Ever wished you could have a pharmacist on call 24 hours a day? Well, now you can!

I have often thought that the pharmaceutical industry and medical establishment (no matter how well-meaning) have led people to take drugs when there may be safer, natural alternatives. But I don't always trust the information I read on natural health unless it comes from a trusted source. Enter my new favorite book - The 24-Hour Pharmacist. Written by Suzy Cohen, author of the widely read syndicated column "Dear Pharmacist", this book is 356 pages of natural health secrets on a wide variety of topics, ranging from depression to heart disease.

I read through this book like a scavenger looking for buried treasure. I looked up all of my own ailments and can't wait to try out some of her ideas. For example, she has a whole chapter on overcoming fatigue - something that has often plagued me - and explains that for some people their adrenal glands get burnt out which can lead to exhaustion, mood swings, panic attacks, depression and irritability. She suggests an easy way to test yourself to see if you have adrenal burnout. All you need is a dark room, a mirror and a flashlight. For people that have adrenal burnout, she then recommends vitamins and herbs to help repair the adrenal glands.

Now, Suzy does make it a point to recommend consulting with a physcian before taking any of the treatments, herbs, vitamins, and supplements that she suggests. But she goes a step further by including a chapter with great resources on how to find your dream doctor - a doctor who is "open-minded, flexibile, sensitive to the importance of nutirtion, and willing to consider alternative techniques...". She provides a listing of organizations whose members are committed to integrating alternative and conventional medicine so that you can search for a doctor that thinks "outside the pillbox", as she says.

Finally, I love the tone of Suzy's writing. She seems young and hip and has a more humorous style than you might expect from a book on health. I mean, it's not every day that your read a health book with a section called "The American Idol Guide to Your Hormones."

Overall, the great thing about this book is that it further opened my eyes to alternatives to drugs and gave me the knowledge I need to ask my doctor informed questions about natural options for treatment of my ailments.

Oh, and on a side note, you might also be happy to know that both chocolate (with at least 70% cacoa) and sex are good for your heart. Yahoo!

This review was written for The Parent Bloggers Network. If you go here you can read what others have written about this book, AND if you leave a comment on the post, you'll be entered to win a $50 CVS gift card!