Catherine Wasik Medical Herbalist

31/08/2025

🌿Catherine Wasik Registered Osteopath and Medical Herbalist
With over 20 years of experience

🌱 Combining hands-on osteopathy with plant-based healing for real, lasting results.

📍 Clinics in Leigh, Warrington and Hindley
📞 Book your consultation today!- call Catherine on 07828261152
🔗herbalosteopathiclife@gmail.com
🔗 www.herbalosteopathiclife.com

27/08/2025

🌱 Research seeds 🌱
Valerian and hops: Improved sleep duration

Sleep medication, such as benzodiazepines, can impair attention and memory. This clinical study explored whether two sedative herbs, valerian and hops, improved sleep and cognition.

🔗Read the full summary via: https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/herbal-research/research-seeds/valerian-and-hops-improved-sleep-duration/

21/08/2025

Herb of the Month

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Natural Support for Calm, Sleep & Hormonal Balance

🌸 What Is Passionflower?
A beautiful climbing plant with calming properties, traditionally used to ease anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. It gently supports the nervous system, especially during times of stress, hormonal change, or nervous exhaustion.

🌿 Key Benefits:
• Promotes relaxation and better sleep
• Helps ease anxiety, palpitations, and tension
• Supports women during menopause and PMS
• Nourishes the nervous system in times of chronic stress

🫖 How to Use:
• Tincture (liquid extract – often combined with other herbs)
• Herbal tea (a soothing bedtime option)
• Capsules (for convenience)

⚠️ Safety Notes:
• Safe for most people in moderate doses
• May enhance sedative medications – check with a practitioner
• Avoid in pregnancy unless advised by a qualified herbalist

🌿 As a Medical Herbalist…
• I often combine Passionflower with other herbs tailored to the individual’s needs—whether to support sleep, soothe menopausal tension, or manage stress-related conditions. Every person is unique, and so should be their herbal prescription

🌱 Looking for Natural Support?
Catherine Wasik BSc Hons Ost; BSc Hons MNIMH – Registered Osteopath & Qualified Medical Herbalist
📍The Rehab Hut, Leigh | The Olive Clinic, Stockton Heath, Warrington | George Morris Physiotherapy, Hindley
🔗 www.herbalosteopathiclife.com and page Herbal Osteopathic Life
📞 [07828261152]

14/08/2025

🍭 Sugar vs Sweeteners — Is there such a thing as a “good” sugar?

We all know sugar isn’t great for us… but why? 🤔

Cutting back on sweet treats isn’t just about weight loss — it’s about protecting your mind and body. Stable blood sugar can:
✅ Boost mental clarity
✅ Reduce anxiety & cravings
✅ Help you feel sharper and more energised

Frequent spikes & crashes, on the other hand, can cause brain fog, mood swings, and stress-related cortisol surges. This is especially important for women dealing with PMS, endometriosis, PCOS, menopause, or pregnancy.

🚨 The real dangers of high blood sugar:
Over time, too much sugar doesn’t just expand your waistline — it can damage blood vessels and tissues, raising the risk of:
❤️ Heart disease & stroke
🧠 Nerve damage (neuropathy)
👀 Vision problems (retinopathy)
💪 Weakened immunity
🩺 Insulin resistance → type 2 diabetes
🍏 Fatty liver disease

🍯 “Good” vs “Bad” sugars
Our brains love sugar because it triggers dopamine (our feel-good hormone) — but it also causes glucose spikes your body has to control.
Natural sugars in fruits & veggies are fine in moderation, but processed foods often hide added sugars under sneaky names like:
Agave nectar • Cane juice crystals • Brown rice syrup • Evaporated cane juice • High fructose corn syrup • Maltodextrin • Treacle • Xylitol… (the list is LONG!)

🚫 Labels like “organic” or “no added sugar” can be misleading — always check the ingredients.

⚠️ A note on artificial sweeteners:
Aspartame, sucralose, ace-K, maltitol, saccharin, and similar products are technically “approved”… but many report headaches, digestive issues, cravings, and mood changes. Aspartame in particular is suspected of affecting the nervous system — so avoid where possible.

✅ Better sweetener choices:
If you still need a little sweetness without the blood sugar rollercoaster, try:
🍃 Monk fruit
🌿 Stevia
✨ Erythritol
🌱 Allulose

I will be posting the full list of hidden sugar names on my website herbalosteopathiclife.com in the next few days so keep your eyes open for more information.

29/07/2025

Are you a new mum or and mum with toddlers or just a mum who has never had the chance to look after herself? Read my new post if you would like to see what herbal medicine and osteopathy can do for you.

🌿 Herbal Medicine & Postpartum Healing 🌿

The postpartum period is often overlooked—but it's one of the most important times for a woman’s long-term health. Whether you've recently given birth or are still recovering months (or even years) later, herbal medicine offers gentle but powerful support.

Common postpartum concerns I often see include:
✨ Fatigue and low energy
🌸 Hormonal imbalances (including mood swings or low mood)
🍼 Breastfeeding challenges (low supply, engorgement, or mastitis)
🌿 Pelvic pain or slow recovery from birth
💤 Difficulty sleeping or feeling "wired but tired"

Herbal medicine can be tailored to help restore balance, replenish nutrients, and support emotional and physical recovery. Using whole plant extracts, we focus on nourishing the nervous system, supporting hormone regulation, and aiding tissue healing.

As a medical herbalist and osteopath, I offer a holistic approach that treats you as a whole—not just your symptoms. You're not alone in this journey. 💚

📍If you're struggling with any lingering postpartum issues or simply want to support your recovery naturally, I’d love to help.
📩 Message Catherine to book a consultation or find out more by phone on 07828261152 or by email on herbalosteopathiclife@gmail.com
📍 Available in The Rehab Hut, Graveoak Lane Leigh, WN7 3SE and The Olive Clinic, Whitehouse, Greenalls Ave, Stockton Heath WA4 6HL

24/07/2025

The lovely mullein

Plant Monograph of the Month: Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)⁠. 🌿 ⁠
⁠
Rising tall like a candle along meadows and roadsides across North America and Europe, Mullein is a soft, silvery sentinel of wellness. With its towering stalk and fuzzy leaves, this gentle biennial has been a trusted herbal ally for generations.⁠
⁠
Known as a 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, Mullein supports the lungs, eases coughs, and helps move stuck mucus with its expectorant and demulcent properties. Herbalists often turn to it for dry, irritated lungs or lingering colds.⁠
⁠
But Mullein’s gifts go far beyond the chest:⁠
⁠
✨ Lymphatic system support: Mullein may help promote healthy drainage and flow⁠
⁠
✨ Ear support: Mullein-infused oil is a traditional remedy for easing ear discomfort⁠
⁠
✨ Energetic medicine: Often associated with protection and inner stillness, Mullein is used by some to clear energetic blockages and promote grounded clarity⁠
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Its soft leaves have even been nicknamed “nature’s toilet paper”, a testament to its comfort and versatility!⁠
⁠
However you choose to work with Mullein… brewed, infused, poulticed, or taken as a flower essence, this plant invites us to breathe deeply, move with ease, and remember the wisdom within.⁠
⁠
Have you used Mullein before? We’d love to hear how. Share your favourite ways to use it below. ⤵️⁠

🌸 www.wildrosecollege.com

09/07/2025

🌿 Herbal Support for Menopause – Naturally Balanced, Uniquely You 🌿

Struggling with hot flushes, mood swings, brain fog, or poor sleep?

Menopause is a natural transition—but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it. As a qualified medical herbalist and osteopath, I offer personalised, plant-based solutions to support your hormones, energy, and emotional wellbeing.

✨ What I offer:
✔️ 1-to-1 consultations
✔️ Tailored herbal remedies
✔️ Holistic support for hot flushes, sleep, anxiety, joint pain, and more
✔️ Natural approaches to vaginal dryness, urinary symptoms, and low libido

💬 “I feel like myself again—thank you for helping me find balance.” – a recent client

📍 Available at The Rehab Hut, Graveoak Lane, Leigh WN7 3SE and The Olive Clinic, Wilderspool Business Park, Whitehouse, Greenalls Ave, Stockton Heath, WA4 6HL or online
🌐 Visit: [herbalosteopathiclife.com]

📩 Message now to book your free discovery call to herbalosteopathiclife@gmail.com or 07828261152.

Let’s make menopause a time of renewal—not retreat.

25/10/2024

Menopause and the Urinary System: Supporting Your Body with Lifestyle Changes, Herbal Medicine, and Osteopathy.As women transition through menopause, the hormonal changes, particularly decreased estrogen, can affect the urogenital system. The urinary system often mirrors the challenges faced by the....

25/10/2024