Herbs and Things

Propolis in Oral Healthcare James Fearnley and Dr Philip Wander This is a small pale blue and white book, A5 size with 66 pages published by The Dispensary Press www.thedispensary.org.uk and it very much does what it says on the tin, to quote the Ronseal advert. The book is divided into 3 sections; Section 1 is General application of propolis in oral health, Section 2 Using propolis to treat disease and Section 3 is Some dental research over the last 25 years. There is a foreword by Prof. R Ireland by the introduction and the About the Authors paragraphs are on the back cover below a couple of paragraphs to briefly describe what bee propolis actually is. Where it comes from, why it's made etc, etc. This theme is expanded upon at the front of section 1 to give a broader picture. Section 1 The first section is entitled General Application of Propolis in Oral Health This is a short section and it goes through which propolis product is the best one to use for dif...

I'm going to end up having a bit of a rant in this post more than likely. This morning, for no apparent reason I started thinking about herbs (medicinal and otherwise) and how before the NHS, margarine and McDonalds existed, using herbs as part of everyday life was just as commonplace. Seasonal fruit was actually seasonal with raspberries in June, strawberries in July, cherries in July & August and apples and blackberries in September and if a bit late October. There are many, many great things about the age we live in but I think that we have also lost a hell of a lot as well. We shouldn't eat strawberries in December and have cherry tomatoes shipped over from where they were grown in Spain and still have them as fresh and plump looking as when they were picked because the fact that we can means that the fruit/veggies have either been frozen and stored (so you have no idea how old it is) or pumped full or coated with preservatives non of which are on the ...

I was lucky enough to be able to attend some of the NIMH conference at Crewe Hall hotel a couple of weeks ago. I attended on the Friday which is when all the new members are sworn in, the student awards and (existing member) fellowships are presented and the AGM is held. I didn't actually get sworn in because my paperwork hadn't been processed through in time (the CRB check came through after the last minute) so I'll be swearing the oath in front of a Justice of the Peace which is going to be a whole different blogg post! When I arrived you registered first and got handed a goodie bag with all the literature for the conference and a set of 10ml sample bottles of the whole Salus range (they do Floradix) http://www.salusuk.com/  and  two boxes of teabags from Heath and Heather http://www.heathandheather.co. uk/ , I got Echinacea & Lavender and Sage & Lemon Myrtle. All the new people were segregated off into a little...

I went to the CPP conference for the first time this year. It is also the first year the venue has been at London House. This building is part of Goodenough College and is near the Russell Street tube station. The building is lovely, what I saw of it anyway. Oak panelling on the walls in some rooms, marble floors and walls in the entrances and reception rooms. In the refectory/cafeteria/eating space the wood panelling was up to about 2 feet below the ceiling with what looked like coats of arms around the walls/ceiling and lots of portraits of people on the walls. (I assume Deans or Headmasters) The conference started at 09.30 and I arrived about 10 minutes later while people were still arriving. This was the meet, greet, get tea and pick up your name badge portion of the proceedings. I met Pamela Bull who is amazing, I swear if anything happened to her the CPP would just fall apart at the seams! We got settled and the Chair introduced the first speaker Dr Dick Middleton who was talki...

Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas? I'm talking about vouchers and the offering thereof rather than buying wrapping paper and cards etc by the way. I would (obviously) like more customers but would offering vouchers be a practical thing? Would it be useful to have a voucher in small denominations? The consultation costs £35 for initial and £20 for a follow up so I suppose if you're already seeing me you could get people to buy a voucher and use it to get the money off at the next visit but other than that I don't see how small denominations would really work. But, there are other options. I do massage and am an aromatherapist as well as an herbalist. I could certainly do vouchers for the massage. £20 for a back massage and £50 for a full body. Things like feet (though I'm not a reflexologist) and head etc. And also going back to the herbs I could make up herb teas, for sleep, digestion, hayfever, pain...... As well as creams/oils/ lotions/sha...

I'm an herbalist, as everyone should be pretty much aware of by now as I shout it from the rooftops quite a lot. I feel it's actually getting to be part of my identity though the transition from 'student' to 'qualified herbalist' who happens to be a grown up, while on one hand is really quick (the whole yes you've passed, graduation is ....) the emotional reality is a lot different. Because apart from everything else that simple statement means that you have to change the way that you think about yourself, putting yourself in a different box so to speak. As part of that whole being a grown up thing you have to do responsible things like get insurance (public and private liability insurance, cover for the stock, possibly for where you practice as well depending on your situation) and join one of the governing bodies. In the uk these would generally be either the CPP (College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy) or the NIMH (National Institute of Medical Herbali...

While there is a great availability of over the counter herbal products in various forms these days, the assistance of a qualified professional can help guide you in making wise choices and better understanding herbal use. An experienced herbalist can help make sure the herbs used are safe, of consistent quality, and proportioned appropriately for your needs. Concerns regarding possible interactions with pharmaceutical medications can also be addressed by consulting an experienced practitioner. The herbalist will also help you understand the limitations of herbs and will know when to refer back to your GP. Possibly the greatest benefit to seeing an herbalist is the prescription being tailored to the patients’ specific needs regardless of how those needs present. For example; if a patient has a low tolerance for alcohol then a tincture would not be an appropriate remedy but dried herbs to make tea with might be. Also, an herbalist will never treat different people with the same c...

Condensed into a single sentence Herbal Medicine is the use of plant remedies in the treatment of illness and disease. However, in reality tra- ditional Herbal Medicine (of whichever system) is so much more than that. In conjunction with a consultation from a suitably qualified practitioner Herbal Medicine strives to create balance in a person so that their own innate healing systems can be employed in the healing process. This differs from allopathic medicine (GP’s, NHS etc) which tends to be much more reductionist in its approach and the medication itself is designed to take over the specific function that is having a problem rather than working with the body to gently adjust its own systems towards wellness. Herbs and plants can be prepared and used in many ways. They can be taken internally as tinctures, teas, powders, syrups, or capsules. Externally, they can be applied as lotions, oils, salves and in baths. Such remedies have been used since the beginning of human history. Many...