Blog
The Lion's Teeth
If your garden is anything like mine at this time of year, out of your lawn, the flower beds, cracks in the patio, in fact out of any available nook and cranny will be growing beautifully bright yellow flowers.
To most, the humble dandelion is a weed, a pest and certainly something to be dug up. But to a hebablist, the plant rises from the winter, roaring with all the majesty that this king of medicinal plants can muster.
Not only is it one the first foods for bees but Taraxacum officinale is al…
To most, the humble dandelion is a weed, a pest and certainly something to be dug up. But to a hebablist, the plant rises from the winter, roaring with all the majesty that this king of medicinal plants can muster.
Not only is it one the first foods for bees but Taraxacum officinale is al…
Lessons from a detox and should you do it?
I recently decided to try out a 5 day detox (you can read about my experience here (ADD LINK). Being very skeptical about whether or not detoxing works, I wanted to evaluate from personal experience if it was worth it before recommending it to patients.
Here are some of the lessons I've learned. 1. It's really expensive
I mean really expensive. I spent what I would normally spend on a month's shopping on 5 days. The detox plan I followed was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.... and then a wh…
Here are some of the lessons I've learned. 1. It's really expensive
I mean really expensive. I spent what I would normally spend on a month's shopping on 5 days. The detox plan I followed was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.... and then a wh…
Three things you can do today to prevent cancer
Last weekend I attended a 2 and a half day course on collaborative oncology. It was both inspiring and hard going as we learned about how herbal medicine can be used in support of the treatment of cancer. From improving vitality of cancer patients so they are strong enough to undergo the trauma of treatment, to reducing the side effects of chemo and radiotherapy and post treatment management. There is so much to learn because there is so much that herbal medicine can help with.
However that wasn'…
However that wasn'…
Loving yourself - is it hokey?
Earlier this week I went to see an independent showing of the film Embrace. It was wonderful to have a tiny part of its organisation (I sold raffle tickets!) and it was an inspiring mix of talks from amazing women together with a brilliant film.
The point of the night was to forget about the social convention that women need to look young, skinny and beautiful and instead focus on loving ourselves for who we are, no matter what size we are.
This raises some issues for me personally - I don't want …
The point of the night was to forget about the social convention that women need to look young, skinny and beautiful and instead focus on loving ourselves for who we are, no matter what size we are.
This raises some issues for me personally - I don't want …
What is a herbalist anyway?
When I meet people and tell them I am a medical herbalist I frequently get blank, confused looks back before a comment that implies I am some sort of quack. There are many different types of therapist available today, with varying levels of medical knowledge and skill and it is easy to put herbalists into the "complementary therapy" box without even blinking. However that is an injustice to the training and knowledge it takes be a herbalist. I like to think that a herbalist sits in the space bet…
Have you lost your mojo?
Do you suffer from low energy?
Here are 5 causes of fatigue and low energy, how to recognise them and more importantly, what you can do about it.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND16go79BeY
Here are 5 causes of fatigue and low energy, how to recognise them and more importantly, what you can do about it.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND16go79BeY
A Rose by any other name.....
Herb of the month - Rose
Ever since I was a child playing in my grandparents' garden, I have loved the smell of rose. I would pick the petals and try to made "rose water." It always turned out terribly but it sparked such a love of this humble flower.Little did I know that years later I would fall in love with Rose all over again, this time for its medicinal properties.
Traditional Use
It is thought that the birth place of the rose is Persia and traditional Iranian medicine made use of it for tr…3 ways to be healthier in 2017
If you've dropped your new year's health resolutions, watch this video to find out how you can find be more sustainable in your healthy living goals.
My 1000 Mile Challenge
On Monday morning, I heard an interview of the Chris Evans Breakfast show. It was an 80 year old lady who was talking about the challenges she sets herself. She has done many over the years and is not done yet.
As I mused following the interview I was thinking about the challenges I have done, which have included abseiling down 300 foot tower (if you knew how scared of heights I am you would appreciate why this was such a challenge) and 10k runs.
I also thought about my 2017 goal - to get fit.…
7 things to do when you have too much to do
I've noticed quite a few people saying that they're feeling overwhelmed so I thought I was share what I have found useful.
When I did my herbal medicine
degree, I had a very intense full time job as well. There used to be many times when I felt like I couldn't cope with it all. Now it's rare that I feel like that because I have put things in place that enable to be on top of it - mentally and emotionally. These are some of those things....
When I did my herbal medicine
degree, I had a very intense full time job as well. There used to be many times when I felt like I couldn't cope with it all. Now it's rare that I feel like that because I have put things in place that enable to be on top of it - mentally and emotionally. These are some of those things....- Know that you can only do one thing at a time and it…