"The division between conventional and traditional medicine is as artificial as the division between science and nature. They can be woven together in a fashion that meets our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This is the foundation upon which integrative medicine is built."-Tieraona Low Dog, MD In Life Is Your Best Medicine, Dr. Low Dog weaves together the wisdom of traditional medicine and the knowledge of modern-day medicine into an elegant message of health and self-affirmation for women of every age. This is a book that can be read cover to cover but also dipped into for inspiration or insight about a particular physical or mental health issue or remedy. We learn that, despite the widespread availability of pharmaceutical medications, advanced surgical care, and state-of-the-art medical technology, chronic illness now affects more than 50 percent of the American population. The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that much of the chronic disease we are confronting in the United States has its roots in the way we live our lives. Research shows that if Americans embraced a healthier lifestyle-which includes a balance between rest and exercise, wholesome nutrition, healthy weight, positive social interactions, stress management, not smoking, limited alcohol use, and no or limited exposure to toxic chemicals-then we could prevent 93 percent of diabetes, 81 percent of heart attacks, 50 percent of strokes, and 36 percent of all cancers. This means that each one of us has the power to shift the odds of being healthy in our favor. If you do get sick, being fit gives you a much better chance for getting well. Your health has a great deal more to do with your lifestyle and a lot less to do with taking prescription drugs than most people realize.