Book Review: Healthy Revolution
Stacie Deyglio, ND
Dr. Brady has crafted a practical compendium for every integrative, holistic and/or natural medical practice with his new book, Healthy Revolution. In this book, Brady – a frequent contributor to NDNR – utilizes his years of clinical experience to impart intellectual wisdom for the lay public as well as to provide intentional patient education materials for any healthcare provider.
Healthy Revolution is a substantial and informative reality check for the public, providing educational resources that support the current paradigm shift in medicine away from the old model of managed care into to the new model of individualized, integrative medicine.
“The public has been fed drive-thru fast-food for decades, but it was not about to quietly tolerate being fed fast-food style medicine” (p. 2). Brady addresses this shift by discussing nine major areas of health management: diet; vitamins; herbs; lifestyles; creating a unique nutritional program; the providers of healthcare; the new paradigm – “The New Medicine”; disorders (a brief description of basic health information pertaining to 16 common chronic conditions); and a resources section.
One of the themes addressed by Brady’s book is the inefficient quality of Western medicine’s approach to managed healthcare.
“Why take the time to address the difficult topic of changing a patient’s diet when a prescription can be written for a drug that may mask the problem in a matter of minutes? Besides, who has time to talk about diet in the six to ten minutes that many of the managed care providers allow a doctor to see a patient?” (p. 42). This theme is an important and vital awareness for the public to be reminded of: providing the substance for empowered change and support of the “New Medicine.”
Another theme of Healthy Revolution is the importance of seeking natural healthcare from a qualified, licensed professional who received training from a federally accredited institution. Currently we live in a culture where the different levels of natural medical training may confuse the public’s pursuit of high-quality, natural healthcare counsel.
“Unfortunately in Western countries, the use of herbs is occurring via self medication, without benefit of guidance by a practitioner skilled in the use of these herbs. While this is also true of vitamins, minerals and other supplements, nowhere is there greater chance of a layperson getting into trouble than with the improper application of certain herbs” (p. 67). This information contained in the book is explicit in explaining the diverse levels of natural medical training so that any person may wisely make decisions about their own healthcare needs.
In Brady’s role as an ND, he has thoroughly composed a book that best addresses the naturopathic principle of Docere. Healthy Revolution is devoted to the education of patients and to the encouragement of self-responsibility in healthcare.
Stacie Deyglio, ND received her baccalaureate degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the College of Mt. St. Vincent in New York. Her personal health issues paved the way to discovering naturopathic medicine in 1999. Resonating with the philosophy and principles of naturopathic medicine, Dr. Deyglio graduated from the University of Bridgeport, College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2003. As a medical student, she was involved in student government, fundraising and the generation of two successful student-run health fairs. Dr. Deyglio’s interests include relating integrative therapeutics to the health of pediatric and geriatric populations. Currently residing in Phoenix, Dr. Deyglio is an avid bookworm, and is actively creating her practice.
