Patient Testimonial: Digestive disturbance including pain and belching. Cold legs and difficulty getting to sleep

“I first saw Jonny in January, 2019. His gentle yet analytical approach enabled me to sort through the maze of issues i was facing so that the most pressing problems were brought to the surface to be dealt with. I have had severe belching for years. This occurs usually as I settle down to sleep. It can continue for 2 hours and sometimes longer. Although changing my diet can alleviate the symptoms, it does not remove them. That is until I used Jonny’s herbs and my symptoms subsided dramatically. I still experience belching but is only usually now after eating too late or consuming inappropriately sized meals. It is however, a huge relief.
I have also suffered from cold legs for years. The coldness used to begin above my sacrum, spread across my buttocks and down my legs stopping at my ankles. It wasn’t circulation. It wasn’t temperature. I have had this symptom in Greece in 90 degrees! The coldness is much worse at night and prevents me sleeping as it brings with it a feeling of restlessness and irritation. When I met Jonny other treatments had reduced the extent of the coldness so that it appeared centred in my calves. After taking Jonny’s herbs I rarely experience this disturbing feeling now,
As I write, although the relief from the other symptoms I have described has been immense, there is no richer feeling than lying down in my comfy bed, closing my eyes, and sleeping almost immediately.
That is what the herbs have enabled me to do.”

Pam Hardy (UK)

Pam had a myriad of symptoms and health problems that were difficult to live with and understand. Her belching was keeping her awake at night, which was fueling restless sleep, leading to fatigue and further stress. Her lower limbs were also very cold. With herbs, coaching and lifestyles changes we managed to unravel a lot of these problems and treat them accordingly. Many symptoms have disappeared with only the belching stubbornly remaining, albeit only after a meal at a much more manageable level than before.

Jonny Woodall
Medical Herbalist and Flower Essence Therapist
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine
National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Contact me for help with your health problems and illness

PHONE: +44(0) 7525827558

EMAIL: jonnyapothecary@gmail.com

SKYPE: jonnysapothecary

Herbs to improve your gut health

I often get asked at events or parties about specific herbs for specific problems. I often go into discussing how I (and many other herbalists) don’t work like how your doctor works. We tend to prescribe a concoction of different herbs (anywhere from 5-20 in my case) for each client. Every month the prescription is tweaked and changed to keep improving the function of the mind and body. Once i have said my piece on how i actually work with plants i then go onto discuss certain herbs for whatever problem people unveil to me.

Gut health is a hot topic at the moment with plenty of media outlets reporting on the advances in understanding the microbiome. As well as lots of coverage into the debilitating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disorder. Below i have listed the different herbs used in herbal medicine for treating specific issues of the gut.

Hydrochloria (Low stomach acid) and indigestion

Herbs that help increase stomach acid, bile and digestive enzyme production are classed as bitters. Bitters work by stimulating bitter receptors in the mouth that then go on to stimulate the autonomic nervous system into helping prepare digestive organs. Producing a number of reactions associated with more efficient digestion of food. Best consumed as an alcoholic extract aka tincture.

Bitters include - Wormwood (Artemesia absinthum), Gentian Root (Gentiana lutea), Dandelion Root (Taraxacum oficinale), Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

Dandelion Flower (Taraxacum officinale). Herbalist's use the root as a bitter remedy to improve liver, gallbladder and digestive enzyme function.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Belching and gas

Herbs that help with bloating are classed as carminatives. Carminatives are rich in volatile oils that help contribute towards peristalsis. They sooth and settle the gut wall and the surrounding smooth muscle so that trapped gas can be moved.

Carminatives include - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Mint (Mentha piperita), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Ginger (Zingiber oficinale), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Constipation

Herbs that help contribute towards bowel movements are known as laxatives. Laxatives stimulate contractions of the muscles that line the colon or work by bulking the stool by drawing water into the colon.

Stimulating laxatives include - Burdock (Arctium lappa), Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus)

Bulking laxatives - Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis), Psyllium seed (Plantago psyllium)

Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria). Seen here without the yellow flower. Use the leaf as a tea or tincture for loose stools.

Diarrhea

Herbs that help with loose stools or diarrhea are known as astringents. They contain a high volume of a constituent known as a ‘tannin’. Tannins work by binding protein molecules together, lowering inflammation and creating a barrier against infection.

Astringents include - Oak Bark (Quercus spp), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria).

Other actions for the gut include herbs which help fungal, parasitic or bacterial infections as well as herbs that work on the human stress response. The function of the gut is autonomic and responds to herbs that work with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA/Human stress response).

There are many other actions that herbs have which exert an effect on the gut. Most of the above have the largest evidence base for their reported medicinal effects.

Oak leaf (Quercus spp). Herbalist’s use a tincture of the bark for severe diarrhea.

Sometimes you may find that simple herbs on there own can offer relief. But complex, chronic health problems often involve working with somebody that understands how to offer herbal prescriptions that offer a formula which works on an array of issues. Problems with digestion often go together with mental health issues, autoimmune diseases and skin disorders. It can feel like a minefield trying to work all this out on your own. Find somebody you trust and try not to focus too much attention on one particular symptom or problem. Rather try to see how it might all be connected.

Jonny Woodall
Medical Herbalist and Flower Essence Therapist
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine
National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Contact me for help with your health problems and illness

PHONE: +44(0) 7525827558

EMAIL: jonnyapothecary@gmail.com

SKYPE: jonnysapothecary

The Fatigue Super Conference

Not to be missed by anyone looking for extra help battling fatigue. The online Fatigue Super Conference is running from June the 10th - June 17th.

The conference has been created by Alex Howard, the founder of the Optimum Health Clinic in London. One of the world’s leading clinics for treating ME & CFS.

Gain access to the daily talks FOR FREE by signing up at: https://www.fatiguesuperconference.com/

The conference has a collection of the worlds top holistic, integrative and functional practitioners from around the world who all specialise in fatigue and the various connected issues that come with it.

I will be logging in as often as i can and taking notes to help with my own continuous practitioner development. Fatigue is often a major symptom that many of my patients suffer with and the cause is always different. For some it is resolved with better digestion, whilst others need help improving organs associated with detoxification. Whatever the problem is i always try to use herbs, nutrition and lifestyle changes to get to the core of the problem.

Jonny Woodall
Medical Herbalist and Flower Essence Therapist
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine
National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Contact me for help with your health problems and illness

PHONE: +44(0) 7525827558

EMAIL: jonnyapothecary@gmail.com

SKYPE: jonnysapothecary