Amanda Tinker Medical Herbalist

01/10/2020

Well, autumn is now truly upon us and as the cold and flu season gets underway and as fear of a second C-19 wave increase it’s time to address immune support and well being. Please get in touch if you’d like to make an appointment, I have availability from Tuesday 13th October.

09/07/2020

Just incase anyone thinks its all okay, this is the reality for many people post viral. Build your immune system now over the summer before we head in to the second wave. Take care, wear a mask and gloves when in proximity to others, and for god sake think of those more vulnerable than yourself. If anyone wants any help, advise or support for how to boost your immunity please get in touch.

A study of more than 61,000 people in Spain found that just 5% had developed antibodies that could provide COVID-19 immunity.

27/03/2020

My Governing body The National Institute of Medical Herbalists has released this statement. We will help in any way we can.

25/03/2020

So, here we are.
It’s Lockdown UK.
For all my friends and previous clients I am making up lung immune tonics and fever tea. I will also be making an alternative for kids.
The tonics will be made with tinctures which are alcohol based - some might not be able to take these. I will also be making chest rubs for those with respiratory complications and I have a limited stock of cough syrups. If you or a loved one needs herbal support please do get in touch. If you are not a client already we will have to have an online consultation just to ensure that there are no contra indications between the herbs I want to supply to you and any preexisting conditions you may have. I’m reducing my fee by 50%. The herbs remain at their existing price.
More hand sanitisers be ready at the weekend. Everything will be posted out or can be collected. If you need help in any other way and are local please do get in touch.

In this frantic modern world, where the pressures of work, family and even day-to-day living seem to cause stress and feelings of imbalance, herbal medicine offers a natural approach to support the body and mind. As a fully qualified medical herbalist, I can help and assist you to:

21/03/2020

I’ve decide to share some more simple household herbal bits, so whilst we are on lockdown people can feel a little bit more empowered and know that they can do something to help with symptoms and prepare in some way amongst all this uncertainty.

Onion cough syrup
Ingredients:
1 x large onion
5-7 teaspoonfuls of brown sugar or honey Instructions: Peel and chop the onion in to large round slices about 5mm thick. Place a slice in a large cup or small bowl and cover with a teaspoonful of sugar or honey Repeat with the remaining slices alternating as you go Cover and allow to stand overnight or for a good few hours until the sugar has dissolved The sugar extracts the juice from the onion which you can collect in a small bottle or separate cup but keep it covered and store in the fridge Do not store for longer than 2 days
This cough syrup works best when fresh. The above recipe is enough for 1-2 people for upto 2 days. Take as needed. Absolutely fine for children and adults alike. It tastes okay, but if you don’t have anything else, this does works.

Raw garlic
Garlic is an amazing anti microbial. If you feel you are starting to get sick crush or finely chop a clove and add to a teaspoon of honey. It’s not going to taste great but it will help. Repeat up to 3 x daily and continue through the illness if you can stomach it. I’ve heard from friends in Italy and the UK who definitely have it that your appetite completely goes and you feel extremely weak. Raw garlic is not well tolerated by children but if you cut a clove long ways and rub the moist centre on the soles of the children’s feet they absorb a lot of the benefits. Their breath will smell of garlic shortly after! Not advisable for children Under 18 months.

Also think ice lollies (if you can make them at home) made from apple juice and blended raspberries/blueberries/blackcurrents etc if you have any in the freezer. If you have any liquid vit C or D add to the blend and freeze. No kid ever refused an ice lolly and if they have a fever and not taking much fluid, it’s a good option.

With that in mind batch cook now. If you are the main household chef and you get ill the last thing you want to contemplate is trying to keep a houseful sustained. If your partner or older kids can prep pasta, make them sauces. Portion out lasagna and freeze. Stock up on those easy ‘go to’ meals for kids that just require one baking tray (fish fingers, sausages, oven chips). This is not the nutritional advice I would normally give but as a single mum myself with no one else to tag team with, we have to be pragmatic. A few suppers like this is not going to scar our children for the rest of their lives but it will hopefully feed them with minimal complaint and allow us to get back to bed to recover.

For yourself make soups and freeze. Chicken soup, bone broth (beef or chicken are best) or a light brothy vegetable soup. Use up the veg that might be on the turn and freeze as much as you can. Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s essential to be prepared.

If anyone needs or would like any more focused herbal advice give me a call or we can Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. I’ve stocked up on extra antiviral herbs, more medicated cough syrups and still have stock coming this week for more hand sanitisers. Everything is as close to cost as I can make it right now.

Sending love to all,

Amanda

16/03/2020

This is concerning. Please read and research more regarding the use of non steroidal anti inflammatories (NSAIDs)

France's health minister Olivier Véran warned the public on Saturday that anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and cortisone could be an aggravating factor in coronavirus infections.

14/03/2020

So I’ve thought long and hard about
posting herbal support information regarding Covid-19 and have decided to share what I know, what I’ve learnt and what I think will be helpful as preventative measures. Everything I suggest you should be able to access locally or easily online.

Firstly, all the information about minimising spread, personal hygiene measures (sneezing in to the crook of your arm, throwing tissues away) is all very sensible and doable. Implement the advice and coach your children. They are likely to be the least effected by the virus, as long as they do not have other health issues, but are also prime vectors for spreading the infection. Help them to feel empowered, it will reduce your stress too! If you are travelling on public transport bare in mind that if you use your phone whilst travelling it will also need a wipe/wash just like your hands. Try to just use one hand for the rails and buttons and keep your phone in the other. And use your hand sanitisers it you have them. (I’m making up a batch so shout if you need one. I’m selling them at cost only.) At home, door k***s, banisters, light switches, taps and remote controls should all be wiped down every day or two and hand towels changed regularly.

There are many many herbs that have antiviral properties, but not everyone has access to a herbalist or a local health food store or dispensary. In China Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospitals work along side allopathic medicine and the medical workers in closest proximity to those infected were given a decoction of liquorice root and ginger. A decoction is a water based extraction that is reduced from 3 parts to 1 part via a slow simmer usually over an hour. The extraction I am making for us at home is as follows:
3 parts Liquorice root (easy to find online)
3 parts fresh ginger (finely chopped or grated)
1 part cinnamon stick
Cover with filtered or bottle water (approx 1ltr)
Bring to the boil in a heavy bottomed pan and then turn down heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1hr or until the liquid has reduced to 1/3. If the pan looks to be drying out add water as needed. Then leave the decoction to stand for a further 15mins and strain through a fine sieve. If you find bits are making it between the mesh, strain through a piece of kitchen towel. It won’t keep if there are bits of herb floating around. Bottle the liquid ideally in a glass bottle and store in the fridge. It will keep for approximately 1 week
Adults to take 2-3 tsp per day. Increase to 4 x daily if in a more populated setting.
For children under 5yrs 1/4tsp 2-3 x daily. 5-8yrs 1/3-1/2 tsp 2-3 x daily. 8-12yrs 1/2-3/4tsp 2-3 x daily. Feel free to add honey to the decoction when warm if the flavour is too strong and needs to be sweetened for the children. It can be added to juice or smoothies as long as they drink it all. A teaspoon measures 3.5 mls. If you are concerned about accuracy of dosage and have a dropper/pippet 20drops = 1ml approx. Some children are smaller and some larger. Some have delicate constitutions and others robust. Use common sense but the above offers safe parameters for all ages.
NB: Ginger should not be taken if you are on anticoagulant medication. Liquorice is contraindicated in hypertension and has been know to elevate blood pressure in some people. If you’re worried give me a call.

I would also suggest everyone young and old be taking high doses of Vitamin C & D3.

Dosage for Vitamin C 500-1000mg 2-3x daily for children, 1000mg 3-4x daily for adults
NB: High Vit C intake can cause diarrhoea and upset stomach. Build your dosage up over a few days and reduce if you develop any side effects.

Dosage for Vitamin D3
2,000-5,000IU for infants; 10,000IU children, 20,000-50,000IU adults for 10 days then reduce dosing to 25%. NB: This is of course very high dosage. Build it up over the space of a few days. If you feel unwell or experience any dizziness or discomfort reduce the dose to a tolerable level.

Zinc is also a vital component of a good immune defence especially in children. As it can be hard for kids to take tablets so I recommend trying to ensure zinc is supplied through nutrition. It can be found in abundance in the following:
oysters, scallops (not favourites for many kids!), beef, lamb, oats, yoghurt, pumpkin and sesame seeds (tahini and humous). Zinc deficiency has a direct effect on white blood cell proliferation, if supplementation is possible its know to improved immune response.

You may have read that there is some controversy about elderberry being contraindicated in COVID-19 infection, theoretically exacerbating the ‘cytokines storm’ but I believe along with echinacea supplementation is an important preventative. Echinacea is an highly effective immune modulator but for those with any kind of compromised immunity my go to herb is Andrographis. It is used in TCM and Ayervedic medicine and is sometimes know as the ‘Indian echinacea’. This too can be taken profilactically and if one does find they have symptoms I would increase the recommended daily dose of the product you have during the acute phase.

Eating lots of fresh colourful fruit and vegetables will increase antioxidants and free radical scavenging. If your children aren’t keen on veggies find creative ways to sneak them in. Smoothies, with a 30-70% fruit-veg mix. Or making smoothies in to ice lollies. Purée veg in to a pasta sauce, stew or soup, what ever works! If you find yourself ill with fever, keeping hydrated is very important. There is definitely benefit to the old adage ‘feed a cold and starve a fever’. Eating chicken soup, drinking bone broth and keeping hydrated with coconut water, herbal teas and water reduce the stress on the digestive system while your body is fighting infection. Light nutritious foods only. Avoid caffeine as much as possible and stay away from sugary drinks and processed foods.
Include plenty of garlic, ginger, thyme, lemon balm if you have it, basil and sage in your cooking. All have antiviral and anti microbial properties.

If anyone wants a more focused immune tonic or support feel free to get in touch. There are many more thing we can do to help protect ourselves but I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the information and the daily shifting sands so have decided to keep this simple.

Stay safe my friends and keep in touch. With love

Amanda x
www.amandatinkerherbalist.co.uk

06/08/2018

Thank a god for that! Coffee ☕️ is good!

This large prospective cohort study of a half million people found inverse associations for coffee drinking with mortality, including among participants drinking 1 up to 8 or more cups per day. This study provides further evidence that coffee drinking can be part of a healthy diet. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686145

20/06/2018

A very good sensible article about how to help with hay fever. It’s been really bad this year.

A colleague suggests that the increase in urban hay fever is the result of councils planting more male trees. The female trees produce fruit which are messy when they fall. Thus the pollen levels have increased.

Herbs can really help and can replace antihistamines if started early enough in the year. Right now though soothing teas, histamine reducing foods and practical actions of reducing pollen spreading in your home will help.

For further information please get in touch 02075021835

Between 10% and 25% of adults are allergic to pollen. It can make life a misery, but there are ways to minimise its effect