Herbal Medicine
I’ve often heard it said that while orthodox medicines essentially suppress the symptoms that come with illness and disease, naturally-oriented therapies are generally inclined to address their underlying cause. One branch of medicine in which these differing approaches seem aptly demonstrated is dermatology. Dermatologists have a vast array of medicaments in their armouries, most of […]
Healthy Eating
Budgeting has never been in my nature, so it’s no wonder I was unable to subsist on a measly student grant while at medical school. However, my parents made sure I never went hungry, and occasional sessions behind the bar brought in enough extra cash to keep me in booze and cigarettes. I do recall, […]
Exercise and Activity
The last couple of decades have seen doctors place increasing emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of the thinning bone disease known as osteoporosis. Public awareness of this condition is so great, it seems that practically every middle-aged or elderly female patient I see in practice asks me about it, whatever their primary complaint. One […]
Healthy Eating
It won’t come as to much of a surprise that not all doctors share my enthusiasm for natural medicine. One common criticism other conventionally-trained medics have of complementary therapy is that it is unscientific and unproven. Personally, I would caution doctors against camping out on this particular high ground. The fact is, many medical practices […]
Healthy Eating
Many natural health practitioners recognise the concept of body toxicity; a build-up of potentially poisonous substances in the system that may spawn problems such as fatigue, headache, spots and bad breath. The dietary excesses common over Christmas and New Year tend to be particularly toxin-inducing, and many see this time as a good opportunity to […]
Healthy Eating
When I was a small boy, I had some pretty antisocial habits. One of these was to engage in wee-up-the-wall competitions with my mates. A recent discussion over the dinner table reveals that this practice was commonplace amongst little lads of my generation. Alas, though, it appears that now we have grown up, peeing games […]
Healthy Eating
Many of us will hope that our advancing years enrich our lives with the wealth of experience and perhaps degree of wisdom they bring. However, this romantic notion of ageing is somewhat tempered by a somewhat bleaker side; that of increased susceptibility to all manner of undesirable conditions and a greater chance of us shuffling […]
Herbal Medicine
The distinct downturn in the temperature that comes at this time of year inevitably signals an upsurge in the numbers of individuals going down with a cold. On any given day, nigh on a million people in the UK will be blighted by the common cold, and each of us can expect to endure some […]
Herbal Medicine
My first flirtation with natural medicine came just a few short weeks before my final medical examinations. Not the most diligent student during my time at college, I was doing some serious burning the midnight oil in an attempt to fill the gaping lacunae in my knowledge. Energy reserves were running low and my 10-mug-a-day […]
Brain and Behaviour
Not many of us will relish the contracted days and long nights the winter months bring. However, for sufferers of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the darkened skies that accompany this time of year can often be viewed with particular dread. SAD, a depressive condition triggered by low levels of sunlight, is thought to affect more […]