incite into how multiple chemical sensitivity affects the people close to the sufferer.

This is a great book for people thinking they are alone in the nightmare of MCS. The book demonstrates that there are so many others out there in a similar situation and shows how they are coping with life as an MCS sufferer. Appendices include an overview of MCS, a sociologist's viewpoint, resources for support, and recommended reading.

This is undoubtedly the most personal look at MCS I have read and as such I found it very enlightening. This book is sure to give hope and comfort to MCS sufferers.

 A great introduction to MCS,  Friday, 27 July 2007 Dr Rogers has been treating MCS patients and writing on the subject for many years. She is a leading expert voice for the MCS community.

This 42 page book manages to pack a great deal into such a small space and is fully referenced so is perfect for introducing your doctor or other professionals to the reality of chemical sensitivities.

Dr Rogers discusses, amongst other things, how nutritional deficiencies and genetic susceptibilities can result in MCS, and a proposed mechanism behind the spreading phenomenon, (when patients become rapidly sensitized to more and more chemicals). There is also a discussion of the role that oxidative stress plays in the development and perpetuation of chemical sensitivity. Dr. Rogers also lists the various chemicals that are most likely to be triggers for the condition and for producing symptoms once someone becomes sensitized.

A large portion of the book is dedicated to the diagnosis and treament of MCS, which of course, is exactly the information that most of those afflicted will be looking for in such a book.

This title is a fantastic introduction to MCS that provides a good overview of the condition, is well written with good references, but doesn't overwhelm the reader. If you suspect that chemicals might be causing your ill health or you simply want a good introduction to chemical sensitivity, this is the book for you. For more in depth information regarding chemicals and health, Dr. Rogers' other books are well worth a look.

 A great achievement by an MCS sufferer,  Friday, 27 July 2007 When I first became ill with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) this is one of the first books I came across. Although it was first published a number of years ago now and could be considered a little dated, I still feel it is one of a handful of MCS books that sufferers MUST read.

Bonnye L. Matthews, herself an MCS sufferer, must have struggled greatly to get this project completed and we as fellow sufferers should be extremely grateful to her for her efforts.

The book is a collection of articles by a number of experts in various fields and Bonnye's own contributions. The expert contributor's include a clinical psychologist, medical doctors, and legal experts. This format gives the book a well rounded feel and ensures that each subject is tackled by a writer who specializes in that area and is extremely knowledgeable.

The book is split into four sections. The first deals with the medical side of the illness and looks at the psychology of MCS as well as the wealth of research demonstrating biochemical abnormalities in MCS patients. This evidence comes in the form of SPECT scans, porphyria, cytochrome P-450 enzyme dysfunction, and more. The second section of the book casts a critical eye over legal issues surrounding MCS and why the worker's compensation system fails patients. Section three looks at the state of research into MCS and questions the quality of the science in many studies and the motives of so-called experts who denounce the reality of the condition or label it as psychogenic. In the final section of the book Bonnye L. Matthews relates the story of her own harrowing ordeal to gain recognition of her illness and get the financial and medical help that she was entitled to.

This book is certainly not the easiest read as the contributors cover their specific areas of expertise in detail. For this reason however it is a very valuable source of information on this complex and confusing subject. Bonnye L. Matthews writes with compassion and determination throughout, as you would expect from someone personally affected by MCS. Her story in section four of the book will surely sadden fellow MCS sufferers but may well serve to wake up doctors, lawyers, legislators, and others in positions of power, to the realities of struggling with multiple chemical sensitivities.

 Authoritative investigation of chemical sensitvity,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 This book is considered one of the most authoritative on multiple chemical sensitivities and associated syndromes. Originally published in the early 1990's it is now in its second edition.

The authors are both highly qualified, Nicholas Ashford holds both a PhD in chemistry and a law degree. He is Professor of Technology and Policy at MIT where he teaches courses in Evironmental and Occupational Health Law. Claudia Miller is a medical doctor and is Assistant Professor in Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Both have held important positions on national and international advisory commitees.

With the authors' impressive academic backgrounds you would expect this book to be a very well researched and in depth investigation of the subject, and that is exactly what it is. Some sections may prove a little technical and hard to understand for some readers, particularly when not feeling their best, but the book covers so many important issues relating to multiple chemical sensitivity that there will certainly be something here that every patient will find useful.

The first section of the book deals with the groups mostly likely to be affected by MCS due to chemical exposures, an overview of the chemical industry and its history, and the magnitude of the problem. The authors then provide an introduction to key concepts and terminology that they use throughout the book. This is an essential inclusion in a book dealing with such complex subject matter. The first section concludes with a comprehensive description of multiple chemical sensitivity, including the various substances that may trigger it (air pollutants, foods and additives, water and contaminants, drugs and consumer products), the symptoms that are experienced, and the implications for health in general.

The second section of the book deals with the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of MCS. The major proposed mechanisms for explaining MCS are covered in detail with extensive scientific and medical refernces. These mechanisms are grouped under limbic hypersensitivity, immunological, biochemical, and vascular. The book does also cover possible psychogenic mechanisms. The various methods of diagnosis and leading treatment approaches are covered in as much detail as previous subjects and this section concludes with a look at the areas of agreement and disagreement on MCS between allergists and clinical ecologists. This provides a balanced feel to the book and may be useful to readers when dealing with various health professionals.

The third part of the book looks at how society and the individual need to respond to the problem of chemical sensitivity. The authors recommend targets for future research before providing patients with detailed advice on coping with MCS that includes how to get appropriate healthcare, housing and employment issues, medical insurance claims and compensation, and access to social and legal services. This information will be of great help to new sufferers who are struggling to find help and feel their lives are spiraling out of control. The final part of this section discusses the role of medical practitioners in these issues.

The final, and very extensive, section of this tome is devoted to updates on all issues since the original publication. This section includes information on how government recognition (in numerous countries) of MCS has increased and the resulting improvements in help offered to those affected. It also includes a vast collection of new research findings relating to multiple chemical sensitivity that have appeared in the decade since the first edition.

As I'm sure you can now appreciate, this book is certainly not light reading and is a very demanding read. If you or someone you know suffer from chemical sensitivities however I would recommended it wholeheartedly as it goes into all the issues in great detail and provides valuable advice and understanding in all areas. It provides the reader with an understanding of the biological basis for their symptoms as well as providing practical advice for living with the condition and getting help.

For me, this book really helped me to understand the likely mechanisms that had resulted in me becoming sensitive to such minute amounts of everyday chemicals.

A must have text for anyone suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity.

 A must read for the chemically sensitive,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide has been a must read for all MCS sufferers since it was first published in 2000. Now a new version of the book has been released with substantially updated content.

Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is the author of numerous journal articles and regularly presents papers on MCS and environmental health topics.

Since 1992 Professor Gibson has sought to better understand environmental illnesses, and multiple chemical sensitivity in particular. Her work has focused on understanding the impact MCS has on a sufferer's life as well as contextualizing MCS within the modern industrial culture in which we in the developed world live.

Professor Gibson has written a number of journal articles and delivered a number of conference papers on the impact of MCS on a person's life. MCS and issues of environmental health in general are discussed in all of her classes and she also talks about related illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. In addition, when time allows, she consults with MCS patients and their helpers and attempts to provide resources to improve their quality of life.

For the second edition of the book Professor Gibson draws up on new insights discovered through her continuing work since the first edition was published.

The original Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide was an essential addition to any MCS sufferer's library and the new edition can only be considered even more so. As the title suggests, it focuses on how MCS affects a sufferers life and offers practical information for improving the situation, rather than getting caught up in what causes the condition and related issues. Of course there is a chapter that outlines various theories about MCS but the remainder of the book is squarely aimed at helping people cope with the condition and improve their quality of life.

After briefly outlining the proposed physiological and psychological causes of MCS early on, the book moves on to the more practical information. The following chapters include advice on how to make your home environment safe, how to eat a healthy diet whilst avoiding triggers, how to find suitable medical help, and how to successfully apply for state benefits.

The book also contains extensive appendices which include contact information for support organizations and manufacturers of MCS safe products, as well as listing sources for further reading.

What really sets this book apart however is the final appendix which comes from one of Professor Gibson's research papers published in 2003 (new for the 2nd edition). Professor Gibson and colleagues surveyed 917 MCS sufferers who had tried a total of 101 different treatments. They then presented data showing the effectiveness of each treatment based on reports given by the sufferers.

Given the current lack of medical understanding of MCS and the associated lack of any officially recognized treatment, this appendix is akin to the holy grail for many of those suffering from this devastating illness. The reader can see at a glance the relative effectiveness of 101 different treatment options as rated by other MCS patients who have already tried them. Treating MCS is still very much a case of trying things to see what works but at least with the information in this appendix sufferers can see what has worked most often for others and therefore narrow the odds of seeing improvements.

Treatments examined included environmental medicine techniques, holistic therapies, individual nutritional supplements, detoxification techniques, body therapies, Eastern-origin techniques, newer therapies, prescription items, and others.

This fantastic addition caps off an already invaluable source of information. This book cannot be recommended highly enough for all those struggling with multiple chemical sensitivity.

  A comprehensive look at natural antidepressants,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 For those looking for alternatives to the standard drug and psychotherapy approach to treating depression, this book is a great place to start.

It starts by describing the biochemical dysfunctions that can result in depression including hormonal imbalances, toxicity, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The book then moves on to the various natural solutions to the treatment of depressive illness.

The natural antidepressant therapies are split into distinct categories which makes browsing the book for a particular type of therapy very easy. The categories start with diet and nutritional supplements before moving on to herbal remedies, homeopathy, electromagnetic therapy, exercise, bodywork and sleep solutions, and finally onto a psychotherapy section which includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), meditation, and relaxation techniques.

All of the major antidepressant supplements and herbal remedies are covered including 5-HTP, SAMe, and St. John's Wort. The inclusion of non-invasive therapies such as bright light therapy and electromagnetic devices is fantastic and an area that a lot of books on natural antidepressants sometimes overlook.

The book is very well laid out and the author does a great job of helping the reader to sort through all the options to determine which natural solution(S) might be the most suitable for them personally. Many treatments are accompanied by bullet lists which help readers assess their applicability to their mental health issues.

On a personal note, I suffered from depression and anxiety as part of more extensive environmental illness for many years and tried every type of antidepressant medication going with not a hint of any improvement at all. After trying various natural alternatives including amino acids, herbs, and bright light therapy, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are highly effective and work very quickly indeed.

This book is very comprehensive, covering all the available natural options for treating depression so I would recommend it to all who are looking for effective natural solutions to low mood and depression.

 Expert advice on the benefits of omega-3 on mood,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 One of the most exciting developments in the field of mental health in recent years has been the recognition of the vital role that fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, play in maintaining healthy brain function. The brain structure itself is composed of a large amount of fat and the type of fats are very important.

The author of this book, Andrew. L. Stoll, is Professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is a major researcher into the effects of omega-3s on mental health.

Although Stoll notes that this field of investigation is still in its infancy he presents convincing evidence that omega-3s are vital for mental health and that supplementing them can effectively treat mood disorders. This evidence includes major epidemiological evidence that shows lower rates of depression in cultures that consume large amounts of omega-3s, and Stoll's own studies demonstrating that increasing dietary intake and supplementing pure omega-3 fatty acids can reduce depression symptoms. There is good evidence that this holds true when all conventional therapies have failed.

In addition, we learn that omega-3s have shown promising results treating other problems, such as the inability to handle stress, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

Although the book goes into a great deal of detail about how omega-3s do what they do and the research that has been conducted to date, the author also writes on a very pragmatic level, offering dietary advice to increase intake of omega-3s, and even providing a number of recipes.

This is a great book from one of the leading experts in this exciting area of nutrition and mental health research. A must read for those suffering from mood disorders.

*I would also recommend looking into the work of Prof. Basant Puri, another leading researcher on the same subject who has done much to bring the subject to public attention.

 Exercise has a big impact on mood,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 This book describes how important exercise can be for mental health and is written by A Professor of psychology at San Jose State University.

In it we learn that exercise can be used to maintain mood or even to treat cases of clinical depression. The author reviews the scientific research in the area and compares how well excercise relieves depression compared to more traditional treatments such as psychotherapy and drug therapy.

Usefully the author provides techniques for motivating oneself to exercise whilst in the grips of depression, which obviously can be a very difficult thing to do.

Most of the book is focused on running but the author points out that any aerobic exercise that gets your body moving and breathing hard will help to elevate mood. He does say that drugs and psychotherapy may also be required in severe cases of depression and anxiety but the evidence for the benefits of exercise on mood is very strong.

In terms of environmental illness patients this book may or may not be useful, it really depends on the exacr nature of your illness. Those with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and perhaps Gulf War syndrome should be very wary of aerobic exercise as it can do more harm than good and research has in fact shown that mood elevating chemicals do not increase in the braisn of these patients as they do in healthy individuals during and after exercise. Someone with irritable bowel syndrome only however may benefit greatly from aerobic exercise and the stress reducing and mood elevating effects it has. Obviously this is something that each indivual should discuss with their doctor.

In conclusion, I found this to be a very interesting and in depth look at exercise and mood but because the recommendations are not suitable for many suffering from environmental illnesses I have not rated it as highly as I would for a healthy audience.

 A practical guide to using "mind boosters" ,  Thursday, 26 July 2007 Mental and emotional disturbances are a major part of Environmental Illnesses and drugs are often not the best option since they add to the detoxification burden of the body and many patients are sensitive to them and cannot tolerate them at all. This book describes natural alternatives that can safely improve mood and mental functioning.

Dr. Sahelian has a very sensible approach to using natural supplements in that he always advises starting at the very lowest dose available and increasing very slowly so as to avoid any adverse reactions. He suggests that many product formulations contain too high a dose that really isn't required to get beneficial results. In this vein he starts off this book by offering 10 pieces of advice about using natural mind boosting supplements safely and effectively.

The first section of the main text gives a good outline of how the brain works, or doesn't work in the event of various illnesses. This is followed by advice on healthy habits that may help maintain a healthy brain and substances to avoid to achieve this goal.

The main part of the book deals with the natural supplements that may help improve brain functioning. These are split into a number of categories including brain fats, amino acids, psychoactive herbs, and methyl donors. Dr. Sahelian draws on research evidence and historical uses in the discussion of each supplement and then describes his own experience with it. He has personally tried every supplement he discusses which I found to be a useful addition to the purely medical and research derived information. Personal and subjective experience has been seriously devalued in modern medicine but I believe most people will find the author's own impressions offer a useful additional perspective.

The book concludes with nutrient programs aimed at specific conditions and age groups.

I found this to be a well written and well rounded exploration of the use of natural supplements to improve mental functioning and would certainly recommend it.