Coughs and Colds

Do you believe that antibiotics can help coughs and colds?

A quarter of people wrongly believe that antibiotics work on most coughs and colds, the Health Protection Agency published last month. Antibiotics do not have an effect on viruses which are principally the cause of most respiratory tract infections. Are there alternatives and if so what?

I would use the medicinal herb Pelargonium for someone who has respiratory disorders, chronic or acute in my clinic. Herbs have both antibiotic and antiviral properties and there are some that work very effectively in clearing infections. The research on Pelargonium sidoides has shown that it can help in bronchitis coughs and common colds. A plant native to South Africa, it is significantly effective with its properties against Staphylococcus aureus. You may have heard this bacterium in the condition sometime referred to as "strep throat", that horrible, sore throat that seems to stay around for ages.

With the change of herbal regulations you may get Pelargonium sidoides over the counter, (most herbs in the UK now need to be licensed) otherwise contact your local herbalist. You can check various registers such as the Association of Master Herbalists or the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Complexity of Health

Listening to Peter Conway at the herbal conference I recently attended was really inspiring. A fellow herbalist who writes and speaks on the subject and has been a part of the Department of Health Steering Group in the regulation of herbal medicine. His interest in chronic and complex conditions highlights my own work in this area which has been increasing over the years as people look for multi-dimensional treatments.

Dealing with modern day complex health conditions requires a broader approach and many individuals are choosing to undertake a naturopathic or herbal programme, often alongside western conventional treatments. Peter's talk addressed cancer in particular from the perspective of treating the whole body - do we treat the cell or the environment in which the cell grows? An important question which many scientists and thinkers have posed throughout centuries. Whilst modern day cancer treatments focus on the cell, a naturopath / herbalist aims to focus on helping to enhance the extra cellular matrix in which cells need to grow. Being a microbiologist in my early years I know from experience that these conditions have to be very particular indeed for any cell to grow, be it human, plant, bacteria or virus.

Although our bodies maintain and regulate our internal environment, the way we go about our lives plays a big influence too e.g. how we handle stress, our posture, tension in our muscles, how we deal with our emotions and of course what we eat can all contribute to creating a healthy or unhealthy environment. These factors may seem trivial to some but just think for a moment, take one habit you do daily, multiply it by 365 days of the year, then another 10, 20, 30, 50 or so years of your life. How do you think that one single habit will have an affect on your health long term? 

Reversing chronic conditions may therefore require one to look at their life in totality; perhaps looking for clues, getting insights, asking questions, removing blocks or opening up to other possibilities where there seem to be none. And a way to do that is to begin the journey by keeping an open mind, being a philosopher by asking the questions, being a scientist by experimenting - rejecting what doesn't work and acknowledging what does. For me having seen the way plant and food medicine can help is an option definitely worth exploring.

The Power of Plants

I've just been to accredit a herbal degree course at one of the universities down in the South of England. It's good to see one of the few thriving courses in Herbal Medicine running well.

It was interesting to chat about how the way plants grown are affected hugely by the environment and pesticide sprays used on them. With plants (and food) being protected with sprays they don't produce as many of the 'fighting' chemicals needed and therefore have a lot less of the beneficial compounds which are so valuable to us. This was confirmed by the research conducted on Salvesterols by Prof Gerry Potter and his team at University of Leicester. Salvesterols are vital  to our health as they have anti-cancer properties. Our foods just don't have enough in them. Its one of the reasons why I especially recommend using organic and wild crafted herbs, particularly if using herbs for treatment.

The cumulative effect of years of eating poor diets and low nutrient foods can bring out conditions in our bodies. We then end up having to spend time correcting and reversing conditions as I have seen time and time again in my practice. As a naturopath and herbalist I advocate doing whatever you can now, don't leave it until you get a wake up call. I admire stories like Michael Gearin-Tosh an Oxford University director with bone cancer who went down the route of natural medicine and extended his life by years over his prognosis, and the many stories within my own clinic. 

When faced with a condition there are many routes to choose, make sure you know and understand about all your options before embarking on any treatment.

Previous article on Cancer and Salvesterols

Herbal Medicine Gets Regulated

A lot has been going on in the field of herbal medicine. By April 2012 we will be statutory regulated which means that there will be set standards in the industry and guidelines for product production.  It has taken over 10 years of persistent hard work to get to this stage. It certainly is a history in the making moment. The industry as a whole will have its own standing (in the uk anyway).


As with all these things there are the good and not so good things as a result. Firstly an immediate necessary will be practitioners will be fully accredited to set levels and regulated under the Health Professionals Council. Secondly the production of herbal formulae will be profoundly affected. The biggest difficulty for many suppliers is going to be getting their herbal products licensed. For single formula's it is straighforward although a costly process. But the big question mark is on whether you are going to be able to purchase mixed formulae, products containing more than one herb. It looks seemingly unlikely and therefore it means hundreds of products will be wiped off the shelves, unless there have been trials conducted on them, which of course is an extremely expensive undertaking which few companies will be able to afford. Individual herbalist practitioners will be able to supply you with mixtures through one to one consultations but you may not get them over the counter. 


Thirdly the knowledge base is going to be affected. We cannot claim herbs can do anything without evidence based research regardless of the thousand of years traditional records we may already have. Although there is plenty of research on herbs already, it is the principle that the remedy has not gone under specific trials that becomes the issue. Drug companies may have the money to spend and charge exorbitant fees in return but herbal suppliers are not able to do so.


Much more change and debates to come, but for starters herbalist will be able to lead the industry rather than those with power and little knowledge of herbs trying to tell us herbalist what's best.

So watch this space for more as the industry changes.

Which water is best to drink?

This is probably one of the most common questions I am asked and realise how confusing it has become to actually know which water is the best one to drink. There is no straight forward answer to this as there are so many different types and all of them provide some benefits and some not so good benefits.
We are made up of nearly 80% water so the quality (and quantity) of what you drink matters. There is something wonderful about quenching your thirst on a hot day with a fresh cold glass of water. Because we can’t see what’s in it, we imagine it’s going to be good quality and don’t consider in fact it’s not as pure as it could be.

We know that water can help us concentrate, keep headaches at bay, help the skin, aid digestion and even reduce the risk of some cancers. When we don’t get enough our body will really show it and sometimes we mis-read the symptoms for other conditions. Dr Patanjali wrote extensively about dehydration causing all sorts of symptoms in his book, The Body’s Many Cries for Water.

What’s in the water?

All sorts of things! Just imagine human wastes, oil, grease, fats, food wastes, poisons such as pesticides, synthetic chemicals, drug residues, hormones, bacteria, viruses, parasites and heavy metals all get into our water. This waste can come from any number of sources – households, shops, offices, farms, factories, vehicle maintenance companies, run-off water from roads and drains.

Of course water companies are there to ‘clean’ up our water and they will do so meeting limits set by the European Water Directive mainly derived from recommendations made by the World Health Organisation (WHO). These limits are set according to what may constitute “health risk” to the public drinking water. These are broad brush limits and do not take into consideration types of individuals who may be affected by different concentrations of chemicals such as children, weak or frail individuals or those who may have chemical sensitivities. I often wonder about the detrimental effect of these low concentrations on our health over our lifetime.

If we are looking to drink water for health then we need to ensure that we get the best quality of water with the minimum amount of these chemicals in it.

Substances in water that are a harmful to human health include:

Chlorine (and its by-products)
Fluoride
Pesticides
Fertilizers (nitrates)
Heavy metals
Petrochemicals
Drug residues
Dioxins
Radio-active materials
Micro-organisms (bacteria, virases, parasites, fungi)

So which water contains most of these and which water the least?
Read more »

De-Cluttering the Mind

It’s funny but when I need a break I really know it. I don’t want to see, talk or visit anyone. I need to completely switch off and that’s it. A friend suggested a ten day silent retreat; it was appealing as I’ve done plenty of meditation before and know the benefits but the thought of sitting in meditation for around 10 hours a day, for 10 days, not speaking to anyone, seemed like hard-core practice. So I decided on a 5-day retreat; but not silent and being pretty good at self-discipline, I planned my own routine. It went something like this –

8am Yoga
10am Breakfast
11am Some chores
1pm Lunch
2pm Meditation at the Buddhist Monastery
6pm Break
7pm Meditation with the Monks
10pm Bed

Yes, I was meditating 4 to 6 hours a day. I needed to switch my mind off from the external world and also my internal world, the latter taking a lot more effort, even now after years of practice.

I’m lucky that I live only 20 minutes away from one of the most beautiful meditation halls in the country - Harnham Buddhist Monastery. In the heart of the Northumberland countryside it provided me with precisely the stillness and peace I was looking for. All my senses could breathe again - taking in the quiet, light, air after coming from the congested depths of the City. The environment makes a big difference, I read in The Art of Meditation that going on a meditation retreat is like going for brain surgery; you wouldn’t want surgery in a backstreet shed – get the right tools and place around you. I liked that.

A Tidal Wave of Thoughts
I really wanted to deal with some recent anxieties in my life - I have them too, it’s the way our minds work; a busy place for most of us. Initially you feel like the tidal wave of thoughts just won’t stop, you even go into various conversations in your head about this and that but you always come back to the focus which is your breath. I liked that too. It’s just so simple.

In fact what it comes down to is consistent practice. As in my yoga practice I notice at the beginning some muscles are too tight or some postures are just down right impossible, this is the same for the mind – it just won’t get peaceful. Then a little encouragement, softness and ah being, suddenly there’s space, a space filled with no thoughts just awareness, at that moment when you think you have it you then find yourself wondering what’s for dinner.

Reducing Stress
This is kind of how it goes until you have more space than thoughts. The whole body becomes quieter and you notice you’ve reduced a huge amount of stress. Your nervous system relaxes, heart rate eases, emotions calm and you feel that sense of being able to deal with life again and nothing bothers you.

In the process I got lots of inspiration too which was great. My creativity came through boundlessly, it’s like getting several "aha" moments all in one go.

Back in the midst of my work now it feels like I’ve never been anywhere yet something is different, a shift has happened, a reboot. Everything is still the same but I’m functioning more efficiently. Maybe deep maintenance work has taken place during my mediation; not something we give time to in our busy daily life.