In our Winter 2020/21 issue, we spoke to Naturopath and author, John Byrne ND, BHSc, about the health-protecting potential of Live Blood Analysis. Read it below.
Naturopath
Supporting Your Teeth: What Does Your Mouth Say About Your Health?
In our Winter 2018/19 issue, Gemma Hurditch of the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) shared her tips for maintaining excellent dental health, and why this is vital for overall health and wellbeing. We are pleased to share her article in full below!
We are keen to get the healing community nice and connected, hence this post, so here’s an announcement for a lovely space in fitzwilliam sq for one of you out there:
Therapist required to share a beautiful treatment room 2 days per week in the heart of Fitzwilliam Square. Recently refurbished to high spec and great location, close to many businesses and has on-street parking. The building has a manned reception Mon-Fri 9-5pm and Wifi. Ideally suited to existing/established self-employed Naturopath, Kinesiologist, Nutritionist, Talking therapies or similar We have strong ethos in existing practice: Organic products, fair trade, and therapies of holistic nature. The person must have good work ethic and holistic background to complement existing established business already in place. We will actively promote both practices on social media, press and surrounding local business.
For further information, please contact Tara at 087 4140718.
Take a Positive Approach to Health
– Holistic Health inspired by Nature
We live in a culture where there is “a pill for every ill”. It is time we looked at a different approach to wellness and health, an approach that encourages lifestyle and nutritional change, encourages exercise and the management of stress and work/life balance, positive thinking and the use of herbs as medicine alongside our existing biomedical model.
Three well-known Dublin Naturopaths tell us why the Naturopathic model plays an important role in an Integrative Healthcare approach.
Naturopathy is a system of medicine based on some very specific tenets. Vis MediacatrixNaturae (There is a healing power in nature), prevention is preferable to cure. The root cause of dysfunction is identified and treated, not the branches (symptoms). The whole person is treated, not the disease. Health is abundantvitality; it is not just the absence of disease. All disease starts with a disruption to the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, and health is a return to balance of these mechanisms. If a person is deficient, treatment is used to build them up, and if they are in excess (toxicity), they are detoxified.
John Doran (M.P.S.I. Dip Herb. ND)
For many years,Naturopaths have been looking at the individual’s constitution, looking at factors such as the 8 principles, heat/cold, yin/yang, excess/deficiency, as well as differential diagnosis. We use many different tools and treatment modalities depending on the person’s individual constitution.
Pharmaceutical companies are now acknowledging that drugs work only in about 25% of the people who take them. They now see the way forward as genetic testing to identify if the person is suitable for that particular medicine. This is a positive acknowledgement of each individual’s uniqueness and one that Naturopaths absolutely concur with.
I worked as a pharmacist for many years. In 1992, I computerised the records of my pharmacy. For the first time, I could see a person’s entire drug history going back years. I could see definite patterns such as if a child had one antibiotic, it was almost inevitably followed by a second or third. I realised that the system was not getting to the root of their problems.
I became fascinated with Naturopathy because it really looks to treat the underlying problems, issues such as gut permeability, adrenal stress, nutrient absorption, liver health, and blood sugars, etc. are all looked at and addressed to start a healing process. I have seen fantastic results with this approach. Every day in my practice, I witness people becoming empowered to safely transform their health, with most able to reduce or completely stop their prescription medicines. I now look forward to my work every day.
Rebecca Redmond (B.A. Dip.Herb.ND)
Naturopathy is an umbrella term that describes the blending of modern scientific knowledge with various traditional and natural forms of medicine, including Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Iridology, Flower essences, Tissue salts, lifestyle recommendations, and often bodywork such as Massage, Acupuncture and Reflexology.
As a multifaceted form of health care, Naturopathy includes the holistic philosophy of viewing a person as a whole, stimulation of the body’s innate healing power, treatment of underlying causes of disease, prevention of disease states and the promotion of balance.
Patient education, empowerment and motivation are key goals of Naturopathy; the aim is to promote personal responsibility for health. Symptoms of disease (acute and chronic) are seen as warning signals of physiological, emotional, environmental, spiritual and lifestyle imbalances. Treatment is chosen to kick start the person’s own innate healing ability to overcome illness that has been triggered.
It is incredibly rewarding to witness clients responding to treatment and making changes in how they are living in order to feel well again.
Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2,400 years ago, first formulated the concept of “the healing power of nature”. As a Naturopath, I enjoy introducing people to the power of nature, so they too can be in awe.
Rita-Anne Keyes (Dip. Herb.ND.M.INA.M.IRH)
I worked for many years in the financial services sector. I experienced high stress levels first hand. When I trained with CNM to work as a Naturopath, I used what I learnt personally and then applied it professionally in practice. There was a huge positive transformation both physically and mentally. I am now a mother of two and really enjoy running a private practice and helping others achieve wellness, while raising my young family. To all those people who have high levels of stress in their lives, there is help out there.
Naturopathy gave me the tools and insight to take charge of my own health. Typically, a consultation includes a review of the various systems of the body, medical history, and a lifestyle review, including exercise, sleeping habits, diet and levels of stress. This process alone usually raises the patient’s awareness of what aspects of their life are not working optimally. People often know themselves what they need to change – but may not take the time to recognise it, or may need guidance on how to make the necessary changes.
I design individually tailored plans for each client. This usually includes short-term elements (to address immediate issues) plus long-term elements, to suit the person’s constitution and to manage more chronic health problems. Treatment may include herbs, nutritional change, tissue salts, Bach flower remedies, stress management and work/life balance. It is the long-term elements and constitutional analysis which can empower people to take ownership of their health long-term.
All graduates were trained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in Dublin. To enquire about training and see the next Open Evening dates, see www.naturopathy.ie
If you are looking for a Naturopath in your area, see www.naturopaths.ie
Fit for Winter: A Naturopathic Guide to Staying Well
By Áine Fanning, Naturopath & Herbalist
Winter is upon us again and it can mean different things to many people. To some it symbolises Christmas, family occasions and memories, to others it brings the images of snow and ice, and to many it means the usual winter coughs, colds and generally feeling more tired.
Embracing winter as part of the natural rhythm of our lives gives us an opportunity to change our habits a little, to become in tune with our bodies, and to support our immune system.
Feed your immune system
· Increase warming soups and stews. These are a great way to get lots of nutrients into our diet, boosting your body’s immunity and warming you from the inside.
· Be sure to include lots of sweet potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables in your diet. They are full of antioxidants and contain carotenoids that have immune-boosting effects. They also often contain polysaccharides that have an immune-stimulating effect on the gut.
· Eat your greens! Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage are high in vitamin C and other nutrients that boost your immunity. They also contain cancer-preventing isothiocyanates.
· Mushrooms such as shitake and reishi have many immune-boosting properties. They are a great addition to stir-fries and curries and also make a great immune-boosting broth.
· Eat good quality wholegrain carbohydrates to give you energy throughout the day so your body doesn’t have to run on empty and get run down.
· Avoid junk food and lots of processed sugars that do little for your nutrition levels and can also put pressure on your immune system.
· Don’t mind the smelly breath, garlic is too tasty and too good for you to avoid. Garlic is a decongestant and contains allicin – a compound proven to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
· Make sure you get lots of immune-boosting vitamin C that is found in citrus fruits, berries, red peppers and leafy green vegetables. Don’t forget zinc also, which is found in nuts, seeds, seaweeds, wheatgerm and seafood.
Boost your immune system with Herbs
· Echinacea (Echinacea spp.): Echinacea has received lots of press over the last few years and rightly so. It is effective against bacteria and viruses. It is considered to be immunostimulating; stimulating the body’s infection-fighting immune cells and increasing the production of other immune-fighting compounds such as interferon. Its action is at its highest during the first two hours after taking it. So it is best used at low doses in two-hour intervals at the first sign of infection and throughout an infection.
· Elderberry (Sambucus nigra): The beautiful native Irish elder tree is a medicine chest in itself. In herbal medicine, the leaves, berries and flowers are used for many conditions. The berries and flowers have traditionally been used to treat the common cold. They help decongest, aid in reducing a fever and have an antimicrobial action. Recent studies have also shown elderberries to have an inhibiting effect on the swine flu.
· Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): With such a lovely flavour, thyme is great in roasts, soups and stews, and it also has many amazing medicinal qualities. Thyme is high in antioxidants and has expectorant, antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial actions. Use it regularly in your cooking and it can be taken as a tea for an acute infection.
· Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus): Used for more than 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine to increase vitality and resistance to disease, recent studies have shown that astragalus helps strengthen the immune system in many ways. It has also shown activity as an adaptogen; helping to increase resistance to stress, trauma and fatigue.
· If you do get a cold, have a relaxing bath and add a couple of drops of thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oils to help decongest, bring down your temperature and ease body aches and pains.
Don’t forget your Mind & Body
Exercise regularly. Science has proven that regular exercise – at least 30 minutes most days of the week – increases immune function. It also helps release stress.
If you do start to feel unwell, listen to your body and give it some essential immune-enhancing rest. Get an early night or relax and finish that book that you have been trying to read for ages.
The mind plays a powerful part in our health. Stress and anxiety have many effects on our bodies including our hormones and immunity. Finding ways to help deal with your stress and anxiety such as stress release and relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, conscious breathing or talking to someone, play a vital part in staying well. Studies have also shown that happiness, laughter, and optimism are qualities that people who live longer, healthier lives tend to have.
Áine works for the College of Naturopathic Medicine and also has private practices in Dublin 2 and Dublin 14. Contact her for a consultation on 086 378 8857 or aine.fanning@yahoo.com