We are in the run up to Christmas, only ten more sleeps!

Hi everyone

We are in the run up to Christmas, only ten more sleeps! I think I have detected a slight panic in the people that I have met this last week, or is it just me? Good news is we haven’t missed the last posting day for second class mail, that’s Tuesday, all will be well.

Part of the difficulty with Christmas preparations is that this is also the time when slightly stressed we can become more susceptible to those lurking winter viruses. The norovirus has arrived early this year it seems and many people have colds and coughs too. Ideally to help recovery we need to rest but we think that we can’t really spare the time! However, this is self defeating as it prolongs the time we have the bugs and the time it takes us to feel better. Best to rest a while and return to action when we are up to the task!

Have a look at my winter newsletter for some tips to help you stay as healthy as possible in the run up to this year’s festivities, www.cornishhomeopaths.com/news.html and clink on the newsletter link.

  Wishing you all a happy week.


Bye for now
Brenda x

Why not see if homeopathy could help you to better health and well being in 2013?

 

Hi everyone

 

As a practitioner of homeopathic medicine I am often asked 'well Brenda can homeopathy help with this problem that I have?' The person asking the question will then describe a set of symptoms or name a disease that they are suffering from, hoping I guess that homeopathy can offer them some relief.

The best reply to the question 'can homeopathy help?' is that homeopathy can indeed help with most of the problems and conditions that you would take to your GP. Homeopathy has a wide realm of action helping the person who has ill health and the symptoms that they are suffering with.

Homeopathic medicine is about us as individuals and how we experience ill health. Homeopathy is about helping me to sort out my illness by helping me the person who became sick. Hope that makes sense, it is a different way of looking at ill health that considers the person themselves not just a list of their symptoms.

Why not see if homeopathy could help you to better health and well being in 2013? It's time to try a different approach that takes you as a person in to account as well as the symptoms of your disease

 

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

As we are in December now.....

Hi everyone

As we are in December now it is time to get to grips with Christmas. I can no longer pretend to myself that it's ages away! No doubt many of you are feeling a similar panic? I did try to book someone in last week for an appointment on Christmas Day, in my defence it would have been four weeks since the appointment that day! However, this was the realisation I needed to take it all more seriously, Christmas is less than four weeks away!
Why is it that every year I think to myself I will be organised this year, take it in my stride, plan and keep ahead and yet find myself like a rabbit in headlights not knowing which way to turn?
I think the answer is that it is a good plan to take things in stages but I have to plan in time to complete the tasks, making good use of small pockets of time. This is an insight I have just come to thanks to the Painless Practice newsletter which popped in to my in box at just the right moment.There is no magic answer or short cut to sorting Christmas, it's about planning and timing. There is also no magic answer to being as healthy as we can be. It takes time to get poorly, it takes time to get well. Let's all plan in some time to take care of ourselves in December so that we can enjoy the Christmas season as much as possible.

Wishing you all a happy week.


Bye for now
Brenda x

'Well being needs to be practised'

Hi everyone

 

Over the last few days I have been listening to a series of webinars about health and well being. There have been some very interesting ideas discussed but the one I wanted to share is that 'well being needs to be practised'. That is to say being well is a process rather than an event and when we are as well as we can be we still need to work at maintaining our health. We all need to be practising well being all the time.

There are many factors that contribute to our well being and health, a good diet, exercise, time with family and friends, good relationships, purposeful, meaningful and rewarding work, spiritual practice, time for ourselves, service for others, the list may vary for each of us but the principles are the same. We can't look at our illnesses in isolation we have to consider the whole of our lives if we are going to be as well as we can be. We need to work out what isn't working for us in our present way of being and begin to make positive changes for the better.

I believe that homeopathy can help us with our ill health and in doing this we see the things that need to change so that we can be as well as possible. It may be that our diet needs some attention, or it could be time to dust off those trainers whatever needs to change will be high lighted and enable us to practise being as well as possible.

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

It's all about balance!

Hi everyone

It's all about balance!

The first thing to know about finding a balance in any situation is to understand what the problem is and be mindful of it. Then it's time to go about finding a solution that is workable, effective and long lasting, not just a quick, short term fix. Applying this to the damp situation in many a home now that the weather is colder, wetter and the heating is on can be quite a task as I have discovered this week!

This morning there was a lot of condensation on the bedroom windows in our house. The question being, what to do to lower the humidity in the house? Open the windows, ok if there is a breeze, it's not too cold and it's not actually damper outside than in. Use the dehumidifier, effective but expensive re electricity. Heat the house for longer, again expensive. Wiping the windows helps but is not the solution to the problem. I am thinking a balance of some sort is what's needed, an understanding of why it becomes so damp and then application of a strategy to manage the damp. Trickier than it sounds, a work in progress!

Similarly where our health is concerned, when we are out of balance it can take a while for us to notice. When it becomes quite obvious that things are not right we need to heed the signs and understand what the real problem is. A pain killer may help with that headache, but it could be that under lying anxiety is the real problem.

I believe that bringing us back to a more balanced place is one of the things that can be achieved with homeopathy. It may not be a quick fix as it takes time to become ill and out of balance, so it takes time to get better. However, understanding what the real problem is a huge step in the right direction and homeopathy can help us be as well as we can be.

Meanwhile, I think I'll open the windows in the house for a while. The damp is tricky to sort!

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

'never been well since' .....

Hi everyone

 

Piglet said as I recall, 'it's not the leaves that are leaving that bother me, but the ones that keep coming'. I think Piglet was trying in vain to clear away the fallen leaves from his front door. Many a time I have felt like Piglet, those leaves just keep falling and are blown around all over the place. However, this week there has been very little breeze and the leaves have remained very near to where they have fallen. This is very strange, unusual and a little disconcerting, because where we live it is nearly always windy and the wind blows the fallen leaves in to the porch and in to the house. No leaves in the porch is such a marked change from the norm.

 

Homeopathically speaking the point in life when things changed for people is often very significant. For example if someone has never properly recovered from an accident, an illness, a grief, a quarrel, from taking a particular drug or having a baby then as a homeopath I am going to take this in to account in my homeopathic prescription. This 'never been well since' as we call it, can help me find the best remedy for my patient and enable them to move on to be as well as it is possble for them to be. This is why I am interested in changes and take note when patients tell me the stories of their symptoms and plot them on a time line. Many a connection  between events and people's health can come to light in this way.

 

I am sure the breeze will return but for the moment I am enjoying the time I would have been brushing up the leaves by rustling in them instead.

 

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

'Count your blessings'.....

Hi everyone

 

This morning I had a lovely walk in the woods with our puppy. After such a damp and rainy time lately it was lovely to be out in the fresh air and to be able to see all the beautiful autumn colours. Our puppy had a great time too, following all the delcious scents and trails, it was lovely to see her bouncing around having such a good time.

I am reminded of the old adage 'count your blessings'. I think this sentiment is exactly right, and it is a timely reminder to me to be thankful for all that I have. It can sometimes seem that everything is going wrong and nothing is working out as planned but a little time focusing on the good things in life can be really beneficial.

At this time of harvest thanksgiving I am also reminded that we reap what we sow and if we focus on the negative then that is what arrives, more negativity. Sometimes finding something positive to focus on is difficult but it is well worth it because other positive thoughts arrive and positive things begin to happen. All in all there is much to be grateful for and an attitude of gratitude is very healthy.

 

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

Autumn is truly with us now I feel

Hi everyone

Autumn is truly with us now I feel. The leaves are changing colour and falling to the ground, there is that chill and dampness in the air, it is becoming darker earlier and earlier; it is time to think about how best to tackle the winter and prepare ourselves for the colder, darker days that are to come before the joy of Spring returns again.

There are lots of measures we can take to help us through the winter but we often

choose to ignore what our inner wisdom is telling us. I think it may well be that grandma knew best. The best way to cope with winter is to follow nature which contracts and conserves as much energy as possible, the following tips are suggestions to help us do just that.

It is best to wrap up warmly, then our bodies are using less energy to keep warm. Get those cosy under garments out and give them an air, ready to pop on to conserve our heat when the temperatures plummet.

Those warming winter stews and casseroles are perfect fuel for winter days and nights. Try adding garlic a natural antibacterial and antiviral.

Green and white tea also have immune system boosting properties.

During the week, regroup and cosy in the warm, go out less, sleep more.

Enjoy the fresh air at the weekend with exhilarating walks which energise and boost our sense of well being.

Vitamin C and Zinc preparations are recommended to fight infections. Echinacea also boosts the immune system, but check with your pharmacist if you are taking other medicines.

Homeopathy also offers help for winter bugs, it is a good idea to have a chat with your homeopath as part of your prep for winter.

Let winter be a time for regrouping and planning for the coming year, lets be ready to spring in to spring.

 

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

Parents seek help for back-to-school bugs.

Hi everyone

With the return to school and the change of the season, I am finding that many parents are turningto homeopathy to help their children through back-to-school illnesses. Parents are looking for alternatives to conventional drugs because in the last few years several over-the-counter medications have become off limits for children, and recently research has suggested a link between antibiotic use in children and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and between paracetamol and asthma.

In my experience homeopathy is helpful in these situations and there is high quality scientific research which specifically supports the use of homeopathy in upper respiratory tract infections (colds), bronchitis, ear infections, sinusitis and flu. Homeopathic medicines are great for children too because they are non-toxic and have an excellent safety record.

As we know homeopathic medicine works in a completely different way to conventional medicine, with each remedy having its own set of symptoms which need to be matched to the patient who is ill. Homeopathic remedies can be used at home in acute short-lived conditions with the following remedies being those commonly used at this time of year.

Gelsemium:the number one “flu” remedy, with symptoms slow to come on, where there is much heaviness and drooping, fatigue, clammy skin, flushes of hot and cold, dizziness and congestion.

Pulsatilla:has blocked painful sinuses, sticky mucus, feels better in the fresh air and has a changeable, clingy mood.

Bryonia:the symptoms are slow to come on, there is much dryness and pains are worse from even the slightest movement. Firm pressure on the affected area is helpful. They are irritable and want to be left alone.

Phosphorus:this is a hacking, tickling cough, often with sweating. The patient is worse at night and might ask for icy drinks or ice cream, which may be vomited up immediately. They may be hoarse and want cuddles.

Home treatments often work really well but if symptoms don't respond then it is important to seek advice from your homeopath or medical practitioner. Hoping that you manage to avoid the current bout of bugs but if not remember help is at hand with homeopathy.

 

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

Out & About!

Hi everyone

I have been out and about this last couple of weeks meeting lots of lovely people. I was at the Health and Well Being Fair in Bodmin on Sept 15th and I gave a talk to a lovely group of local women last Friday, the Wadebridge Bosom Pals. It's always good to spread the word about homeopathy letting people know what homeopathy can do and people are very interested in the way homeopaths work.

On my travels one of the things I have been focusing on is women's health and the help that homeopathy can give. In my practice I see ladies who come for  help with a wide range of problems. These include pre-menstrual tension, painful periods, menopausal problems, cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, help during pregnancy, childbirth and after the baby arrives. Women also seek help for anxiety, depression, lack of self confidence, insomnia and many other conditions that I find respond well to homeopathy, such as fibromyalgia and ME. I have seen a number of ladies who have sought help for skin complaints such as eczema and acne and also for hay fever.

The ailments that people bring to their homeopath are many and varied and the help we can offer them is individualised to their particular case. It is true to say that two people with hot flushes, for example, may be given two different medicines depending on their own experience of the symptoms. Homeopathy is tailored to you and I think all my patients like that, not just the ladies. I believe that homeopathy is indeed medicine for the 21^st century.

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

Autumnal feel in the air....

Hi everyone

I have noticed a definite autumnal feel in the air now as September draws on. It was there quite suddenly one morning last week. There is the desire now for warmer jumpers of an evening, warm drinks and cosying up with a good book and a nice warm stove. There have been some wonderful sunsets lately and lovely sunshine but the intense heat has gone out of the sun I think, the season is on the change.

As the seasons change it is a good idea to take stock and prepare for the challenges ahead. People can find that they are sensitive to the changes that occur as summer turns in to autumn, old symptoms begin to show up, old feelings arrive and we don't feel quite as well as we would like. If this is the case then consider a homeopathic health check. Now is the perfect time to pop to your homeopath and prepare yourself for the new season.

Wishing you all a happy week

Bye for now
Brenda x

Homeopathy is indeed amazing or even amazeballs!

Hi everyone

I heard on the radio this week that some new words have been added to the Collins on line dictionary, 'amazeballs' for instance which is an expression of enthusiastic approval. What a great word.

I began to wonder how new words come about and also how existing words are used in new ways? Do you remember during the Olympics hearing the expression 'to podium' as in 'I hope that I can podium' a new way of using a familiar word, meaning the hope of coming first, second or third in an event and receiving a medal on the podium. I guess it's common use of the word or expression that makes it popular and passes it in to everyday use and understanding.

I am thinking that the more of us that talk about homeopathy the better and I think we need to be telling as many people as possible that the experience of homeopathy is indeed amazing or even amazeballs!

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Health and Well Being Fayre on Saturday September 15th Bodmin Public Rooms

Hi everyone

I was watching The Great British Bake Off in the week, the contestants were making desserts. For some everything went incredibly well but for one chap things went decidedly haywire. He tried to make a delicious sounding cake look the part but the efforts to tart things up unfortunately didn't pay off.

I am drawn to make a comparason with health, sometimes we can stick a metaphorical plaster on our symptoms of unwellness and convince ourselves that everything is ok. However, I think deep down we know that what's really needed is a good sort out, a temporary tarting up of the situation is only a short term measure.

Perhaps as women we are so intent on keeping everything together that we feel we don't have time for a good sort out of those niggly health problems? The longer we leave it the potentially worse things become though. How about taking the oppurtunity to come along to the Health and Well Being Fayre on Saturday September 15^th and having a chat with me to find out how homeopathy could help you.

The fayre is in the Public Rooms in Bodmin from 10am until 2pm. I have lots of experience of helping women with all kinds of health problems and people do find me very approachable. Let's have a look at what's under that plaster and see if we can get it sorted.

Look forward to seeing you there.

  Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Well another bank holiday has been and gone and what did you all do on such a wet day?

Hi everyone

Well another bank holiday has been and gone and what did you all do on such a wet day? In our house the restful options would have been to cosy in with a good, old film or play a game or even do some knitting or sewing. What did I actually do? Tidy the attic, madness I hear you say and indeed it was. In fact this is a job that has been put off for so long that it is now on going and will need several more wet days to complete!

I brought a few boxes down to the spare room to empty and sort, guess what? The spare room is now a  mess and the bed is littered with bits and pieces. Is it not the old sayings that things have to get worse before they get better? You can't make an omlette without breaking the eggs? The attic is still a mess and now the spare room is as well!

This all reminded me of the way homeopathy works some times, it can be that symptoms get worse before they get better. There can be an intensification before a steady improvement begins. As a homeopath if I see this in a case it tells me we are doing ok and things will begin to get better and better. Reassurance is often what is needed to enable the patient to go with the process and experience a better level of health in the long run.

Tidying the attic and spare room will result in more order and freedom from some of our clutter, indeed a work in progress and the result will be good, just need to get to down to it!

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

It's the August bank holiday already! Where does time go?

Hi everyone

It's the August bank holiday already! Where does time go?

Some time for me this past week has been spent in buying a new lock and door handle for my office and helping in fitting the same (my d.i.y team is very good, I try to assist!) There had been hints that all was not well with the door handle and the lock I have to say and then the handle fell off in my hand, necessitating a more immediate response.

At this point I should mention my door bell, it has an intermittent fault, sometimes it rings when a patient arrives, sometimes it delays and rings later, not good but the bell hasn't fallen off the wall! Unlike the door handle and lock, my bell works more often than not but it does need some attention.

Our bodies send us messages about our state of health, if we choose to ignore these messages, don't hear them or are unable to respond, then bigger messages will be needed, symptoms will become stronger, more frequent until we have to stop and take notice. I had to stop and get my door fixed, one day soon my bell is going to stop working altogether and then the need to sort it will be desparate. What I need to do is to get my d.i.y team to investigate for me and if I need a new bell I have the time to find one.

Health wise, what we need to do is listen to what our bodies are telling us and if needed seek advice and sort things out before the problem becomes more serious. Let's not leave things until they fall off in our hands!

 

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

New beginnings!

Hi everyone

 

With the new academic year fast approaching our minds turn to thoughts of new beginnings. September is a peroid of transition for many children and young people, going to nursery or school for the first time, moving up to a new class or a new school, to college or university. It is also a time of regrouping for us all before autumn comes along; there is always the hope of late summer sunshine in September and often we are not disappointed.

I think September is also a very good time to focus in on our health and begin to make the changes that we all know we need but have been putting off for so long!

With this thought in mind let me invite you to the Health and Well Being day on Saturday September 15^th from 10am until 2pm at the public rooms in Bodmin. Come along and discuss any of your health concerns.

I am going to be focusing on women's health in particular so any questions relating to using homeopathy to help with painful peroids, pregnancy, birth, menopause, cystitis, anxiety, depression, digestive problems, skin problems or stress in general, please come along and find out what homeopathy could do for you. There's no time like the present my nan used to say, and she was right about so many things!

Look forward to meeting you soon.

 

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Time to enjoy yourself!

Hi everyone

 

Another great week of sport and sporting acheivements. I hope that the olympics has 'inspired a generation'. The hope being that children and adults a like will try something new/different and find a sport that interests them, is satisfying and gives them pleasure. For me it is yogacise, not cycling or swimming I am afraid, we know I'm not very good at these! I have been enjoying yogacise/bodybalance for a long time and find it is just what I need.

 

It is important for us all to find things that nuture us and to make the time to enjoy them. How easy is it to make excuses to ourselves and not make the time to do the things that give us pleasure. However, if we do spend time nuturing ourselves then we feel better and are more able to whizz through our daily tasks, keeping all the balls in the air so to speak! It is all part of being as healthy as possible and is therefore very important!

Exercise is one way of nuturing ourselves, but let's not forget our creative side, hobbies are important too. It's a holistic thing, health. Sorting one area is good but let's remember the whole.

 

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Olympic Joy & Success!

Hi everyone

  

Aren't the Olympics fabulous? I think we can be proud of what we have achieved in staging this incredible event and in the achievements of all those althletes taking part. It has been amazing watching so many different sports and seeing how incredible we are as human beings.

I was listening to the radio on Friday and the father of one of the gold medalists was speaking about his delight at his son's success but also about how as parents we want our children to be happy, fulfilled and achieve their potential. I was thinking that this is exactly right but also that we all need to have our purpose whatever that may be and to find fulfilment in our lives.

What are the things that stop us finding the best of ourselves? Well I think good health is vital and this is where homeopathy comes in because it is so helpful in bringing us to the best health that we are capable of.

We are not all destined to be olympians and it is true that I struggle swimming one length of the pool and I have been known to fall off my bike but with the help of homeopathy I can be as well as I can be and do my best to help others who come for homeopathic treatment.

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

New website launced by the British Homeopathic Association

Hi everyone

Thought I would let you know about a new website which has recently been launched by the British Homeopathic Association, the link is http://www.celebhomeopathy.com/. Take a look it's very interesting.

The site has a number photographs of celebrities who use homeopathy along with their stories about how they have taken  homeopathy to help them improve their health and the health of their families. Indeed the home page states that 'Homeopathy works, we should know, we use it'.Isn't it great that people are willing to tell their stories and raise the profile of homeopathy in this way.

We can support homeopathy too by visiting https://www.facebook.com/#!/HoWFMe 
and liking the page. This is the Homeopathy Worked for Me campaign facebook page, there are also stories here from everyday folk, telling the good news, homeopathy worked for me. The campaign is aiming for tens of thousands of likes, I think it would be good to join in.

Let's share in the good news!

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Summer Holidays!

Hi everyone

 

The arrival of the school summer holidays can sometimes prove to be rather a stressful time, I have been there and have the t shirt somewhere!

Stress can be thought of anything that upsets our well being and leaves us feeling unwell. The different routines in the holidays, the difficulty of finding child care, not being able to afford to go away on holdiay or organising to go away are all pressures that can mount up and leave us struggling to cope.

In this sort of situation the body increases the release of stress hormones which enable us to function better, however, if this stress response carries on too long, is too great or not for the right reasons then we may begin to feel unwell. We get stuck in the stress response.

Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, headaches, diarrhoea, indigestion, palpitations can all be caused by stress. Also people talk about a general feeling of being unwell but not being able to pinpoint exactly what is wrong or why. (Of course these symptoms can be caused by other problems and if in doubt do get checked out).

I believe, and have seen for myself, that homeopathy can offer help to enable us to feel calmer, less anxious and indeed less stressed. I find talking through difficulties and receiving a homeopathic medicine tailored to the person  is very beneficial and can help people manage their symptoms of stress. If you would like to find out more please get in touch. I am happy to offer an initial 15 minute chat where we can explore if homeopathy could help you before you commit to a full consultation.

If you only take one thing away from reading this blog today, please notice what your body is trying to tell you this summer.

Hoping that your summer is as stress free as possible!

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Good news!

Hi everyone

 

Today some good news received from the Society of Homeopaths regarding the supply of homoepathic medicines and I quote........

'This week, the MHRA has published its response to public consultation MLX 375, regarding the consolidation and review of UK medicines legislation.

Chapter 6 of this document indicates the main points raised by respondents in relation to the supply of homeopathic medicines and includes the MHRA's comments on these points. In section 6.6, they state:

"In summary, the consolidation does not, and is not intended to, change either the current regulatory status of regulations governing homeopathic medicinal products or their sale and supply. Nor do we intend to change our current approach to enforcement of these provisions. "

All of which means that there will be no changes to how we obtain homeopathic medicines. Truly good news on this very rainy Thursday!

Thank you very much to all of you who took the time to sign the petition and write to your MP's, all your help and support is much appreciated. Also thanks to my MP who voiced my concerns to the minister for health.

 

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x

Homeopathy help for a sporting summer!

Hi everyone

As the summer of sport continues with the Olympics as the next great sporting event it is interesting to note that among the six million users of homeopathy in the UK there are some famous sports personalities, soccer star David Beckham, rugby player Will Greenwood and tennis stars Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova. Annabel Croft,  a former tennis star, is also a great supporter of homeopathic medicine.  As Euro 2012 has just finished it is also interesting to discover that doctors supporting the German football team also use homeopathic medicines.

Homeopathic medicines have long been used to treat simple sports-related problems, the most well known being Arnica, traditionally used for bruising and muscular soreness. Research studies have suggested that Arnica can have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce bruising, with one placebo-controlled trial concluding that a cream containing a combination of homeopathic remedies (including Arnica) was effective for treating sprained ankles. I myself have used Arnica extensively for the boys when they have sustained rugby related injuries! Arnica is often the first homeopathic remedy that people use for themselves and having discovered how effective it can be they move on to try other first aid remedies.

At the moment I think people are becoming more interested in trying holistic approaches to healthcare and I would say from my experience that homeopathy is great for those minor sporting injuries. If you are at all interested in homeopathy for first aid then let me know. I was thinking that it would be good to run some sessions on Homeopathy in first aid situations.

 

Wishing you all a happy week


Bye for now
Brenda x