News Archive

Detoxing with Herbs

Spring is a traditional time to cleanse the body after the winter, with tonic wines, blood purifying treatments and liver cleansers being used since (at least) medieval times. With winter finally over, now is a great time to ‘spring clean’ your body!

Do you need to detox?
With today’s lifestyles and diets, detoxing can be helpful to stimulate and cleanse the body. If you have skin problems (eczema, psoriasis, acne etc.) that won’t go away – detoxing can help as part of a program of healing. If you feel tired and lethargic with no energy, then detoxing may be appropriate, again as part of a health program. (In such cases, it is important to exclude causes such as depression, thyroid disease, anaemia etc before starting any detox programme)

When should you detox?
Although Spring is an ideal time to detox, it can be done at any time. An autumn detox can prepare you for the winter months.

When should you NOT detox?
If you are recovering from illness, or surgery, if you are anaemic, if you have liver or gallbladder problems, if you are pregnant or are taking any medication from your doctor – then detoxing may not be a good idea. In any of these circumstances, you should always seek professional advice from a qualified herbalist before starting a programme of detoxing.

Types of Detox: The main types of detox involve the lymphatic system, the liver, the digestive system and the blood.

Herbs for Detoxing: The most commonly used herbs include

• Dandelion root and leaf. The root helps cleanse the liver whilst the leaf helps remove toxins through the urine.
• Nettle leaf. An excellent blood tonic with many essential minerals.
• Cleavers helps stimulate and cleanse the lymphatic system
• Burdock is a powerful tissue cleanser
• Yellow Dock works well with Burdock to clean the bowels
• Milk Thistle helps stimulate and strengthen the liver.
  

What else can you do to Detox?

• Drink plenty of water. Aim for at least one and a half litres a day.
• Go for an aromatherapy massage. It not only helps to stimulate the circulation (and so help remove toxins), but helps reduce stress and tension.
• Cut out or at least reduce tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco.
• Cleanse your skin: facial steaming gives your face a healthy glow; daily skin brushing will help lymphatic flow and can even help reduce cellulite; an Epsom salt bath helps draw out toxins through the skin*

*Use a good handful of Epsom salts in a hot bath at bedtime. Then wrap yourself in a warm towel and hop into a warm bed. It is important to stay warm after your bath. You may sweat during the night – this is quite normal. In the morning have a shower to wash away any toxins drawn out through the skin, and then moisturise. Do not use Epsom salts if you have high blood pressure or sensitive skin.

After your Detox: For most benefit from your detox., review your lifestyle – do you need more fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet, do you need more regular exercise, do you need to tackle the stresses and strains in your life? - Then now is a good time to start!

Herbs and Hayfever

Hay fever brings misery to many during the summer months and turns what should be a beautiful time of year to one which leaves sufferers dreading the pollen season. It can be particularly difficult for those studying for and sitting exams, as hay fever usually reaches its peak in May, June and July.

Hay fever is a reaction by the immune system to a perceived threat (an allergen). The allergic reaction is the body’s way of fighting this treat. So… the sneezing, itching, runny nose, watery eyes, inflammation causing a blocked nose and chest wheezing are all defence mechanisms of the body! At its worst, it can also cause diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

The immune system is very complex, with many elements which are interdependent. In the case of allergic reactions, such as hay fever, the main element of the immune system involved is an immunoglobulin called IgE. (There are several different immunoglobulins produced by the immune system and another one, IgG, is also involved in cases of food allergies and intolerances). If the body has been primed (sensitised) to react to an allergen, and this is detected by cells, say, in the nose, the immune system goes into attack mode. IgE is produced by white blood cells and this causes:

• Histamine is released from cells where the allergen is detected. This could be the nose, throat, lungs, eyes/tear ducts. Histamine is responsible for the itching, inflammation, and increased catarrh found in hay fever.
• Histamine and IgE stimulates other inflammatory cells
• Increased ‘stickiness’ of the blood

The number of people suffering from hay fever has been increasing, especially over the last 20 years and now up to 20% of the population in UK experiences symptoms of hay fever.

The usual advice to avoid the allergen is exceptionally difficult (if not impossible) with hay fever, but there are some steps you can take to help reduce the severity:

• Keep the windows closed in the morning and evening when pollen concentrations are usually at their worst.
• Wear sunglasses when going outside – it reduces the amount of pollen getting into your eyes.
• Dry your bedding and clothes indoors to prevent pollen attaching to them and causing problems when you come into contact with them later.
• Increase your intake of Vitamin C as it is a natural anti histamine.
• Reduce your sodium intake as this increases histamine production
• Reduce caffeine and alcohol as these can make symptoms worse.

Herbs to help with Hay fever
There are lots of herbs that can provide relief from these symptoms and it is best to prepare for the hay fever season up to 3 months in advance:

• Chamomile, taken every day as a tea, can help to reduce allergic reactions. It also makes a very soothing eye wash for inflamed and sore eyes.
• Elderflowers can also be used in the same way as Chamomile to reduce allergic responses. It also helps reduce catarrh production.
• Nettle leaf is a natural anti histamine, and can reduce sensitivity to pollens.
• If your eyes are streaming and itching, then Eyebright will help to dry up your eyes and also reduce a runny nose.
• Plantain helps to tone the mucous membranes in the nasal passages, which can be very important if you suffer from a blocked or stuffy nose.
• Thyme is a great herb to reduce catarrh in the nose and throat, or gargle with Sage tea if the throat is tickly.
• Garlic helps to boost the immune system and this can be helpful if taken 1 to 2 months before the hay fever season and during it too.

If these self help remedies don’t solve your hay fever problem – see a qualified herbalist. They will be able to prepare a mix of herbs that are most suited to your own needs and they have access to other, more potent herbs.

Hayfever is also called allergic rhinitis. If the symptoms persist all year, instead of at specific times, then it is called perennial allergic rhinitis. So, if you suffer constantly from blocked or runny nose, or always have wheezing and/or a cough then it may be due to an allergy which is causing these symptoms. If this is the case, then it may be possible to identify the cause of the allergy and to take steps to avoid it. A qualified herbalist will be able to discuss this further.