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Herbal Health Information on Stretch Marks/Scarring

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

One of my daughter’s friends had a baby recently and apart from the usual “congratulations it’s a girl” card I gave her a lump of pure Cocoa Butter.

When I had a shop in Slough, the West Indian Ladies used to come and tell me great tales of folk medicine in the West Indies and the Bush teas their mothers and grandmothers made. They also told me about Cocoa Butter which they said was the best thing for clearing up any scarring of the skin and keeping the skin supple.

Since then I have told every pregnant person to rub Cocoa butter on their tummies and to use it after the birth of the baby to help the wrinkly tummy skin return to normal.

Cocoa Butter in its natural form is a creamy coloured solid at room temperature. When you rub it on your skin, the warmth of the body melts it and you can spread it all around quite easily.

I stock it in my clinic or you may be able to buy it on the internet.

That’s all that needs saying on that subject. Nice and easy.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Information on Persistent Coughs

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I will not see someone with a persistent cough unless it has been first investigated by the orthodox profession, because of the implications a persistent cough might have.

However if it has been diagnosed as having no known cause then it is well worth treating a persistent cough with herbal medicine as there are several herbs that have an excellent cleansing action on the lungs and respiratory system.

Persisting irritating coughs may have several causes

Catarrh

Dry throat

Allergy

Excess stomach acid

The respiratory system is very vulnerable to external irritants and the first course of action is to protect it from the external environment.

Marshmallow is the herb that does this. We saw the marshmallow on the Cuckmere river walk growing in profusion on the river bank and in the treatment of IBS. It is high in mucilage which coats and protects mucous membranes. The marshmallow leaf is used for the protection of the lungs.

The lungs are just an open space and it is difficult to cleanse a space, but any herb that contains a volatile oil (evaporates on warming) will clean the lungs.

Garlic must come top of the list for this, as it is anti bacterial, antiviral, stimulates the immune system has an anti histamine type action is antispasmodic and an expectorant (helps to cough up gunk). Wow! There you have all you could ever want in one plant to treat most lung infections and irritations.

Thyme, which we saw on our walk on the downs video, is another excellent herb for coughs. It has very strongly anti bacterial and viral properties and the active ingredient is in the Volatile oil breathed out through the lungs, cleansing the airspaces and the linings on the way through

An allergic cough needs to be treated by a professional as the herb of choice for this is Ephedra, a restricted practitioner only herb.

Eyebright and horsetail tone all mucous membrane linings and Horsetail, which I will be showing you in one of my future walks is high in Silica which helps with tissue healing and strengthening in all mucous membranes.

It is always worth reducing dairy intake if you have a persistent cough as dairy is Catarrh forming which may cause aggravation in the whole respiratory system. Whilst we are on the subject of diet (you notice I tried to slip it in quietly), to heal any body tissue you must have a good intake of Vitamin C and Zinc. Vitamin C from any fruit or Veg and Zinc from pumpkin seeds, peas and oats.

Persistent coughs usually respond well to herbal medicine so it is worth visiting a qualified medical herbalist to help get it treated. For my clinic details, please click here or on the tab at the top of page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Information on Hops

January 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

SOME INTERESTING FACTS:

• MALE AND FEMALE FLOWERS ON SEPARATE PLANTS

• THE ROMANS ATE THE YOUNG SHOOTS AS AN ASPARAGUS LIKE VEGETABLE.

• FERMENTED MALT HONEY AND OTHER HERBS (GROUND IVY/MARJORAM/HEATHER/YARROW) WERE THE ORIGINAL BEER MADE BY THE SAXONS AND DANES CALLED OL /ALE

• DUTCH FIRST STARTED USING HOPS TO MAKE BEER IN 14TH C AND THEY WEREN’T USED IN ENGLAND TO UNTIL THE 16TH C

• AS THEY WERE SO BITTER HENRY THE V1 BANNED THE PLANTING OF THEM AND HENRY V111 FORBADE BREWERS TO PUT IT INTO ALE, PARLIAMENT HAVING BEEN PETITIONED AGAINST HOPS AS A WICKED WEED THAT WOULD SPOIL THE TASTE OF THE DRINK AND ENDANGER THE PEOPLE.

• IT WAS EDWARD V1 WHO EVENTUALLY GRANTED HOP GROWERS PRIVELEGES AND THE REST IS HISTORY!!

• KENT SURREY HAMPSHIRE AND SUSSEX WERE THE BIG HOP GROWING AREAS IN THE U.K.AND HOP PICKING IN KENT WAS TRADITIONALLY DONE BY WHOLE FAMILIES FROM LONDON GOING TO PICK HOPS FOR THE SEASON.

• MEDICINALLY HOPS HAVE BITTER PROPERTIES SO ARE EXCELLENT FOR DIGESTION.

• THEY ARE ALSO SEDATIVE NERVE TONICS.

• I USE THEM IN MIXES TO HELP PEOPLE RELAX AND SLEEP.

• SLEEP PILLOWS OFTEN HAVE HOPS IN THEM.

• THEY ARE ALSO STRONGLY DIURETIC SO IT MAY NOT BE THE QUANTITY OF THE BEER BUT THE QUALITY MAKING PEOPLE RUN TO THE LOO!

Linda Bostock
Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Blog, Herbs and Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Information on Moss

January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In ancient times on bloody battlefields common moss was used as a wound dressing to staunch the flow of blood and help sterilise the wound.

The common moss we see in shady slightly damp places is now little used in herbal medicine, although I have read the spores of the plant were used as a diuretic and to ease stomach aches as well as an application to wounds.

However Irish moss, Carageenan, is still extensively used, especially in the food industry. As a medicine it has nutritive and restorative properties and is soothing for the lungs and bladder.

If you look at the ingredients of foods, many times it will be Carageenan, an extract of Irish moss that is used as the thickener.

Linda Bostock

Medical  Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Herbs and Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Request a condition write up

January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I have finished writing about the medical conditions that I most commonly encounter in my clinic, but if you have any questions about conditions or would like me to write about a specific medical condition please do ask.

In the next few weeks I will write about the herbs I most commonly use in my clinic. Some are already in the herbs section as they are plants we have looked at on the herb walks. I think I will try to do it in alphabetical order although I may get waylaid by something interesting I have seen or read about.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Blog

Herbal Health Information on Rosacea (Acne Rosacea)

January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is also known as Acne rosacea.

The books say it can be anywhere on the body which surprises me as I have only ever seen it on the face. It presents as chronic inflammation of the skin, typically in the area around the nose and on the cheeks, sometimes the forehead. It often looks very red and inflamed with tiny little spots, but does not have the pus filled spots or blackheads of ordinary acne.

I have always treated it as an inflammatory condition but have found through experience over the years that it also responds well to the metabolic herb, kelp added in to the mixture.

Basically it is an internal cleansing job, and dietary advice

As usual I’ll start with the dietary advice:-

No sugary foods

No fizzy drinks

Eat a balanced diet containing, meat, veg, some carbohydrates, and some fruit.

However there are fruits which are very acidic and need to be avoided and these are,

oranges, tomatoes, apples and plums. Yogurt 2-3 times a week is ok and cheese no more than twice a week is ok.

Drink at least two pints of water a day and keep tea and coffee intake to no more than three a day (of both not each).

Many people report that alcohol will set it off.

I think it would be interesting for you if I give you a typical tincture mix I would make up for a Rosacea sufferer and talk you through the whys and wherefores.

Herbal Medicine

Burdock: – liver and gall bladder cleansing and makes sure the digestive system is working efficiently and eliminating waste products. To add to this it also has lymphatic system cleansing properties, is antibacterial, and is an adaptogen and alterative. The last two properties mean it helps body tissue to adapt back to normal.

Echinacea: – this is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory as well as being an excellent lymphatic system cleanser. The lymphatic system removes all the waste from cells and ensures no bacteria are floating around.

Red clover:-traditionally red clover has always been used as a skin cleanser which it does via the lymphatic system. It is also an alterative which means it helps restore body tissue to normality.

Heartsease: – anti-inflammatory and again an alterative

Celery seed:-I know I use this one a lot but it is such a good urinary system cleanser that I put it into all mixes where general body cleansing is necessary.

Kelp: – high in iodine and minerals so improves thyroid and metabolic function.

That gives you an idea of the aim of an herbal mixture for Rosacea sufferers.

Rosacea can be quite stubborn to treat but I have had good results with herbal medicine and I would recommend you visit a qualified medical herbalist.

If you would like to visit me in my clinic please click here or on the “clinic”tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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