Functional Medicine for Autism Spectrum Disorders offering home test kits, meal plans and supplements
Owner: Simone Buehner BA BSc LicAc DipCHM MBAcC MRSM MIFM
Barefoot Medicine Ltd is based in Dinas Powys just outside Cardiff. Simone Buehner has been working in healthcare for 20 years since leaving the corporate world in 2001 following the unexpected full-term stillbirth of her first child. Taking a complete career change, she competed her 4-year degree in Acupuncture in 2007 and post-graduate studies in Chinese Herbal Medicine in 2008. Since then she has devoted her time to helping clients with fertility issues and also mental and emotional wellbeing issues such as bereavement, stress & anxiety and since 2010 she has volunteered with military veterans organizations specializing in post-conflict mental health issues. For four years Simone worked part time for the British Acupuncture Council as a Professional Development Lead helping other practitioners across Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire and for 7 years she ran study and support groups for acupuncturists and herbalists in her local area. Since 2019 Simone has continued with further training to qualify as a practitioner of Functional Medicine. This enables her to offer clients laboratory testing for hormonal imbalances, digestive and gut health and detoxification processes, all of which are foundational for every other aspect of physical and mental health. Functional Medicine is little-known in the UK, but is extremely popular in the USA. Practitioners must be qualified in certain areas of healthcare (conventional western medicine, nutrition or acupuncture) before being allowed to train with the Institute for Functional Medicine. However, I believe this branch of personalized medicine will grow in importance and popularity over the coming years and I would be very happy to talk to anyone who would like to understand more about it.
22/07/2025
If paying for metabolic and gut function tests is financially out-of-reach, you could try JOURNALING your child's autism symptoms.
Very often the 'cause' and 'effect' are so far apart that it is easy to miss the connection. One bug-bear I have is the way autism is treated as though it is linear: is your child autistic? 'yes, no maybe'... that just doesn't convey any information at all! So I have designed the Autism Wheel of Life with 8 'spokes' that represent key areas we want to monitor such as sensory sensitivities, anger & aggression, picky eating, stimming etc... watch the video to find out how it works and if you like it, you can buy the journal on Amazon.co.uk
Learn how keeping a 1-month Autism Mood and Food Journal can help you to track the way diet and lifestyle influence your child's autism symtpoms. Use the Au...
20/07/2025
My 56th birthday present to myself - BoHo Braids! I had never even heard to them until Riannah got them done, but they are much more ‘fun and friendly’ than box braids….but they take a LOT more time, too!
09/06/2025
5-star reviews are more than testimonials for a business. In this review I received on Friday, one word stood out to me: life-changing. That from a Mum whose son was diagnosed as having regressive autism and was told by her doctor that 'nothing can be done' apart from behavioural training and speech and language therapy. It's simply not true - there is a LOT that can be done to help children with regressive autism and it doesn't inovlve medication.
25/04/2025
Ever wonder what healthcare professionals do to stay fit and healthy? Join our monthly 10-day Biohacking Challenge to find out!
21/03/2025
As we acknowledge World Down Syndrome 2025, I'd like to pay tribute to the parents who I have the pleasure to work with. The joy, the pain, the triumphs and the tears of the parents of someone with additional needs often go unseen. Sometimes it is the smallest triumph that they celebrate where other parents would take it for granted. Sometimes it is the fear, anxiety or constant 'background worry' that they feel whenever their child is away from them. Sometimes parents fear a diagnosis yet want one at the same time. The roller-coaster of high highs and low lows is seldom witnessed by 'outsiders' or even sometime by other members of their family.
In the privacy of my consultations, I have witnessed first hand the extreme anguish that some parents face, not becuase of their child with a disability, but because of 'the system' or because of judgement, staring and rude comments in social situations.
A week ago I spoke with one Mum who described her feelings of over-powering and intense love for her child and the fear that there was no-one else in the world who could look after him if she wasn't around. She said she 'could not be ill' or 'could not die' BUT at the same time, her situation is so extreme with the lack of support and lack of 'light at the end of the tunnel' that she also felt that she had gone well beyond her own limits and that she simply could not cope any more. The lack of sleep, the worry, the unrelenting 24/7 of being a full-time carer, the healthcare system that said it could do no more, even the guilt of whether her childs condition may be due to something she did ...(sic!!!) ... I cannot reflect adequately what she described to me, but suffice it to say that after 15 minutes, I said that what she was describing sounded to me like she was suffering from PTSD, but not 'post' traumatic stress, becasue it was on-going, every day. When I put that to her, she burst into uncontrollable tears and said it was the first time she felt 'heard' and that I had put her feelings into words.
I share this story because SO many parents put a brave face on for the outside world, but they are sometimes experiencing an inner turmoil that they feel guilty telling anyone about in case it seems like they are complaining or in some way speakking ill of their child. The reality is that these feelings are there because of the INTENSE LOVE they have for their child and the powerful urge, desire and need to do everything they can to help their child have the best possible life.
What would any of us do in this situation? If you need to work to support your child financially, but you cannot hold down a job because your child may need you at short notice. Especially If welfare cuts make it harder to get specialist support and education?
Fortunately, after 25 years in practice, I have a lot of resources to help parents in this situation to take care of their own health.
Watch this space for an up-coming BIG ANNOUNCEMENT....
04/02/2025
4 February 2025 has been designated as World Cancer Day by the World Health Organization. There are, I suspect, very few of us who have not had cancer touch someone close to us. Two weeks ago I had a training session with one of the labs I work with who offer a state-of-the-art test that screens for 70 types of cancer in the extremely early stages when there are no signs or symptoms. As we all know, early detection is cruical not just to outcomes, but also to the length and extent of the treatment. The lab explained to me that they only offer tests to practitioners who they screen individually, but that it is important to get third sector healthcare professionals assisting in a climate where the NHS simply cannot get to everyone. What impressed me even more is that they have a UK-wide network of phlebotomists who will come to your home to do the blood draw.
I recognize that the test is not going to be affordable for everyone, but unfortunately being ill is also not an affordable option for many of us either. Or worse still, I have close friends, who have undergone chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy and were either self-employed or unable to survive on 'statutory sick pay', so they had to continue to work throughout their treatment now matter how they felt. One friend used to go to chemo first thing in the morning, then straight to the office.
This could happen to any one of us, so early detection is vital. If you scan the link you will see all the details of how the lab has a team of doctors to speak with you BEFORE they will agree to do the screening, to ensure you know the risks, benefits and processes when you decide to proceed. This is not a regular over-the-counter test, like finding out how your gut function is or what your metabolic processes are like. It is a big deal - but it could save your life, or the life of a loved one.
03/02/2025
How would you like to know what your nutrient levels are like based on the last 3 months meals? This free assessment can help you find out which nutrients may be lacking in your diet and what you can eat more of to replenish them.
It's totally free to do the test, then I'll reach out to you to book a discovery call with me which is also free so we can discuss your results. You will get plenty of actionable tips during the call as well as longer-term guidance if you want to dive deeper into how to use your food as medicine.
Just scan the QR code below to get started right away!
31/12/2024
What a stunning sunrise to welcome in the last day of the year!
15/12/2024
Can you identify which nutrients are lacking in your diet by how you feel? Most people jump for Vitamin C if they feel a cold coming on, or if they lack energy then iron is a common go-to. But another way of doing it is to identify if there are certain food groups that you avoid, then look at the nutrients that are in those foods to get an idea of what might be issing. Then when you see what's missing, have a look at what those vital nutrients do for your body and let me know in the comments if you have any symptoms of deficiency! A simpler and more accurate way, of course, is to do a urine test at home to measure your metabolic function. The report will give you a list of which key nutrients are in the red, amber or green zone.
15/12/2024
Everyone knows there is an antibiotic crisis, yet they can still save lives. But long-term low-level antiobitocs kill the good bacteria as well as the bad, and therefore weakens our immune system. By running functional tests on the gut, the metabolic system and food intolerance tests, it is possible to identify inflammation markers and help support the core body systems that are needed for optimum immune function and overall health. That way we can help the body to help itself with an ideal goal of being able to reduce or eliminate the need for medication.
14/12/2024
Parental Burnout is a challenge for many people at this time of year, but in my experience it is especially true for parents of children with additional needs. Interestingly, whilst working with parents of autistic children, many have come to identify signs of undiagnosed autism in themselves or their partner. Suddenly, the overwhelm, anxiety and irritability has started to make more sense. For some, the diagnosis in adulthood has come as a welcome relief, whilst for others there is still a sense of disbelief, denial or even shame. Yes, stigma in mental health issues is a lot more common in my age-group than my daughters. I'm pleased to say that is changing rapidly, but perhaps more in people's ability to recognize and accept it in others more than themselves.
The main thing is not to suffer in silence. While it is not usually possible to get rid of the soure of stress, it is definitely possible to help you to adapt to it better. This doesn't even have to be a difficult change - there are supplements that can help you to cope much better with stress, overwhelm, change or social situations. In the long run, you can use foods or herbs that are adaptogenic, but in the immediate term, finding out specifically which supplements you need is a simple 'quick win'.
14/12/2024
I always used to wonder what to do with those jars that have a lid that separates into 2 parts with the screw bit and the disk! Well just in case you were also wondering the same, here's some ideas of what to do to make a healthy snack using a mason jar!
Address
Holmes Tower, Wellwood Drive, Dinas Powys Cardiff CF64 4TN
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Owner: Simone Buehner BA BSc LicAc MBAcC DipCHM MRSM
Barefoot Medicine Acupuncture, Herbs and Complementary Therapy Clinic is based in a relaxing homely environment with panoramic views over the treetops, countryside and houses of Dinas Powys, yet conveniently it is just a few minutes walk from Dinas Powys Rail Station.
I am the owner, Simone Buehner (formerly Davis) and I have been qualified in complementary therapies for nearly 20 years. For the first few years I did it as a fun sideline at home whilst I worked in the corporate environment full time, but after the tragedy of a full-term stillbirth in 2001, I realized that natural healthcare was what had always mattered to me and against the wishes of all those around me (who thought I should return to the corporate world) I took the plunge and began my degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and then went on to obtain post-graduate qualifications in Chinese Herbal Medicine.
What began with a tragedy has, in fact, turned my life around and led me to live the live I love - and it soon became apparent why: during my studies as an herbalist I traced my family roots and discovered that my Great Grandmother was a Jamaican herbalist/Medicine Woman who lived to be 114 years old. The story of how I traced my Dad and the rest of my family through a prophetic dream is long enough for a post ( or a book?!) on its own, but suffice it to say that I believe passionately that people will reach true health and happiness by following their calling - not by remaining stuck in the 9-5 of modern day living and not by living the life they think others expect them to lead.
Whilst I love seeing people with a wide variety of ailments from fertility to menopause, aches and pains to stress & anxiety and the whole range in between, I have come to realize that my true passion is in getting to the bottom of those ailments. Our body has its own built-in pharmacy with anti-depressants, pain-killers, hormone-regulators etc that we just need to know how to tap into, so I approach that with nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, meditation and other skills from barefoot doctors such as gua sha, moxabustion, heat therapy etc.
I have studied nutrition from a Chinese perspective, an herbalists perspective and more recently from a western perspective and the more I learn the more I wonder why people are not taught to use their food as their medicine, so I spend a lot of time trying to understand what you eat - what goes in and what comes out - and in helping you to make wise food choices to help you reach your fullest and healthiest potential.
As I approach my 50th birthday, I feel very blessed to have been raised with the quizical, modern, scientific approach that a university education gave me, but also that at the age of 30 I traced my roots to my Dad in Jamaica and I connected with a more natural and wholesome way of life that I had always stood up for but never truly knew why until my life took a drastic turn when my first son died.
My goal for the next 50+ years is to be able to bridge the gap between the modern, western, corporate world and help people reconnect with mother nature and with their own true nature, because I believe passionately that it is there where good health, happiness and prosperity lie.
