Fresh Perceptions

Still on the topic of the correct herb for the person, the picture here shows two such herbs. The pink one is Wood betony - great for insomnia, nervous tension and churning thoughts. In former times it was known as the Protector.
The yellow plant behind is St John's Wort - known to help depression, but actually it's also great for digestive problems and liver support. Two different plants both helping the nervous system in different ways.

Do you have trouble sleeping? You will find if you go to a herbalist, we will ask lots of questions about that - do you get to sleep? do you wake up during the night? if so at what time? is your brain continually going through lists preventing sleep?; are you tired and wired? Do you sleep soundly? Answers to these and other questions determine what herbs we might give you. For example skullcap and passionflower are great for people who are wound up, restless and thinking about all they have to do. Californian poppy or wild lettuce might be good for those who can't relax. Every formula is designed specifically for you - for what is going on in your life. The same herb doesn't work for everyone!

I saw this online and had to share 😀. As naturopaths, clients sometimes feel guilty admitting to their sweet treats - but we all need treats at some stage, especially with visitors!

Are you trying to eat healthily? This report which found 85% of apples from 13 European countries were contaminated with cocktails of pesticides is concerning. Two thirds contained at least one PFAS pesticide (64%) and a third (34%) contained neurotoxic pesticides.

The researchers didn't sample in Ireland, but there's no reason to believe we're any different, particularly as many of our apples are imported. Apples are very good for you - good for the liver and for the immune system. Best however, to try for organic if you can!

https://www.pan-europe.info/press-releases/2026/01/european-apples-contaminated-cocktails-pesticides-pfas-neurotoxins-and-other

The weather is dreadful at the moment and it's certainly difficult to be cheery! However did you know that random acts of kindness not only help with social connection, they also help with depression or anxiety?

The forecast isn’t great for the week, but perhaps if we all tried some random acts of kindness it might lift all of our moods!

Here’s the study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2022.2154695

For any practitioners out there, don't miss the ANP Conference coming up in October. The topic is "Whole body, Whole life" and covers a range of topics from nutrition to herbal medicine. Remember always if visiting a herbalist to make sure they are a Registered Herbalist - [email protected] will let you know!

I love to see snowdrops peeping out because for me they are the first sign of Spring! It seems they open and close their flowers depending on the sunshine. I did see them open a little some of the days this week 🙂! Snowdrops aren't just for Spring though - they contain a constituent called galanthamine which is used in medications to help symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. Of course now galanthamine is manufactured synthetically, but it does show how wonderful nature is.

*Study here: Babashpour-Asl et al. (2023)
Therapeutic and medicinal effects of snowdrop (Galanthus spp.) in Alzheimer's disease: A review. Journal of Education and Health Promotion 12(1):128.

As we age there is so much we can do to protect bone health. Osteoporosis is commonly regarded as a women's health issue, but one in seven men also suffer from the condition. To help with your bones consider weight bearing exercise at least four or five times a week; do strength training - yes it's not just for gym bunnies and gyms now cater for all ages. When you strengthen muscles you strengthen bones. Ensure also your diet is good with lots of green leafy vegetables for calcium and Vitamin K. Ireland being what it is, you will need to supplement during the Winter. And finally, avoid smoking, alcohol and excess caffeine. In particular avoid caffeine with meals as this may block absorption of calcium and iron.

Have you every yo yo dieted only for the weight to come back on again? As nutritionists we know of this and it has been explained by the body getting used to being cycled through a normal caloried/restricted calorie cycle. As a result during the restricted calorie phase it downregulates metabolism in order to save energy, thereby making it harder to lose weight. However, a recent study has found that fat cells have a memory and it is this which makes it hard to lose weight if you are very overweight. Eating habits and being overweight changes markers on our cells and it is these that remember our weight and bring us back to it once the diet is over. What do the authors advice? Predictably not to be overweight in the first place as fat cells do not get replaced quickly and last for 10 years. As nutritionists we would say it is important to eat healthily, eat the rainbow, exercise, reduce stress (which can also cause weight gain) and get good sleep.

The study can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08165-7