Reviews & Praise

 Praise:

“Donald Yance masterfully weaves together the ancient wisdom of traditional botanical medicines and the most up-to-date scientific research on degenerative disease, aging, and nutrition to provide effective solutions that address a host of modern day health challenges.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD, co-author of You: The Owner’s Manual and host of The Dr. Oz Show

 

“Donnie Yance has done it again! No where has such a voluminous and practical  assortment of valid information about adaptogens been assembled in such a readable and useful format. I will be using this book in my research, in my daily life, and whenever I have a question about an ingredient I am using.” – Martha Stewart

 

“Ancient Wisdom tells us that Adaptogens are the Imperial Herbs, the Jewels in the Golden Cabinet that nourish, replenish, rejuvenate, restore and promote longevity and superior quality of life.  There is no one better than Master Herbalist Donnie Yance to teach us how to combine traditional healing wisdom with modern science in the skillful use of these remarkable healing agents. Donnie brings a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience and provides not only an integrated and comprehensive view but also practical applications.” – Nalini Chilkov L.Ac., O.M.D., Founder, Integrative Cancer Answers

 

“Donald Yance probably knows more about treating cancer with herbs and alternative therapies and has helped more people with this dreaded disease than any other herbalist in the world. His depth of knowledge, commitment and passion for his work and the people he cares for are legendary. In his new book on Adaptogens, Donald brings the same level of research and detailed clinical insights to this important class of herbs that made his previous book on cancer a classic text.” – David Winston, RH (AHG), Author of Adaptogens, Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief

 

“Human beings have an incredible capacity for resilience and repair. But too often our modern lives push our bodies to the brink of our repair mechanisms, causing stress, distress, and disrepair. Thriving is a key word that is woven throughout this book. It is a guiding principle that can allow us to move beyond the simple reductionist goal of alleviating symptoms – our own or others – toward living a life of optimal health on all levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Adaptogenic herbs, considered elixirs in many traditional cultures, have activities that move us beyond surviving into thriving. Their effects would seem almost unbelievable and magical if there wasn’t such strong science to back them up. They are, perhaps, the most important medicines we have for not only surviving, but thriving in this age. Donnie Yance brings these herbs to you through their history, science, and his vast clinical experience, giving you the tools you need to revitalize your life. This is a must read for all of us who want to live up to our optimal capacities and then some!” – Aviva Romm, MD, Clinical Herbalist, Midwife, Author of Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health

 

“Donald Yance, has yet again set a benchmark for complementary, botanical medical books. Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism is both thorough and available and it provides clear understandings of the importance of these herbs in health and disease prevention. What distinguishes Donnie’s book from the many available in the field is his grasp of the essential issues and his deep exploration of the resources demonstrated by his faultless referencing. It will become the standard by which future books will be judged.” – Daniel Weber PhD; MSc, Visiting Professor; Tianjin University, President; Association for Integrative Oncology and Chinese Medicine, Member editorial board; Journal Chinese Integrative Medicine, Vice-Chair Oncology; World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies

 

“This is a wonderful, deeply informative, and comprehensive book which I highly recommend to all who are devoted to thriving in today’s world. The role of Adaptogens is often ignored in oncology and in integrative medicine. This book by Master Herbalist Donald Yance restores these elite herbs to their rightful place as the foundation of effective therapy in the toolbox of today’s practitioners and the general public. I strongly recommend Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism to anyone who is devoted to preventing, healing or recovering from a chronic condition. It is my hope and prayer that this book becomes a mainstay in general public education and dialogue, as well as in integrative medicine and integrative oncology.” – Robert Zieve, MD, Medical Doctor Healthy Medicine Academy, Editor-in-Chief Cancer Strategies Journal

Reader Reviews:

“The book is AMAZING!!!!! The writing is clear and very powerful, with [Donnie’s] spirit in every word.” – Suzi Jolicoeur

“Your new book is a gift to humanity and I am in heaven reading it. I had no idea of the magnitude of this book you were working on!!! Manifesto and bravo!!! I truly cannot thank you enough for your dedication is a pure inspiration.” – Cheri Wagner

“I have the book in my hands and I am in tears of divine manifestation. This is a master piece. Thank you for being the spirit of healing in the life of so many and congratulations for a historic book!” – Silvia Nakkach

“We have started reading your new book and we are very happy and impressed with it. It is very well written and filled with great information. We love that you interweave the spiritual into this book right from the beginning. Wonderful!

We think that this book will be recognized as one of the most significant contributions to herbal and nutritive literature in the years to come. And your inclusion and excellent portrayal of the true healing behind all medicine — God — is very important and will also have a huge impact.

Thanks for the love and dedication that you put into all of your work. It helps to make the practice of healing a privilege and a pleasure.” – John and Barbara Conners

Adaptogens are plants that practitioners of herbal medicine claim decrease cellular sensitivity to stress. “Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging, and Chronic Disease” by clinical master herbalist and certified nutritionist Donald R. Yance is a 672 page compendium providing the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the role of adaptogens in human health. Organized into two major sections: ‘Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health’ focuses on a series of health issues ranging from stress, aging, thyroid and cardiovasuclar health to the immune system, cancer therapy, bone health, and weight management. ‘Materia Medica’ is an alphabetically organized presentation ranging from Acerola (Malpighia glabra) to Whey Protein Concentrate. Comprehensive and extensive, “Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism” should be considered an essential and core addition to professional, community, and academic library Alternative Medicine & Human Health reference collections. It should be noted that “Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging, and Chronic Disease” is also available in a Kindle edition ($28.78). - Midwest Book Review

Asthma, depression, high blood pressure: Scanning even a partial list of the disorders that researchers have linked to stress can be a sobering experience. Given the potentially fatal consequences of these illnesses, it is no exaggeration to label stress a killer condition.

Fortunately, nature provides an answer for the biological havoc that uncontrolled stress can create. Adaptogens are herbs that, as the name suggests, help the body adapt to both physical and emotional stressors. These plants, prized by traditional healers the world over for centuries, have made their way into modern alternative medicine. But how do you choose the remedy that’s best for your needs when faced with a wall of bottles in the health food store?

That’s where Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism can be helpful. Written by a master herbalist, this book isn’t for the casual, just-make-me-better-doc kind of healthcare consumer; it wouldn’t look out of place on a practitioner’s bookshelf, actually. But anyone who takes their health seriously will find an abundance of valuable information within its covers.

One of the book’s strong points is that author Donald Yance doesn’t present the adaptogens—a category that includes plants such as ginseng, ashwagandha and rhodiola—in a vacuum. Based on his more than two decades of clinical experience, Yance has found that herbal stress-fighters work best when used with “targeted nutritional remedies and supportive herbs, which I refer to as adaptogen companions.”

The first part of the book expands on Yance’s healing philosophy by presenting key topics such as cardiovascular health, weight management and the metabolic basis of aging. The second part presents writeups of more than 60 adaptogens, supplemental herbs and nutrients. Each section covers traditional usages and modern research, and includes a reference list. -Book Review, January 2014

 

In today’s hectic world, stress is an unavoidable fact of most people’s lives. Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism allows you to make intelligent choices when it comes to stress management. —Lisa James, Energy Times Magazine

Reviews from Amazon.com:

(5 out of 5 stars) Comprehensive Knowledge of Natural Medicine by Steven Maimes “SALAM Research” (Rochester, New Hampshire United States)

“This new book by Donnie Yance provides comprehensive knowledge of natural medicine, herbal adaptogens and their companions, and nutritional compounds. The book is also about vitality and health.

Comprehensive is the one word that describes the book – both in content and with references.

Donald Yance is a clinical master herbalist and certified nutritionist with over 25 years of experience. He is a practitioner, a teacher’s teacher, and one of the outstanding practicing natural health thinkers and herbalists of our time.

Yance’s approach to health is an integrative model that involves the skillful application of multilayering of remedies. Different classes of botanical remedies including adaptogens, adaptogen companions, and herbs with nutritional compounds form the basis of an effective health-supported program. These ideas are explained throughout the book.

One of the primary benefits of herbal adaptogens is their unique ability to help us adapt so that when we encounter stressors we are able to effectively respond and quickly recover. Yance is one of the early practitioner’s that has understood the tremendous value of adaptogens, and as a result, has incorporated this special group of herbs.

Yance separates adaptogens into primary and secondary groups; then he adds adaptogen and natural companions. He discusses how adaptogens are used to maintain and restore vital health; and how they improve our ability to recognize, respond, recover, and restore/regenerate.

Yance’s vision takes off where other stopped. For example, his work with adaptogenic compounds takes the Hans Selye stress model to a new level. Selye proposes three stages of the adaptive or stress response: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Yance proposes and explains an important fourth stage: recovery and healing.

Part One of the book contains chapters on optimal health. Each chapter contains discussion of health, food, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Various chapters discuss support for the thyroid, cardiovascular health, immune system, cancer therapy, brain and aging, bone health, weight management, exercise, eating, and wellness through spirit. Spirituality is discussed along with the physical and mental aspects of health.

Part Two of the book contains 63 monographs on adaptogens, herbs, and nutritional compounds. Each monograph contains an overview and commentary, traditional use, modern research, plus references. Here are some examples of the monographs. Primary adaptogens: American ginseng, ashwaganda, Asian ginseng, eleuthero, rhodiola, and schisandra. Secondary adaptogens: astragalus, holy basil, licorice, reishi and shatavari. Adaptogen companions: turmeric, green tea, ginger. Nutritional compounds: B vitamins, fish oil, whey protein.

Another important idea that Yance shares with us is his Eclectic Triphasic Medical System (ETMS). This is mentioned throughout the book and included in a separate chapter in the appendix. ETMS is Yance’s wholistic approach to improving quality of life integrating traditional wholistic medicine and modern medicine using four major toolboxes: botanical medicine, nutritional medicine, dietary medicine, and lifestyle medicine. Yance calls his ETMS model vital force, vital essence, and vital spirit.

The scientific community often complains that there is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of herbs. Yance goes out of his way to include hundreds of journal and other references to show there is quite a bit of evidence. These references are especially useful for the practitioner.

Health professionals and students of health and medicine need to carefully review this useful book on natural medicine, adaptogens, vitality and health.”

 

(5 out of 5 stars) meaningful and healthy by N. Wills “Wakela’s World”
“Disclaimer: I received this book free from Healing Arts Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.I have always been interested in learning how we can fully integrated ancient herbal techniques with modern medicine in a way that would be meaningful and healthy. Donald R. Yance has found a way in which to marry the two in order to help people to overcome illnesses.The first part of the book is an explanation of how some of the ancient herbal practices started. Plus he shows a scientific basis on how herbalism can actually be beneficial. The second part of the book goes through a listing of various herbs and their usages.I loved that Yance had written the first part in a way that someone without even a rudimentary knowledge in how the body functions can understand and utilize this knowledge. However, it is also written in a way that those of us who do understand the mechanics of the various body systems don’t feel like we are reading a primer. Yance is truly the master of balance in terms of his writing style.I was especially interested in the section on thyroid function since I suffer greatly from hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Even though I have read basically anything I could get my hands on regarding the thyroid, there were quite a few points that I hadn’t realized until I read his explanation of the functions performed.Another section that really stood out for me is “Enhancing Metabolic Function and Maintaining Immune Protection”. I had always known that when my thyroid functions were out of whack, that everything else was too. But for some reason, my mind just never grasped that it was really a double edged sword for me. Since I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, this means that I have an autoimmune disease that attacks my thyroid thereby decreasing its function. So when I get sick, stressed or have an allergic reaction, my body goes into gear & attacks the thyroid. The thyroid functions go crazy throwing all my numbers out of sync. With my numbers out of sync, my metabolism decreases and I do not get the nutrients that my body needs in order to keep my immune system in balance. With my immune system out of balance, it attacks my thyroid even more. So as you can see, unless I can jump off of this merry-go-round, it is an endless cycle.Yance not only describes how things work and what you should be doing, but also why. Sometimes, changes in our diets or lifestyles don’t stick because we don’t fully understand the reasoning or science behind it. We know we should avoid this food or should be getting more of this herb or supplement, but we don’t know why or what function it actually portrays. This book describes all of that and more.I know that after my surgery, I am planning on starting on Rhodiola as a supplement for my thyroid. Yance states that this is the main adaptogen that he recommends. Plus it is also in the chapter regarding cancer. So that one herb will have multiple benefits for me. I would have loved to have started it right away, but unfortunately, when you are preop you are told to avoid any and all herbal supplements.”