Holistic medicine is great, but you have to be careful. Some can interact with conventional medicines, ‘dinosaur doctors’ often don’t like you doing anything holistic, and sometimes ‘conventional medicine’ may be needed. Because holistic medicine is not regulated as much, sometimes there are charlatans to beware of. But having said that, good holistic medicine is often effective, and also not tested on animals (though some medicines are not always vegan – homeopathy for instance can use bee stings and some even use the ‘saliva from a rabid dog’ which does not bear thinking where these ingredients are being sourced, as surely a dog with rabies if not cured should be put to sleep? Also be wary of unregulated Traditional Chinese Medicine, as some can (illegally) contain ground up bones from tigers or rhinos, or even bear bile.
How to Get the Right Diagnosis is a book by a man who struggled for 5 years with a medical condition, before getting a proper diagnosis. Using his background of analytics, he’ll show you how to better describe your condition and get specific answers to questions. Learn through the trials and triumphs of others, and use their stories as examples, to get the good medical care you need and serve. Learn how to describe your pain and ask questions to help yourself. Includes tips for an effective partnership. NHS lists all symptoms and treatments, often with lifestyle advice that you could try before going down the medicine route. Their site is more reliable than searching online for gimmicky info. It also good info on complementary medicine.
One of the best ways to ‘practice holistic medicine’ is to just simplify your medication needs with your doctor. Begin by having a medication review. Some people remain on the same medicines for years, when often there are better gentler medicines on the market. Take a list of everything you take, and ask your doctor why you are taking it, is it the correct dose, does it have interactions with anything else, and are you expected to stay on it for life. Then recycle any unwanted medicines at the pharmacist (unwanted and unused pharmacies cost the NHS millions each year).
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and talk to your doctor, if taking medication. See toxic foods, toxic herbs and toxic plants to avoid near pets. Don’t use aromatherapy oils near young children and pets pets (air rooms before allowing pets back in rooms, and don’t use aromatherapy oils in bedrooms, if pets sleep on your bed). Avoid herbal medicines without consulting a doctor, if you are on medication.
Good Books on Holistic Healing
Holistic Healing is a book to open your mind to a new more wholesome way of living. Soothe away everyday stress with this beautifully presented collection of practical advice for wellbeing, the natural way. These trusted practices (from ancient wisdom to modern treatments) will help you:
- Quieten your mind with meditation
- Relax and recharge with yoga
- Embrace the healing power of reiki
- Find balance through plant-based remedies
- Create a tranquil & calming home environment
- Be kind to yourself with a self-care routine
The Garden Apothecary shows how to make the most of common garden plants, like the herbalists of the past. With photographs to help you safely identify edible plants, and tips on how best to prepare and preserve your finds, this is the essential guide to enjoying the home-grown riches of your garden. Author Christine Iverson teaches folklore and foraging workshops.
Radical Remedies offers an herbalist’s guide to empowered self-care. Focusing on 25 nourishing herbs, this book shows how they can be used to remedy stress, insomnia, depression, and even comfort a broken heart. With insights on gut health, emotional balance and the importance of whole foods, readers will discover ways to survive and thrive every day. Learn about:
- Healthy gut flora
- Stress and digestion
- Mental clarity, memory & focus
- Stress & anxiety
- Rest & insomnia
- Difficult emotions & depression
- Love your lymph
- Lung, throat and sinus care
- Viral infections
- General pain & chronic conditions
- Headaches
- Nerve pain
- Your home apothecary
The Herb Almanac is a seasonal guide to medicinal plants. This beautiful and accessible guide by Chelsea Physic Garden shows the best times of year to grow healing herbs, and when and how to forage for wild medicine such as water mint, hawthorn berries, rosehips or St John’s Wort. You’ll learn the meanings behind the names of herbal medicines, and find folklore from herb wives, plus tips on sowing, planting and harvesting your own herbs. There are also detailed hand-drawn line illustrations to help deepen your understanding of medicinal herbs.
- Seasonal remedies & tonics
- An overview of herbs in folklore
- Wild medicine
- Herbs in religion
- Floriography (the language of flowers)
- Gathering & using herbs
- An overview of toxic plants (wormwood, hemlock, mandrake)
- Detailed info on over 50 herbs
A Modern Herbal is a book on medicine for a calmer Life. It’s by garden writer Alys Fowler, who may recognise from her years on BBC Gardener’s Question Time. In this book, she can teach you how to grow 100 herbs, then turn them into your own pharmacy, when you feel under the weather.
Simple Holistic Remedies
Herbowski Herbal Healing Oils from Kent are formulated by a qualified herbalist and chemist, and offer a nice organic brand to help to heal minor ailments, rather than drugs. All items are sold in zero waste aluminium tins, so you can easily recycle them, after use. These oils contain herbs, so read precautions and contra-indications before purchase (including pregnancy/nursing).
- Argan oil
- St John’s Wort
- Horsetail
- Linden blossoms
- Lavender
- Calendula
- Marshmallow root
- Cayenne pepper
The Ilex Wood Vegan Herbal Healing Salve has amazing feedback on Google Verified Reviews for scraps, sunburn, sprains, burns or bites. In plastic-free packaging, it’s made with comfrey (broken bones, fractures, bruises and sprains), plantain (a stubborn weed that’s also a natural analgesic), calendula (for skin inflammation, eczema, burns) and yarrow (helps to ease healing and prevent bleeding).
The Ilex Wood Vegan Calendula Salve is a healing soothing salve for dry itchy skin, eczema and rashes. It’s antimicrobialand anti-inflammatory, and can also be used to heal eczema and treat insect bites, along with relieving burns and sunburn and fungal infections. It can also be used as antiseptic for abrasions and scrapes (do not apply to bleeding or open wounds). And to reduce the appearance of scars.
The Ilex Wood Dandelion & Rosemary Salve is a natural healing herbal balm, ideal to soothe aches and pains and relieve tired hands and feet. Kind on dry skin and good as a massage balm, dandelion is a natural pain reliever that can help sore muscles, joint pain and arthritis. It’s also good for rough chapped skin. Rosemary is a stimulating scent with anti-inflammatory properties, perfect for overworked hands after a day gardening, or after a workout or use as a comforting foot rub, after a long walk.
Zero Waste Path Multi Purpose Balm is made (using renewable energy) by Italian scientists who live in Cambridge. Packed in a zero waste tin, use on your lips, hands or body. Almighty Balm is naturally scented with cocoa. And Happy Balm is a blend of grapefruit, sweet orange, geranium and ylang ylang essential oils. Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and avoid shea butter for latex allergies.
Natural Wellness from Within is bursting with insights, tips and recipes from the experts at Weleda, drawing on 100 years of expertise to bring holistic advice to all from soothing rituals and natural remedies, to the benefits of seasonal self-care. It iwll educate you on certain herbs and flowers, debunk jargon around sustainability and embrace the power of uniting yourself with the natural world with everyday guides to natural care of earth, skin, self and health.
Holistic Healing is a beginner-friendly guide, to living your life the more natural way. Open your mind to a new wholesome way of life, and soothe away strees with this beautifully presented collection of tips for health and wellbeing. Avoid aromatherapy oils for pregnancy/nursing (and check with your doctor for medical conditions like epilepsy, asthma, high blood pressure). Do not use aromatherapy oils near pets (air rooms before allowing them back in).
These trusted practices (from ancient wisdom to modern treatments) will help you:
- Quieten your mind with meditation
- Relax and recharge with yoga
- Embrace the healing power of reiki
- Find balance through plant-based remedies
- Create a tranquil calming home environment
- Be kind to yourself, with a self-care routine
Covering simple remedies, alternative therapies and easy exercises, this book will help you to feel your best and restore your bliss.
About the Author
Sally Brockway is a journalist and blogger who lives in Surrey, England. She has written for health and wellness magazines and devised PR for wellbeing clients.
How to Grow Your Own Herbs
Set of 3 Green Herb Pots are ideal for your kitchen windowsill. Each square pot is made from metal, boasting a stylish sage green colour, and the plant includes handy label slots to the front, to write names on, for easy identification. Features small drainage holes in the base, while the long tray is idea to catch drips and protect surfaces. With wooden grip handles to remove and carry.
To grow your own herbs does not require much space (use a pot or the spokes of a cartwheel. Grow mint and chives in pots, or else they can go out of control. Don’t grow near windows as it makes birds confused (see how to stop birds flying into windows).
Keep Pets Safe Near Herbs
See toxic plants to avoid near pets (also avoid cocoa/pine/rubber mulch near pets, and avoid fresh compost nearby, as it contains mould). Use humane safe slug & snail deterrents and use no-dig garden methods. Herbs that are toxic to pets include:
- Oregano
- Lemongrass
- Pennyroyal (mint)
- Tarragon
- Chives (anything in the onion family)
- Parsley
- Bay laurel
- Garden cress is an edible herb (better than supermarket cress that’s watered down with rapeseed oil). Cress is toxic to pets. Also known as ‘poor man’s pepper’, it’s good to add a tangy taste to sandwiches, soups and stews.
Safer herbs include milder basil, rosemary, coriander and thyme. Rosemary will attract bees, so keep furry friends away. Lavender is not the most toxic herb for pets, but in large amounts could harm. Also keep pets away from herbs that attract bees (like lavender or rosemary – see natural remedies for bee stings).
For home use, do not use strong scents/herbs nor essential oils near pets (esp. cats, birds, ferrets and reptiles). Don’t use on beds if pets sleep with you, and air rooms if using herbal perfumes, air fresheners (includes info on scented candles – avoid citronella near pets).
Grow Your Own Herbs
My Tiny Kitchen Garden shows that you don’t need a garden to grow your own food. This beginner’s guide shows how to grow 20 plants in your kitchen, even with limited space. Whether it’s fresh herbs for cooking or to save money on your food bill, reduce your carbon footprint by learning the basics of micro-gardening. Plus there are tips on growing food from scraps, and how to save and store seeds.
- Fast-growing annuals are mild basil, basil, rosemary, coriander, thyme & dill. Perennial herbs take time (thyme, sage, rosemary, chives and mint).
- Don’t scorch pots in the sun, nor have them face west or east or they won’t get enough sun. Water plants in the morning (yellow leaves are due to over-watering).
- Harvest little at a time.
- Freeze chopped herbs in ice-cube trays.
- Jekka’s Herb Kits (Bristol) include hand-mixed seedling compost and 5 packets of herb seeds. The Herb Patch also grows organic seeds on a smallholding in the Derwent Valley, on the border of Durham/Northumberland.
- Complete Container Herb Gardening is a book by a certified horticulturalist. Sue Goetz walks you through growing easy edible herbs with healing properties, for your patio, rooftop, balcony or porch. Discover best herbs to grow, ideal containers and how to tend your herb garden. Includes a dozen container recipes
- Your Indoor Herb Garden is a fantastic book, with high reviews. Beautifully illustrated, learn why indoor herb gardens are good for cooking and healing, and includes a glossary of herbs with growing requirements.
Herbal tinctures are liquid herbs that are taken in a few drops daily, made from plants to support wellbeing. Made with alcohol and water, they are easily absorbed into the blood and often take the colour of the plants they are made from (so chamomile tinctures are yellow, hibiscus tinctures are pink). Made with edible food-grade alcohol, they are stored in brown glass bottles and usually mixed with water. Often prescribed for common ailments like insomnia, stress, pain and indigestion, most have minor effects in the same day, with around two weeks to see major benefits. They don’t taste nice (!) but you can mix with juice if preferred.
Consult a doctor before taking herbal tinctures, as some may interact with medicines. Also consult if pregnant/nursing (avoid hibiscus).
Herbal Sips (UK) make great-tasting herbal tinctures, with no alcohol. All these formulations are packed in glass bottles in cardboard packaging. The range is developed by Andrew Chevallier, a medical herbalist and healer with 35 years experience, and who can also offer an online consultation if needed, before purchase. The name SIPS stands for ‘seeded in plant science’ (Andrew is the author of the Encylopaedia of Herbal Medicine that has sold millions of copies).
Using liquid tinctures for herbs helps them to digest easier, to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. For this reason, they often work within an hour, and are ideal for people with poor digestion or low stomach acid, when tablets do not break down properly (many tablets also use highly concentrated industrial extracts). Read the site’s frequently asked questions for answers to queries for each type of liquid formula offered. Once opened, consume within 24 hours (or 48 hours if refrigerated). The range includes:
- Chill – to help you relax
- Cardio – to help support heart health
- Brain – to improve cognitive function
- Travel -for peace of mind, on the go
- Sport – for performance and recovery
- Sight – to help support eye health
- Midlife – to help regulate hormones
- Immunity – to help against viral infections
- Headache – to soothe tension and migraines
- Digestion – to help promote a healthy gut
- Sleep – to switch off and promote good rest
A Beginner’s Guide to Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is another form of medicine, which unlike orthodox medicine, tends to treat the cause, not just the symptom. Just because herbs are natural, does not mean they are always safe, so always talk to your GP about any herbs you are prescribed, in case they are not safe or have contraindications with other medication you are taking. Herbals medicines are made from the leaves, flowers and roots of plants, and fresh and dried matter are used (this is safer than some forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where you have to be careful to avoid illegally-traded substances like bear bile, and tiger or rhino horn.
This Biblical Herbs Growbar is ideal for people wishing to grow their own healing herbs. Packed by a small team in South London into sustainable coconut coir pots, just add water to grow sage, coriander and hyssop, grown for thousands of years for their medicinal virtues, and all described in the Old Testament. They grow on the windowsill for 6 to 8 weeks, then plant outside or in pots. See make your garden safe for pets, to know toxic plants, mulch etc to avoid. Do not let foliage be seen from outside gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Herbal medicine dates back to ancient cultures, and in fact, most medicines (like aspirin from the willow plant) have their roots in natural plants. Modern ethics dictates that most plants are harvested sustainably, to avoid harming endangered species from the wild. They also offer plant-based alternatives to popular medicines made from bees (beeswax, propolis etc) that are often found in salves and ointments. Unlike conventional medicine, herbal medicines do not have to be tested on animals by law, so offer better ethics to feeling better.
Some medical herbalists train in other avenues like aromatherapy, ayurveda, flower remedies and homeopathy, which often leads them to becoming a naturopath (like a natural doctor – in Germany, naturopaths have the same status as GPs with St John’s Wort being prescribed more than Prozac for depression). And because they are medically trained, you don’t have the risk (like walking into a health shop) of taking medicines that may not be safe (St John’s Wort has many contraindications for certain people).
If you feel that herbal medicine is worth a try for you, you can find a qualified medical herbalist at the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. This site lists fully qualified practitioners who will see you first for a consultation to discuss your symptoms and lifestyle. They will look at allergies and medical/family history, along with noting any prescription or over-the-counter medications you ar taking, and also looking at your lifestyle (food, exercise, smoking, alcohol etc). They will then take your blood pressure, listen to your lungs and look at your skin, tongue, mouth, eyes, hands and nails.
All their members hold a BSc degree (or equivalent) in Herbal Medicine, and have also trained in orthodox medicine, and are trained in the same diagnostic skills as a medical GP. They know which medicines to prescribe (or avoid) alongside conventional medication, and are able to to be referred by GPs for appointments. Members are trained for years, and also have over 500 hours of clinical experience.
Most medical herbalists will prescribe liquid tinctures in small doses, which are easily absorbed by the body. Usually you then have a few follow-up appointments and then check-ups every few months, depending on the condition being treated. Although medical herbs take longer to work, they have less side effects and can often permanently heal some ailments that orthodox medicine cannot. Conditions that benefit from medical herbalism include:
- Bone & joint health
- Heart & circulation
- Emotional health
- Fatigue issues
- Hormonal health
- Skin & hair health
- Nutrition problems
- Fertility, pregnancy & childbirth
- Digestion problems
- Allergies
- Immune problems
Zero Waste Herbal Healing Balms
The Ilex Wood (Northamptonshire) offers a nice range of vegan healing balms in zero waste metal tins. Check with your doctor before using herbal medicine if you have medical conditions or are pregnant/nursing.
- Dandelion & Rosemary (for tired muscles, hands & feet).
- Calendula (all-purpose for dry itchy skin, eczema & rashes)
- ‘Boo Boo’ Balm (made with comfrey, plantain, calendula & yarrow)
A Book to Learn More on Herbal Medicine
The Garden Apothecary unlocks the sustainable and ethical art of the apothecarist, to explore its rich folklore and history. Discover the hidden delights in your own garden and how to make edible treats, herbal cures and restorative beauty products. With photos to safely identify edible plants and tips on how to prepare and preserve your find.
See make your garden safe for pets, to know toxic plants, mulch etc to avoid. Do not let foliage be seen from outside gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
- Heal dry hands with calendula balm
- Encourage restful sleep with cherry moon (plant) milk
- Try a borage (toxic to pets) infusion for tired eyes
- Soothe itchy skin with herbal bath tea
- Bake a nettle/lemon sponge cake
- Freshen up with a rosemary mouthwash
- Enjoy a cool glass of red clover lemonade
- Get creative with vivid blue ink from cornflowers!
Author Christine Iverson discovered a love of all things hedgerow, after movign to a Sussex Download Village. This led to volunteering as an apothecary at Weald & Downland Living Museum, where she taught children about medieval and Tudor medicine. She runs regular folklore and foraging workshops and gives talks to women’s institutes and horticultural societies.
A Beginner’s Guide to Homeopathy
Arnica & Sunflower by Motley Art Design for Etsy
Homeopathy is one of the safer alternative medicines, in that it’s basically just ‘water with a memory’. Many conventional doctors do not believe in it, but some GPs practice it in addition, and the only ‘dangers’ are that you may forgo conventional medicine to use it to cure ‘incurable illnesses’ and that you may use medicines that cause animals and plants to be harmed (some involve killing bees, spiders and even use the ‘spit of a rabid dog’, so check the credentials, of any company you are buying from). Also many tablets are based on lactose (from milk) so this is a no-no for vegans and people with milk allergies.
Homeopathic remedies are more sustainable, as they use natural (mostly plant-based ingredients) that last a long time. Unfortunately, many still are sold in plastic pots, though others are sold in bottles. The main reasons why homeopathic medicines are more sustainable are that they are not tested on animals and use tiny amounts of the original plant (the rest is just water). And by treating the condition holistically, it’s likely you won’t have to continue taking the medicine forever, as with many orthodox medicines.
Homeopathy UK is England’s leading charity for this alternative medicine, which offers free and discounted treatment to people across the country. The site also lists hundreds of qualified homeopaths, members of registered bodies. As well as nationwide clinics in Liverpool, Norwich, Kent, Winchester and in Scotland, there is also an online virtual clinic run by a homeopathy and GP, who was introduced to it by her grandmother (a vet) who used belladonna to astonishing effect, after being bitten by a horsefly). There is also a special clinic in southeast England for survivors of domestic abuse (and one for asylum seekers in Wales).
Latin for ‘like with like’, the idea is that the tablets cure with like. So to cure chickenpox, you literally ingest a very weakened version of the virus. It’s similiar to a vaccine, but without the side effects or animal testing. It aims to stimulate the natural healing ability and is recognised by the World Health Organisation. The oft-quoted words that there is no scientific evidence that homeopathy works is untrue. It also does not interfere with conventional medicine (unlike herbalism) so is often a gentler and safer approach. The two organisations that have the best-qualified homeopaths who undergo exams and requirements are Society of Homeopaths & Alliance of Registered Homeopaths.
The NHS stopped funding homeopathic medicine a few years back, but some GPs still do practice it. It’s best used for long-term ailments that have not responded to conventional medicine like:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Migraine
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression
- Eczema
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Does Homeopathic Medicine Work?
Anita has a testimonial on the site, to just how effective it is. In 2020, she fell from a ladder on a concrete floor 10 feet down, and was found unconscious in a pool of blood. She could not stand up and felt sick, and was diagnosed by paramedics with a bleed on the brain, and was rushed to hospital where she spent three days undergoing brain scans. She was sick all the time with a splitting headache, then was discharged due to COVID patients taking up beds. She could not walk and was aching, and also had a broken thumb. Two days later, her daughter contacted her homeopathy who prescribed a medley of medicines, and one week later, she was out of bed and much improved. She stopped taking the medicine and relapsed, then again got better when she started taking them again. 10 weeks later, the woman was back to being a magistrate from what could have been a fatal accident. Zoe (the homeopath) has a book Homeopathic Remedies for Children.
This is similar to a story of an Irish farmer who took homeopathic remedies for his cattle who had mastitis, When they got better, he stopped the medicine thinking he had been foolish but they got sick, then got better when he gave it to them again. Today he is a fan and buys medicines from Homeopathy at Wellie Level (which supplies homeopathic medicines and courses to farmers).
The most reliable clinic trials are Randomised Controlled Trials, also known as ‘double blind trials’. There have been over 100 published in peer-reviewed journals and these have shown that the evidence is far greater than the placebo effect. Dr Peter Fisher who was director of research at Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine and was the Queen’s homeopathic physician for 17 years, has published the greatest research on the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine. He was a consultant rheumatologist King’s College Hospital and also chaired the working group at World Health Organisation on homeopathy and served on their Expert Advisory Panel.
