Category Archives: Herbal medicine

Why did I become a Herbalist?

Herbal powders

I searched for years for my true calling, and as much as I could settle in lots of different positions and master many of them, nothing felt right until I found Herbalism.

My mum is a Homoeopath, and after many years I thought – why not try something in natural medicine? An alternative kind of medicine? I knew I didn’t want to be a Homeopath with those little white pills.

But I did like the sound of helping people. I like trying to help people restore their ‘core balance’. I like to think that we all have a thread of golden light in us. My job as a Herbalist is to restore that balance and bring us back into alignment again. Restore that ‘golden rod’ of light that runs through each one of us.

Being a Herbalist isn’t just about herbs.

It’s about being good to yourself. Finding harmony in ourselves, being a good person, spending time in nature, taking notice of what our bodies are telling us. Learning to listen to our inner voice.

What wisdom do I want to pass onto my clients?

I am looking to teach them to look after themselves better. Learn to listen to their bodies when they are exhausted. Learn to stop when it is too much. Teach people to re-charge in nature. Eat healthily. Take care of themselves and find some kindness for themselves. I want people to take their health care back from health providers. Learn from me and believe that you can do that.

Being a Herbalist is a gift. A gift that I give to you. A gift of empowerment and self-belief. And, of course, I will give you herbs and share my wisdom with you. It is my true belief that Herbalism should not be shrouded in mystery. That’s why there is so much information out there about herbalism. But if you want proper treatment, you come to a Herbalist. They know about dosage, interactions and what specific herb to use for what condition.

Similarly, if you want to learn about something properly, you go to a professional.

Here’s a link to the fantastic course I studied.

https://corecollege.com

Recalibrate your thinking to make healthy changes

To recalibrate your thinking for healthy changes, consider incorporating these herbal medicine, wellness, and nature-based practices into your routine:

  1. Mindfulness with Herbal Tea: Start your day with a calming cup of herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint. Take a few moments to breathe deeply and set intentions for the day ahead.
  2. Nature Walks: Spend time outdoors connecting with nature. Take walks in parks or wooded areas to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase overall well-being.
  3. Herbal Medicine for Stress Relief: Incorporate adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or holy basil into your routine to help your body adapt to stress and promote balance.
  4. Healthy Eating with Whole Foods: Embrace a diet rich in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Consider incorporating culinary herbs like garlic, turmeric, and ginger for added flavor and health benefits.
  5. Herbal Self-Care Rituals: Create herbal-infused self-care rituals such as herbal baths with lavender or rose petals, or DIY herbal skincare products using ingredients like calendula or chamomile.
  6. Mind-Body Practices: Explore mind-body practices such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation to cultivate inner peace, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
  7. Herbal Supplements: Consider incorporating herbal supplements such as echinacea for immune support, or valerian root for better sleep quality, under the guidance of a qualified herbalist or healthcare practitioner.
  8. Sleep Hygiene: Prioritize quality sleep by creating a relaxing bedtime routine. Wind down with herbal teas, limit screen time before bed, and create a comfortable sleep environment with calming essential oils like lavender.

By integrating these herbal medicine, wellness, and nature-based practices into your life, you can recalibrate your thinking and make healthy changes that support your overall well-being.

Topical Steroid Withdrawal – and how herbs can help

Topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), also known as topical corticosteroid withdrawal (TCSW) or red skin syndrome, is a condition that can occur when someone abruptly stops using topical corticosteroids after prolonged or inappropriate use. Topical corticosteroids are commonly used to treat various skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and rashes.

TSW typically manifests as a worsening of the skin condition for which the corticosteroids were originally prescribed, along with additional symptoms such as redness, burning, itching, swelling, dryness, oozing, and flaking of the skin. These symptoms can be severe and significantly impact the individual’s quality of life.

The exact mechanism behind TSW is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a rebound effect and changes in the skin’s structure and function due to long-term corticosteroid use. Prolonged exposure to corticosteroids can lead to skin thinning, decreased collagen production, and changes in the skin’s barrier function.

Treatment for TSW typically involves gradually tapering off the use of topical corticosteroids under the guidance of a healthcare professional. This process may be accompanied by supportive measures such as moisturising the skin, avoiding irritants and triggers, and managing symptoms with non-steroidal treatments such as antihistamines or emollients.

It’s essential for individuals experiencing symptoms of TSW to seek medical advice from a dermatologist or healthcare provider who can provide proper evaluation, diagnosis, and management. TSW can be a challenging condition to manage, but with appropriate care and support, most individuals can recover and regain control of their skin health.

Herbs can potentially help with the symptoms of topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) by providing soothing, anti-inflammatory, and skin-supportive effects. While scientific research specifically on herbal remedies for TSW is limited, many herbs have been traditionally used for skin conditions and may offer relief from symptoms associated with TSW. Here are some ways herbs can help:

  • Soothing and Moisturising: Certain herbs possess emollient properties that can help soothe and moisturise dry, irritated skin. Examples include:
    • Aloe vera: Known for its cooling and moisturising properties, aloe vera can help alleviate itching and inflammation.
    • Calendula: Calendula has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, making it useful for soothing irritated skin.
    • Chamomile: Chamomile has calming and anti-inflammatory effects, making it beneficial for relieving itching and inflammation.

Many herbs possess anti-inflammatory effects- reducing redness and blood flow to the affected area. Some herbs have natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation and redness associated with TSW. Examples include:

  • Licorice root: Licorice root contains compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that may help soothe irritated skin.
  • Turmeric: Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory effects and may help reduce redness and swelling.
  • Oats: Oat extracts contain compounds called avenanthramides, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can help calm irritated skin.

They can also provide antioxidant Support: Herbs rich in antioxidants can help protect the skin from oxidative stress and promote healing. Examples include:

  • Green tea: Green tea contains polyphenols such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Rosemary: Rosemary extract is rich in antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid, which can help protect the skin from oxidative damage.

Herbs can also help by moving toxicity through and out of the body; so liver and bowel cleansing and support are essential.

Let’s make and enjoy a sun tea!

Easy to make at home and full of herbal goodness!

Making a herbal sun tea is a delightful and simple way to enjoy the benefits of herbs. Sun tea is brewed slowly using the sun’s natural warmth, which can result in a milder, more nuanced flavour compared to boiling water. Here’s how you can make your own herbal sun tea:

Ingredients

  1. Herbs of your choice: Some popular options include mint, chamomile, hibiscus, lemon balm, lavender, and rose hips.
  2. Water: Filtered water is best to avoid any impurities.
  3. Sunlight: A sunny spot outdoors.

Equipment

  1. Large glass jar: A 1- to 2-quart jar with a lid works well.
  2. Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer: To strain the herbs after brewing.

Instructions

  1. Gather Your Ingredients and Equipment:
    • Choose fresh or dried herbs. If using fresh herbs, rinse them to remove any dirt.
    • Ensure your glass jar is clean.
  2. Add Herbs to the Jar:
    • Use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh herbs or 2-4 tablespoons of dried herbs per quart of water.
  3. Fill the Jar with Water:
    • Pour filtered water over the herbs, filling the jar.
  4. Cover the Jar:
    • Place a lid on the jar or cover it with a cheesecloth to keep out insects and debris.
  5. Place in Sunlight:
    • Put the jar in a sunny spot outside. Let it steep for 3-5 hours. The sunlight will gently warm the water and extract the flavours and beneficial compounds from the herbs.
  6. Check the Tea:
    • After a few hours, taste the tea to see if it has reached the desired strength. If not, let it sit a bit longer.
  7. Strain the Herbs:
    • Once the tea is ready, strain out the herbs using a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
  8. Serve and Enjoy:
    • Pour the strained tea into glasses. You can serve it over ice for a refreshing cold drink or enjoy it as is. Sweeten with honey, agave, or another natural sweetener if desired.

Tips for Making Herbal Sun Tea

  • Experiment with Blends: Combine different herbs to create unique flavour profiles and health benefits. For example, mint and lemon balm make a refreshing combination, while chamomile and lavender can be soothing.
  • Storage: Keep any leftover sun tea in the refrigerator and consume it within a day or two to ensure freshness and safety.
  • Safety: If you’re concerned about bacteria, especially if the temperature isn’t hot enough, you can bring the water to a boil first, then let it cool before adding the herbs and placing it in the sun.

Popular Herbal Combinations

  • Relaxing Tea: Chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm.
  • Refreshing Tea: Mint, lemon verbena, and a slice of lemon.
  • Immune Boosting Tea: Echinacea, rose hips, and hibiscus.
  • Digestive Tea: Peppermint, ginger, and fennel seeds.

Enjoy the process of making herbal sun tea and the refreshing, healthful drink it provides!

Hering’s Law

Hering’s Law of Cure is the basis of all healing. This is the way the body heals or cures itself. “All cure starts from within out, from the head down and in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared or been suppressed”.

“We don’t catch diseases, we create them by breaking down the natural defences according to the way we eat, drink, think and live”. Hering’s Law is a very important law to understand and remember. It is imperative to follow this law in order to allow the body to eliminate toxins created daily.

The definition of Hering’s Law of Cure is as follows:

“We heal from the head down”. This means that before we can even begin to heal we must believe we can heal. We must be mentally prepared and strong in order to allow the body to heal. We must not doubt the body’s ability to heal itself.

“We heal from within out”. This means we must allow the body to cleanse. In order for the body to eliminate toxins it must be allowed to do so by not suppressing discharge.

Most over-the-counter medications and prescriptions do suppress discharges, thus making the toxins can go deeper into the body and create other weaknesses. The body must be allowed to cleanse itself in whatever manner it needs to without interruption by synthetic suppressive substances.

“We heal in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared or been suppressed”. This means that most of the time the last problem someone has is the first problem to be dealt with by the body in the reversal process.

For instance, let’s say the last illness you had was a sinus infection and a suppressive medication was used to stop any sneezing, coughing, dripping nose or sinus drainage.

In order for the body to heal itself it must eliminate these toxins and mucous that were suppressed at this time. Since this was the last illness it is the easiest for the body to heal.

The body may stimulate the Immune System to create a fever to burn out the toxins, the toxins may be eliminated through the Lungs or Bronchioles causing a large amount of phlegm to exit these areas, it might eliminate them through the skin causing breakouts or it could eliminate them through the Colon in which case mucous, old feces and food that hasn’t been eaten for quite a while may be eliminated. These are just a few ways the body heals itself.

Unfortunately, Hering’s Law of Cure is not used today in Orthodox medicine. Orthodox medicine generally believes that because the symptoms are suppressed the problem is cured, or by removing the organ, which is not functioning correctly, it can cure the problem.

Perhaps this is why no one knows what a “Cold” is today. A “Cold” is the body’s way of eliminating toxins, which it does by increasing the mucous from the mucous membranes in order to free the toxins. Toxin elimination is imperative in order for the body to stay healthy. Disease reversal is also imperative in order for the body to “cure” a disease.

How does Iridology work?

Eye analysis explained

iridology is a non-invasive eye photography technique. I have been trained how to take a close up of your eye – (using a small handheld camera), and then I examine the image closely.

I’m looking at the fibres in the eye if there are any coloured markings or spots and any other interesting factors such as holes or sealed over holes.

Bearing in mind the majority of us have never even seen our eyes up close, it is amazing!

Here is a close up photograph of an eye so you can see what I’m looking at.

Notice the fibres, the colours of the fibres, the white circle around the pupil, and the depth of tissue. These all mean something to a trained Iridologist. These markings indicate both physical and emotional attributes- such as how well the body is absorbing food to how well you get on with your parents!

Get in touch to make an appointment!

Natures vitamins!

Apple blossom

The clocks go back next week and finally, after all the dark months, spring is ready to bring us back to life!

Its a great time to get outside, top up your Vitamin D levels, and find yourself some young plants full of vitamin C. Yesterday I went outside and took some deep breaths, inhaling the spring air. I went foraging and within a few minutes I had found some lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), cleavers (Galium aparine) and some young nettles (urtica dioica) in a marshy patch of wasteland near a river.

You can juice the sticking grass and young celandine straight away and young nettle (just the tops) can be used as a spinach replacement. Cook and add butter to the young nettle tops and add to your meal of the day!

A word of warning – make sure you identify your plants correctly with a little foraging book.. you don’t want to make mistakes!

Trying to stay positive

Some of you will no doubt be suffering from the effects of lockdown. You may be feeling lonely, not being able to see you family or usual support network.

You could be feeling frustrated and irritated. And one of these reasons may be because you are not able to get outside, spend time with your friends, even meet more than a couple of your friends.

Or it might be that you are fighting an illness or have loved ones around you fighting battles that I know nothing about.

I just wanted to say I am here for you.

I am here, writing this blog, wondering if anyone sees it. I, too, am trying to pull myself out of all of the feelings that I have described. I share the same concerns. Asking myself how did we get here – how can we get out of this place and wondering if things will ever be the same.

So I have some ideas for you. Some new things for you to try.

My top tips.

Get outside. Walk in your own neighbourhood. Explore the parks. Find your nearest river or pond and explore it. Try and find frogs or frog spawn (in the UK), there are millions of new buds and flowers coming up now. Check for new plants, see if the little song birds are making their way back to your bird table.

Try something new! Find a new hobby – it could be photographing tiny things – using your camera or your phone. You could make something out of a material or fabric you know nothing about. You could dry drawing or painting – try Bob Ross on youtube. You could try and make or fix something – clothes, a pair of socks, an old chair seat or something that you know needs fixing but you haven’t got around to. Try and knit a pair of socks! You could even try and make cheese!

Above all, try and stay positive. The power of positivity is what will put you on the right path.

The Power of positive thinking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjfPSiUn3eE

Bob Ross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT0RNrTDHkI

Motherwort: Herbal uses

I was clearing through my medicinal herb patch when some motherwort that I had planted last year caught my eye. I collected and replanted the seeds, knowing that they need some cold weather the stratify them.

Medicinally, motherwort has many uses. It belongs to the mint family but has long history of medicinal use. We Herbalists consider it to be a ‘female’ plant, as it is particularly useful to use with female complaints.

As a plant, it has many actions. It is a highly regarded anti-spasmodic, reducing muscle spasms as well as promotes healthy blood circulation. Its an emmenagogue, regulating the female cycle and restoring normality. Motherwort benefits by cooling down the body with its anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, it is miraculous for women since it heals the reproductive system. 

  • It is known to help relieve Menstrual Cramps.
    Motherwort can ease menstruation as well as menopause. It can help to regulate menstrual cycle irregularities and eases cramps. The herb increases the blood flow to the pelvic area. Menopause symptoms like hot flashes, anxiety and mood swings can also be eased with this herb.

  • Motherwort acts as a natural relaxant and can help with sleep problems.
    Healers have been using motherwort for treating anxiety for centuries. People with insomnia benefit from leonurus cardiaca as it is a natural sedative. Therefore, it works to calm your nerves and relax the senses.

  • It’s highly regarded as a Cardiovascular Tonic.
    As mentioned above, motherwort benefits by increasing blood flow in the body. A lot of heart diseases are a result of inadequate blood circulation. Studies have shown the effects of this herb on soothing heart palpitations as well as slowing down heartbeats. Therefore, motherwort is a potent cardiovascular tonic. By the same token, this herb can be of help for people that suffer from emotional heartache or a broken heart.
https://morningchores.com/growing-motherwort/

Feeling anxious?

I’m going to start talking about ways to make yourself feel better and a little less anxious. Where being busy is the norm, I want you to understand that building in some downtime is equally important.

Let us talk about trying to unwind in the evening. Firstly, ensure you are getting enough sleep. Most people need between 6 and 8 hours of restful sleep a night. That means without interruption.

Try and start this by creating a relaxing bedtime ritual. Have a shower, do some meditation and move into a more relaxed state of mind. If you have children, try and put them to bed and have a little time to yourself before you go to bed.

Try not to look at your phone or a computer either in bed or in your bedroom before sleep. Make a conscious effort to remove electrical devices from near your head. If you charge your phone in your bedroom overnight, ensure it is charged at the other end of the room.

Make yourself a cup of relaxing tea; made from a collection of herbs that you may have grown yourself or bought from a shop. There are some lovely fragrant varieties available now.

My favourite at the moment is lavender and chamomile – both soporific and relaxing. I really like aromatic herbs in the evening to help me relax. Other herbal teas that help with sleep are lemon balm, rose petal and passionflower.

Why Herbalism?

I searched for years for my true calling and as much as I could settle in lots of different positions, and master many of them, nothing felt right. Until I found Herbalism.

My mum is a Homoeopath and after many years I thought – why not try something in natural medicine? An alternative therapy? I knew I didn’t want to be a Homeopath with those little white pills. But I did like the sound of helping people. I like trying to help people restore their ‘core balance’. I like to think that we all have a thread of golden light in us. My job as a Herbalist is to restore that balance and bring us back into alignment again. Restore that ‘golden rod’ of light that runs through each one of us.

Being a Herbalist isn’t just about herbs.

It’s about being good to yourself. Finding harmony in ourselves, being a good person, spending time in nature, taking notice of what our bodies are telling us. Learning to listen to our inner voice.

Herbs aren’t meant for long term use.

They can act as a fantastic prop for a short term problem but what I am looking to do with every person that I treat is to teach them to treat themselves. Learn to listen to our bodies when they are exhausted. Learn the language. I want people to take their health care back from health providers. Learn and believe that you can do that.

Being a Herbalist is a gift. A gift that I give to you. A gift of empowerment and self-belief. And of course, I will give you herbs and share my wisdom with you. It is my true belief that Herbalism should not be shrouded in mystery. That’s why there is so much information out there about herbalism. But if you want proper treatment, you come to a Herbalist.They know about dosage, interactions and what herb to use for what condition.

In the same way that if you want to learn about something properly, you go to a professional.

Heres a link to the fantstic course I studied.

www.greenmedicine.ie/