Gentle Medicine Brighton

10/03/2026

March Newsletter 🌿 The Wonders of Dandelion -

Hi there, Happy Spring!  They say the English love to talk about the weather but it just has to be said how wonderful it has been recently with the sun coming out a little bit and spring finally springing after that unbelievably wet and miserable January and February! Whoo hoo! There are so many wo...

27/01/2026

This is some of my beautiful wild foraged and dried Turkey tail mushroom or Trametes versicolor; a type of medicinal mushroom or bracket fungus found on dead wood in many woods here in the UK. It is commonly used for it's immunity-supporting effects and valued for medicinal compounds such as beta-glucans. It has become quite a popular over-the-counter supplement in recent years.

However, it has recently got into some controversy because it has been banned by the Food Standards Agency for sale in over-the-counter products. Why that has happened relates to it's lack of historical track record here in the UK as a food supplement. It is explained in more detail by .reality in their recent article.

Hopefully,this will not be permanent, but is a measure to allow for further research to be done.

However, you'll be pleased to know that as a Medical Herbalist, I can still legally prescribe Turkey tail preparations to my patients, following a consultation. And is something I will keep doing.

There are different laws governing the prescription of Herbal medicines by a qualified practitioner than the laws governing OTC food supplements. 

I have been making various medicinal mushroom tinctures for years, (which need to be made differently than normal plant tinctures I should add). I attended an in-depth 1-year training in the use of medicinal mushrooms and using techniques learnt there, I make my own Turkey tail tincture and will continue to do so.

And there's nothing to stop you going out and foraging your own Turkey tail mushrooms and using it if you so choose.

However, Turkey Tail does require a very specific processing method to make it bio-available and effectively medicinal. So if you're interested in making your own tinctures, I'd recommend trying to attend a medicinal mushrooms course before attempting to make your own medicine with it, so that you process it correctly. If it not processed correctly it won't have any medicinal value and will be pretty useless.

❗️Foraging Safety Note - Please if you decide to go foraging for medicinal mushrooms make sure you are 100% sure of your identification as there are a number of look-alikes of Turkey Tail.

15/01/2026

January Newsletter 🔥 Anti-inflammatory Spiced Fudge recipe -

Hi there, Happy New Year! I hope you are surviving January and finding some peace after the busyness of the festive season. I’m back at The Hummingbird Clinic in Brighton offering consultations as well as preparing for the upcoming season of wild medicine walks in the spring. As ever, I'm also ...

07/01/2026

Warm new years wishes to one and all 🪾🔥🧡
I hope you are all staying cosy and well in this deep midwinter season and finding a bit of rest after the busy festive season

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As the natural world around us becomes cold, inward and slow at this time of year, so, I believe, should we. Diets and new exercise regimes are more appropriate in spring-time rather than in the depths of winter when energy is lower.

I understand the collective urge to try and feel a bit more vital after the excessive eating and drinking of the festive season, but there are gentler ways to achieve this including healthy wholesome food, good sleep and gentle exercize like walking or yoga, rather than pushing and stressing our bodies with over exercise and starvation. We need to conserve our energy and take in adequate calories to keep warm in the colder months.

I love eating lots of warming soups and stews at this time of year with plenty of pulses, veggies snd warming herbs and spices like garlic, ginger, cinnamon, Rosemary and Thyme. These herbs are all also circulation-boosting, anti-microbial and immune-boosting so can help keep colds and flu at bay.

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I wanted to also share my current offerings for 2026:

💚1-1 holistic herbal medicine appointments and tailor-made herbal prescriptions and treatment plans both in person and online for a wide-range of health challenges including hormonal issues, sleep and nervous system challenges. Skin issues, immunity and respiratory system support and much more.

Book a free discovery call to have a chat about whether I may be able to help.

💚High quality Handmade and wild crafted herbal products including my popular
Fire Cider, Winter Tonic, Sleepify and more.

💚A series of Seasonal Wild Medicine Walks and medicine-making workshops starting in April. Learn about the wonderful native wild medicine-chest that grows all around us and have a fun day out in nature

For more info go to my website at www.gentle-medicine.co.uk

Stay warm and I hope to see you at some point in 2026 xx

19/11/2025

🪾🍁the importance of daylight exposure in winter 🍁🪾A great bit of self-care we can do in winter is to make sure we spend enough time outdoors every day in what little daylight there is at this time of year as this could help to keep our mood buoyant and our sleep patterns nice and regular. 

For those of us who work from home, this is even more important, as it's easy to not go out at all at this time of year when it's cold and gets dark so early. 

When we expose our eyes to daylight, especially in the morning, it triggers certain parts of our brain and boosts our serotonin levels and along with it our mood and energy. It also helps us sleep better at night by telling our brain to produce more natural melatonin in the evening; the sleepy hormone. If you have a green space near to you to get out into at this time of year that's a great option as you get all the other health benefits that brings, but if not, just being out under the sky and in daylight is really beneficial, even for just 20 minutes a day.

If you can get out into a green space then you'll get the added 'eco-therapy' that this brings, including a lowering of stress and blood pressure, a lift in mood and an increase in immune cells, all which has been scientifically proven to happen when we spend at least 20-minutes in a natural outdoor space.

I’m trying to get out for a daily morning walk at the moment, both because I love seeing the colours of the trees at this time of year, and I'm lucky enough to live near to some green space and trees. I know a morning walk, with the combination of gentle exercise and daylight exposure will help keep my mood and energy up over the darker winter months, as well as help keep me calm and grounded over the coming craziness of the festive season!

If you are someone who struggles with their mood in winter then herbal medicine treatment might also help support you. Feel free to get in touch or book a free 'discovery call' via the links in my bio.
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13/11/2025

2026 Dates are out for Foraging Walks and Wild Herbal Remedy Workshops! 🌱🌳✨️

Gift vouchers are also now available. Give the gift of Nature-connection and Herbal wisdom this festive season. ⚘️🌼🪾

On my Walks and Workshops you will learn about the amazing wild medicine chest which grows all around us and how to harvest and use these plants of power for health and wellbeing during the different seasons.

I will share my many years of experience as a practicing herbalist and the myriad ways we can harness the medicine of our local wild plants. You will be amazed at how so many plants we call 'weeds' have been used for centuries for medicine and also have fascinating stories and folklore associated with them..

🗓 Workshop Dates for 2026:

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19th April SPRING AWAKENING Wild Medicine Foraging Walk 2pm-4pm
Hollingdean, Brighton
£23+bf

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10th May BELTANE MAGIC Wild Medicine Walk + make a herbal remedy 2pm-4.30pm Bevendean, Brighton
£32+bf

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5th July MIDSUMMER MEDICINE Wild Medicine Foraging Walk 2pm-4pm Stanmer Park, Brighton
£23+bf

 
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23rd August MELLOW FRUITFULLNESS Wild Medicine Walk + make a herbal remedy 2pm-4.30pm Bevendean, Brighton
£32+bf

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18th October FIERY WINTER MEDICINE  Fire Cider-making workshop 11am-1pm at the 19a Gallery, Brighton
£32+bf

DM me if you'd like to order a Gift Voucher or reserve a place on a workshop or walk. 

You can also Contact me via email on jessiebrightonherbalist@gmail.com

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06/11/2025

Read my November newsletter here with a warming Fire Cider remedy Recipe included

30/10/2025

Your Herbal Winter defence, in a Bottle 🍒🫐🍒🫒

The nip in the air is a reminder that it’s time to fortify our immune-systems. Winter Tonic is my favourite blend of herbal allies to support you through the colder months. Each bottle contains:

🍇 Elderberry: The queen of winter remedies! Elderberry is renowned for its immune-modulating properties. It’s rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, working to support your body’s natural defence systems. Think of it as your first line of support.

🌿 Echinacea: The great immune activator. This beautiful herb doesn’t so much fight for you as it rallys your own troops. It helps to stimulate the immune response, encouraging your body’s own immune system to do what it does best.  

🔥 Ginger: The warming circulatory. Ginger brings the fire, helping to stimulate circulation and disperse that warmth to your extremities. It’s also a classic for soothing the digestive system and easing any tension – a great multi-tasker for when you’re feeling under the weather. 

🌹 Rosehip: The nurturing nourisher!  Rosehip contains high levels of Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, which are crucial for overall immune health and tissue repair. 

This tonic is crafted for both prevention and active support. Take it daily to build resilience, or more frequently at the first sign of illness

✨ Link in my bio to shop online, or send me a DM!

28/10/2025

I'm running this session next week with the Lenka, a movement goddess (yoga and pilates) on movement and herbs for menopause next Thursday November 6th at . Go to the studio website for tickets https://studiothree19.com/

15/09/2025

Let's talk menopause at Meno-Cafe on 25th September.

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Connect with others and learn some useful self-care tips for supporting yourself holistically through the menopausal transition at this informal talk, tea and chat session at the cosy .fiveways

🫖 Thursday 25th September 5.30pm-7pm.

🌱 Tickets only £5+bf

As a qualified Medical Herbalist I have supported many people during their menopausal transitions using herbs, nutrition and lifestyle support and I want to share some of my insights and top tips with you all. 

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This is a supportive space to also chat and share our experiences if we wish to, and feel a sense of community around this time of physical, mental and emotional change in our lives.

Whether you are peri-or post-menopausal, on HRT or not, going through a natural or surgically-induced menopause, or simply curious, you are very welcome.

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I will give a short talk about different aspects of how we can support ourselves holistically, and then there will be time for questions and then time to chat over a cup of tea.

🦋 PLEASE NOTE I am not qualified to give advice on HRT.

Tea will be available for donations

Book your ticket via the links in my profile


Please share with anyone you feel might benefit from this.

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12/09/2025

Take a deeper delve into the plant medicines and energies of Autumn at another Wild Herbalism immersive nature-based herbal workshop with myself and my wonderful co-host Amy Cox



October 26th
0930-1330

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Whilst sitting around a cosy bonfire under the trees in this peaceful and wild setting, learn to make the amazing potent herbal immune tonic Fire Cider Vinegar which combines a range of powerful antimicrobial and circulation-boosting herbs and spices including ginger, chilli, horseradish, garlic and more, great for keeping colds and flu at bay in the colder months.

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Learn about the wild plants that are in season at this time of year and try some other fun seasonal nature-connection activities to drop into the natural environment and celebrate this time of year.

🫖 Try some wild foraged teas with plants you have picked (or dug up) yourself.

If you’ve been on some of my previous Wild Medicine walks or remedy-making workshops and would like to go a bit deeper into native herbal plant knowledge and you love being outside (whatever the weather) this might just be for you.

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Tickets are £55+bf

There are a small amount of concessionary tickets available and there may be discounts for local residents of Bevendean too....DM to find out more.

Hot drinks and snacks provided

💚Tickets can be found via my profile links💚

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04/09/2025

September Herbal Greetings🍒🍁Hawthorn Ketchup recipe -

Hi there, I hope you’re enjoying this seasonal mellowing into autumn after what has felt like an unusually warm summer here in the South East. The recent rain is so welcome after such a lack of it this summer. As a keen forager, for me, the rain means I am excitedly anticipating the imminent appea...