

GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba)
THE HEALING PROCESS
Herbal medicine works from the basis that we are all different. No two people are the same, physically or psychologically. We get ill for different reasons, and in different ways. Even those who have been ‘labelled’ with the same illness, often have different symptoms.
Therefore it is the individual person that is treated, not the ‘disease’. Or, as I see it, the dis-ease. That is, the imbalance that has occurred in the body.
THE ROOT OF ILL HEALTH
It is necessary to get to the root of ill health, rather than simply alleviating symptoms, to truly heal. And it is necessary to support the whole body – the whole person – as part of that healing process.

HAWTHORN (Crataegus spp)
HERBAL MEDICINE THROUGH THE AGES
Herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years. Many pharmaceutical drugs currently prescribed by doctors were originally derived from plants. For example, aspirin from willow bark, metformin (diabetes drug) from goat’s rue, digoxin (heart problems) from foxglove, and artemisinin (antimalarial) from Chinese wormwood.
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS
The leaves, stems, flowers, berries, roots and bark of plants contain active constituents, which give them their medicinal properties. Willow bark, for example, has analgesic and anti-inflammatory action (as does aspirin). Other medicinal plants have different actions. They may have an antispasmodic, diuretic, laxative, stimulating or relaxing effect, for example.

BLACK COHOSH (Cimicifuga racemosa)
SYNERGY BETWEEN PLANTS AND PEOPLE
The active constituents within a single plant work in synergy with one another, combinations of different plants work in synergy with one another – and certain plants also work in synergy with certain people. This is why every herbal prescription is likely to be different, even when people have been labelled with the same health problem.
It is therefore best to consult a qualified herbal practitioner for chronic, longterm or recurring ailments, than self-medicate with ‘off-the-shelf’ herbal remedies.
DIET AND LIFESTYLE
Diet and lifestyle, and the empowerment of the individual, are as important as herbal medicine in a person’s journey to physical and emotional good health and wellbeing. A consultation with me will therefore always include a discussion and advice about diet and lifestyle, and a sharing of thoughts and energy.
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