Attila Lendvai
In Praise of Book “7 Steps to Dental Health”
Just a few pages into 7 Steps to Holistic Dental Health, it really grabbed me. It turned out to be a real “page-turner;” made me want to keep reading like a suspense-thriller! And why not? The level of “intrigue” and “villainy” at play is epic; and, like a prize-winning documentary, the information is presented such that the impact on the reader’s life pulls them deeper into the tragic reality of the story being told. Sure, it walks the fine line between being educational and alarmist, but ultimately, that interpretation comes down to the state of consciousness of the reader. For instance, I’m not sure if some of the illustrations in the section on mercury fillings were necessary or helpful…or just gloomy.
In any case, here is a concise summary of contemporary natural and holistic approaches to wellness that would take anyone a great deal of time to compile for themselves online. Thrown into the mix is an obviously passionate set of authors and contributors, each believing wholeheartedly in the value of sharing their personal experiences with others. Don’t let the title fool you. “Seven Steps…” is not a program writ-in-stone, but rather a series of lifestyle recommendations based on personal experience and opinion, supported to some degree with research (or “expert opinion”) available online. Still, as a handy and fairly complete reference to all such contemporary wellness theories, the book is a valuable read.
As with any do-it-yourself healthcare regimen or self-help book, it’s up to the reader to use their own judgment to discern what works for them and what does not. For example, I personally do not endorse the book’s “Food Combining” recommendations for the simple reason that my personal experience layering meals led to acid reflux and a case of heartburn so bad I ended up in emergency with heart-attack-like symptoms. As my Hungarian parents later informed me, the reason why people have combined different food groups for thousands of years is because long ago they realized that neutralizing stomach acids-that are highly dangerous outside the stomach-prevents heartburn. Bread has been an important part of mealtime for so many cultures precisely because it “soaks up” acid in the stomach; however, “man cannot live on bread alone.” As long as the reader exercises a little common-sense, they should be able to recognize and avoid any recommendations which may not be suitable to them.
For those who do not subscribe to the naturopathic lifestyle, I doubt this book will do much to change their point of view. To be fair, I doubt any book ever will. For those who do aspire to a holistic “mind-body-soul” lifestyle, some parts of the book will seem redundant (“I’ve heard all this before”). In the final analysis, no matter what the reader’s inclination-holistic, heuristic or somewhere in the middle-anyone looking to improve the quality of their life will find valuable “hidden gems” of information and “pearls of wisdom” which will stay with them for years to come.