Stock the medicine chest with plants in addition to pills: Balch (Prescription for Nutritional Healing), a longtime nutritional consultant, contends that herbal remedies are extremely effective in combating more than 100 diseases, especially when combined with conventional treatment. With careful descriptions of healing herbs and instructions for making tinctures, creams and compresses, Balch breaks the greenhorn in gently. Entries on specific ailments (headaches, for example) list beneficial herbs (cayenne, kudzu), prevention tips (keep a food diary) and palliative measures (apply lavender oil to the forehead) as well as general considerations (stress is a prime cause of headaches). (Jan. 14)
