This plant’s common name is Boneset and this name gives you an idea as to its homeopathic use. It is a specific remedy for the bone aches of flu. That deep, soreness and aching sensation in the bones that can be the worst part of flu or flu-like illnesses will be relieved by this wonderful flower in its homeopathic form. Please get in touch for more information.
Little flowers with a lot of homeopathic power #2 Bryonia
Reach for Bryonia, or Wild Hops, when you have a dry, hacking cough which gets worse when you move around, and especially when you enter a warm room. Because of this, you’ll want to stay still, even hold on to your chest when you cough to minimise the stitching pain.
This kind of complaint is not peculiar to the winter, but Bryonia is also very useful to have to hand if you have hurt your back and any kind of movement brings on pain, and so again you want to stay utterly still to avoid the discomfort. Get in touch for more information.
Little flowers with a lot of homeopathic power #1 Aconite
This purple flower named Aconite is a must-have for your homeopathic home pharmacy as we head into Autumn and Winter. It is the remedy to reach for if you or a member of your family suddenly feels they’re coming down with something and the symptoms are hitting hard. You might feel feverish or as if you’re getting the flu. Aconite can be fabulous for preventing such illnesses taking hold. It is also a primary homeopathic remedy for sudden attacks of fear or anxiety, taking the panic out of the response. In both cases, it is the suddenness and severity of the response which indicates that Aconite may be a very helpful remedy to self-prescribe. Please feel free to get in touch for more information.
Managing peri-menopause naturally #5: Gut Health
The link between good gut health and immunity has been well documented, but the peri-menopause brings a specific challenge to the gut. Women’s level of bifido bacterium in the gut decreases sharply from their mid-30s. Bifidos assist the absorption of B Vitamins, which are essential to protect against memory loss, and they also help protect against wellbeing issues such as low mood and anxiety.
An easy start to boosting your gut health is a good quality probiotic, and I’ve detailed some suppliers below. However, a more lasting way of improving your gut flora is to include fermented foods in your diet. Fermented foods come in many forms and getting as rich a diversity of these foods is the thing to strive for.
Try the following and see what suits you:
Drink Kefir, Kombucha, Apple Cider Vinegar
Eat Kefir, Tempeh, Miso, Sauerkraut, Sourdough (wonderfully bubbly sourdough starter is pictured here) and Kimchi
As ever, Herbies on Albert Road, Southsea and Wild Thyme of Palmerston Road, Southsea are great local suppliers of many things I recommend in these blog entries. The homeopathic pharmacy helios.co.uk is a reliable source of quality probiotics.
I hope this was helpful, and if you need any further advice, please get in touch.
Managing Peri-menopause naturally #4: Magnesium
Magnesium is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as "the mineral of beauty" and it is one of the key minerals for sustaining life. During (peri)menopause, magnesium is essential to ensure maintained bone density, for balancing blood sugar and for avoiding sleep issues. Caffeine, sugar and stress deplete magnesium levels in the body, so they may require boosting, especially during (peri)menopause when the body is already working hard to stay in balance.
When it comes to boosting your magnesium levels, its first important to understand that we absorb magnesium better through the skin than through supplements. Epsom Bath Salts are a pleasurable and therapeutic way to absorb magnesium: take a 20 minute soak in a bath with 1kg of Epsom Salts weekly. You could also rub magnesium oil into your lower legs after a shower every morning. Green foods - especially raw leaves are rich in megnesium, as is raw chocolate. It's very hard to overdose on magnesium, and it takes about 6 months to restore levels in the body.
These kind of nutritional changes form a vital adjunct to (peri)menopausal homeopathic treatment. Please feel free to get in touch for more information.
Managing Peri-menopause Naturally #3
Last week we looked at how important the liver is to ensuring that the changes of the (peri)menopause are experienced as smoothly as possible. This week, we’ll look at Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), which fortify the liver, and which can be included in your diet quite easily.
As well as giving help to your liver, EFAs are good for the heart, circulatory system, your skin, hair, nails and eyes. In addition to this, EFAs help the transportation of prostaglandins around the body - prostaglandins are our hormone messengers. I hope I’ve sold EFAs to you!
So, the next question is: how do I get EFAs? Well, fresh food is the best way – eating raw, fresh veg as the cooking and processing of the foods removes the EFAs. Avocado, grass fed butter and cold pressed seed oils are also good sources. A tablespoon of hemp seed oil or evening primrose oil per day are very good for menopausal issues.
As ever, Herbies on Albert Road, Southsea and Wild Thyme of Palmerston Road, Southsea are great local suppliers.
Managing Peri-menopause Naturally #2
Optimal liver health makes a fundamental difference to your experience of the (peri)menopause. Our poor livers are responsible for hundreds of bodily functions, yet they receive a daily battering from various toxins from the coffee we drink to the air we breathe.
Already under pressure, the additional strain of the (peri)menopause can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, changes in mood, nausea, bowel problems, sleep issues and much more.
Giving your liver a little love can therefore be of enormous advantage, especially at menopause, and your homeopathic prescription may well begin with a liver detox using the plant Greater Celandine pictured here. However, there’s plenty you can do to help your liver yourself:
Drink plenty of water to keep your system clean.
Eat liver-friendly food such as veg and calming grains such as brown rice rather than white, processed carbs.
Avoid liver-unfriendly foods such as ready meals and highly processed food.
Cut down on alcohol.
If you have groaned inwardly on reading this list, I feel your pain, but your liver will thank you and repay you with a smoother menopausal transition.
Managing Peri-menopause Naturally #1
The NHS website describes the common symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause as the following:
hot flushes – short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty
night sweats – hot flushes that occur at night
difficulty sleeping – this may make you feel tired and irritable during the day
a reduced sex drive (libido)
problems with memory and concentration
vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
headaches
mood changes, such as low mood or anxiety
palpitations – heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable
joint stiffness, aches and pains
reduced muscle mass
recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
This is already quite a list to contend with but there are many other symptoms such as burning tongue, bloating, hair loss, itchy skin and plenty more besides.
This dizzying array of potential health issues tell us in no uncertain times that maintaining optimal health during these transitional years is imperative for all women.
There is much that homeopathy, natural therapies and good nutrition can do to help you manage the menopause as smoothly as possible.
One essential consideration is liver health. The liver has to work very hard during menopause and peri menopause to process natural and synthetic hormones. A sluggish liver can be felt in hot flushes, headaches, dry eyes and memory impairment. Therefore, one part of the homeopathic approach to managing your menopausal transition will be to detox and support your liver.
Next week we’ll look at how that is done and what you can do to help your liver function at it’s best. Please get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy for Hay Fever #5
This entry is to bring your attention to the humble weed named Wyethia, which has not so humble results when used homeopathically to ease hay fever symptoms. The symptom which will be helped by Wyethia is an itchiness in the back of the throat which might make you want to cough and to “scratch” the affected area with your tongue. Wyethia can be used in combination with other plants in their homeopathic form to ease other symptoms of hay fever. Please get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy for Hay Fever #4
This week I would like to give a big shout out to a humble little seed that can come to your rescue if your own personal version of hay fever includes paroxysms of sneezing.
Sabadilla is a good homeopathic remedy if the Spring and Summer months leave you with a runny nose and spasmodic sneezing. You may also have an extreme oversensitivity to odours and an itchy or tickly sensation in your nose. Even the thought of the smell of flowers might make things worse for you.
If this sounds like you, the homeopathic remedy Sabadilla made from the Cevadilla seed that grows in Mexico could really help. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy for Hay Fever #3
The word homeopathy means “similar suffering” as its approach is based on the principle of “like treats like”. An example of this is the common usage of Allium Cepa, or onion in its homeopathic form to manage the watering and stinging eyes of hay fever. I’m sure we have all experienced those symptoms when cutting raw onion. Allium Cepa is one ingredient in the combination remedy I described in my post 2 weeks ago.
In a similar way, many clients of mine who come with hay fever symptoms are given pollen in its homeopathic form to take throughout the hay fever season to reduce their sensitivity to pollen in the air, and we get to work on combatting their actual allergy during the less troublesome winter months.
Please get in touch for more information about managing your hay fever homeopathically.
Homeopathy for Hay Fever #2
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The flower Eyebright is so-called because of its resemblance to bright eyes, and it is used in homeopathy and naturopathy for complaints of the eye. It can be taken as a homeopathic remedy internally to help with those symptoms of hay fever which affect the eyes, and is beneficial too when used as a herbal tincture in the form drops. A.Vogel’s Moisturising Eye Drops contain Eyebright (known by its Latin name of Euphrasia) and relieves dry, irritated eyes. Visit your local health food store such as Herbie’s in Southsea or get in touch for further information.
Homeopathy for Hay Fever #1
Having the joy of Spring and Summer compromised by sneezing and itchy eyes just doesn’t seem fair. Hay fever is a sign that you have an over-reactive immune system, and a tendency towards this can be addressed more fully with professional homeopathic care. However, there is a lot you can do independently to alleviate your symptoms using a natural approach. Helios the homeopathic pharmacy’s Hay Fever 30c contains the following three remedies: Allium cepa, Euphrasia and Sabadilla, which are three of the major homeopathic sources for hay fever symptoms such as congestion, itchy eyes, and sneezing. Visit helios.co.uk or get in touch for more information.
Stress Awareness Month 2021
According to a survey conducted by stress.org.uk, 65% of a controlled group of adults in the UK have felt more stressed over the past year. Considering what we've been up against as a society, this comes as no surprise. But how people feel stress and what triggers stress in people differs massively from person to person. It is these differences which are so key to the homeopathic approach to helping you feeling less stressed and better managing any stress more healthily. One person will feel stressed at the prospect of leaving the house after these months of isolation, another will experience the stress of making ends meet. One person will develop gastric problems when under stress, another will get palpitations. A homeopath will want to know your individual experience of stress and will create a prescription to work for you in your uniqueness.
Pictured here are some of the many homeopathic remedy sources which can be of huge benefit in these trying times to enhance your wellbeing. Please get in touch for more information about homeopathic healing and visit stress.org.uk for some excellent tips and more about Stress Awareness Month.
Vitamin D and Long COVID
Maintaining good Vitamin D levels are another factor to consider in maintaining good health, and especially if you're coping with post COVID recovery. Vitamin D is perhaps best known for its regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body and therefore its importance for bone health. However, it is also vital for facilitating normal immunity, hence its importance in recovery post COVID to accompany your homeopathic treatment.
Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin" as it is produced in your skin when you're in sunlight. Therefore, this time of year, ensuring your Vitamin D levels are where they need to be in a great deal easier. If you live a very indoor lifestyle, or in your child's case, you find it nigh on impossible to tear them away from their screen, you can consider bolstering their Vitamin D intake through supplements or by increasing their intake of the following Vitamin D rich foods: salmon, sardines, fish liver oils egg yolk, some mushrooms, and fortified milks, vegan mylks, juices and cereals. Good quality supplements are also an option.
I hope this was helpful. Do get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy Awareness Week
Hello all. This week, it’s Homeopathy Awareness Week, and 4Homeopathy have created a short film to give you an idea of what homeopathy can do for you. If you’d like to find out more, my Discovery Calls are a free, open, obligation-free way to see how homeopathy can benefit you and your family.
Selenium
Selenium is a trace element that is naturally present in food. Its antioxidant properties help to reduce oxidative stress in the body, which translates into reduced inflammation and improved immunity. If you do not have a nut allergy, it's really easy ensure you have enough Selenium: you eat 3 Brazil nuts every day. If your child doesn't like them or if you need to consider the choking hazard of nuts, you can obtain Brazil nuts in a nut butter. Just keep a tub of Brazil Nuts by your kettle and you'll remember your daily dose.
Zinc and COVID 19
Zinc is a key nutrient for recovery post COVID. It is essential for multiple biological reactions including immunity. As zinc is used to build hormones, its supplies are often especially diminished in tweens and teens. Foods that are rich in zinc are the following: seafood, nuts (the cashew nut is pictured here), seeds and green veg, but do try to avoid having these foods in conjunction with too many cereals as this will inhibit the absorption of zinc. If you are struggling for energy post-COVID, ensuring sufficient intake of zinc would be an essential adjunct to your homeopathic treatment. Feel free to get in touch for further information.
Gut Health and COVID 19 Recovery – Eat a Rainbow
Although we know that COVID 19 primarily affects the respiratory system, it also affects the gut in many people. Additionally, as the gut is the body’s biggest immunological organ, its importance in the body’s ability to fight the virus and its aftermath cannot be understated.
Signs that the health of your gut might be compromised are constipation, diarrhoea or tummy aches, perhaps with a history of IBS.
Improving your gut health and therefore your immunity, is mainly through nutrition. Here the symbol of the nation’s response to COVID, the rainbow, should be borne in mind. Eat a rainbow – eat a wide range of brightly coloured fruit and veg as diversity of nutrients is hugely important. Probiotics and Kefir are wonderful for the biome too, but cannot be tolerated by everyone’s systems, so if in doubt, eat a rainbow.
Helping home-schooling kids: Kapok Bush Flower Essence
The pandemic means that a huge number of the country’s children are sitting in front of screens for hours at a time, if they are lucky enough to have devices available. Learning difficult subjects is very tough in these circumstances, leading to feelings of discouragement, apathy and a loss of belief in oneself to be able to progress. The Flower Essence Kapok Bush helps restore a sense of willingness to have a go and enough persistence to get there in the end. Please feel free to get in touch for more information.
