Herbal Health Information on Shingles

Three years ago just before we were about to walk 80 miles from Greenwich to Eastbourne along the Wealdway, our first ever long distance walk, I got shingles!

At first I thought I had several bites on my left side which were raised and very itchy. I then started to get pain in the area and stomach pain.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox and the virus sits on the nerve ending, causing chicken pox like spots in the distribution area of the nerve. Typically this follows the line of a rib or can be down the leg or in the head.

It is very itchy and very painful.

I immediately started to take both Marigold and St. John’s Wort tinctures to get on top of the virus and made myself copious amounts of fresh lemon juice to increase my Vitamin C intake.

Fortunately I had made some St John’s Wort oil from flowers I had picked on the shingle beach (see the video).

St. John’s Wort oil, rubbed into the shingles, relieves the pain and attacks the virus externally.

Although the Shingles had not cleared up completely, I was able to do the walk which took us seven days, staying at bed and breakfasts along the way.

It is important to boost the immune system so that the body can defend itself and fight against the virus.

Shingles are said to be stress related and I was helping out at a care home at the time where one of the residents had shingles.

There is an article about boosting the immune system which you can find by clicking on health conditions but the guidelines are:-

Diet

Breakfast

You must eat it!

Porridge/ muesli/ any wholegrain cereal/ fruit/juice. Not all at once!

Lunch

Salads or baked potato or sandwich some fruit if you didn’t have any at breakfast

Dinner

Cooked meal with some protein foods such as meat eggs or fish /pulses beans for the vegetarians or just if you like them. Fresh veg although fresh frozen will do if you are busy. Some carbohydrate such as rice potato or pasta.

Always vary it though and make sure you do not eat too much of any one thing. For example don’t eat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. That’s three lots of wheat a day and the gut will not like digesting all that!

Loads of Vitamin C containing foods, which is all fruit and veg but especially citrus fruits and zinc containing foods which is oats, peas, pumpkin seeds, lentils and Oysters if you are feeling rich.

Zinc and Vitamin C help the body fight of viruses. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc and all fruits and veg contain

Vitamin C.

Drink water and not too much tea and coffee.

Stress

Have a look at the article on stress to learn more, but briefly, make relaxation and switching off time for yourself. Dance, sing, read, watch a film, join a meditation or yoga class, anything that helps you to relax.

Exercise I can almost hear you groaning but this is really not an option. It gets the body in good shape to be able to cope with external and internal changes.

Alcohol and cigarettes also affect the immune system, so if you can reduce, it will help.

Echinacea is the herb of choice to boost the immune system which it does by raising the white blood cell count and increases the body’s own powers of resistance. It also has the ability to stimulate Killer cells called Phagocytes, that chomp up any foreign material in the body especially bacteria.

About three weeks of taking Echinacea is enough time to boost the immune system and then let the body take over, but in a case of active shingles it is worth taking Echinacea while the shingles persist.

There are many over the counter preparations of Echinacea but make sure it is a good quality preparation with a licence, meaning it has been through a rigorous testing programme.

St John’s Wort and marigold have directly anti viral properties, St John’s Wort being specific for shingles. Both of these you should be able to buy in tincture or tablet form (follow dosage instructions)

Never forget Garlic. I know some people won’t touch it because of the smell but eat as much garlic as you can in your food. It is the most astounding food for all kinds of conditions in the body one of them being to boost the immune system as well as having antiviral properties. Garlic is excreted through the lungs and skin pores so sterilises everything on the way out.

You are also welcome to visit me in my clinic for help. The clinic details can be seen by clicking here or at the “clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Herbal Health Information on Palpitations

An awareness of the heartbeat or a feeling of extra irregular heartbeats.

GET IT CHECKED OUT BY THE DOCTOR!

If there is no underlying cause then it may be caused by anxiety or diet both of which are easily remedied with herbal medicine.

Firstly, cut out all Caffeine. Caffeine increases heart rate and puts stress on the heart and nervous system, it absolutely has to go.

Caffeine is in:-

Tea

Coffee

Chocolate

Coca cola

Many Boost drinks

If you have a high Caffeine intake you will need to come off it slowly as it is addictive and withdrawal from it causes quite severe headaches, so reduce by one cup a day every two days until you can come off it completely. Substitute it with water or if you can’t face that Rooibos or caffeine free teas such as peppermint.

Next learn to breathe properly.

It is important that each breath you take in fills the lungs properly and then each breath out gets rid of all the carbon dioxide produced during metabolism.

Either get a Yoga video which will teach you to focus on your breathing and teach you relaxation techniques or do this simple exercise.

Lie on the bed flat on your back if you can. If you can’t then whatever position you are comfortable in. Close your eyes and breathe normally.

Count how long it takes you to breathe in and how long to breathe out. Do this for about a minute.

Put both your hands, palm down on to your belly. Just concentrate on breathing normally. As you are breathing, your abdomen should be rising and falling gently because it is your abdominal muscles which are pulling the diaphragm down as you breathe in and relaxing as you breathe out. By putting your palms flat on your abdomen you can check whether you are using your abdominal muscles properly by watching your hands rise and fall. You can do this little exercise two or three times a day for about five minutes a time, but do not at any time force your breathing, this is just making you aware that you are breathing normally.

HERBAL MEDICINE

Herbs for palpitations brought on by anxiety fall in to two categories:-

Calming herbs

Passion flower is a gently calming herb which also supports the heart muscle.

Motherwort is calming, relaxing and also calms heart palpitations. I find it works well for women (hence the name I guess).

Valerian, (and see in Pevensey Castle video)this is a strong relaxant and calming herb but does not affect the way the brain functions so does not leave you with a woolly head. Smells like smelly feet though!!!!

Chamomile(see shingle beach video) is the most gentle of the calming herbs and the most pleasant tasting if drunk as a tea.

Lime flower is sedative, calms, supports the nervous system and has anti anxiety properties, also pleasant drunk as a tea.

Nervous system supporting and repairing herbs,

Oats are the best nerve restorative, as well as being a brain and heart tonic, I would never leave this out of a mix for panic attacks.

Vervain, is an excellent nervous system supporting and repairing herb with alterative (bringing back to normal) properties.

Scullcap, I have to admit to using this herb ALOT. It has just the best nervous system repairing and supporting properties as well as having the ability to calm the brain down and stop it going into the mad “loop” thinking mode.

St. John’s wort is (see shingle beach video) traditionally used as a nervous system repairing herb with antidepressant properties.

Unexplained palpitations respond well to treatment with herbal medicine so if you would like to visit me in the clinic for help, please see the clinic details which you will find by clicking on the Clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Urine Infections

A one off case of a urine infection is easily dealt with, with antibiotics and like any other acute infection such as earache that is the right course of action to take.

It is with the recurrent or chronic urine infections that the herbs can be of enormous help.

This condition can cause burning and stinging on passing urine, frequency of passing urine, a desperate urge to pass urine and is life affecting due to the need to be near a toilet all the time.

You may be surprised to know that urine is normally sterile and used in the past for sterilising wounds inflicted by war. In olden days surgeons used to get the men to wee directly on to the open wounds as it was probably the only sterile fluid around with which to wash the wound out! Bacteria can only enter the bladder from the skin externally via the urethra, which is the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the outside. So no matter how clean you think you are it is worth taking extra care with your personal hygiene if you suffer from urine infections. Unfortunately the vagina lies on top of the urethra and over enthusiastic sex can cause injury to the urethra in women, leaving it more prone to infection, so you may need to be a little careful.

As usual I am starting with dietary advice.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Tea and coffee aggravate the kidneys

Do not eat any oranges or tomatoes or drink their juices. These two fruits seem to be too acidic for the urinary system and will irritate the bladder lining.

Cranberry juice is good and stops bacteria sticking to the wall of the bladder.

As with the gut it is a good idea to coat and protect the bladder wall lining to prevent it being further irritated by bacteria. There is nothing better than Marshmallow to do this job.

We saw the Marshmallow growing profusely in the Cuckmere river video, when I explained to you about the mucilage content of the marshmallow. It is this that coats mucous membranes and for the bladder, it is the leaf of the marshmallow that is used.

St John’s wort is antibacterial and anti viral and can be toning for the bladder. Also seen in the Shingle Beach video.

The best urinary antiseptic is an herb called Buchu which I love to smell, as it smells of blackcurrants and is apparently the flavouring used in the old “Spangles” sweets.

The hairy bit that comes out of the top of a corn on the cob is called corn silk and is a diuretic, but also coats and protects the bladder due to its mucilage content.

An irritated bladder also needs relaxing as it goes into spasm causing a constant feeling of wanting to “go”.

We saw Crampbark in the West rise marsh video and I explained it was a muscle relaxant. Well the bladder wall is just a muscle and Crampbark works very well to relax it if it has gone into spasm. Pulsatilla works well as an anti spasmodic to prevent the bladder cramping up.

A typical mix of herbs in tincture form I would use in clinic for someone presenting with recurrent urine infections is:-

Marshmallow leaf

Buchu

Crampbark Pulsatilla

But it obviously depends on what the patient tells me and what the symptoms are.

It is also worth boosting the immune system generally to avoid bacteria taking hold in the bladder and for this there is the trusty Echinacea. You can get this in tincture form or as tablets. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

You will find over the counter remedies with some of the above herbs in them, but make sure they are licensed or visit a qualified Medical Herbalist.

My Clinic details can be seen by clicking here or on the “Clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Anxiety

Anxiety may be caused by stress, tiredness, hormone imbalance, emotional exhaustion. However, people often say they have no stress or real worries but they suffer from bouts of anxiety. Sometimes people suffer anxiety after they have been through a traumatic experience even though this is now resolved. The body may be producing too much adrenaline which is circulating around the body with nothing to do but make you feel anxious. The symptoms include feelings of anxiousness, palpitations, increased sweating and poor sleep.

If stress is a factor then look at your lifestyle to see if there is anything you can change. It is worth sitting down and doing this with someone else as they may be more objective towards your lifestyle than you are.

Look at what you CAN change in your lifestyle rather than focus on what you can’t or what is going wrong. Try making small changes, such as joining a Yoga class, take time out for yourself, walk away from a stressful situation and calm down before going back to face it, handing a job over to anyone else to do, get a cleaner for the housework, take a holiday. ANYTHING!

Stress is not a problem to the body, providing the body has the ability to cope with it which to be fair, we are set up to do via our Adrenal glands. I am sure you have heard of the fight or flight response which either helps you to deal with a stressful situation or get the hell out of there. When the stress is overwhelming the adrenals get exhausted and the body fails to deal with stress well.

First thing to do is look at your diet. A body cannot keep going under any circumstances if it is poorly fed.

Eat three good meals a day:-

Consisting of nutritious foods such as fruit, veg, meat, fish, and a sensible intake of carbohydrates.

I rarely advise people take nutritional supplements, as I am an advocate of complete nutrition through eating sensibly, but the research on vitamin B complex to support the nervous system is overwhelmingly positive.

NOT CHOCOLATE which gives you a short term sugar boost and contains a feel good factor but does not last and may send you in to an emotional low when the blood sugar levels drop.

Drink WATER. At least two pints a day!

Caffeine in tea and coffee is the very worst thing for anxiety as it increases heart rate and may cause palpitations and will definitely prevent you sleeping well.

However, Caffeine is addictive so if you need to come off it, do it slowly, otherwise you will get headaches and feel pretty rough for a couple of weeks. I recommend reducing one cup a day in three day steps, remembering to substitute with water or non caffeine hot drinks such as Rooibos and Chamomile tea.

Exercise is a wonderful anxiety buster, so go to the gym or preferably do something in the fresh air; this will help to use up any excess adrenaline circulating in the body.

HERBAL MEDICINE

The main area which needs supporting is the nervous system.

St. John’s wort, which we saw on the shingle beach video, is a wonderful nervous system supporting and repairing herb as well as having anti depressant properties. Don’t take it if you are on any orthodox medicines.

Valerian is  great for calming both the body and mind and I usually mix that with Skullcap which is excellent at calming the brain down so that it does not go in to those mad thought loops at night when you are trying to get off to sleep.

Don’t forget the humble Chamomile which is very gently calming and helps you get a good night’s sleep and the lime flowers we saw growing in Pevensey church yard in the Pevensey walk video.

Growing in your garden you may have:-

Borage which also supports and restores the adrenals. This can be made into a tea.

Lavender which is great in an herb pillow to help with insomnia and the oil is wonderfully soothing in a bath.

Lemon balm which makes a very nice calming tea.

There are many ways of helping combat anxiety with herbs so do come and see me in my clinic if you would like help.

To find out more about the clinic click here or on the “clinic” tab at the top of the page

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist’Herbal Health Information

Links

Herbal Health Information on Depression

Depression may be caused by stress, tiredness, hormone imbalance, emotional exhaustion and lack of sleep.

Symptoms vary for different people but may include, feeling low, poor self esteem, insomnia, headaches, lack of motivation and lack of confidence.

If stress is a factor then look at your lifestyle to see if there is anything you can change. It is worth sitting down and doing this with someone else as they may be more objective towards your lifestyle than you are.

Look at what you CAN change in your lifestyle rather than focus on what you can’t or what is going wrong. Try making small changes, such as joining a Yoga class, handing a job over to anyone else to do, get a cleaner for the housework, take a holiday. ANYTHING!

First thing to do is look at your diet. A body cannot keep going under any circumstances if it is poorly fed.

Eat three good meals a day:-

Consisting of nutritious foods such as fruit, veg, meat, fish, and a sensible intake of carbohydrates.

NOT CHOCOLATE which gives you a short term sugar boost and contains a feel good factor but does not last and may send you in to an emotional low when the blood sugar levels drop.

Drink WATER. At least two pints a day!

Caffeine in tea, coffee and coca cola, is the very worst thing for depression

as it increases heart rate and may cause palpitations and will definitely prevent you sleeping well.

However, Caffeine is addictive so if you need to come off it, do it slowly, otherwise you will get headaches and feel pretty rough for a couple of weeks. I recommend reducing one cup a day in three day steps, remembering to substitute with water or non caffeine hot drinks such as Rooibos and Chamomile tea.

I rarely advise people take nutritional supplements, as I am an advocate of complete nutrition through eating sensibly, but the research on vitamin B complex to support the nervous system is overwhelmingly positive.

Exercise will help, so go to the gym or preferably do something in the fresh air. I know this is easier said than done as many people suffering from depression have a lack of motivation. Take it in easy steps. Try and do one thing a week for yourself such as go for a walk in the countryside (short walk will do), join a dance class or SING! Or anything that takes your fancy. You will be really pleased at the result and the feeling of self achievement.

HERBAL MEDICINE

The main area which needs supporting is the nervous system.

St. John’s wort, which we saw on the shingle beach video, is a wonderful nervous system supporting and repairing herb as well as having anti depressant properties. Don’t take it if you are on any orthodox medicines.

Passiflora I have talked about in its own little article. It has mild sedative properties and is a relaxant as well as supporting the nervous system.

Skullcap is a tonic nervine as well as being anti spasmodic and relaxing. I use it because it is the only herb I know, which, due to its relaxing nervine properties, stops the brain going in to overdrive and thinking all those horrible “loop” thoughts when you are trying to get to sleep, such as, the shopping list or what activities the children have the next day or what shall I wear to my daughters wedding, or the amount of work piling up in the in tray, etc etc etc.

Orthodox medicine for depression raises the serotonin levels in the brain and I have found a tincture of St. John’s wort, Skullcap and Passiflora has a similar action whilst at the same time repairing the nervous system and restoring it to normal function.

You may find an over the counter preparation with these herbs in, but do make sure it is a licensed product which means it has been through rigorous trials.

One other herb I want to mention to repair and restore the nervous system and as an anti depressant is Oats. As an herb it is the oat straw that is used which can be taken as a tincture, or a bowl of Porridge every morning will help.

Growing in your garden you may have:-

Borage, an uplifting herb which also supports and restores the adrenals. This can be made into a tea.

Lavender which is great in an herb pillow to help with insomnia and the oil is wonderfully soothing in a bath.

Lemon balm, which makes a very nice soothing tea.

Vervain has nervous system and alterative (changing to normal) properties and can be drunk as an uplifting tea.

There are many ways of helping combat depression with herbs so do come and see me in my clinic if you would like help.

To find out more about the clinic, click here or on the “clinic” tab at the top of the page

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Links

Pevensy castle walk….lime flowers

Beach walk…………..Chamomile

Herbs and health

Lime flowers

Chamomile

St john’s wort

Herbal Health Information on Cold Sores

These are caused by the herpes simplex virus which can be passed on by kissing or other physical contact. Although not life threatening they can be so debilitating as they can cause cracked and sore areas around the nose mouth and eyes, but if around the eyes you need to go to the doctor for help.

Once the Herpes virus is in the body it is almost impossible to get rid of as it sits around quietly on nerve roots and waits until the body is run down before it takes hold and causes a flare up, commonly, when you are suffering from cold or flu but can be any other illness which compromises the immune system.

Therefore boosting the immune system is very important to help the body defend itself from any invading organisms. This can prevent a flare up of cold sores and help the body fight off colds and flu to stop it getting run down.

Nutritionally it is important to take in large amounts of Vitamin C and Zinc.

Vitamin C is in most fruit and veg, but I have found the best source to be Limes.

Take a fresh lime, cut it in half and squeeze the juice out of one half into a glass.

Fill the glass with cold water and drink it down. A glass a day first thing in the morning will boost your Vitamin C levels. Obviously don’t stop eating other fruit and veg during the day as this will maintain your normal vitamin and mineral intake.

Zinc is fairly low in foods due to modern farming methods and is difficult to absorb. It is therefore essential to have an intake of Zinc daily. It is present in high amounts in Pumpkin seeds, oats, peas and shell fish, but I advise the easiest way of getting Zinc, is to eat about a handful of pumpkin seeds or a bowl of porridge daily. You can buy Pumpkin seeds in any health food shop and large supermarkets. Of course the rest of your diet should be a sensible balanced diet to ensure a good intake of other vitamins and minerals which Vitamin C and Zinc Metabolism (usage) will be dependant on in the body. Drink at least two pints of water a day to help clear out toxins.

Internally, the traditional immune system boosting herb is Echinacea which stimulates the white blood cells in the blood which are responsible for removing foreign bodies and also producing antibodies to fight infections. Echinacea is available in health shops or on the internet but make sure you are buying a licensed product which will have undergone rigorous tests to prove efficacy.

Two other herbs have a direct anti viral effect on the herpes simplex virus, and these are St. John’s Wort and Melissa (lemon balm)

St. John’s wort is taken internally as a tincture or capsules and is available from health shops or on the internet.

Melissa is used externally as a topical application. The only way you will get hold of this is if you grow it in your garden or have a friend who grows it. Many large herb suppliers will stock Melissa but it will be dried and the fresh plant is better to make a topical application, although the dried will do.

Pick a good handful of Melissa, preferably mid morning. Place it in a jug and add a cupful of boiling water. Leave this to steep for 10-15 minutes. If you are using dried plant it is one teaspoon to a cup of boiling water.

Strain and store in the fridge for a few days when you will have to make a new lot.

Dab this liquid on to the cold sore at least four times during the day.

This is definitely a case of prevention is better than cure so keeping your self well fed and boosting your immune system regularly, is essential.

However like all forms of medicine, do not take Echinacea all the time, bacteria and viruses become immune to all forms of medicine if they are continuously exposed to them.

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

Herbal Health Information on Panic Attacks

Many people who suffer from panic attacks will tell you that they consider themselves to be level headed, very calm people. They will often say that they have been through a time of horrible stress but that everything has settled down and they no longer feel stressed.

Ha! This is the trouble, whilst the body is under stress it produces adrenaline from the adrenal glands and other hormones to help us cope with the stress. This is our fight or flight mechanism which either helps us to stay and face the situation or helps us run away from it. When the stress is gone, the adrenal glands are exhausted and go in to a bit of a shut down and everything “falls flat”.

The symptoms include feelings of anxiety, hyperventilation and palpitations. Hyperventilation is breathing too quickly and shallowly and in itself causes a serious imbalance in the body chemistry, as carbon dioxide produced during normal body metabolism is not excreted properly by the lungs. This leads to an acidic internal environment, sending all the wrong messages around the body and further panic caused by the body trying to right the wrong.

Firstly, cut out all Caffeine. Caffeine increases heart rate and puts stress on the heart and nervous system, it absolutely has to go.

Caffeine is in:-

Tea

Coffee

Chocolate

Coca cola

Many Boost drinks

If you have a high Caffeine intake you will need to come off it slowly as it is addictive and withdrawal from it causes quite severe headaches, so reduce by one cup a day every two days until you can come off it completely.

Next learn to breathe properly.

It is important that each breath you take in fills the lungs properly and then each breath out gets rid of all the carbon dioxide produced during metabolism.

Either get a Yoga video which will teach you to focus on your breathing and teach you relaxation techniques or do this simple exercise.

Lie on the bed flat on your back if you can. If you can’t then whatever position you are comfortable in. Close your eyes and breathe normally.

Count how long it takes you to breathe in and how long to breathe out. Do this for about a minute.

Put both your hands, palm down on to your belly. Just concentrate on breathing normally. As you are breathing, your abdomen should be rising and falling gently because it is your abdominal muscles which are pulling the diaphragm down as you breathe in and relaxing as you breathe out. By putting your palms flat on your abdomen you can check whether you are using your abdominal muscles properly by watching your hands rise and fall. You can do this little exercise two or three times a day for about five minutes a time, but do not at any time force your breathing, this is just making you aware that you are breathing normally.

Herbs for panic attacks fall in to two categories:-

Calming herbs

Passion flower is a gently calming herb which also supports the heart muscle.

Motherwort is calming, relaxing and also calms heart palpitations. I find it works well for women (hence the name I guess).

Valerian, this is a strong relaxant and calming herb but does not affect the way the brain functions so does not leave you with a woolly head. Smells like smelly feet though!!!!

Chamomile is the most gentle of the calming herbs and the most pleasant tasting if drunk as a tea. Also seen in the beach video.

Lime flower, seen on the Pevensey castle video, is sedative, calms, supports the nervous system and has anti anxiety properties, also pleasant drunk as a tea.

Nervous system supporting and repairing herbs,

Oats are the best nerve restorative, as well as being a brain and heart tonic, I would never leave this out of a mix for panic attacks.

Vervain, is an excellent nervous system supporting and repairing herb with alterative (bringing back to normal) properties.

Scullcap, I have to admit to using this herb ALOT. It has just the best nervous system repairing and supporting properties as well as having the ability to calm the brain down and stop it going into the mad “loop” thinking mode.

Ginseng is the herb that supports the exhausted Adrenal glands and gets them working normally again. It is an Adaptogen, helping the body to adapt to new stress and strain by stimulating the body’s own defensive mechanisms. Don’t take Ginseng an hour either side of any tannin containing drink such as Tea and Coffee and do not take it if you have high blood pressure. Ginseng should not be used for more than four weeks at a time without a break from it.

St. John’s wort is traditionally used as a nervous system repairing herb with antidepressant properties. Also seen in the shingle beach video.

Panic attacks respond well to treatment with herbal medicine so if you would like to visit me in the clinic for help, please see the clinic details which you will find by clicking here or on the Clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on the Immune System and Colds

The Immune system is the body’s internal defence armoury, which protects us from the millions of germs out there. There are so many factors in modern day living which can affect our immune system, resulting in people picking up any virus going and suffering recurrent colds and coughs.

Stress, poor diet, Insomnia and any long term illness can all prevent the proper functioning of the immune system.

We really must look after ourselves. Put a bit of time and effort into YOU and the payback will be a healthier, fitter, happier, more energetic li

Diet

Breakfast

You must eat it!

Porridge/ muesli/ any wholegrain cereal/ fruit/juice. Not all at once!

Lunch

Salads or baked potato or sandwich some fruit if you didn’t have any at breakfast

Dinner

Cooked meal with some protein foods such as meat eggs or fish /pulses beans for the vegetarians or just if you like them. Fresh veg although fresh frozen will do if you are busy. Some carbohydrate such as rice potato or pasta.

Always vary it though and make sure you do not eat too much of any one thing. For example don’t eat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. That’s three lots of wheat a day and the gut will not like digesting all that!

Loads of Vitamin C containing foods, which is all fruit and veg but especially citrus fruits and zinc containing foods which is oats, peas, pumpkin seeds, lentils and Oysters if you are feeling rich.

Zinc and Vit C help the body fight of viruses.

Drink water and not too much tea and coffee

Stress

Have a look at the article on stress to learn more, but briefly, make relaxation and switching off time for yourself. Dance, sing, read, watch a film, join a meditation or yoga class, anything that helps you to relax.

Exercise I can almost hear you groaning but this is really not an option. It gets the body in good shape to be able to cope with external and internal changes.

Alcohol and cigarettes also affect the immune system, so if you can reduce, it will help.

Herbs

Echinacea is the Media’s herb of choice to boost the immune system which it does by raising the white blood cell count and increases the body’s own powers of resistance. It also has the ability to stimulate Killer cells called Phagocytes, that chomp up any foreign material in the body especially bacteria.

There is a problem with Echinacea though, in that many people are taking it constantly and bacteria are cunning little devils they have the ability to adapt and become immune to anything trying to kill them off. So Echinacea should only be taken,  EITHER when you feel a cold/cough coming on to boost the immune system and help the body fight the virus or bacteria OR for short periods of time to boost the immune system generally. About three weeks taking Echinacea is enough time to boost the immune system and then let the body take over. There are many over the counter preparations of Echinacea but make sure it is a good quality preparation with a licence, meaning it has been through a rigorous testing programme.

St John’s wort and Elder Flower have directly anti viral properties and elder is my herb of choice if someone presents with recurrent colds.

Never forget Garlic. I know some people won’t touch it because of the smell but eat as much garlic as you can in your food. It is the most astounding food for all kinds of conditions in the body one of them being to boost the immune system as well as having antiviral properties. As it is breathed out through the lungs, the volatile oils sterilise everything on the way up so it is a good cough and cold remedy.

If all else fails come and visit me in clinic!

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist, herbal Health Information

View clinic details here

Herbal Health Information on Migraines

Migraine headache is caused by the over dilation of arteries in the brain after they have constricted. Sufferers describe various symptoms such as, nausea, visual disturbance, flashing lights, strange smells and headache. Sometimes the visual disturbances may occur without the headache.

The causes are possibly dietary, hormonal or emotional disturbances.

In all cases it is important to try and prevent the arteries going into spasm initially.

DIET

As with tension headaches, CUT THE CAFFEINE OUT. Do it slowly so that you do not suffer Caffeine withdrawal on top of everything else.

Here’s where you are really going to hate me

No Chocolate Cheese or Red wine!!!!!! It was always thought that the Tyramine they all contain can have a constricting effect on blood vessels. However modern research has both proved and disproved this. So let’s go with the tradition and cut them out to be on the safe side.

Many people find other food substances may trigger migraine so it is worth keeping a food diary to check.

Drink at least two pints of water a day.

HERBS

Keeping the blood vessels from going in to spasm is the first line of defence.

Crampbark, seen in the West Rise Marsh video, Valerian and Chamomile , seen in the shingle beach video,are all good muscle relaxants and feverfew is the long standing traditional herb which has anti spasmodic properties.

Together with a muscle relaxant herb I would add a nervous system supporting and repairing herb such as St. John’s wort or Vervain.

If the Migraine is related to the monthly cycle, in Clinic I would add a hormone balancing herb such as Agnus castus or Dong quai

None of these herbs are any good if you are in the throws of a Migraine, they are all preventative treatments and should be taken regularly for a period of three to six months.

There are over the counter preparations of migraine herbs and you will be able to find Feverfew preparations in any Health shop.

Make sure the “over the counter” preparations are licensed products so that they are safe to use.

If you would like to visit the Clinic for more help with Migraines, then click on the Clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist, Herbal Health Information

View Clinic details

Herbal Health Information on Cystitis

A one off bout off cystitis is easily dealt with, with antibiotics and like any other acute infection such as earache that is the right course of action to take.

It is with the recurrent or chronic form of cystitis that the herbs can be of enormous help.

This condition can cause burning and stinging on passing urine, frequency of passing urine, a desperate urge to pass urine and is life affecting due to the need to be near a toilet all the time.

You may be surprised to know that urine is normally sterile and used in the past  for sterilising wounds inflicted by war. In olden days surgeons used to get the men to wee directly on to the open wounds as it was probably the only sterile fluid around with which to wash the wound out! Bacteria can only enter the bladder from the skin externally via the urethra, which is the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the outside. So no matter how clean you think you are, it is worth taking extra care with your personal hygiene if you suffer from cystitis. Unfortunately the vagina lies on top of the urethra and over enthusiastic sex can cause injury to the urethra leaving it more prone to infection, so you may need to be a little careful.

As usual I am starting with dietary advice.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Tea and coffee aggravate the kidneys

Do not eat any oranges or tomatoes or drink their juices. These two fruits seem to be too acidic for the urinary system and will irritate the bladder lining.

Cranberry juice is good and stops bacteria sticking to the wall of the bladder.

As with the gut it is a good idea to coat and protect the bladder wall lining to prevent it being further irritated by bacteria. There is nothing better than Marshmallow to do this job.

We saw the Marshmallow growing profusely in the Cuckmere river video, when I explained to you about the mucilage content of the marshmallow. It is this that coats mucous membranes and for the bladder, it is the leaf of the marshmallow that is used.

St John’s wort is antibacterial and anti viral and can be toning for the bladder.

The best urinary antiseptic is an herb called Buchu which I love to smell, as it smells of blackcurrants and is apparently the flavouring used in the old “Spangles” sweets.

The hairy bit that comes out of the top of a corn on the cob is called corn silk and is a diuretic, but also coats and protects the bladder due to it’s mucilage content.

An irritated bladder also needs relaxing as it goes into spasm causing a constant feeling of wanting to “go”.

We saw Crampbark in the West rise marsh video and I explained it was a muscle relaxant. Well the bladder wall is just a muscle and Crampbark works very well to relax it if it has gone into spasm. Pulsatilla works well as an anti spasmodic to prevent the bladder cramping up.

There is a form of Cystitis which, when the urine is cultured, is found to be sterile. This is often diagnosed as interstitial Cystitis and this form of cystitis needs a similar approach to above as well as herbs to heal the bladder lining. For this I use Marigold, just about the best healer in the herbal pharmacy.

A typical mix of herbs in tincture form I would use in clinic for someone presenting with Cystitis is:-

Marshmallow leaf

Buchu

Crampbark

Pulsatilla

But it obviously depends on what the patient tells me and what the symptoms are.

You will find over the counter remedies with some of these herbs in them, but make sure they are licensed or visit a qualified Medical Herbalist .

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Herbal Health Information

View Clinic Information