Elderberry, Thyme & Liquorice Linctus

coughs and colds, Deanne Greenwood Medical Herbalist, Elderberries, Foraging, Herbal home remedies, Home herbal remedies, sore throat, Thyme & Liquorice Linctus No Responses »

Sep 262019

Fresh, handpicked elderberries from The Lizard in Cornwall, gathered by medical herbalist Deanne Greenwood, to make elderberry, thyme and liquorice cough linctus. Deanne Greenwood practices in Falmouth, Helston, Penzance and The Lizard in Cornwall. I’ve just finished making this year’s Elderberry, Thyme & Liquorice Linctus – amazing stuff for coughs, colds, sore throats, and as a general winter tonic… Elderberries are packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants, and I add tincture of thyme for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and tincture of liquorice as it’s a great expectorant for bringing up phlegm, and also a soothing demulcent for sore throats and chests. It tastes delicious – and it works!

This year there were some exceptionally fat and juicy berries for me to pick (alongside masses of similarly lush berries and fruits, including blackberries, hawthorn berries, horse chestnut and sweet chestnut, which I’ve also been collecting). But elderberries are particularly time-consuming to prepare, and I didn’t have time to make as much linctus as I usually do.

First of all, I make sure all my utensils and bottles are sterilised, as this stuff quickly goes off if you get any bacteria in it. Then I pick the elderberries, getting stung by nettles and scratched by brambles along the way, but then I’m used to that in my line of work! Next comes the painstaking separation of the ripe ‘n’ ready berries from the still green ones, and the shrivelled up ones, on each panicle. Then I make the syrup – ensuring I don’t over heat it and lose some of its medicinal properties. Once cool, the tinctures of thyme and liquorice are added, and the resultant elixir bottled and labelled.

This year, I factored in the manpower, i.e. the number of hours it took me to do all this, paying myself £18 an hour, whereas previously it’s been more a labour of love. Although a lot of love has still gone into it, because I love what I do, and herbal medicines prepared with love always have the edge when it comes to healing properties.

elderberry, thyme and liquorice cough linctus made by medical herbalist Deanne Greenwood, who practices in Falmouth, Helston, Penzance and The Lizard in Cornwall. So I’m charging more for my linctus this year: £8.50 for a 200ml bottle.

You can, of course, make your own Elderberry Linctus, using culinary herbs such as ginger root, cinnamon and/or liquorice sticks in place of the thyme and liquorice tinctures I use. You’ll find a recipe for it in a website blog I wrote way back in 2015. Click here.

Herbs To Help You Lose Weight

Deanne Greenwood Medical Herbalist, weight loss No Responses »

Jul 142017

By Deanne Greenwood, Medical Herbalist, BSc (Hons) Herb Med

Gymnema sylvestre is a plant that helps balance blood sugar levels

Gymnema sylvestre is a medicinal plant that actually anaesthetises the taste buds in the mouth, reducing sugar cravings and helping balance blood sugar levels

Herbal medicine can help you lose weight and stay slim. But it’s not a magic bullet. It works in conjunction with a healthy diet, exercise and lifestyle.

Efficient metabolism of food

In herbal medicine there are many medicinal plants, aka herbs, used to optimise gut function. These herbs help us digest and metabolise food efficiently, and to excrete toxins and other unwanted matter so that they don’t accumulate in the body, making us feel bloated and sluggish. They do this by stimulating the flow and correct balance of gastric juices, helping to regulate bowel movements, urine output and blood sugar levels, and by supporting the immune system – 80 per cent of which is in our gut!

All this has the knock-on effect of making us feel great, full of energy and enthusiasm – which makes it a lot easier to take regular exercise and adopt a new eating regime.

The ‘feel-good’ factor

There are herbs we use to help balance our emotional and psychological state, clear the skin, ease aches and pains, help us sleep, all of which boost our emotional wellbeing – the ‘feel-good’ factor – which gives us added incentive to look after and love our bodies.

When we’re feeling low, this affects our physical health; when we’re feeling happy and enthusiastic, our physical wellbeing is boosted. Mind and body are inextricably linked.

Successful dieting

Anyone who has been on a diet or to a slimming club will know that if you see the recommended changes in diet and lifestyle as a hardship, something that makes you feel miserable, you’re unlikely to achieve your aim; but when you embrace these changes as an enjoyable way of eating and living your life, the desired effects are easier to achieve and maintain.

A holistic approach

Herbal medicine is ‘holistic’. That is, it supports the whole body to achieve optimum health. If you have a consultation with a herbalist, he or she is likely to give you a ‘tonic’ made up of a combination of herbs that will help your body rebalance and energise itself on a physical and emotional level.

You are unique

Herbal medicine also works on an individual basis. To be most effective, you need herbs based on your particular body type, your unique physical and emotional state. We are all different.

The power of herbs

Herbal medicine may not be a magic bullet, but make no mistake, it has very powerful, and scientifically proven, actions.

For more information about herbal medicine, visit www.deannegreenwood.com

Breast cancer and herbs

Breast Cancer No Responses »

Nov 062014

A holistic approach to breast cancer

I’ve been moved to write this blog after recently meeting yet another woman with breast cancer and a distressing tale to tell about the management of her illness.

Chemotherapy

She had just come to the end of a grueling course of chemotherapy, with repeated bouts of nausea and vomiting, and loss of hair and eyebrows. Nobody had talked to her about these side effects pre-treatment… nobody had talked to her husband and children about what might happen and how to cope….

Radiotherapy

She is now about to start radiotherapy, and unsure what to expect this time… She thought perhaps she should have done some research about breast cancer treatment and how to look after herself in between and afterwards, but she just hasn’t felt strong enough, physically and emotionally….

Support during breast cancer treatment and recovery

I’ve heard similar tales from other women with breast cancer who have come to see me in the past 12 months. One had had a mastectomy and been ‘signed off’ post surgery with a cheery “see you in six months’ time for your check up”. Not even any dietary and lifestyle advice provided…

Diet and lifestyle

As this young woman was being discharged, she asked if there was anything she should be doing, and was told to just relax and enjoy herself, do whatever made her feel good. As she pointed out to me, her way of relaxing and enjoying herself could have been going to the pub and getting drunk as a coot every night… Luckily she’s not a big drinker. Nor is she a fan of junk and fast food… but she doesn’t know what the best diet for keeping her healthy is either, or what else she could do that might help prevent a recurrence of this devastating illness.

Herbal medicine and breast cancer

Apart from life-enhancing dietary and lifestyle advice, there is so much more holistic therapies can offer women with breast cancer. Under the care of a qualified and experienced herbal practitioner, herbal medicine can safely be used during treatment for breast cancer and the recovery period, helping to relieve symptoms such as nausea & vomiting, hot flushes, skin rashes, constipation, poor appetite & digestion, insomnia and anxiety. For example:

Ginger

There is good scientific evidence, (including a large study conducted by The National Cancer Institute in the US), that ginger can significantly reduce nausea and vomiting experienced during chemotherapy. (Nausea and vomiting is experienced in about 70% of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.)

Black cohosh

Another herb, called Black cohosh, has been the subject of a lot of research recently, revealing that it can help reduce the side effects of breast cancer medication such as Tamoxifen, including menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, and reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. One 11-year retrospective study suggested that Black cohosh was more effective than Tamoxifen at reducing breast cancer recurrence.

Herbs, scientific research and breast cancer

There are many other herbs that have traditionally been used to support the immune (including lymphatic) system and help reduce metastatic spread; optimise liver and bowel function to encourage detoxification and processing of oestrogen (particularly important for ER+ breast cancer); improve digestive function for nutrient absorption, support the nervous system to boost mood and sleep, etc… There is supporting scientific evidence for many of these actions, but for me, traditional use and knowledge of herbal medicine passed down through the ages, plus personal experience of using and working with herbs and people, is more important!

The power of self-healing

Also, just want to say, the body is capable of healing itself (referred to as ‘spontaneous remission’ in conventional medicine!) given the right support and environment. Our bodies produce, and destroy, cancer cells every single day. Sometimes they lose control of this finely tuned process. The operative words here are ‘finely tuned’. Herbal medicine is a gentle and safe way to support the body and nudge it back into self-management mode.

More information about herbal medicine and breast cancer

If you are considering using herbal medicine to help you through breast cancer, please seek professional help from a qualified and insured medical herbalist. To find one in your area, contact the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy at www.phytotherapists.org, or the National Institute of Medical Herbalists at www.nimh.org.uk. I am happy to provide more information and can be contacted by email at deannegreenwood@me.com.

The Haven breast cancer support

For general holistic advice for women with breast cancer, including emotional/psychological and physical support, I recommend visiting The Haven breast cancer support website at www.thehaven.org.uk

Echinacea and the immune system

Echinacea No Responses »

Oct 032014

I’m often asked whether Echinacea really is a helpful herb to take to prevent or speed recovery from colds and flu. And whether it’s safe to take if you have an autoimmune disorder such a chronic fatigue syndrome or psoriasis, or an allergy, when the immune system has gone awry.

Firstly, Echinacea has a long tradition as an immune-enhancing herb. If you’re tired, rundown and stressed out, your immune system will struggle to protect you against any ‘bugs’ that are going round, such as colds and flu. By strengthening your immune system, Echinacea can reduce the risk of you going down with something and, if you do, reduce the severity of the illness.

I find Echinacea is very effective at ‘knocking a virus on the head’ if taken at the very first sign of a cold, ie when you get that familiar fuzzy head, scratchy throat, tickly cough of snuffly nose. We all know the signs.

How effective Echinacea is depends on lots of things, including how rundown your immune system was to start with, and the quality of the Echinacea you are taking. There are many different brands that can be bought on the high street and internet, and it can be a bit of a lottery finding a good one. In any case, you’re unlikely to find Echinacea anywhere near the strength used by a reputable, qualified herbalist. I have what is known as 1:1 and/or 1:2 Echinacea tinctures in my dispensary. This means one part herb to one or two parts of water/alcohol. Commercial brands of Echinacea are generally 1:4 at best, and often 1:10 or less.

The efficacy of the herb also depends on which species of Echinacea, and which part of the plant, is used.

Herbalists are legally only allowed to sell herbs to someone following a consultation. This is primarily for safety reasons, but also will influence how effective treatment is likely to be, as herbal medicine is prescribed on an individual basis. Obviously, you’re unlikely to pay for a consultation because you think you’re going down with a cold, but I am able to provide remedies, including Echinacea, for acute ailments such as coughs, colds and flu to patients already on my books.

With regard to whether or not Echinacea can be taken by someone with an autoimmune disorder, the answer is yes, it can sometimes be very helpful. Echinacea is an immunomodulator, rather than an immunostimulant, which means it helps the immune system find the right balance and ‘normalise’ its function. But it’s strongly advisable to use it in this way under the supervision of a qualified herbal practitioner.